From crisis to crisis to crisis

From crisis to crisis to crisis: what to write? Does one write about the myriad international issues or the equally myriad domestic issues?

We have to stop being simplistic and saying that these crises are the fault of one man or one government. They are the result of the inexorable pace of global change. I could easily get away with saying it’s the fault of everyone but that is meaningless.

At the root of every crisis national and international are the political and economic systems of all countries. They worked for a time and produced good governments – for their own countries at least. The prime issue now is to recognise this, identify the flaws in each system and then craft a new one. That is a tall order which can destabilise society no end. Even the US system, which everyone considers great, has failed for it has delivered characters like George W Bush and Donald J Trump. In Britain, falsely known as the mother of democracy, we have had people like Tony Blair, David Cameron and now Boris Johnson.

Did I say democracy? Actually, all systems are based on creating democracy – or the illusion of it. As they deteriorate, working democracies become illusions and we are reduced to asking inmates of a lunatic asylum for a decision. You can only imagine what those decisions will be.

One of the core elements that make a democracy and a system workable is education. Our education system is pathetic. Some very intelligent people have never been to any educational institution. They have something which is far superior to BA degrees: they have wisdom which comes from experience. Their faces are wizened, their vision is deep. I once wrote an article entitled, ‘Democracy doesn’t always wear a suit’. Look at an ordinary man at his potter’s wheel. You will often see wisdom in that face.

Until our ruling class learns where wisdom comes from, where education comes from, what goes into making up an ideology, I don’t think we’re going to make any progress. By the way, the word ‘ideology’ comes from the word ‘idea’ – and when you take an idea and build a whole narrative around it, you will not come to an ideology. You will be lost aping other people’s ideologies which themselves are fairly degraded. What we need is a global ideology, which in a way the United Nations was meant to provide but when superpowers take over and start dictating to them, we have no chance at arriving at a universal global ideology. We need a latter-day Karl Marx now to forge a universal, global ideology.

With the world in turmoil, change could take one of many directions. A rag-tag band of tribals has defeated the superpower of the day and all their Western fellow travellers who are actually at their wits’ end. This is dangerous because a desperate and humiliated superpower can lash out and create even more havoc. So, the idea also has to be: “How to keep superpowers at bay?” It was simpler in a bipolar world. Mercifully, we are now moving towards a multipolar world with the rise of the People’s Republic of China. That is driving America and its allies up the wall and their tactics of containing China to stop its ascension are all backfiring.

The big setback for America will be the end of the dominance of the dollar. See how clever they are and how they have controlled the world with a piece of paper. Not that clever in reality, but simplistic for they have now brought a big, impending disaster upon themselves.

For countries like Pakistan, it is imperative that they put their house in order so that they can save themselves from the implosion that will take place. For that they have to remember that they have chosen their faith as their ideology, so they have to be true to their faith. They have to create a state which is run by people who are from amongst the best and find a methodology where the best only offer themselves to be chosen as rulers. That’s easier said than done.

I suggested one possible way to ensure this was to apply all the clauses of qualification and disqualification to contest elections. But that too is easier said than done. Who will decide? The elected goons in parliament? Judges? Who? What will be the criteria? Those who have never been convicted of crimes? We are a country where those who ought to be convicted get away scot-free to enjoy the summers and winters of London or just stay in Karachi to lord it over the people. They get away with billions that they have stolen from the people and yet our government allows them to thrive.

I would say that this is Imran Khan’s biggest failure which puts inflation in the shade. He has not yet learned that bombastic speeches only impress a crowd for a time. It is not rhetoric that matters, it is results. If a man cannot earn enough to put food on the table for his family, he cannot make qorma out of rhetoric. Imran realises a lot of things and does a spit and paint job like saying no one will go to bed hungry, that he will start soup kitchens, give cheap and easy loans to people, give access to healthcare and so many other things. He is still the best ruler we could have had, and it would be a pity if he were made to give way to one of the corrupt who are always trying to grab power. But Imran is not perfect: he is the least bad amongst a crowd of corrupt people. This can be seen from the choice of his team which is leading him to defeat. So, whilst supporting Imran one still hopes for the best.

The writer is a veteran journalist, political analyst and author.

Email: humayun.gauhar786@ gmail.com