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Journalism of Courage
The world has a way of changing itself following the Buddhist doctrine of impermanence: That only one law never changes—that all things change. Rapid change in the world today is bewildering every one. It is increasingly being felt that the collapse of the USSR marked a fundamental shift, although vestiges of the old order continue to this day. For example, the Communist Party’s control in China, Indo-Pak conflict, poverty in Africa, conflict in Middle East and dictatorial regimes in West Asia.
The United Nations has failed to address impending global issues. Even during the Cold War, bilateralism was a smokescreen, in the garb of maintaining strategic stability. Most nations even then relied on one or the other superpower to protect themselves. Then unipolarism emerged by default and the US cannot be held responsible. The Security Council lost its relevance ten years ago—as its role during the Balkan crisis proved.
As the logic of power shapes politics, most nations have tacitly joined the only super power. Even Russia could not help prevent the US military entry into Central Asia. Islam Karimov of Uzbekistan had already fallen into Washington’s lap. The difference this time was that Russia found company in France and Germany. The compulsions of those trying to frustrate US war on Iraq, like France, Germany and Russia, were less to do with saving the UN or Saddam’s regime and more to do with safeguarding their economic interests. However, as usual, Oriental states like China and India relied on a dubious middle path, a euphemism for failure to take hard decisions.
The fault lies in the manner the world is structured. It is a club of unequals. Making cosmetic changes to the UN will not make it an effective tool to solve the world’s problems. Most of the weak nations will continue to seek the patronage of the powerful. The world, therefore, will just have to readjust to the unfolding unipolar scenario. The former Soviet space is being refashioned for good. Although it was blow to the Russian ego, the US entry in Central Asia has strengthened Russia’s national interests. The US has simply prevented the growth of inimical forces that could potentially tear Russia further apart, by filling in the vacuum, although this has made the Chinese and the Islamists unhappy.
Reshaping of West Asia has been long overdue. The region’s regimes have been the worst warmongers in recent times and have diverted resources to produce fanatics and terrorists across the globe. Some of these rulers even deny wealth to their own people. Saddam Hussein may have been secular, but his militaristic activities posed a danger to world peace. The Arab world needs to regain its vigour to play a better international role.
China has been trying to reshape itself, though its system of one-party control and expansionist tendencies make it a threat to itself as also to others. As for South Asia, it too is in need of a new order. India and Pakistan have to get out of the rut that the Kashmir dispute has put them in for over 50 years now. The UN again cannot be expected to play any serious role here. Pakistan has so far effectively frustrated India’s effort to join the US-led campaign to reshape the order. New Delhi also failed to take a serious stand on Iraq. This could prove detrimental to its interest when events unfold in South Asia. By clinging to outlived foreign policy cliches, India has once again missed the bus.
The US-led war on Afghanistan and Iraq has exploded important myths. The myth of the ‘‘invincible Afghan’’ has been buried forever. The myth that Americans do not tolerate body bags has also been disproved. It shows that the public mood has changed since the Vietnam War. Another important myth— that the Islamic world would pose a united threat to the rest of the world— also lies buried. The mystique of Islamic threat has evaporated. The Muslim world is beginning to debate the issue frankly. something they have hardly ever done before. Contrary to popular apprehensions, terrorist forces would be inevitably undermined. Most of these outfits are in the process of winding up. The Chechens of Russia, the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka, the Nagas in India have already opted for dialogue. The searchlight may now fall around Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, traditional breeding grounds for terrorists.
The war on Iraq and the technology of precise warfare will be talked about for a long time to come. A multipolar world order is nowhere in view as the power gap between the US and next powerful nations is ever-widening. In the foreseeable future, we will have to depend on the unipolar system to hold the world’s stability. Afghanistan and Iraq now provide models and precedents for resolving future crises.
