A response to ‘Where Freedom reigns by Thomas Friedman’
A response to ‘Where Freedom reigns by Thomas Friedman’
EDITORIAL DESK August 14, 2002, Wednesday Where Freedom Reigns By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN (NYT) Op-Ed 834 words Late Edition - Final , Section A , Page 23 , Column 6 ABSTRACT - Thomas L Friedman Op-Ed column says 50 years of democracy and secular education have made India a wonder of positive economic and multicultural social energy, in contrast to Pakistan, where 50 years of failed democracy, military coups and imposed religiosity have produced 30,000 Islamic schools that churn out youth that know only Koran and hostility toward non-Muslims (M)
http://www.somaliawatch.org/archivejun02/020813201.htm
---------------------------
Mr. Friedman’s article Where Freedom Reigns was written today, on the 14th of August, the 55th anniversary of Pakistan, I feel that I as one of the million or so Pakistani American, a community which professes to have the highest numbers of professional of any immigrant community, living in the US have the right to disagree. Actually, I cannot agree with him any less.
First of all, Thomas Friedman has an irreversible belief in globalization which is basically another lexicon for imperialistic capitalism. Mr. Friedman’s book The Lexus and the Olive Tree, is his take on how globalization can save the world. Now keeping in mind that if one is not an economist, reading his book one can easily imagine an Indian peasant in the state of Rajistan buying Enron stocks from his PDA. However, the truth as reported by UNHCR (http://unhcr.org) is somewhat less rosy.
“While 1.3 billion people struggle to live on less than $US1 a day, the world's richest 200 people doubled their net worth between 1994 and 1998 to more than $1 trillion. The income gap between the fifth of the world's population in the wealthiest countries and the poorest fifth of the world's population was 74 to one in 1997, up from 60 to one in 1990, and 30 to one in 1960. OECD countries, with 19 percent of global population, control 71 percent of global trade in goods and services, and consume 16 times more than the poorest fifth of the globe.
Now this is a statistical fact not rhetorical ranting or CNN polls.
Western corporations are continuously sucking the world dry. Open your markets, the IMF dictates, but when foreign steel from Brazil becomes competitive, US is the first to put tariffs on imports, categorized as dumping. This is the free-market economy as seen by the US, World Bank and IMF. Third world country have either brutal sanctions imposed on them, case in point being Iraq, North Korea, Burma, Zimbabwe, Sudan or have cleverly constructed tariffs imposed by the United States or EU to protect domestic steel, cotton or Harley Davidson’s motorcycles. The IMF forces other countries to privatize their natural resources, water, power, and healthcare, but on the other hand supports and greases the wheel for corporations like BECHTEL to buys water rights in Bolivia or help ENRON in getting the Indian to slash its duty on imports of liquefied natural gas from 105 percent to 15 percent. This is how Mr. Friedman wants to see the world, a big mass market of consumers with a passion for McDonald’s, although chicken would suffice if beef is taboo.
Democracy cannot exist without education and a system of checks and balances. Pakistan's experiment in democracy is a failure as is Russia's. I am a witness to that and I hope the democratic years never rear their ugly head again without due checks and balances. India's democracy was principally socialistic in nature because of the grand vision and honest leadership of Mr. Nehru. The US distanced itself from India during this time because Mr. Nehru in his infinite wisdom decided to keep all multi nationals out of India unless they agree to do a technology transfer, those like Coca-Cola who refused were thrown out. South India especially has been governed by socialistic and Marxist parties, whose policies increased education and social welfare among all levels of society. In the north Congress-I and now BJP have been in government, which has done little to increase education or other social services. However, BJP has done wonders to bring the Aryan inspired Hindutva culture (India for Hindus alone) to the forefront with blatant public ties to VHP and RSS a party as abhorrent in its radical manifesto as the KKK, Aryan National Party or Al-Qiada. Under the guise of democracy we see the BJP leading in its discretion of a minorities religious site (Babria masjid) or of the planned massacre of innocent civilians (Gujrat).
The great principles of democracy are at pains to work in a complex society like India, in fact they are sometimes duly exploited. In Gujrat, welfare groups put the figure burned by a mob at 2000, not 600. Even the official death toll is at 778. Entire households with kids, burned alive by a ruly mob. The world-renowned activist Ahsan Jafferi made frantic calls to the Minster of Gujrat State who said nothing could be done to help him or anyone in the walled compound. The police stood by and so did the world media. In contrast, since partition, Pakistan government has not had any religious minority being massacred with such open handedness, the shameless violence against Ahmedis, Shiites, Christians is random at best. The one time a Hindu temple was desecrated was after the Babri Masjid was burned down by rioting BJP party member. In Pakistan, sectarian and religious violence while equally horrendous is more similar to gang wars in thanks to the constant chaos in Afghanistan and the resulting drug and Kalishinkof culture. It is not mob-controlled or watched helplessly by the police. Yes, killings occur everyday and religious persecution is prevalent, but Pakistanis have faced the chaos in Afghanistan for 25 years. Whether it is Russian soldiers, brutal Warlords, oppressive Taliban, or friendly US forces, the opposition always finds refuge in Pakistan.
From Ekta online (http://ektaonline.org) , a South Asian social organization I quote the following,
“The Western media trivializes the truth about Gujrat because INDIA is a democracy. Nothing but a deafening silence from the international community. Except for a few activists and grassroots organizations in the United States and a vague public acknowledgment of the riots in response to a front-cover photograph of a Hindu militant brandishing a sword, the Gujarat incident has received very little attention in America. It is very important to note that prompt and appropriate response to the carnage – particularly relief efforts by the majority of non-resident Indians – has been severely lacking. This silence and the failure to act are in sharp contrast to the instrumental role of such groups in raising funds for the 2001 Gujarat earthquake. Whereas in 2001 millions of dollars in aid from the international community poured into the state for earthquake relief, the burden of providing food, medical support, and other supplies for the victims of the recent violence is being shouldered by local NGOs and Muslim voluntary groups. It is also worth mentioning that the lack of support from certain segments of the NRI community, though appalling, is not particularly surprising given that such groups have provided substantial support to the increasingly militant and powerful Hindu right in India. Finally, the stand of the Indian government that the recent occurrences in Gujarat are an "internal matter" and that condemnation by other countries would be construed as "interference" has also encouraged the silence of the international community.”
And Mr. Friedman writes ‘Nothing happened.’
Maybe he does not realize how much fear there is among Muslims of India, but then maybe it is hard for him to envision living as a minority under a third world democracy. Here are a few facts that Mr. Friedman glazes over so as to appease the democratic loving liberals. He thinks that giving democracy to these crazy violent Pakistanis will end all their terrorism and anger. Maybe he is not versed in the history of Pakistan and the failed experiments with democracy. And lest not forget that India, with in its democracy, allows KASHMIR to be a sore point, but which is conveniently forgotten by the world and Mr. Friedman. Needless to say more people have lost lives in KASHMIR then Palestine, and the grossest human rights violations -- committed by any nations in recent times -- has been by Russian in CHEHCNEYA, but this is not media friendly stuff. Is it a coincidence that someone of the current hot spots such as Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya and Cyprus are occupied by the paragons of democracy such as Israel, India, Russia and Turkey.
So while Pakistan’s record is notoriously sinister as a military dictatorship, what is forgotten that even democratic countries can err. Case in point would be India. In 1971 Indian forces crossed Pakistan borders (the fact remains that Pakistani forces were ravaging East Pakistan), as it did in 1984 in Siachin glacier (and Pakistan did the same in Kargil in 2001). In addition, it was India who exploded a peaceful nuclear bomb in 1974 thanks to a technology transfer by President Eisenhower. And it was India that first exploded 3 nuclear devices under the nationalistic jingoism of BJP, providing a shot of nuclear Viagra to the Hinduvta doctrine in 1998. Which was immediately answered by our heroics Pakistani politician in a pathetic display of nuclear Viagra. But India’s actions are packaged as part of democracy, to the world, India’s behavior is non-threatening because they are Hindus and democratic, while Pakistan, which at the time it went nuclear was democratic or God forbid Iran, a democratic Muslim country, make the whole world ill at ease. Is this logic convoluted or is Mr. Friedman misinformed?
Mr. Friedman, with his infinite research, assures us that no Indian Muslims were ever in Al-Qiada, and how does he know that? And furthermore is that the only terrorist organization that matters. Has he heard of the Tamil Tigers and the Kashmiri separatist? Are these people not Indians or are all religious fanatics from across the border, i.e. Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Are we really to believe that the whole insurgency in Kashmir is staged by Pakistan agencies, if so they should be running the CIA which can’t even start a minor insurgency in Iraq.
Pakistan for all its complexities and suicidal tendencies has survived in a tumultuous region by playing a dangerous game. Most of Pakistan’s problems are self inflicted and shameful. Religious fanaticism, feudal persecution, massive unemployment, unchecked population growth combined with delusions of grandeur, that are prevalent in our leadership and population, drag the nation behind in social services and education. However, to make a crude comparison of Pakistan to India, a nation ten times in size and resource rich is unfair. If Mr. Friedman considers India a miracle because of its diversity and democratic principles, then he should consider Pakistan one too, for its tenacity for as Mr. Nehru and Lord Mountbatten predicted, it would be a miracle if Pakistan could survive for 90 days.
And if only Mr, Friedman would talk to a citizen or visit Pakistan instead of getting his facts from the London Economist, he would quickly realize that the richest man in Pakistan would probably be Mr. Kalia of Kalia group, and he is not a feudal, as he made all his money in the currency market.
And coming back to massacre in Gujrat, Mr. Friedman says nothing happened. Wonder of all wonders! This makes me wonder if he is misinformed or bent on perpetuating his philosophy. Unfortunately, the latter is true. Representing facts in a way so as to distort the truth is a special quality that is wonderfully exemplified by major US publications. The American public, while not stupid, is guided along in their beliefs by gentle nudges. These exist for imposing of the new world order, full spectrum domination, one of techno-globalization versus third world poverty or of occupier vs. occupied. Instead of representing facts, we are presented with packaged solutions This fight is not about democracy; it is about making consumers for the ever-greedy corporate America. We are in the numbers game and if you don't meet expectations, you are out. That is how our world runs; it needs more consumers to buy more products. All of us are driven by goals that are determined by the stock market, and there is no limit to how high the DOW can go. As any one-to-one marketing guru will tell you, the scarcest commodity of the 21st century is a customer.
EDITORIAL DESK August 14, 2002, Wednesday Where Freedom Reigns By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN (NYT) Op-Ed 834 words Late Edition - Final , Section A , Page 23 , Column 6 ABSTRACT - Thomas L Friedman Op-Ed column says 50 years of democracy and secular education have made India a wonder of positive economic and multicultural social energy, in contrast to Pakistan, where 50 years of failed democracy, military coups and imposed religiosity have produced 30,000 Islamic schools that churn out youth that know only Koran and hostility toward non-Muslims (M)
http://www.somaliawatch.org/archivejun02/020813201.htm
---------------------------
Mr. Friedman’s article Where Freedom Reigns was written today, on the 14th of August, the 55th anniversary of Pakistan, I feel that I as one of the million or so Pakistani American, a community which professes to have the highest numbers of professional of any immigrant community, living in the US have the right to disagree. Actually, I cannot agree with him any less.
First of all, Thomas Friedman has an irreversible belief in globalization which is basically another lexicon for imperialistic capitalism. Mr. Friedman’s book The Lexus and the Olive Tree, is his take on how globalization can save the world. Now keeping in mind that if one is not an economist, reading his book one can easily imagine an Indian peasant in the state of Rajistan buying Enron stocks from his PDA. However, the truth as reported by UNHCR (http://unhcr.org) is somewhat less rosy.
“While 1.3 billion people struggle to live on less than $US1 a day, the world's richest 200 people doubled their net worth between 1994 and 1998 to more than $1 trillion. The income gap between the fifth of the world's population in the wealthiest countries and the poorest fifth of the world's population was 74 to one in 1997, up from 60 to one in 1990, and 30 to one in 1960. OECD countries, with 19 percent of global population, control 71 percent of global trade in goods and services, and consume 16 times more than the poorest fifth of the globe.
Now this is a statistical fact not rhetorical ranting or CNN polls.
Western corporations are continuously sucking the world dry. Open your markets, the IMF dictates, but when foreign steel from Brazil becomes competitive, US is the first to put tariffs on imports, categorized as dumping. This is the free-market economy as seen by the US, World Bank and IMF. Third world country have either brutal sanctions imposed on them, case in point being Iraq, North Korea, Burma, Zimbabwe, Sudan or have cleverly constructed tariffs imposed by the United States or EU to protect domestic steel, cotton or Harley Davidson’s motorcycles. The IMF forces other countries to privatize their natural resources, water, power, and healthcare, but on the other hand supports and greases the wheel for corporations like BECHTEL to buys water rights in Bolivia or help ENRON in getting the Indian to slash its duty on imports of liquefied natural gas from 105 percent to 15 percent. This is how Mr. Friedman wants to see the world, a big mass market of consumers with a passion for McDonald’s, although chicken would suffice if beef is taboo.
Democracy cannot exist without education and a system of checks and balances. Pakistan's experiment in democracy is a failure as is Russia's. I am a witness to that and I hope the democratic years never rear their ugly head again without due checks and balances. India's democracy was principally socialistic in nature because of the grand vision and honest leadership of Mr. Nehru. The US distanced itself from India during this time because Mr. Nehru in his infinite wisdom decided to keep all multi nationals out of India unless they agree to do a technology transfer, those like Coca-Cola who refused were thrown out. South India especially has been governed by socialistic and Marxist parties, whose policies increased education and social welfare among all levels of society. In the north Congress-I and now BJP have been in government, which has done little to increase education or other social services. However, BJP has done wonders to bring the Aryan inspired Hindutva culture (India for Hindus alone) to the forefront with blatant public ties to VHP and RSS a party as abhorrent in its radical manifesto as the KKK, Aryan National Party or Al-Qiada. Under the guise of democracy we see the BJP leading in its discretion of a minorities religious site (Babria masjid) or of the planned massacre of innocent civilians (Gujrat).
The great principles of democracy are at pains to work in a complex society like India, in fact they are sometimes duly exploited. In Gujrat, welfare groups put the figure burned by a mob at 2000, not 600. Even the official death toll is at 778. Entire households with kids, burned alive by a ruly mob. The world-renowned activist Ahsan Jafferi made frantic calls to the Minster of Gujrat State who said nothing could be done to help him or anyone in the walled compound. The police stood by and so did the world media. In contrast, since partition, Pakistan government has not had any religious minority being massacred with such open handedness, the shameless violence against Ahmedis, Shiites, Christians is random at best. The one time a Hindu temple was desecrated was after the Babri Masjid was burned down by rioting BJP party member. In Pakistan, sectarian and religious violence while equally horrendous is more similar to gang wars in thanks to the constant chaos in Afghanistan and the resulting drug and Kalishinkof culture. It is not mob-controlled or watched helplessly by the police. Yes, killings occur everyday and religious persecution is prevalent, but Pakistanis have faced the chaos in Afghanistan for 25 years. Whether it is Russian soldiers, brutal Warlords, oppressive Taliban, or friendly US forces, the opposition always finds refuge in Pakistan.
From Ekta online (http://ektaonline.org) , a South Asian social organization I quote the following,
“The Western media trivializes the truth about Gujrat because INDIA is a democracy. Nothing but a deafening silence from the international community. Except for a few activists and grassroots organizations in the United States and a vague public acknowledgment of the riots in response to a front-cover photograph of a Hindu militant brandishing a sword, the Gujarat incident has received very little attention in America. It is very important to note that prompt and appropriate response to the carnage – particularly relief efforts by the majority of non-resident Indians – has been severely lacking. This silence and the failure to act are in sharp contrast to the instrumental role of such groups in raising funds for the 2001 Gujarat earthquake. Whereas in 2001 millions of dollars in aid from the international community poured into the state for earthquake relief, the burden of providing food, medical support, and other supplies for the victims of the recent violence is being shouldered by local NGOs and Muslim voluntary groups. It is also worth mentioning that the lack of support from certain segments of the NRI community, though appalling, is not particularly surprising given that such groups have provided substantial support to the increasingly militant and powerful Hindu right in India. Finally, the stand of the Indian government that the recent occurrences in Gujarat are an "internal matter" and that condemnation by other countries would be construed as "interference" has also encouraged the silence of the international community.”
And Mr. Friedman writes ‘Nothing happened.’
Maybe he does not realize how much fear there is among Muslims of India, but then maybe it is hard for him to envision living as a minority under a third world democracy. Here are a few facts that Mr. Friedman glazes over so as to appease the democratic loving liberals. He thinks that giving democracy to these crazy violent Pakistanis will end all their terrorism and anger. Maybe he is not versed in the history of Pakistan and the failed experiments with democracy. And lest not forget that India, with in its democracy, allows KASHMIR to be a sore point, but which is conveniently forgotten by the world and Mr. Friedman. Needless to say more people have lost lives in KASHMIR then Palestine, and the grossest human rights violations -- committed by any nations in recent times -- has been by Russian in CHEHCNEYA, but this is not media friendly stuff. Is it a coincidence that someone of the current hot spots such as Palestine, Kashmir, Chechnya and Cyprus are occupied by the paragons of democracy such as Israel, India, Russia and Turkey.
So while Pakistan’s record is notoriously sinister as a military dictatorship, what is forgotten that even democratic countries can err. Case in point would be India. In 1971 Indian forces crossed Pakistan borders (the fact remains that Pakistani forces were ravaging East Pakistan), as it did in 1984 in Siachin glacier (and Pakistan did the same in Kargil in 2001). In addition, it was India who exploded a peaceful nuclear bomb in 1974 thanks to a technology transfer by President Eisenhower. And it was India that first exploded 3 nuclear devices under the nationalistic jingoism of BJP, providing a shot of nuclear Viagra to the Hinduvta doctrine in 1998. Which was immediately answered by our heroics Pakistani politician in a pathetic display of nuclear Viagra. But India’s actions are packaged as part of democracy, to the world, India’s behavior is non-threatening because they are Hindus and democratic, while Pakistan, which at the time it went nuclear was democratic or God forbid Iran, a democratic Muslim country, make the whole world ill at ease. Is this logic convoluted or is Mr. Friedman misinformed?
Mr. Friedman, with his infinite research, assures us that no Indian Muslims were ever in Al-Qiada, and how does he know that? And furthermore is that the only terrorist organization that matters. Has he heard of the Tamil Tigers and the Kashmiri separatist? Are these people not Indians or are all religious fanatics from across the border, i.e. Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Are we really to believe that the whole insurgency in Kashmir is staged by Pakistan agencies, if so they should be running the CIA which can’t even start a minor insurgency in Iraq.
Pakistan for all its complexities and suicidal tendencies has survived in a tumultuous region by playing a dangerous game. Most of Pakistan’s problems are self inflicted and shameful. Religious fanaticism, feudal persecution, massive unemployment, unchecked population growth combined with delusions of grandeur, that are prevalent in our leadership and population, drag the nation behind in social services and education. However, to make a crude comparison of Pakistan to India, a nation ten times in size and resource rich is unfair. If Mr. Friedman considers India a miracle because of its diversity and democratic principles, then he should consider Pakistan one too, for its tenacity for as Mr. Nehru and Lord Mountbatten predicted, it would be a miracle if Pakistan could survive for 90 days.
And if only Mr, Friedman would talk to a citizen or visit Pakistan instead of getting his facts from the London Economist, he would quickly realize that the richest man in Pakistan would probably be Mr. Kalia of Kalia group, and he is not a feudal, as he made all his money in the currency market.
And coming back to massacre in Gujrat, Mr. Friedman says nothing happened. Wonder of all wonders! This makes me wonder if he is misinformed or bent on perpetuating his philosophy. Unfortunately, the latter is true. Representing facts in a way so as to distort the truth is a special quality that is wonderfully exemplified by major US publications. The American public, while not stupid, is guided along in their beliefs by gentle nudges. These exist for imposing of the new world order, full spectrum domination, one of techno-globalization versus third world poverty or of occupier vs. occupied. Instead of representing facts, we are presented with packaged solutions This fight is not about democracy; it is about making consumers for the ever-greedy corporate America. We are in the numbers game and if you don't meet expectations, you are out. That is how our world runs; it needs more consumers to buy more products. All of us are driven by goals that are determined by the stock market, and there is no limit to how high the DOW can go. As any one-to-one marketing guru will tell you, the scarcest commodity of the 21st century is a customer.
posted by Samurai Zauq at 6:21 PM
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