Suicide bombings and suicide bombers, militants and world militaries, honor killings and honor killers, dictators and war lords their names are different but their roles by definition are common.
At the helm of 2008 is the innumerable destruction caused by each of the entities globally. Pakistan is a classic case study for anyone who wishes to understand the role of these man-made institutions (read: monsters). Each one of us in our lives has seen, read or dreadfully have fallen a victim to their acts. Each one of us has bled to gloom, shrieked with fear at the atrocities these man-made monsters committed openly throughout 2008. They have been active for decades now, but 2008 has been the year of these self-proclaimed saviors of honor/Islam/solidarity & freedom (acc. to their own definitions).
They are the modern day Mr. Hyde, an outcome of power struggles gone wrong and out of control. The Bush administration spent US$90 billion (by conservative estimates) on the War on Terror alone. To the people dying of starvation in Africa, Asia this figure alone could have saved lives, homes and more so given birth to new lives altogether. It is about channeling precious resources in the right direction at the end of the day.
It’s ironic that we debate and promote efficient use of resource in the face of deteriorating resources at global forums such as the defunct institutions such as UN, WTO, ASEAN, and so on but when it comes to practice we go back to deep rooted need of being the most powerful. Power for sure leads to vicious deeds – lessons of this reality are found in modern day history alone. But who is noticing.
As offense in the middle east continues to gain momentum, Gana elects a new President (amid Hopes and Fears), Sri Lanka vowes to cleanse the Tamil tigers, Pakistan-India continue to battle over who did what for the Mumbai bombings and more, the shaking of the earth goes practically unnoticed (my elders use to say earthquakes were a way of God jolting man to reality and telling him to take a note what harm he may be causing to people around him) – I wonder what kind of a future our world leaders are planning to paint for 2009 but more importantly at what cost?
Would the cost be the same as we have seen in the last decade?
- More lives lost to war
- Growing divide of the richest and the poor nations
- Africa, a sinking continent
- Race for nuclear weapons and investing in artilleries
- Business investors loosing confidence in long-relied business firms/partners
- Assassinations
- Recession and job cuts
- Oil prices
- Water
- Recurring viruses and plagues
Is it all that grim and gloomy - yes. There are good stories out there too. Hats off to the brave crusaders, peace activists, journos, leaders who continue to brave the darkest of weathers knowing they're outnumbered by the Mr. Hydes of our times.
I live in an era of "to each his own". Its time to go back to doing the right things, no matter how small. Even if each civilian today started out with doing the right thing which was as basic as being civil to the people they meet on the street - the world we live in can have a second chance...
Have we already reached a stage where we no longer feel for the unfortunate, less privileged, the weight WAR, bloodshed, human misery carries with it? Reminds one of a song by Johnny Cash. No matter how unrealistic it may sound to the advocates of prosperity, I feel this song paints our times aptly, where we have forgotten to feel altogether because at the end most of us are trying to survive in a world of our own.
I wear this crown of thorns
Upon my liar's chair
Full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
Beneath the stains of time
The feelings disappear
You are someone else
I am still right here
What have I become
My sweetest friend
Everyone I know goes away
In the end
And you could have it all
My empire of dirt
I will let you down
I will make you hurt
If I could start again
A million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find a way
(Hurst - Johnny Cash)
