KARACHI:
The US today suffers from the curse of extremism. Many citizens, who are considered as remnants and children of the confederates, are still hostage to their forefather’s white extremist ideologies. Over the past 40 years these extremists armed themselves while America was busy in waging wars, driven by the corporate global interests of the oil and armament industry, across the globe. Amongst the ranks and files, white extremists were recruited in large numbers. Most of them are now trained in warfare.
On 6th September 2020, these armed extremist groups, motivated by the lies and slander of former President Donald Trump, stormed the Federal capital, sending shockwaves around the world. Scenes reminiscent of the ransacking of Saddam Hussain’s Palace and similar acts of violence staged and instigated by the CIA were witnessed with awe. The chickens have come back to roost. The American political establishment had forgotten to tell those living in the former Confederate dominated south, the truth and bitter realities of their not-too-peaceful history and the need for reconciliation and self-assessment. The dreams of the Founding Fathers, who gave them a Constitution of “We, the People, for the People” were dashed.
Pakistan has suffered from almost the same fate, by not adopting Quaid’s vision of a modern democratic welfare state. Instead, former collaborators of the British Raj, like the Unionists of Punjab, retained lands and titles that were given to them for betraying their motherland. They assumed political power in nexus with the remnants of the Raj and distorted our history. In order for the country to leap forward, the right people need to be empowered and democracy upheld. Unfortunately, that is the only way.
Ali Malik Tariq
Lahore
Published in The Express Tribune, January 29th, 2021.
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