Pak Tea House » Activism, Politics » Let us imagine something better !

Let us imagine something better !

June 19th, 2012 | 20 Comments

By Saad Hafiz:

The British historian Arnold Toynbee wrote that all societies and civilizations have a cyclical course. According to Toynbee, the mark of a decaying and disintegrating society is the transformation of its ruling elite from a creative minority to a dominant minority. Creative minorities have drive and inspiration, do not need to justify themselves and simply act and achieve for the collective whole. A dominant minority is exclusively concerned with holding onto its power, wealth, and illusion of control. There is also growing consensus among political scientists and economists that nations thrive when they develop ‘inclusive’ political and economic institutions, and they fail when those institutions become ‘extractive’ and concentrate power and opportunity in the hands of only a few.

It can be argued that Pakistan has reached the stage of combining a fundamentally extractive system, an inbred autocracy, a fatally expensive military establishment, and growing social inequality. The masses had expected a fair political and economic deal in an inclusive Muslim majority state promised to them by the Muslim League elite led by Mr. Jinnah. Subsequent developments have ensured that instead of providing political and economic progress for all, Pakistan gradually turned into a narrow oligarchic state principally benefiting its selfish, self-perpetuating and parasitic elite. The state has been making excuses as a substitute for delivering economic and social benefits to its people ever since.

The secession of East Pakistan and the perennial issues in Baluchistan can be largely attributed to political and economic disparities which have made people feel that the chance of succeeding within Pakistan was a gamble not worth taking. Ironically, expatriate Pakistanis, even those that live with official discrimination, have proved that economic success is still possible given a near level playing field of opportunity, as they are in some instances, the most affluent groups in their adopted countries.

All societies have elites. If the elites allow newcomers to bring new ideas and evolve with them, then things are good. It is when the elites try to keep everything for themselves and keep everyone else out, they ossify and things start going downhill for everyone. Elites in all countries have more in common with each other than they do with poorer people in their own countries. The elites also have more access to other elites around the world than those in the middle and bottom have to those like themselves in other countries. It takes real commitment and skill for any nation, let alone the world, to keep the money and power from ending up the hands of the few. The American economist Thomas Sowell aptly describing the societal influence of global elites said, ”The welfare state is not really about the welfare of the masses. It is about the egos of the elites.”

While the notion that Pakistan stands anywhere near a precipice of social transformation will probably be laughable to most, it still may be worth examining the possibility that the entrenched Pakistani elite who control the levers of power can be persuaded to address the prevailing political and economics disparities in the country. Whereas most elite behaviour has some form of self-interest behind it, it doesn’t necessarily mean that there self-interest has to be in direct opposition to the interests of the poor and development — there can be some convergence. The question is though, how can more convergence be brought about and how can it be capitalised upon to bring about poverty reduction?

There are different things which will encourage elites to take action on poverty for instance — positive and negative drivers which will encourage elites to spread the benefits of economic growth amongst the population in a way which will reduce poverty. A real positive driver exists in the form of education, as education is something which elites profess to value and believing as an opportunity for development. The concept of development itself is something which has a high degree of consensus amongst developing country elites, as a human resource based phenomenon and a phenomenon for which education is required to give it momentum. There is an affinity between human resources conceptions of development and pro-poor policies and that education can be used as a link between the two when interested parties are trying to develop persuasive narratives. Encouraging education could assist in gradually unlocking the human potential in the lower rungs of society.

While the spectre of violent change always exists, we are hopefully coming to the point of believing that taking an approach which encourages engagement and dialogue rather than outright rejection of elite positions, is a more constructive approach. We should also accept the fact that, each nation and society has to make an ultimate choice of its future, depending on its intrinsic collective material-human-intellectual strength, whether it really wishes to move ahead, or regress towards ruination.

Written by gstechlive

Filed under: Activism, Politics · Tags: development, elites, Pakistan, political

20 Responses to "Let us imagine something better !"

patron saint says:

June 19, 2012 at 8:24 pm

Societies are all about resources. If you destroy your environment
or climate changes happens past civilizations end like Indus Civilization.

Elites help those that help them stay rich like hedge fund manager.
why do the make more money because they keep rich man’s money
above the hidden inflation rate otherwise rich money is not really
making his money work as a weapon.

Sadly Pakistani intellectuals realize that no be part of Indian sphere
is not so fun when your patron saints don’t bless your policy choices.
ahem says:

June 19, 2012 at 8:31 pm

When islamic fascism fails then they call for more of the same fascism. That is why the “high solution” in Pakistan is: “We are not muslims/arabs/islamofascists enough”.
romain says:

June 20, 2012 at 5:20 am

Ahem, I need your help. I cant seem to decide between adulterated or unadulterated – idiot i mean. Here the the author is trying very hard to whip himself and you seem to be saying what?
MilesToGo says:

June 20, 2012 at 6:24 am

Islamic societies can never decline. Allah is protecting them like Allah is protecting Quran, on personal orders from Muhammed.
ahem says:

June 21, 2012 at 1:44 pm

to romain

The author is not speaking about the real problem of Pakistan – namely this totalitarian ideology from 7th century Arabia. He talks of dialogue between elite and the oppressed. But this dialogue only serves the purpose of hiding the real problem. That is why I pointed out that whether pakistani elite or commoners, they are all on this trip on the camel, back to 7th century desert. Whether both ride on the turbo-camel, or one of them goes to foot alongside, or is dragged along with hands tied, is all they are bargaining about. That should settle your doubts about my comment. Pity that I has to explain it.
ahem says:

June 21, 2012 at 5:56 pm

1)
Saw the film “West is West”
Pakistani-british boy coming to Pakistan for learning his origin with his conservative father.

2)
read the book “The wandering falcon” by Jamil Ahmad

Any comments about them?
ahem says:

June 21, 2012 at 7:35 pm

youtube pakistan – murder of history in text books

in 4 parts

worth being seen and discussed
AKB says:

June 22, 2012 at 3:38 am

Bookish knowledge is just not enough to make conclusions. Academics are well versed in such faux furtive pulp information. Catch a cow and slaughter it on the main street of Mathura and BBQ sirloin steaks and relish the same to reach reality!!
AKB says:

June 22, 2012 at 3:41 am

MilesToGo

did you have vision?? or did Murja Ghulla tell you about that??
what a funny little troll you are!!!
MilesToGo says:

June 22, 2012 at 4:30 am

Take a break, listen to some halal music…

http://youtu.be/nRyvBMXlZ7A
MilesToGo says:

June 22, 2012 at 4:36 am

actually this one is more halal…

http://youtu.be/NjZbcSq1Mhg

may be not, its a little confusing…
ahem says:

June 22, 2012 at 1:25 pm

AKB wrote: (and also to tajender)
“Catch a cow and slaughter it on the main street of Mathura and BBQ sirloin steaks and relish the same to reach reality!!”

why don’t you do it yourself. why tell others?

BTW:

Vinayak D. Sawarkar (the supposed founder of Hindutva) said that the cow is just a useful animal and can be eaten like any other. He was in favour of beef eating.

And Dr. Ambedkar was totally against islam and rejected islam as evil and primitive. He warned several times against islam and muslim leaders.

Both Sawarkar and Ambedkar (both from Maharashtra) were progressive atheists who respected each other greatly.

But hindutvavadis and ambedkarites leave out such crucial statements.
tajender says:

June 23, 2012 at 3:20 am

Following the Aryan invasion and their destruction of the great Indus civilisation (Semito-Dravidian) these barbarians plunged India into dark ages that were to last for 2500 years, from 1500 BC to 1000 AD, darker than the Ecclesiastical Dark Ages of Europe. Brahmanic Science during this period held that, and still holds that…

Flat Earth . The earth was universally held to be flat.

Earth-Serpent . The earth is supported by a 1000-headed serpent.
Wine Sea . The earth floats in a sea of wine.

Demonic Eclipses . 2 demons swallow the Earth and Moon, leading thereby to eclipses.

Trillion-Year-Old Universe . The universe is 26 trillion years old as per the numbers cooked up by some rishi.

700,000 mile Mt. Meru . Mt Meru is 100,000 times higher than Mt. Everest.
Dung Medicine .

Ayurvedic medicine contains urine and dung of various animals as ingredients.

Alcohol Universe . The universe is filled with alcohol.

Such beliefs existed amongst many primitive peoples, but not in the 10th century AD, and definitely not now, when institutes are set up in India to prove that many of the fallacies stated above are correct
tajender says:

June 23, 2012 at 4:54 am

mr rex minor………ASS CALLED RACE HORSE
This is India. Brahminists can convert a pig into race horse and race horse into a donkey. They have their own monopoly media to mesmerise the people and their obedient 330 million gods to frighten us.
So, with all these many-sided advantages the Brahminists have been ruling this world’s second largest country — reducing it into a beggar nation — easily manufacturing “leaders.few exceptions u will find like anudharti roy.
tajender says:

June 23, 2012 at 5:22 am

Sawarkar and Ambedkar

ahem, savarkar was shaitan jew while ambedkar was a great humanist budhdhist.ambedkar was cheated this jew,he offered him a brhmn girl who later murdered him with the help of his brhmn boy friend.
tajender says:

June 23, 2012 at 5:28 am

ahem,j the following is for ur knowledge,

The Hindus criticise the Mohammedans for having spread their religion by the use of the sword. They also ridicule Christianity on the score of the inquisition. But really speaking who is better and more worthy of our respect—the Mohammedans and Christians who attempted to thrust down the throats of unwilling persons what they regarded as necessary for their salvation or the Hindu who would not spread the light, who would endeavour to keep others in darkness, who would not consent to share his intellectual and social inheritance with those who are ready and willing to make it a part of their own make-up ? I have no hesitation in saying that if the Mohammedan has been cruel the Hindu has been mean and meanness is worse than cruelty.

SECTION IX Annihilation of Caste. Vol-I, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Writing and Speeches
AKB says:

June 24, 2012 at 12:50 am

@ahem

we are already doing that –it’s your turn to prove your worth (viz liberalism and secularism.) by slitting the throat of a cow on the streets of Mathura etc and remaining still alive!.

.

Theory is not the same as practical….saying is not doing!!Do it!
MilesToGo says:

June 24, 2012 at 12:58 am

One should believe in one true almighty. Allah is a corrupted pagan god.
Shovon Chowdhury says:

June 24, 2012 at 10:31 am

Shouldn’t someone talk to him?

http://shovonc.wordpress.com/2012/06/22/bilawal-bhutto-declines-pm-position-due-to-exams/
ahem says:

July 5, 2012 at 10:20 pm

to tajender

Dr. A. wrote: “meanness is worse than cruelty.”

tajender is more mean than anyone else.