Revolutions and search for messiahs

[sparklingway]

In the name of revolution​

By Mubarak Ali
Sunday, 18 Jul, 2010

We are facing so many social, political and economic problems that many believe there is no other solution except a revolution to solve them. — Illustration by Abro
​

On July 14, 1789, the people of Paris, protesting against the authority of the king and his anti-people policies, stormed Bastille castle and, after killing the governor and guards, looting weapons from its store and releasing its inmates, razed it to the ground. When the matter was reported to the king at his Versailles palace he asked his surrounding courtiers: “Is it a rebellion?” Someone corrected him: “No, your majesty, it is a revolt.”

The Revolution which began from Paris changed the whole course of history. It became a model for revolutionaries throughout the world who are inspired by its ideas and results. Sine then, the term revolution has become attractive and romantic and is used widely whenever people are dissatisfied with their rulers and find society polluted by corruption, bad governance and disorder; at times like these they always think about a revolution which would not only wipe out all evils but change society for the better.

In Pakistan we hear warnings of a bloody revolution, not just from the deprived and helpless people who are suffering and enduring the hardships of life but also from politicians who are enjoying all the privileges of the system. We are facing so many social, political and economic problems that many believe there is no other solution except a revolution to solve them. Is a revolution possible in Pakistan? A revolution does not come from above; it emerges from within.

If we compare Pakistan with pre-revolutionary France, we find some similarities but also some major differences. In case of similarities, in France, the privileged upper classes had all the resources to enjoy the pleasures of life. They were exempted from taxes, lived in luxury at Versailles at the royal court, away from the rest of France, unaware of the plight and misery of common people. The army was strong and spent a major part of state revenue on its maintenance. All high posts and ranks were reserved for the children of privileged families. The clergy and nobility usurped surplus agriculture produce from peasants and left them in poverty and hunger. Versailles, the capital, became famous for its celebrations, fests, hunting parties, and of course, intrigues.

However, the difference between that society and ours is that they had a strong intellectual tradition upheld by encyclopaedists, philosophers, and thinkers, such as Montesquieu, Voltaire, and Rousseau. They challenged outdated traditions and sought to create an enlightened society. The French society also had a vibrant middle class which included traders, lawyers, teachers, doctors, and other professionals who played an important role by displaying their professional talents and skill. It was the middle class which motivated people to come forward and change the old system.

The revolution passed through different phases. On August 4, 1789, in the session of National Assembly which was surrounded by the crowds who were watching the proceedings, the nobility voluntarily agreed to abolish feudalism. Different experiments were made in drafting the constitution. “Declaration of Rights of Men” was issued, guaranteeing fundamental rights. This was followed by the Reign of Terror which did not spare even the leaders of the revolution. Dr Guillotine’s machine, which bears his name, was invented to bring equality to the process of executing the condemned; earlier, the tradition was that commoners would be hanged while any person of noble birth, if he faced execution, would be beheaded. Tragically Dr Guillotine was also guillotined.

At this stage the bourgeoisie acted to stop the revolution, mercilessly crushing the peasants and common people, as they did not wish the revolution to endanger the institution of private property. Once they achieved their goals, they effectively called a halt. However, overall the revolution achieved its objectives; it ended the old system and opened gates for change.

Keeping in view this historical background, chances for any revolution are bleak in Pakistan. First, we do not have any serious or thoughtful intellectual movement which can bring forth new ideas and thoughts — an important ingredient for a revolution. Secondly, we do not have a strong middle class which could challenge the present set-up and produce an alternative system. A large section of our professional class has already left the country for Canada, USA, or Europe. People are too entangled in religious conflicts and emotionally involved in religious slogans and not ready to accept new ideas. Our ruling class, who feel safe in Islamabad surrounded by high security, are satisfied and content. None of the powerful groups, including the army, bureaucracy and politicians, are interested in any change. The state is ready to crush any attempt to challenge its authority. Under these circumstances, the slogan of a revolution does nothing but create an illusion which is far from reality.

 

[sparklingway]

Factual errors about Joseph Guillotine aside, the graphic artist's title image says it all.

It would have been even more appropriate had he expounded on the self-righteous, apathetic and greedy nature of our urban middle class that has the fingers and mouths to type and shout revolution, but has no willingness to strive for once since the class and governance structure favour them in more than one ways and a redistribution of wealth and power would not be acceptable to the urban middle class as well. The intellectual dishonesty and pseudo-liberalism aside, the cries for benevolent dictators, heroes and messiahs to solve everything with a single swish of the wand are symbols of the intellectual underdevelopment of our "educated" class.

 

[ice_man]

the dwindling middle class just puts all the blame on the POOR and the powerful royal class!!

the biggest factor required for a revolution is youth which is willing to take to the streets!!

it happened in iran & also happened in France!! as for pakistan the only time we took to the streets we made the government restore the CJ in a direct challenge to the army & the elite!

pakistanis love being divided into ethnic provincial and religious groups!! and love to sit in drawing rooms & discussing politics but NEVER will they take to the streets!!!

 

[devil'sadvocate]

the dwindling middle class just puts all the blame on the POOR and the powerful royal class!!

the biggest factor required for a revolution is youth which is willing to take to the streets!!

it happened in iran & also happened in France!! as for pakistan the only time we took to the streets we made the government restore the CJ in a direct challenge to the army & the elite!

pakistanis love being divided into ethnic provincial and religious groups!! and love to sit in drawing rooms & discussing politics but NEVER will they take to the streets!!!

"Taking to the streets" is going to solve nothing.

As bad as our problems seem, the cause of these problems is the our decaying society and a total lack of social awareness.

Whatever problems you point out in the the so-called "Elite" of our society, are present to varying degrees in every other segment.

We, as a society are regressing at an alarming rate and if it continues, the whole thing may collapse onto itself.

We need "evolution" more than "revolution".

Besides, it can be argues that a revolution simply replaces a set of problems with another.

 

[ice_man]

"Taking to the streets" is going to solve nothing.

As bad as our problems seem, the cause of these problems is the our decaying society and a total lack of social awareness.

Whatever problems you point out in the the so-called "Elite" of our society, are present to varying degrees in every other segment.

We, as a society are regressing at an alarming rate and if it continues, the whole thing may collapse onto itself.

We need "evolution" more than "revolution".

Besides, it can be argues that a revolution simply replaces a set of problems with another.

evolution doesn't come until someone changes the status-quo!! which can only be done by a revolution we need to remove the inept corrupt leaders once and for all no more bhuttos,sharifs,hussains,khans & chuadry's!

time to give power to the people i guess currently the bangladesh model of technocrats will work!!

 

[devil'sadvocate]

evolution doesn't come until someone changes the status-quo!! which can only be done by a revolution we need to remove the inept corrupt leaders once and for all no more bhuttos,sharifs,hussains,khans & chuadry's!

time to give power to the people i guess currently the bangladesh model of technocrats will work!!

You assume the technocrats will be any different from these Zardaris and Shareefs. If there are these paragons of virtue in our society, where are they?

You don't need a government to bring about change in a society, where are these technocrats now?

Replacing one privileged class with another would not work. To bring about change, we need to first accept that we have a problem deep within ourselves and not just point fingers at the most convenient target.

The painful fact is that our politicians a re simply a reflection of our society. You will find a Zardari in every street corner in Pakistan...

 

[ice_man]

You assume the technocrats will be any different from these Zardaris and Shareefs. If there are these paragons of virtue in our society, where are they?

You don't need a government to bring about change in a society, where are these technocrats now?

Replacing one privileged class with another would not work. To bring about change, we need to first accept that we have a problem deep within ourselves and not just point fingers at the most convenient target.

The painful fact is that our politicians a re simply a reflection of our society. You will find a Zardari in every street corner in Pakistan...

true very true so what is your suggestion?? there are no paragons of justice & liberty in our society!

the common fall back line for most people is education well education is good but it get's you nowhere if you can't find a job!! at the end of the day our leaders have got us so embroiled in roti kapra makaan that currently people don't have time or patience for a revolution!! hence corruption is now embeded in our culture and Mullah seems to be the key maker of the door that unlocks REDEMPTION!

in such a society where heaven is bought or traded & where jobs are hard to find more and more zardaris & bin ladens will be found at every corner of every street!! the polarization of the society has never been more evident!

& no one has answers hence no one is a true leader!

 

[Meengla]

Good points by @Devils Advocate. Indeed, these Zardaris and Sharifs are a reflection of the society.
Having said that I don't really think Pakistan's ruling class is singularly corrupt or incompetent in the world. I think there are plenty of countries where such feelings or perceptions are quite common. I think we go too far in breast-beating in trying to bring down the whole system. Not much change is going to come if you 'eliminate' the top 3 tiers of the ruling political parties because the 4th or nth tier will bring up similar characters (but devoid of learning the ropes of politics)....
Instead of a classic 'revolution' Pakistanis should concentrate on the mini-revolution which has been going on since the civil-society rose up to challenge the firing of the CJP in March 2007. Don't derail the political process because even this has done some very positive things (consensus on taking on the Talibans; NFC award; 18th Amendment; Gilgit-Baltistan and Baluchistan initiatives). Avoid wars in Pakistan's vicinity at all possible bearable costs. Build roads to connect all parts of Pakistan. Enforce law to rid the country of weapons. Prosecute electricity thieves. Make schooling mandatory by law.

For the price of not buying a few F-16s Pakistan can do a lot of things. Thinking outside the box is required.

And, oh, finally, build a national consensus through ALL political parties to drive the nation to austerity to such an extent that repayment of foreign loans is the topmost priority.

All these are not some class revolutionary steps. All these can be accomplished. It does at a minimum continued and intense discussions in blogspace and media to get it started.

Can we do it here?

 

[rohailmalhi]

I dont know y do we really needs to get to streets .Y cant we bring revolution from with in and then try to change who are around us .
This so called revolution is nothing but more and more bloodshed which might even lead to civil war .just like Afghanistan

Y cant we change ourselves and try to bring sumthing postive to this society then just sitting and talking.If you are really a well wisher then do sumthing for Pakistan .whtever it is a small step taken can bring sum change .Like opening schools for poors with quality education.
So stop thinking of getting to streets coz it aint gonna bring anything but chaos in the country which we cannot afford.

Long Live MY and Love live beautiful people of

 

[sparklingway]

The wait for a messiah​

By Irfan Husain
Saturday, 24 Jul, 2010

I suppose ‘Go, Musharraf, go!’ makes a better slogan than ‘Clean drinking water for all!’ ​

Older readers will recognise this mantra from the past: “South Korea stole our first Five-Year Plan.” According to this urban legend, when a Korean was accused of this petty larceny by a Pakistani, he retorted: “Yes, but we implemented it.”

The other pat on the back we give ourselves is about how PIA helped establish Air Malta and Emirates. I suppose that’s how those who have failed comfort themselves after having been knocked out of the league many years ago: in our period of decline, we sit around, reminiscing about the good old days.

Younger Pakistanis may find it hard to believe, but there was a time when Pakistan was held up as a model of development. India, constrained by its tightly regulated economy, was plodding along on what was called the ‘Hindu rate of growth’. Buoyed by foreign aid, then quite efficiently utilised, and with relatively liberal economic policies, Pakistan grew at a respectable rate that gave economists the widespread expectation that soon, the country would reach the take-off stage.

In the mid-1960s, a Turkish friend who worked for one of his country’s financial institutions told me that Pakistan’s Industrial Development Bank (IDBP) was cited as an exemplary state-sector enterprise in his organisation. As a young student, I remember feeling quite proud of my country. What institutions do our young people have to be proud of today?

In 1963, I drove from Germany to Pakistan with some friends over a series of steadily deteriorating roads. In Iran, we came across a metalled road 100km or so before and after Tehran. The rest were unpaved dirt roads. Poverty was so widespread that workers in eastern Iran would beg us for a box of matches. When we crossed into Pakistan, it was like entering a developed country: although the roads in Balochistan were also unpaved, they had been neatly graded and properly marked. The border rest-house where we spent the night was adequate, and we were cooked a hot meal. Sleeping in the open under a brilliant, star-speckled sky, it felt good to be back.

So what happened to derail this success story? The short answer is 1965. This brief, pointless war, needlessly provoked by Pakistan, destabilised Ayub Khan’s government, and set in motion a chain of events that had far-reaching consequences that haunt us still. Without getting into the causes leading up to this military disaster, I do see it as a hinge moment in our history.

Although the economy has grown in fits and starts since then, governance and institution-building have recorded a steady and terminal decline. Internationally, we are toxic, with our geopolitical location, our nuclear arsenal and our scary jihadi threat the only reasons why we figure in the calculations of other countries.

Many Pakistanis are convinced that if only we would get a good leader, everything could be fixed. Scores of readers have emailed me over the last couple of years, complaining about Asif Zardari. “What have we done to deserve him?” they moan. It’s almost as if they think some celestial figure should parachute down to take over. The reality is that all the actors are on the political stage, and we know what the options are.

A sizeable chunk of our chattering class is convinced that once Zardari quits the scene, rivers of milk and honey will start flowing again. Considering that his predecessors in the presidency include such stellar figures as Ghulam Ishaq Khan, Farooq Leghari and Pervez Musharraf, it is difficult to understand how Zardari can do any worse. Indeed, whatever his many detractors say about him, his performance in office has been far better that anybody could have hoped for.

Of course, the inevitable allegations of graft swirl around this government, as they have around every elected civilian government in the past. The only reason military rulers have been spared this scrutiny is that our media moguls know better than to take on the generals over such a sensitive issue. Mere politicians, of course, are fair game. The wildest, most unfounded charges against them can be amplified in the megaphone that is the electronic media today.

Political discourse in Pakistan today resembles a Roman amphitheatre where gladiators fight and die before a mob baying for yet more blood. In this hysterical environment, it is next to impossible to initiate and sustain a sensible discussion on the real issues. When people get used to a steady diet of raw meat, it’s not easy to convince them that vegetables are good for them.

Thus, deadly serious matters like religious extremism and violence, illiteracy, poverty, the need for clean drinking water, rapid population growth, the degradation of our urban and rural environment and the water crisis are impatiently swept aside by the public and the media. What counts most to them are the NRO, the 18th Amendment, allegations of graft and the comings and goings of politicians, judges and generals.

This national preoccupation with peripheral issues lets the government off the hook. When the political discourse is diverted away from our pressing problems, the administration is under no pressure to deliver. While civil society is ready and willing to agitate for judicial independence and against the NRO, it does not show the same energy and zeal to take to the streets to demand better governance. I suppose ‘Go, Musharraf, go!’ makes a better slogan than ‘Clean drinking water for all!’

One reason for these warped priorities is that we seem to prefer to talk about abstract issues rather than mundane ones. For our educated middle class, access to clean drinking water is not the problem it is for millions of deprived Pakistanis. Ditto for education and health services as they can generally afford not to rely on creaking state facilities.

In most societies, pressure for change comes from an educated middle class. Until this class feels strongly enough for the country’s masses to demand an improvement in their lives, little will change. Currently, our civil society’s problems are more to do with the courts and government departments, so their focus is on reforming them. The media’s concern is to improve circulation and audience figures, so they whip up sudden squalls in the teacup about non-issues. And we lap up these little dramas and express our indignation in the comfort of our drawing rooms.

Meanwhile, in the real world, children starve quietly, or grow up stunted, unloved and malnourished in a hostile world. Uneducated, they have little chance of finding a job. But at least we have the consolation of being blessed with an independent judiciary.