Dr. Umar Khan
Dr. Khan belongs to a Lahore based Think Tank.
23-5-26
Effects of Uncontrolled, Unscrupulous, and Unchecked Pursuit of
National Interests
“Our true nationality is
mankind.” — H.G. Wells
Since its inception not very long ago, nationalism
emerged and spread throughout Europe, creating modern nation-states. The
pursuit of national interests was defined as a right—indeed, the purpose—of
these newly formed nations, without any mention of scruples. These national
states dominated much of the globe, along with all their curses and ills. The
world as we see it today, with its current boundaries, is the direct result of
this brief phase of human development.
Nationalism, an "infantile disease of mankind"
according to Einstein, played a very influential role in history by reducing
religious wars and their bloodshed, but unfortunately, it started its own new
bloody feuds based on national interests.
The pursuance of national interests became a universal
purpose of existence for most nation states, yet its definition and boundaries
were neither specified nor limited. This led to an uncontrolled and unchecked
quest for national interests that caused even more violence than previous
causes of conflict. Unfortunately, this chase is still ongoing, along with its
bloodshed and cruelty, although the effective use of semantics and euphemism
may have only refined the hypocrisy while sharpening the edges of its
brutality.
Philosophers and sociologists forgot to define exactly
what legitimate national interests are, nor did they explain the appropriate
means to achieve them. Psychologists teach that while it is important to know
what to do in life, it is imperative to know what not to do.
Unfortunately, nation-states ignored any mention of tactics to be avoided or
scruples in this struggle for national interests.
This led to a few powerful vested interests seizing and
monopolizing the definition of national interests while forcing and coercing
the majority to pursue them violently. Military-industrial complexes, along
with other business and some religious interests, have ultimately dominated the
political scenes of declared democracies, subtly turning them into pitiless
plutocracies—a dangerous development. With the development of media and control
over information, this violence and brutality have been sanctified, along with
the misery they bring. Dangerous short-term interests of a few are declared
national interests against the long-term interests of all. Recent soldiers
proudly narrating and laughing at their role in genocides and the rape of their
subjugated, helpless captives on TV shows exposes how an educated nation can be
turned into beasts while pursuing an unscrupulous definition and pursuit of
national interests.
The world pays the price when myopic personal interests
turn into "national interests" and are violently imposed. Regrettably
we see it happening every day.
This unchecked pursuance of national interests has
created havoc around the world, causing catastrophes for many while making a
few very comfortable and wealthy. Although it would require volumes to
enumerate them all, here I will summarily mention a few:
· This led to the colonial subjugation and humiliation of
hundreds of millions while the world was carved up for the benefit of a few
powerful nations.
· A class of privateers was created, whose ship-robbing was
glorified after they paid a share of the loot to the sovereign.
· Opium wars were fought, and drugs were forced upon a
significant population of the world by self-proclaimed civilized nations
pursuing "legitimate" national interests.
· The Nazis got tens of millions killed looking for Lebensraum (living
space) for Germans.
· The Vietnam War, with millions killed, was also fought
for national interests.
· The toppling of multiple governments—something still
going on relentlessly—is again the pursuance of national interests.
· Unending wars have been started after the fall of
communism for the same reason, causing millions of deaths and displacements.
· Now, Israel’s national interests are defined as
subjugating and annihilating the Palestinians and their supporters, resulting
in the destabilization of seven supporting countries, causing chaos and immense
loss of lives. All this has been done for the same "noble" purpose.
Torture, rape, and other forms of cruelty are hidden under the same euphemistic
garb.
· The recent unfinished assault on Iran was done for the
same reason, and God knows how it will end or what further catastrophe it might
cause.
Voltaire warned us that although individual killing is
prohibited and punished, collective slaughter is glorified. Unfortunately, we
have not been able to remedy this malady in the last 250 years.
We have strict dos and don'ts for individuals to follow,
but none for nations with much greater potential to harm—even to end mankind
many times over. Just as three centuries ago it was in the national interest of
the British to subjugate and loot India, and they went ahead relentlessly,
causing immense suffering, so too is it in the interests of a common thief or
robber to steal and loot others. But can that be justified? If a small,
inconsequential theft is not justifiable, how can the snatching of trillions of
dollars of Venezuelan oil be justified?
This legitimacy of pursuing unscrupulous national
interests has led to the greatest atrocities and crimes in the history of
mankind, surpassing the days of the barbarians and beyond. This cannot go on,
as it threatens the very existence of humanity. The greedy and violent nations
(for land and resources) must be brought under the law, just as individuals are
across the world. Bringing ordinary, jungle-dwelling, uncontrollable humans
under some kind of order and law was a great step toward civilization, and now
we must extend that control to nation-states as well. Just a reminder: the
first laws were enacted only around 10,000 years ago—a moment in geological
terms.
The world must form a body with the power to define the
legitimate and the unacceptable national interests and draw clear boundaries
around the acceptable means to achieve them. Unacceptable and illegitimate
modalities must also be clearly defined and stated.
Attacks on other nations, interventions, blockades,
breaches of sovereignty, and executions/kidnappings of their leaders must also
be declared illegal, requiring forcible resistance.
Perpetrators of false-flag operations by nations having
absolute supremacy of firepower must be identified and exposed so that they
stop using this treacherous tactic. In addition, a balance of power must be
established in places where the germination of violence is a possibility.
The unscrupulous and unapproved violent pursuit of
national interests has caused much misery in the past and has the potential to
end humanity. This must be labeled illegitimate and unacceptable for the world.
The crime-committing country must be ostracized and sanctioned by law-abiding
countries.
We do not need great forces for this; the tremendous
power of persuasion and legitimacy, along with the decency of a common man (not
nations), can take care of this greatest threat to civilization. Fortunately,
with the advent of social media, the monopoly over mind-making and
consent-manufacturing held by the elite has been seriously shaken and must
never be reallowed.
I would like to end with a lovely poem by John Lennon,
although I do not see his dream or mine being fulfilled anytime soon:
Imagine
there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace
You may say
that I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
“Madness is something rare in
individuals — but in groups, parties, peoples, and ages, it is the rule.”
Friedrich Nietzsche
No comments:
Post a Comment