SOROOR AHMED, while welcoming the approach of President Obama, says that practically there is not much difference in the stance of Democrats and Republicans.
Diplomacy is often the best refuge of the defeated nations. They tend to sound tactful and considerate when they are neck deep in trouble. In contrast the victorious nations are often boastful, over-confident and do not need to be too diplomatic. They speak in the terms of “you are with us or against us”.
The origin of modern diplomacy can be traced in the British India. The British introduced a new concept – Treaty. Whenever the chips were down and they felt that they would not be able to win the battle easily they would offer treaty and by one way or the other settle for a solution in their favour. The naïve Indian rulers seldom understood this political strategy of theirs and fell into the trap. Soon the British became the masters of the whole country.
President Barack Hussain Obama, in his initial days, is sounding too conciliatory. He announced the closure of the Guantanamo Bay torture centre within one year and urged the Muslims to un-clinch their fist so that he can shake hands with them. Besides, he talked about commonality among different religions, especially those having substantial presence in his own country. His inaugural speech was hailed as path-breaking. It heralds a dawn of a new era, said many of his admirers.
But mind it, these are the words, which of late just Obama is not speaking. Most Americans who matter are now using the similar political lexicon. No, apparently they have not lost any battle in any distant land. In fact after seven long years of military expedition which did not yield any positive results they are finding themselves trapped in no-win, no-lose situation. This is worse than defeat. Somewhere in the middle the US-led armies have forgotten whom are they fighting and with whom they should make peace.
It is this predicament, which cost them hugely. As if that was not enough came the economic meltdown, which till now has thrown out of the job 3.6 million people in that country in the last few months. Six lakhs lost their jobs only in January 2009, the month in which Obama took office.
Since September 14, 2008 when some major banks collapsed and the US and western economy faced meltdown – and even before that – the then Bush camp started realizing that things had gone seriously wrong. The Republicans devised a new strategy which was far removed from “you are with us or against us.” But very few were prepared to listened to them. Though in 2001-03 the Republicans got full support, in their campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, from the powerful media and other public opinion makers, yet all have now turned their back. The embedded journalists, hundreds in number, swooped down on Afghanistan and then Iraq to fight their own types of battles for George Bush. Even the Democrats backed George Bush on various important issues in those tumultuous earlier months. Today all these high-brow intellectuals and politicians, who were then advising Bush to do this and do that have left him high and dry. Now they are putting all the blame on him for the mess in the Afghanistan-Iraq theatre. Now it was left for the poor former President to take the shoe-hit from an Iraqi journalist. This is the beauty or, say ugliness, of democracy.
Now that Obama is in command and speaking a totally different language, everyone is listening to him and praising him to the sky. Had Bush or any Republican spoken the same language today nobody would have believed him. The truth is that both the Democrats and Republicans would have adopted the similar strategy after 9/11. The decisions taken by Bush were not always unilateral and just his own. Everyone in that country who matters should share the blame too.
The mess in Afghanistan-Iraq theatre is in fact the defeat of the American foreign and defence policy, not just of Republicans. Obama has the advantage to escape the blame as he was not in power then and has started his innings new. Though Democrats essentially draw their support from the Jews, Blacks and other minority groups and Obama sounded anti-Iran in the initial days, of late, he has realized the gravity of the situation and has even softened his stand towards the Islamic Republic.
As a shrewd nation, which instead of openly conceding defeat of their policy abroad, the Americans have evolved a wonderful method of saving their country. Instead they are passing the bucks to George Bush and salvaging the image and reputation of their country. One need not be too much carried away by the rhetoric of Democrats or Obama. Be it the dropping of atom bombs in Japan, war in Vietnam, policy towards Israel, or the rocket attack in Khost in Afghanistan after the bombing of US embassies in Dar-e-Salaam and Nairobi in 1998, the Democrats adopted even tougher policies than Republicans. How can one exonerate them from the crime of nuclear bombing Japan, which for all practical purpose conceded defeat by August 6, 1945.
Today they are sounding as peace-loving champions of human rights as if they have realised their follies. Even the Republicans, if they had assumed power, would have spoken the same language. History should not be forgotten.