What's new

Let’s dump America!

VelocuR

SENIOR MEMBER
Jun 4, 2009
6,188
5
7,223
Country
Pakistan
Location
United States
Let’s dump America!

Many a good Pakistani is weary of the US, which is seen as engaging in massively twisting Pakistan’s arm. American media reports on Pakistan’s military and nuclear programme anger many beyond imagination. Extreme rightwing forces such as the Jamaat-e-Islami and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) are keen to sever relations with the US. Although seemingly representing the interests of the middle class, these two parties use an extremely feudal method for assessing relationships. The divide between friend and foe in the context of state relations follows an extremely feudal ethos. Whoever is not my friend is my enemy. Such a notion defies the main principle for state relations, which is that states have permanent interests, not friends or foes.

However, since Khan sahib is getting popular by the day I am willing to stick to his feudal ethos of seeing states from the prism of friend or foe. The next indication of my support is to endorse his idea of dumping the US. Yee-haw, let’s break ties! We will not have any more of American bullying and as a show of our indignation let’s begin by boycotting American goods. Does that mean that I will have to now stand in front of the newly opened American fast-food joint in Islamabad, convincing the long queues of Pakistanis to not support the American economy? I am sure we will be able to convince them because the majority of people in the queue outside the place are probably not only PTI fans but are anti-US as well. My only fear is that someone will argue that the joint is actually supporting the local economy.

Or there will be those like the gent with the long beard and five children that I once tried to stop from going into Pizza Hut. He smiled and gestured towards his stomach, reminding me of his real needs and interests. This was an incident from 2004/05 when numerous liberals from Islamabad would lineup in front of American eateries in the city and convince people to boycott American products in protest against Washington’s attack on Iraq. The idea of economic sanctions did work temporarily and we could see replacements for Coke and Pepsi. But then it all died down. It seems that, like the rest of the Muslim world, we could not get rid of our dependence on these drinks.

Historically, one of the most effective forms of protest is economic boycott. Gandhi’s movement against the British or Mandela’s movement against apartheid in South Africa could not have taken off had they not used the method of economic boycott. Nothing hurts even a big state than what has an impact on its economy. Seems tough not to have a chilled can of Coke or Pepsi after standing in the sun in an anti-US protest?

We can certainly break ties with the US and stop asking Washington or European capitals for trade quotas and also ask our great Chinese friends to stop dumping their goods into our market. After all, nothing will work better in weaning us off of American money than improving our earning capacity, especially our trade balance. It will also make a lot of sense for Islamabad to convince Beijing to start giving us grants instead of soft loans. We don’t want the treatment given by the US. We have honour and we won’t accept any free goodies from enemies, only from friends.

In a future meeting with the Chinese government, our officials should insist on Chinese companies not adding the huge fat into the cost of their military equipment. It is only infidel enemies from the West that get into the business of offering kickbacks. Last but not the least, we will insist on Beijing breaking off from India. Since China has a rivalry with India and so do we, it makes perfect sense for Beijing to disengage with India. An enemy is an enemy. It’s true that India is a huge market and China is keen to have a share of this market, including India’s expanding civil-nuclear market. But then what is money in face of honour? An enemy, after all, is an enemy and should be treated as one. We, in fact, promise to expand our economic potential so that the Chinese business and industry don’t miss what they have lost in the Indian market.

Did I just hear someone say Pakistan should improve trade ties with India to escape American arm-twisting? What blasphemy!

Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2011.

Source
 
Many times boycott campaigns were started in the UAE against US commodities and FMCGs but it did not succeed. I don't know whether any such attempt were made in Pakistan in the past and what was the success rate for these campaigns.

But it is a good thing to do as in Pakistan you have alternative for almost all the commodities including FMCGs that are related to US and are used by masses.
 
Many times boycott campaigns were started in the UAE against US commodities and FMCGs but it did not succeed. I don't know whether any such attempt were made in Pakistan in the past and what was the success rate for these campaigns.

But it is a good thing to do as in Pakistan you have alternative for almost all the commodities including FMCGs that are related to US and are used by masses.
You still did not get it?

American products have a loyal customer base even in Pakistan.

Face it! We are a nation of double-standards. This is why we are in such a mess now.

Where the hell did this wanna be journalist graduated from?

Lame.
Why? Truth hurts?
 
You still did not get it?

American products have a loyal customer base even in Pakistan.

Face it! We are a nation of double-standards. This is why we are in such a mess now.


Why? Truth hurts?

When you have an author that calls infidel enemies of the west, that really hurts. That made me want to crawl a corner and shaking back and forth. Truth truly hurts when the author reveals his true self.
 
There's no truth in the article to begin with.

The background research that is needed to write such articles is missing and sarcasm that is used is lame.
This article is for general consumption. It is not meant for scholars.

Also, the author captured the mindset of Pakistani people perfectly. You do not see these things getting publicity in media sources. You only hear about Drone attacks and vice versa. Our double-standards cannot remain hidden.

The anti-US sentiments of some people are exploited by our politicians to further their political objectives and gain votes. Just have a look at the case of Malauna Fazl-ur-Rehman. Imran Khan is also doing the same thing.

His Dharnas for getting Raymond Davis executed or stopping NATO supplies to Afghanistan miserably failed. It shows that people have other issues to worry about rather then waging a jihad against USA.

Either we completely sever political and economic ties with USA and stop consuming American goods

OR

Should learn to live with the fact that state relations are based on interests and mutual benefits. They should not be perceived from a shortsighted view of things.
 
This article is for general consumption. It is not meant for scholars.

Also, the author captured the mindset of Pakistani people perfectly. You do not see these things getting publicity in media sources. You only hear about Drone attacks and vice versa. Our double-standards cannot remain hidden.

The anti-US sentiments of some people are exploited by our politicians to further their political objectives and gain votes. Just have a look at the case of Malauna Fazl-ur-Rehman. Imran Khan is also doing the same thing.

His Dharnas for getting Raymond Davis executed or stopping NATO supplies to Afghanistan miserably failed. It shows that people have other issues to worry about rather then waging a jihad against USA.

Either we completely sever political and economic ties with USA and stop consuming American goods

OR

Should learn to live with the fact that state relations are based on interests and mutual benefits. They should not be perceived from a shortsighted view of things.

The article and your above post somehow implies that the anti-US sentiments that is found among the Pakistanis is either non-existent or its not justified. There could be double standards among the leaders of this country but the mass populace.

Yes, we do love American food chains, we might want to want American movies but does that automatically make us love American policies towards our country? No! How many countries on this planet would have Raymond Davis type operatives on their soil and yet love America?

The Pakistani populace hates American because they have not given us any reason in our recent pass to love them, rather its the opposite.

Regarding that Dharna of Imran Khan, either you did not watch the videos, pictures, interviews and reports on television or your are just making it up. The dharna in Karachi was a success by any which way you want to look at it. Also what author states about IK himself is his ignorance at best. Bring forth one statement of him where he said that he is anti-American or he'll cut ties with America once he comes to power.

All he says is we'll talk to Americans on our terms and look for Pakistan's interests. The author must get out of this "With them or against them" mentality.

We want to keep ties with Americans just like we have with any other country of the world. If that means being left out of their aid program then so be it!
 
Let’s dump America!


We can certainly break ties with the US and stop asking Washington or European capitals for trade quotas and also ask our great Chinese friends to stop dumping their goods into our market.

What goods exactly? because a large chunk of intelligent people on this forum want to base the entire defense/indl infrastructure products around china.

After all, nothing will work better in weaning us off of American money than improving our earning capacity, especially our trade balance. It will also make a lot of sense for Islamabad to convince Beijing to start giving us grants instead of soft loans. We don’t want the treatment given by the US. We have honour and we won’t accept any free goodies from enemies, only from friends.[/B]
Did I just hear about honor and then asking for grants from china in the same sentence... may be my logic is flawed so i can't understand this

In a future meeting with the Chinese government, our officials should insist on Chinese companies not adding the huge fat into the cost of their military equipment. It is only infidel enemies from the West that get into the business of offering kickbacks.


you are co producing the cheapest fighter jet in the market...you cant go cheaper than china ... serious

Last but not the least, we will insist on Beijing breaking off from India. Since China has a rivalry with India and so do we, it makes perfect sense for Beijing to disengage with India. An enemy is an enemy. It’s true that India is a huge market and China is keen to have a share of this market, including India’s expanding civil-nuclear market. But then what is money in face of honour?

Just a few sentences back you were asking for grants from china... with honor i guess? Does the writer really knows the meaning of honor or he just likes to use this word

An enemy, after all, is an enemy and should be treated as one. We, in fact, promise to expand our economic potential so that the Chinese business and industry don’t miss what they have lost in the Indian market.

Great idea .. cutt off relations with america and european Union and India and see pakistans economy booming... I would really like to know what the writer smokes and where he gets it from .. may be he can hook me up
Did I just hear someone say Pakistan should improve trade ties with India to escape American arm-twisting? What blasphemy!
idiot
Published in The Express Tribune, July 17th, 2011.(your news papers need better writers)

Source[/QUOTE]
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 1, Members: 0, Guests: 1)


Pakistan Defence Latest Posts

Back
Top Bottom