A Question of Image
Only a cursory browsing of Dr Ayesha Siddique Agha’s book “Military Inc” reveals it to be a motivated attack on the Armed Forces, a sophisticated embellishing of facts, intertwined with pure fabrication. Even for those not subscribing to conspiracy theories, it comes across as a part of a bigger plan. Moreover the book will sell well in the present environment. Some remarks attributed to me are such blatant misquoting that one calls into question its credibility. My views about the military’s involvement in business other than the four welfare institutions, Fauji Foundation, Army Welfare Trust, Bahria Foundation and Shaheen Foundation are well documented. I do not need Dr Agha as my mouthpiece.
Pre-budget Economic Review – Economic Fortress Pakistan – III
(This is the FINAL instalment in a series of THREE articles)
Unlike Deng Tsao Peng who put economic liberalisation in China far ahead of the gradual awakening of political freedom, Gorbachev was so eulogised (and pampered) by the western media that he went overboard and attempted Glasnost (openness) ahead of Perestroika (economic revolution) in the Soviet Union. An inefficient centralized economy under the strain of the extended Afghan War was pummelled by Gorbachev’s ill-planned denationalisation and disinvestment, raising the expectations of the masses beyond the capacity of the State to fulfil and resulting in economic disaster. By focussing on Gorbachev’s ego, the west succeeded in its aim of disintegration of the Soviet Union, winning a war “without bloodying swords” (Sun Tse Tsu) against one of the two communist Superpowers. The same was precipitated to short-circuit China’s process but failed because of China’s refusal to cow down before student pressure in Tianenamen Square on prime time TV. Germany and Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the western powers, fifty years later they have put the victors to the economic sword without fighting a single battle. Arguably Soviet Union’s economic fate was best depicted by former Warsaw Pact’s Russian Commanders selling arms and equipment in Eastern Europe in order to pay salaries to their soldiers. For those keenly interested in the direction national security is taking in Pakistan, this should serve as a horrible example.