Destroy Home, Decorate Grave

By Sabir Ali

sabirnastran@gmail.com
23 November 2009
Institute of Communication Studies
University of the Punjab, Lahore

“It is one of the tragedies of the 1930s that those who suffered from the aggression of the
Germans, Italians and Japanese still looked to Britain before anyone else for protection.
Unfortunately, it was beyond Britain’s capacity, given its global strategic balancing act in
the face of so many aggressors, to go the aid of Abyssinians, Czechoslovaks, or Chinese
when called upon to do so.” Ashley Jackson correctly describes the inability of Great
Britain to protect her 500 million subjects.
Remember, this was the incapability of an ‘Empire’ that consisted of forty-eight
dominions and colonies pitched across the globe. Great Britain then, was world’s greatest
nation in terms of trade and possessing sea routes with 250 warships, floating loaded with
modern naval hardware. It presents a moral lesson to the contemporary world; modern
power epicenters and exploited countries specifically Pakistan.
Those who claim to be front-line ally of America, doing more without knowing
consequences, cannot give any guarantee of a secure Pakistan. America is casting
covetous eye on men and materials of Pakistan. Geopolitically and geo-economically
vital patches of land are in her daydreams. America’s all aid, recalls us that she has an
axe to grind, in whatever shape is paid. The money provided to Pakistan, with bad
intensions, is being spent in two ways: first, we consume half of this aid to destroy our
homes and then, rest is spent on decorating graves of these homes’ victims and martyrs.
Future fears us that America has moral and hardware support of powerful states, making
unshakable Axis. We are very much conscious of our offspring therefore; we reason that
we must not annoy this evil giant. But I have different reason asking you not to rely on
Axis Powers.
British Empire covered one-fourth of the world land, virtually present everywhere.
British troops were recruited from India, New Zealand, Scotland, and Canada; America
provided munitions under the terms of Lend-Lease Bill, Middle Eastern oil fueled
warships. Even then Britain was encroached by America, ultimately losing her
dominions. And America gained this status because of its unity and vision. It is
interesting to know that Founding Fathers were paying tributes to Muslim Kings,
believing that they were unable to match Muslim Navy. History always applies to future,
whether it is Britain or America.
America will be unable to afford military costs, if front-line allies, leading to blind alley,
refuse to do more. They are saying that we are fighting our own war. This shows that
Pakistan will be left to fend for herself because America, a military power of the first
orders, has too many defense commitments. Now question is what we can do? Simply,
unite and don’t “Do more”.