Moves Vs counter moves: The ‘soft traps’ of great powers

Mukhtar Karim

After World War II and emergence of new democracies, the world trumpeted this momentous transformation in the functioning of the world. The newly independent nations put efforts in adoption of values such as human rights, moral values and press freedom.

They utterly and significantly failed to comprehend the fact that these democratic norms and values are a new form of “Soft traps” that are being thrown over newly independent countries, providing that they speak and raise such democratic values when their interests get pinched.

Soon after the revolutions in 1688, the common English enjoyed certain rights.

During this period, Britain had a lot of colonies around the world. Even though some rights were being enjoyed by people within the United Kingdom, these same United Kingdom continued to deprive their colonized people of human rights and political say.

Not only the English government but also people of the country were averse to such rights for their fellow human beings. They restricted this luxurious and sumptuous life to themselves. It is interesting to note that no movement within England was carried out for the rights and prosperity of colonized people.

When it comes to the modern world, the United States assumed the leadership of the world as sole superpower after the humiliating collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and 1992. Throughout the years after assuming the leadership of the world, this country went into a deep sleep and it had never put human rights above her interests.

Human rights, religious freedom, press freedom and others only jump in the mind of American policymakers when they find it convenient to do so. For example, an American senator put the bill for self-determination of Balochistan when its supplies were restricted by Pakistan on account of incidents of killing its army personnel by American gunships.

Religious intolerance in India only comes to mind when American policymakers sense the drift of India towards Eastern countries in general and Russia in particular.

Let me inform you that America has an institution for monitoring religious intolerance around the world. It continues to upgrade and degrade countries in its reports based on American convenience. The irony is that this institution with double standards does not monitor the country where it is operating. When the US is neglected by policymakers of any country, religious intolerance, press restrictions and human rights are conveniently degraded.

There is another country that is called China with rapid economic development. Disregarding the moral standards in every matter, China aptly raises its voice when its flesh is twisted. Despite the harsh treatment of Muslims within the country, she is quick to condemn anything done by its rival countries around the world. Beijing condemns the cartoons in France, but conveniently allows demolishing mosques and making cartoons within its own boundaries.

Another player in this case is Russia. It lacks all humanitarian values within her boundaries and asserts and backs any claims to any values beyond her borders.

Moscow has put a world at risk with its nukes and the state continues to invade the countries. At the same time, the country detests the invasion of the US and other Eastern powers while brutally invading Ukraine.

As the world moves from bipolar to multipolar, such hypocrisies are expected to rise. It is expected to be a game where one supports a country and second is destined to oppose it. What is right and what is wrong will be put on the back burner. Only interests will determine the positions of these so-called great powers.

Such moves and countermoves will have consequences that human beings have never experienced in the recent past. Such stances taken by the state based on insatiable interest will render all international institutions ineffective.

Neither the world can reach a consensus on human rights and humanitarian values, nor on trade, free markets and globalization. Additionally, will the developing countries be sandwiched by these great powers in order to achieve their interests?

As more than 50% of the world population suffers from extreme hunger and abject poverty, no efforts can be made by developing countries to purge them of such detestable conditions in such an international environment.

As universal consensus is absent from the scene, a spark can turn into a conflagration and enshroud the entire world in its fold. Another war at the world level can be expected due to the fact that there prevails more than one flashpoint for such wars. This war will be far destructive and pain-inducing in nature as it cannot be restricted to a continent or certain regions.

Another consequence of excessive hypocrisy will be restricting the achievements of one nation for others. Globalization will be reversed due to mutual jealousies of superpowers.

Today, I’m writing through a smartphone made by western countries and tomorrow such devices may go beyond my access. The poor and marginalized people get disassociated from the rest of the world in absence of globalization. Human beings will not be able to share their achievements with their fellow human beings.

In short, the consequences of speaking on the occasion when the interests of one great power get hurt and maintaining total silence on the occasion when things are in favor will be catastrophic in nature.

All achievements of human beings may reverse in absence of universal consensus. Humans may face another destructive world war in which the existence of human beings will be in danger. It is up to the international community to restrict such tendencies through their valuable votes and political choices and we cannot afford another war, nor are we in a position to bear the brunt of decisions taken by our politicians.

We need to stand up for the well-being of mankind. We should not conceal the truth even at the risk of our temporary gains. We need to raise the moral standards of the world.