Hence, it is imperative now that we understand who political Barack Obama is, what he is, and why he is what he is!
Does the Pakistani civil-military establishment and the nation know how Obama is going to “come at” Pakistan (using a phrase borrowed from the epic film The Godfather) for its planned destruction as a nation?
Close friends and associates of Barack Obama, the “Political Man, will tell you that the American President’s favorite film is Francis Ford Coppola’s masterpiece The Godfather. It is well known in the President’s circle that Obama regularly and repeatedly views this film with religious zealousness, profound political interest, and mythical fascination reserved only for mystical experiences in life. Several political observers believe that the American President has, since the beginning of his political career, developed an occult-intellectual captivation of and enchantment with the narrative, intriguing plot and historical social-cultural and political phenomena that this film depicts. Film critics and social psychologists claim that there are political strategic management techniques and lessons that can be learned from this movie which are historically relevant and accurate in the context of the obsessive American political cultural doctrine of capitalism and the individualism cult – the fundamental base of American social and political psyche nationwide and specifically of its ruling elite.
In essence, The Godfather’s entire plot is about the ultimate power of wealth, even obtained without ethical constraints, the limitless power and influence of individual charisma and its associated diabolical die-hard resolves, irrespective of their moral human determinants, the colossal power of the Western adage that “the end justifies the means,” and the massive power of the fantasy of violence and its imaginative applications (as applied in the film). Indeed, above all, it is about the demonstrated power of the purely American ideological motive “nothing succeeds like success” – the rest, including humanitarian ethics and divine morality in politics is all trash – the lame excuse and the escape of losers.
The amazing thing is that although this movie treats humanity as if it were a piece of merchandize, it’s violence is non-stop, gross and brutal, and the main theme revolves around human carnage for material prosperity, Coppola, in an astonishing filmmaking endeavor, makes all of it look heroic, fascinating and brave – even likeable.
Indeed, Barack Obama’s permanent fascination with The Godfather is meaningful and revealing of the “Political Man” that he is: it illustrates a link between the individual who is Barack Obama, born of an American mother and foreign father, and the making of Barack Obama, the “Political Man,” who has conceived a specific mindset, a political management vision and an ideological-temperamental world view through which he operates and functions as the President of the United States of America – the sole world Superpower and the most powerful man in global politics. But Obama is a hostage of his own political mindset. The American President practices what his favorite movie preaches: The application of undeterred brutal power against America’s adversaries, and the promotion of the ideological doctrine, capitalism. Ironically, the spread of worldwide capitalism has proven to be a historical failure in our present times. Capitalism has not resolved global problematics – it is not part of a solution; it is the problem.
In my perceptual view, Obama’s Abbottabad plan of Osama Bin Laden’s assassination, if it ever took place, or simply the enacted drama for public consumption (indeed, Obama’s ratings jumped instantly), owes its entire conception to the President’s essential political nature, the “Political Man,” that this film has turned him into in his para-psychological fascination with The Godfather. In fact, with two specific episodes in the film’s sequels: the narrative and the execution of the assault in Abbottabad has a striking resemblance to Joey Zasa’s murder by Michael Corleone’s nephew who shoots his victim point blank out of vengeance and because of disrespect to the Corleone family. And to the other scene of baptism in a church: while Michael Corleone acts as godfather to his sister’s child, his “soldiers” brutally and in cold blood, murder his adversaries all over town. Though both of these scenes are depicted as uncontrolled vengeance, and meticulously pre-planned organized violence, Coppola is able to make them look like acts of pride, gallantry, bravery, and unsurpassed organizational skills in their execution. Similarly, Joey Zasa’s assassination is portrayed as an act of daring courage and justified revenge.
Do you get the point? Do you see the connection? Do you see the thread that runs between the “Political Man” that Obama has become and how this “Political Man,” the American President, is going to deal with America’s adversaries – most specifically Pakistan, during his re-election campaign.
Obama’s paramount political objective now is his re-election for the second presidential term. Obama’s (the “Political Man”) global political objectives, as the incumbent president, are: US hegemony in South Asia and Central Asia vigorously promoted with an aggressive US military political foreign policy initiative to ensure containment of China through an Indian alliance. Hence, Pakistan will be subjected to a US policy of massive pressures to make it subservient to India’s global preeminence.
America’s policy modus operandi towards Pakistan is: all means justify the ends – including whatever it takes to do the job!!
So, what is on the US menu for Pakistan? More drone attacks, more US unilateral incursions in Pakistan’s domestic and external affairs, more manipulated demands to accommodate India’s interests, more threats, more propaganda, more bribing, more NGO funding, more IMF-World Bank pressures, more psychological warfare, more organized violence, more enacted dramas, more suicide bombings, more internal destabilization, an ultimate plan to denuclearize Pakistan as part of a plot to make this country’s capabilities to respond to Indian aggression null and void, neutralizing Pakistan’s armed forces, and more support to reactionary, backward and American-centric political forces in this nation. The picture as of now is extremely bleak – but as realistic as it can be.
“Americans have a right to grieve and remember those who died on 9/11”wrote Gary Younge in Guardian News. “But they have no monopoly on memory, grief or anger. Hundreds and thousands of innocent Afghanis, Iraqis and Pakistani’s have been murdered as a result of America’s response to 9/11.” And unfortunately, Coppola’s “Political Man,” Barack Obama, is going to continue this human carnage against these sad countries, and God knows, wherever else.
Pakistan needs to switch over to a level-headed full sovereignty mode over its internal and external affairs and a political diplomatic offensive in telling the US that this is the end of the road. We will not go further nor allow the US to do so. As Imran Khan has said in his recent article, “Let us reclaim our Pakistan” !!
Indeed, the PPP regime in Islamabad cannot do it – Let the masses stage a Kalma Chawk or Constitutional Avenue revolution in Pakistan.
We have no choice now: this is a battle for our national survival!!
We would have liked to escape this conflict, but we know there is no point in it!!
*Dr. Haider Mehdi, is a university faculty member and regular columnist for The Nation newspaper of Pakistan.
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