"Not only is Pakistan too unstable to be a good candidate for superpower status, its too poor. It's government revenue is somewhere around what the US pays in farm price supports."
But let's look at some models and ask some questions about what may be.
Israeli model:
Where has Israel gotten its economy and powerful status and why? Israel has one primary mission, which is to fulfill prophesy. What is the primary reason Pakistan was established? There are other things going on in Israel but no internal competing agendas. What about Pakistan? There is support from most Jewish people world wide, both substantially and morally. What about Pakistan? If any Jewish person can start a business that has potential profitability and it could exist in Israel there are incentives to do it there rather than in some country where it wouldn't lend to the cause. If a revolution in Pakistan declared it to be the center of a world Caliphate government, how much support do you think it would get?
I met a young aimless Jewish boy who wasn't even literate on his religion. He was as fringe to the religion as anyone could get. He was given 20K a year just to organize groups of young Jewish people willing to engage in discussion, about anything. How many young Muslims do you think their are thinking about a path to take in life?
Israel was started from nothing. The entire population of Jewish people in the world is a little over 13 million people. What is the population of Islamic people? The population growth of Jewish people in the world is at zero percent. Muslims are experiencing a world wide boom in population. There are zero other Jewish nations supporting Israel. All so called Muslim states recognize that they are bogged down in comprimise to Western Interests. What would be the conflicts and compromises for Pakistan, post revolution? How many people and nations do you think might back them? Seems to me there are way more Pakistani people here that in Pakistan.
Al-Quaida
Al-Qaida overtook a nation that had never been organized and controlled by a group in modern history. Napolean failed, all the Emporer wannabees in recorded history failed while criss crossing Afghanistan to conquer the region and bring it undr an organized government. The Taleban succeeded because of Al-Quaida and it did it in a short period of time while the rest of the world was napping.
How much of the population of Pakistan supports radical Islam? 70% today and potentially 100% post revolution. Musharaf is hanging on by a thread and a billion US dollars per year.
Al-Quaida, of course, is despised world wide as a heinous and hideous group of terrorists. The Taliban has baggage from the way it abused the populace of Afghanistan. Pakistan, post revolution, will have its own version that has morphed into a benevolent Caliphate, unblemished by the past deeds of those organizations, and so will receive the support to grow into a superpower economically and militarily that will dwarf India. Modern infrastructures are developed overnight.
Technological development: If you are stuck with old equipment you are stuck with removing the old before you can install the new. Just like copper wire and old telecom equipment has become a hindrance to some industries in the face new businesses that start out with modern broadband equipment. New technology presented in pristine environments becomes viable immediately.
Location: Take a look. Being landlocked once a hindrance now affords some protection from climatic change and approaches by enemies.
Social development: The proper government of Pakistan has never had control of the frontier regions. The military wont even go there. The fundamentalists in the frontier could organize a coup on Musharafs govt any time they want. They haven't for good reason. The time isn't right yet. Where would you look right now for powerful Al-Quaeda leaders? It's no secret where they are hiding.
Who else could be an Islamic country super power? Saudi, no way. Afghanistan, nope. Iraq, no. Iran, not likely but maybe. Palestine, or Lebanon, ya gotta be kidding.
Pakistan looks so sleepy and poor for a reason and the reason is a mist we should look into. |
