By Yug Bahadur
There was a time when the world was in constant fear that another world war would take place at any time. This was when the world was dominated by the two Super Powers, the United States and the then Soviet Union or Russia, as it is known now.
Just like in the past, the US and the present dismantled USSR are still at odds with each other and they are sticking their necks out to increase their influence at costs which they can ill afford.
The US has many problems within its borders, but it does not hesitate to poke its nose into other nations, which they believe will make profits for them monetarily and also help them fulfil their political clout around the globe. This they are doing by spending huge amounts of funds which the US government could give to its own citizens who are in a dire state. The US and its allies, mostly European ones, are providing Ukraine with deadly and expensive high-tech weapons, while at the same time they are calling for a truce there. If this is not double standards, what is?
But Ukraine is only the tip of the iceberg.
In the past, the US virtually looted many countries dry and when they felt that it was enough, they created popular uprisings to throw out the leaders who were their stooges and on the payroll of the Westerners, be it covertly or openly, like the MCC guise the US is applying now in Nepal.
This sort of ‘arm twisting’ happened in some Asian countries, but many others in the Middle East and Africa are also suffering for years with such a political strategy of the US government.
Take for example countries like Iraq, Egypt, Libya, Syria and some other nations. There may have been dictators at the helm of affairs in these nations, but the people were still happy as long as they were left alone and there was stability and a sense of security within their society.
But no, the Americans had to destroy the megalomaniacs they had created themselves, overtly or covertly. The then USSR and China were at least not as inhuman as the Americans. They stuck by whom they supported till the bitter end. This may be good or this may be bad, but time should tell us faster rather than later, what sort of outcome we will see in the future.
For example, once John F. Kennedy, the then president of the United States, had made a bold stance when he thought Cuba would be used to stage an offensive against the US. But despite the decision to step back by the Soviets, it still continued to help Cuba. But just pouring out funds and weapons was not enough for Russia to make things there as they wanted them to be. The USA made the same mistake by poking its nose into the South East Asian countries.
The Mideast was only a hop away for America, as it had huge military bases both in Europe and also in Saudi Arabia, so it had both money and muscle to cow down the rulers in that area. But it severely lost in the war in Afghanistan very recently, where it had to bow down and understand that the Talibans, which America itself had created, could not be defeated militarily. The casualties they suffered at the hands of the Taliban became too much and after more than a decade, the officials of the US and its allies had to flee this demon they had created on their own. And sadly, when innocent people were killed, including military personnel of their own country, it was just called ‘collateral damage’. Human lives became nothing while making efforts to kill the people and do away with persons who the US and its allies thought were their enemies.
This is no tirade against the American people, but it is so unfair when the US government without any feelings, kills people and also leaders just to have a political edge in the world. Such dreadful acts of the US and also its allies, become just ‘collateral damage’, for them. And it was too bad for the victims. People like Ortega a sitting president of an independent country was forcefully dragged by American troops from his office, Osama bin Laden was killed in a house in Pakistan and many other innocent people have been killed just because they were ‘enemies’.
It is said that in Nepal also, America wants some chaos especially, if it helps the US government in bringing instability in China, a close neighbor of Nepal. Stooges in political parties, including PM Sher Bahadur Deuba, and former Finance Minister Dr Ram Saran Mahat have been utilized like puppets and also Pushpa Kamal Dahal, the chairman of the Maoists, an arch-enemy of the US government once, and also the media have been used ruthlessly to pass the MCC aid package.
One official who is still in Washington DC told this writer how big aid packages don’t come ‘without any strings attached’. Perhaps the high-level visits of US politicians and officials to Nepal, which have come in thick and fast recently is an indicator of things to come. None less than Commander of the US Forces in the Pacific was here some days back. It is no surprise that our own PM is also visiting the US soon, forgetting to go to China, a routine visit after any person becomes prime minister. If the people remember the former King had cancelled his visit to New York in the US when he came to know that the US president would not meet him. If you know what this writer means, the US as a superpower has made it a right for itself to dominate world leaders, whether friends who displease them or outright enemies who don’t bend down to their wishes.
It is a huge tragedy for an independent and non-aligned nation like Nepal, to have a weak prime minister and weaker foreign ‘experts’.
PM Sher Bahadur Deuba, for reasons unknown, has virtually cart-wheeled for the Americans, who were not big donors of this country till just a few decades ago.
Maybe it is because of his wife Arjoo Deuba, who is neck-deep in INGO activities here, that Deuba has gone out of the way to please the Americans. It has also been reported in Nepalese media how a powerful ambassador of the United States here, ‘arranged‘ the marriage of Arjoo with Deuba, when he was the Home Minister. The US kept on backing him till he became the prime minister.
It is indeed sad that the nation is paying the price for this poor judgment of Deuba, who is not only physically weak but also someone who cannot make himself clear on his beliefs in diplomacy, bilateral relations and keeping the nation alive and kicking by having a balanced relationship with all the countries of the world.
One can see Deuba huffing and puffing just to climb some stairs and at the same time dribbling spit from his mouth and acting like a nervous person both politically and physically. Not that our career diplomats are any better. They seem to be completely out of touch with the people and officials of the country where they are appointed as ambassadors and they also have a poor link with the right policymakers who decide on the fate of Nepal.
This writer has seen Deuba in action on his foreign and also when he fumbles his way at public functions from which he could get away quickly to get home and rest in peace.
It is again very, very sad that we have a weak Prime Minister, at this time when America is poking its nose at many fronts through sheer money and muscle power and like the confrontation with China, Nepal is being moved as a pawn in a bigger game of chess, where it can be sacrificed for victory any time.
This is weak diplomacy and suicide for Nepal. But our bigger policy makers and also the foreign experts do not say or do anything on this, which makes some countries laugh in triumph and the poor Nepalese shed tears.
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