Loons of doom

[Skeptic]

Loons of doom
Nadeem F. PARACHA
Sunday, 07 Jun, 2009 | 12:52 AM PST

In one of the chapters in Atizaz Ahsan’s The Indus Saga — perhaps the finest book written on the history of the region we call Pakistan — he makes an interesting point about our habit of blaming foreign/ hidden forces behind whatever goes wrong with us. Ahsan marks the starting point of this custom to be the period between the decline of the Mughal empire and the arrival of the British colonialists.


It is during this time that Ahsan claims people of this region developed the habit of accusing malicious outsiders working with the ‘corrupt rulers in Delhi’ for all the economic and political misery that the people faced. Well, today it seems this habit is not only alive, but thriving; perhaps a lot more fervently than ever.


Of course, the whole concept of the conspiracy theory — which is this habit’s ripest fruit — is certainly not confined to this region alone. The West too has its fair share of nutcases — from those claiming to be abducted by aliens to those denying the Holocaust. But, even though this phenomenon has given birth to a lucrative industry of sorts (books, DVDs, dedicated websites), it hardly ventures beyond being taken as anything other than fiction dressed as fact.


For example, in the West, nutcase books and DVDs have now found their way into mainstream stores, but they are at once challenged and then comprehensively and convincingly discredited by respected intellectuals. Unfortunately, such is not the case in Pakistan. Though the media and, subsequently, DVD retailers here were quick to grasp and exploit the commercial potential of this ‘infotainment’ industry, the flip side of this trend has gone missing in Pakistan.


Whereas assorted conspiracy theorists can be found doing the rounds in the shape of ‘strategic analysts’, ‘Islamic scientists’, and ‘political experts’ on TV channels, and whole shelves are being dedicated to crackpot DVDs under the ‘documentary’ banner at DVD outlets, only rarely does one find a rational Pakistani intellectual ever attempting to challenge the outlandish notions of politics, economics and religion put forth by conspiracy theorists.


They are doing a roaring business, especially on shows and ‘documentaries’ offering bizarre concoctions on the 9/11 attacks, ‘malicious Zionist/American/Hindu designs over Pakistan’, not to forget the Lal Masjid episode. It is surprising that the ‘information’ derived from conspiracy books and ‘documentaries’ the likes of which have been convincingly debunked elsewhere, remains to be taken as fact by a number of TV show hosts, ‘experts’ and their viewers.


But what makes a theory conspiratorial? It’s simple. It is a theory that tends to rally support against an ‘enemy’ by claiming that the enemy is part of a widespread and sinister conspiracy. The conspiracy theorist’s worldview imagines secret plots by powerful cults of powerful and rich lobbies who are also behind important historical events.


The theorist then makes irrational leaps of logic in analysing factual evidence in order to ‘prove’ connections between unrelated events to blame socio-political and economic conflicts on either an enemy country, an economic institution or an ‘international conspiratorial cult’ that is usually headed by an elusive breed of Zionists backed by Western powers.


This model is apparent on TV programmes supposedly discussing geo-political matters, terrorism, Islamic history, and Indo-Pak relations. More worryingly, the convoluted narratives that these programmes propagate are being swallowed wholesale by the educated, middle-class Pakistani youth without any worthwhile critical analysis.



No wonder, then, that according to a series of surveys conducted by various Western and Muslim institutions and universities since 9/11, more and more educated Pakistanis believe that the 9/11 tragedy was a Zionist plot; that the Pakistani Taliban are a creation of a Hindu-American-Zionist nexus; and that big corporate conglomerates in cohorts with secretive cults are behind everything from world wars, to the Aids virus, to economic recession, to the creation of both democracy, capitalism as well as communism.


What next, then? A majority of Pakistanis believing that the Earth is flat, perhaps? Maybe learned Pakistani intellectuals who can easily dent these irrational notions (but somehow don’t), think that most educated Pakistanis will never be sucked in by such theories.


But if sociologist Karl Polanyi’s symptoms of a society fast approaching a confused sense of quasi-fascistic conspiratorial-ism are an indication, the truth is that most young, educated Pakistanis actually are being sucked in. So what are the indications?


The spread of irrational philosophies, xenophobic aesthetics, anti-secular demagogy, heterodox currency views, criticism of the multi-party-based political system, widespread censure of the regime and of democratic setup.

Why else would certain TV personalities, channels and DVD retailers continue piling on such nonsense? After all, this is turning out to be the new ‘revolutionary’ Pakistani zeitgeist that, if nothing else, can always be turned into a lucrative business venture.


Most conspiracy theories are like unintentional parodies of serious and credible historical analysis of politics, society and economics. They are a ready-made model of an exhibitionist intellectualism for those who are not academically inclined towards rational, analytical thinking and critique.


And they thrive in uncertain times when societies are at their most venerable, looking for elusive scapegoats for their misery and other shortcomings.

_______________________________________________________

I like NFP specially his satire. I found it apt to discuss the same on this forum, where conspiracy theories act as lifelines and several people swear by it day in and day out.

 

[SecularHumanist]

Yeah I like this writer too. And I agree with you that there are some people on this forum that believe these conspiracy theories and love Zaid Hamid. When you push them, you get replies like "you are an Indian agent and I don't need to prove anything to you"

 

[muse]

We have on the forum, every manner of opinion, especially with regard to whether the U.S is a trustworthy partner and whether U.S is behind the Talib in Pakistan - but we are not the only ones discussing that - below is an editorial from today's DT:







Taliban menace and US support

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has asked the visiting US envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan, Mr Richard Holbrooke, to convey his request to Washington for the writing-off of a $1.35 billion Pakistani debt to the United States. Mr Holbrooke’s response was that “the US would look into the matter”. Mr Gilani welcomed the $300 million additional American assistance to the refugees from Malakand-Swat and asked that the annual aid package of $1.5 billion be expedited.

From Mr Holbrooke’s remark that “measures were being taken to accelerate military supplies to Pakistan” one can infer that the American support to the Pakistan Army at this critical juncture is an important factor in Pak-US relations. Mr Gilani pointedly hoped that the “major European and Muslim countries would follow the US lead and come up with timely assistance”.

Pakistan is in dire straits with nearly three million refugees stranded after the military operation in Malakand Division. Most of them are being looked after on the basis of Pakhtunwali, the tribal code of hospitality, as hot-weather refugee camps cope unsteadily with people displaced from their cold-weather homes. Pakistan’s manufacturing economy is half-shut and maintaining macro-economic stability is difficult unless injections of assistance from outside keep coming.

The IMF stand-by arrangement and the Friends of Pakistan group of countries have come forth for Pakistan because of American persuasion. The share of the Muslim countries, especially the oil-rich Arab states, has been less than generous in this hour of need. The PPP government, confronted with fast declining economic indicators, had first approached its Arab friends for concessions on Pakistan’s oil payments; but with no notable success. And the European Union is not famous for shelling out bilateral money out of human sympathy.

How is one to interpret all this? After President Obama’s Cairo University speech, most Pakistani comment was based on lack of trust and a fundamentally negative understanding of the United States. There were voices that condemned Pakistan for aligning itself with “the enemy of the Muslims”. Worse, some looked back on the past half-century of bilateral relations and saw only “American perfidy” in it. That is why the current reliance of Pakistan on US money will be seen by some political leaders as something that Pakistan “will live to regret”.

Yet, now as never before, the national consensus in Pakistan is that the Taliban have to be fought rather than “talked to”. This consensus has not prematurely sprung up from nowhere. People have seen the savagery with which the Taliban have treated innocent Pakistanis and continue to see such acts of sacrilege as blowing up people in the mosques through suicide-bombers shouting “Allah-u Akbar”. The Senate in Islamabad surprised everyone on Friday when a majority of the senators lashed out at the Taliban in front of the once-dominant pro-Taliban members.

What should we make of the still current TV and newspaper myth that the Taliban are indeed bad but they are an ally of the US and India? How should we understand the undying rhetoric that the US is interested only in setting India up as a regional hegemon with Pakistan meekly behaving as its satellite? Not long ago, the same sources who spread these “analyses” around loved the Taliban because they were fighting the “American invasion”.

The US remains “realistic” when it says it is helping Pakistan in pursuit of its own national interest. Why shouldn’t Pakistan follow the same realistic principle if it finds it impossible to overcome the current xenophobic environment? Some “experts” on TV channels keep insisting that Pakistan has enough “hidden wealth” that it can tap by squeezing its rich classes. Others put “honour” above economics and ask for martyrdom in the war against America.

But the truth is that after the dust of passions settles down the national economy gets the upper hand. To avoid getting the last fatal judgement pronounced by the economy, Pakistan must mend its fences in the region where it is located and join any power in the world that is willing to help it defeat the Taliban. A close look at the actual strength of these enemies of the Pakistani state tells us that Pakistan will not be able to fight them alone.

 

[Al Khwarizmi]

Conspiracies do happen. One should keep an open mind, but go by hard evidence.

 

[Al Khwarizmi]

Conspiracies do happen. One should keep an open mind, but go by hard evidence.

Even the conspiracy angle to 9/11 can be discussed in a cool, rational way. As an example, consider this recent interview of Richard Gage, Architect and Structural Engineer. Well worth watching:

 

[niaz]

Despite disagreeing with Aitzaz Ahsan on many points. I have nothing but respect for him. He appears to be honest (no one ever accused him of graft) and intelligent that is why his comments carry a lot of weight. However there is no smoke without a fire. IMO the roots go back to the Crusades, there were many a times where invaders were let in by the conspirators from within. To quote actual historical events:

India.
Mir Jaffer of Bengal stared the rot followed by Mir Sadiq of Mysore. British did not find many ‘Ghaddars’ in the Maratha confederacy that is why they suffered some defeats. Lastly, traitors such as Gulab Singh despite being Diwan (chief Minister) of the Sikh gov't; conspired with the British and helped in the defeat of the Sikh army. States of Jammu and Kashmir were sold to him for peanuts as his reward for treason.

Afghanistan.
Rulers of Afghanistan became a pawn in the hands of the British during the “Great Game”. First Afghan war was directly due to Shah Shuja Saddozai being reinstalled as King of Afghanistan at the expense of hid cousin Dost Mohammed Khan. From Abdur Rehman Khan onwards, Afghan Kings needed British support to remain in power.

Iran.
British had commercial interests in Iran since 1908 when Anglo Persian Oil Company was formed (Renamed Anglo Iranian oil Company n 1935). Even though Iran was neutral during WW1, she was sight of many battles between British and Turks over the control of her oil fields which happen to be in Khuzestan; Iranian province bordering Ottoman Iraq.

During 1941 British and USSR invaded Iran, exiled Reza Shah and installed his young son Mohammed Reza Pahlavi in his place. US again interfered in 1953 to reinstall Mohammed Reza Shah and over threw Dr Musaddaq.

Egypt:
After the death of Khediv Ismail Pasha in 1879, British exploited his ineffective son Tawfik and established control over Egypt starting 1882 lasting 70 years.

Arabian Peninsula.
British found compliant Sherif Hussein of Mecca without whose assistance it would have been virtually impossible to defeat the Ottoman Turks.

Add the above to the formation of the state of Israel at the expense of the Arabs and outside interference in Lebanon; Russian influence in Egypt, Syrian and Iraq; you have a classic model for the conspiracy theorists.

I am not conversant with the history of Indonesia and Malaysia; however I am confident that British and the Dutch used all combinations of bribery, intrigue and military means to control these two Muslim states as well.

Pray tell me, when people have undergone such machinations by the foreign powers for so long; is it any wonder the people see conspiracy when there may not be any?

I leave the judgment to the reader.