peagle
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You know, that is one of the principal fears of India, that they deem us utterly reckless and foolhardy people. This perception arose out of 1965's adventure.
I have a slightly different take on this matter.
Nothing is constant right, please keep that in mind.
India has never thought of Pakistan as reckless and foolhardy, because they know us, they know our cultural heritage, they trained with the same people, and same concepts in military. We love to project a reckless and foolhardy image, and convinced ourselves that's how the world see us, because that's an image we don't mind projecting, let's say psychological warfare.
But, Indians are not stupid, although arrogant, they are clever and used to be more so, there are reasons but those are not important right now. By knowing us, they certainly did not buy into the image, but on their part they didn't mind spreading it as well, for their own reasons, to make us look irresponsible. So, the same image is being portrayed by Pakistan and India for different reasons.
However, they did and do think that we have a good fight in us, it's that recognition of the capacity to fight that's kept them from directly attacking Pakistan.
The reckless and foolhardy image was accepted by the rest of the world, especially the West, for various reasons. They did not know us, we were ready to accept that image, and India was spreading that image because they wanted to make us look irresponsible.
A single motive can have various reasons, and be accepted by opposing parties for their own reasons.
However, after decades of interactions with Pakistan, this image no longer holds true in the west either, certainly not in policy making circles, it gets played around because it is easier to justify. And, because India still wants to project Pakistan as an irresponsible state. But the image itself no longer holds true in the west either. They have dealt with us for decades, by now, they know us as very well.
That's why two decades of "Do More" was just hot air, nothing more. it was the respect and recognition of Pakistan's capabilities, the western countries could not force Pakistan to "Do More".
A reckless and a foolhardy state, does not and cannot hold off an enemy many times bigger then itself on a permanent basis, even after losing half the country. They know losing something 2000 miles way isn't a big deal, think Vietnam and Afghanistan etc...
A reckless and a foolhardy state does not make strategic decisions, think continuous relations with China, think actual development from nothing despite the unstable environment, think nuclear program, think missile program, think relatively stable society.
So, what each party is ready to repeat for sake of sound bites is totally different from what they actually recognise and accept.
Pakistan is the only main player holding up the negotiations on the Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty, despite pressure from the entire world for over a decade, because it is not in our interests. A reckless and foolhardy state cannot do that. The rest of the world knows that very well. These are the new realities.