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Normally I think Hitchens is loathsome, but here's an article of his that I agreed with.
This will continue to get nastier and more corrupt and degrading until we recognize that our long-term ally in Asia is not Pakistan but India. And India is not a country sizzling with self-pity and self-loathing, because it was never one of our colonies or clients. We don't have to send New Delhi 15 different envoys a month, partly to placate and partly to hector, because the relationship with India isn't based on hysteria and envy. Alas, though, we send hardly any envoys at all to the world's largest secular and multicultural democracy, and the country itself gets mentioned only as an afterthought. Nothing will change until this changes.
It's clear to anybody paying attention that Pakistan has no real interest in fighting the Afghan Taliban. The ISI has no interest in helping their American "ally." And Pakistan, through A. Q. Khan, is responsible for nuclear proliferation.
India is a democracy, a credible check against Chinese hegemony, and is experiencing rapid economic growth. Why is America still supporting a treacherous leech, when we have much more in common with their chief rival? The Pakistani alliance is a Cold War relic, dating back to India's refusal to be involved in a superpower struggle. Now that India is on the ascent, it is increasingly likely that they will want the stability and security that a deeper relationship with the West would bring.
I am aware that India is not the perfect republic that Hitchens makes it out to be. There are restrictions on Hindus converting to other faiths, and their political system is full of corruption and petty self interest. No country is perfect though, and if our strategic goals are similar (fighting Islamic terrorism, and preventing Chinese domination) then it makes sense that we would strengthen ties.
The only real question then is what to do with Pakistan. They are still a nuclear power, and a dangerous and deranged one at that. Should we ignore them, and hope that the problem goes away? Should we tie a peace settlement in Kashmir to increasing our support for India in Arunachal Pradesh? Would that work, or would it be as impossible as a peace deal in Israel?
This will continue to get nastier and more corrupt and degrading until we recognize that our long-term ally in Asia is not Pakistan but India. And India is not a country sizzling with self-pity and self-loathing, because it was never one of our colonies or clients. We don't have to send New Delhi 15 different envoys a month, partly to placate and partly to hector, because the relationship with India isn't based on hysteria and envy. Alas, though, we send hardly any envoys at all to the world's largest secular and multicultural democracy, and the country itself gets mentioned only as an afterthought. Nothing will change until this changes.
It's clear to anybody paying attention that Pakistan has no real interest in fighting the Afghan Taliban. The ISI has no interest in helping their American "ally." And Pakistan, through A. Q. Khan, is responsible for nuclear proliferation.
India is a democracy, a credible check against Chinese hegemony, and is experiencing rapid economic growth. Why is America still supporting a treacherous leech, when we have much more in common with their chief rival? The Pakistani alliance is a Cold War relic, dating back to India's refusal to be involved in a superpower struggle. Now that India is on the ascent, it is increasingly likely that they will want the stability and security that a deeper relationship with the West would bring.
I am aware that India is not the perfect republic that Hitchens makes it out to be. There are restrictions on Hindus converting to other faiths, and their political system is full of corruption and petty self interest. No country is perfect though, and if our strategic goals are similar (fighting Islamic terrorism, and preventing Chinese domination) then it makes sense that we would strengthen ties.
The only real question then is what to do with Pakistan. They are still a nuclear power, and a dangerous and deranged one at that. Should we ignore them, and hope that the problem goes away? Should we tie a peace settlement in Kashmir to increasing our support for India in Arunachal Pradesh? Would that work, or would it be as impossible as a peace deal in Israel?
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