A Progress towards a Failed Democracy!

In this era, can we really call Pakistan a welfare state as once dreamt by our profound poet Allama Muhammad Iqbal? Are we really making the dream come true? Are we really doing the justice to our motherland? Or are we still failing miserably between religion and western democracy?

As we speak of western democracy, which is actually not ours to be spoken of, because to many of us, democracy is a hidden agenda of the west. This may sound as a voice of a true fundamentalist, many would call it a bluff, but is it so? Are we not keeping the super powers happy with our failure of being true to our actual identity? Our generation is losing the identity of who and what they are, the need for reconstruction and resurgence is required. We have lost our identity once more and the sad fact is that no external force was required. All we needed were the loans and aids from the strongest bidder in the anarchic arena of the modern world. 

Soon we would fall prey to the new culture that is being promoted in the form of new projects, initiated by China. Who are we as nation? Our media and politicians believe we can handle it, but can we? Did we handle the westernization that came along with the aid by joining SEATO and CENTO? We turned into puppets during a bipolar world order. And yet again we stand on the same crossroads.

Globalization cannot be blamed for democracy, our lack of knowledge is the real culprit. Many countries have been working hard to reach to the peak of modernization. Unfortunately, we are not because in Pakistan, we prefer a fight of language, feudalism, cultural superiority, personal gain, black marketing and much more. Politicians fight for the seats, elites fight for personal gain and poor fights for his life or food that could be enough for his family. Is this democracy? For the people by the people.

Although, democracy has merits and demerits that can always take a massive turn towards the failure of a state that has no knowledge of how to make it work or a prosperous state. It’s not like I’m supporting the social contract theory of Thomas Hobbes that only focuses on absolutism (one leader) as expressed in Leviathan; a sea monster referenced in the Hebrew Bible in the Book of Job, Psalms, the Book of Isaiah, and the Book of Amos. That need to control people for falling prey to their own desires. Yes we need to be saved from our self-destructive thoughts and actions, but not through a monster. People can choose so why are they still suffering?

Formulation of laws and General awareness by the Universal declaration of Human rights against discrimination of races, women, genders, religions and many other projects. Whereas, major discrimination is already being displayed as an example in United States against African Americans, Hispanic communities, Muslims and the poor that seek asylum. 

So is this the democracy that we need to follow? Because we are failing at it. We can’t provide our people with the basic necessities, how can we claim to be a democratic state? Being a globalized state through education and hard work is one thing but being a failing democratic state due to half accepted rules and laws is an alarming situation.

In conclusion, Allama Iqbal’s welfare state was the aim for a better state with identity and less prone to foul play. Our religion promotes democracy as well but that is the combination of capitalism and socialism. Through this kind of combination we can eradicate many evils. Not by falling prey to the western ill form of democracy that makes a man suffer. No wonder the world might have a final world order that would be socialism and not capitalism. Because it focuses on the needs of people and not elite but the middle class rules according to Karl Marx’s End of History.