POLICIES-INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL

There is a saying. Charity begins at home. We almost on a daily basis, political parties advising their opponents, I mean the opposite party leaders advising sometimes in fun, sometimes sarcastically to their rivals and vice-versa 'first set your own houses in order'. This is a universal truth. In other words we have universalized it since in every field while casting aspersions on other, each one, knowingly or unknowingly paying not much attention to his or her own inherent or ongoing problems finds time to persuade or compel the other one to right his or her wrongs and come out clean.
Here I am compelled to begin this piece, since I have been watching the developments happening across the world.
Be it US, UK, France, Germany, China, India, Pakistan, for that matter any nation are often confronted with myriad problems, both domestic and external and all of them are virtually struggling to withstand them and their efforts ending in partial successes and partial successes not always though. Abject failures and total victories rare but not in its entirety.
Examples galore. Take for instance US, the 'sole-Super Power'- thus they claim.
Since the last one decade or so, tha nation on a regular basis is faced with several problems, both external and internal, especially since 9/11. Sometimes I am persuaded to think in lighter vein, that nation's penchant for intervening in the internal affairs of other nations even going to the extend of plunging into military conflicts often unnecessarily with the sole-intention of asserting its supremacy in the world arena.
Vietnam, Cuba, Iraq, Afghanistan, presently eyeing Iran to be the next victim even while struggling hard to wriggle out of Iraq and Afghanistan finding not much success, often tasting defeats and even losing their soldiers on the war-fronts to the bewilderment of their own citizens, often the citizens of US get angry over its rulers proceeding along the lines of indulging in armed conflicts with other nations and they are forced to take to the streets chanting anti-war slogans and demanding resignations of their ruling leaders. While US was bombarding Vietnam, massacring millions of poor citizens there with lethal weapons the foremost among the anti-war protests staged across the nation around the world were US citizens themselves.
Hawks and doves alike never admitted their mistakes, never repented their actions still the same case goes on with 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner Barack Obama seeking justifications for his actions, please note an armed intervention in Iran is a near possibility, even not having the farsightedness of a defeat at the hands of Iranians. Lyndon Johnson, John F Kennedy,Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon, Henry Ford, George Bush Sr. and George Bush Jr., now Barack Obama toeing the same lines - even rulers before them too striking belligerent postures.
It is worthwhile to note here often domestic problems matter most to citizens of any nation, particularly their attention concentrate on the economic front. The foreign policies of a country are secondary to them.
The 2008 global meltdown which upset many an apple-cart, especially those nations which embraced free market policies suffering the most starting from US itself. Its after-effects still remain a huge problem facing all those countries which let loose the market forces to rule the roost. Unregulated economy virtually crippled the economic fabric of those nations with millions going homeless, millions going jobless, with unemployment rising to alarming levels, number of investment banking institutions and corporates crumbling, health-care and education fronts in shambles. The meltdown even went to the extent of spreading to the Asian nations which function in a regulated economy in a globally integrated atmosphere. As Amartya Sen points out in his much acclaimed 'Argumentative Indian' Globalisation is not a new phenomenon. It was here and hence blindly opposing it is not justifiable. But what is worth mentioning here is that unlike in the past Globalisation in the contemporary world scenario, unfortunately has turned out to be a bane. Its negative points outweighs its plus points actually. Going by the turn of events across the world, we can very well come to the conclusion. Globalisation anyhow is here to stay. No let up from it really.
I started with the popular saying : Charity begins at home.
When each country's citizens are concerned with basic necessities of life, their existential problems come first. And if the rulers of respective countries are not willing to take the universal truth into account, ultimately they will have to face the wrath of the people and will eventually have to vacate their seats to those leaders who are willing to take the citizens' concerns into account.
The recent change of guard in Japan, Yukio Hatoyama giving way for Naoto Kan, in Australia Julia Gillard overthrowing Kevin Rudd, in Philipines Benigno Aquino III replacing Gloria Arroyo, are a few examples. The above-mentioned if after occupying the saddle are following in the foot-steps of their predecessors their fate will also be the same. That is what is going to happen to the UPA II govt. of India if they are bent upon following the unpopular policies which they audaciously follow and implement now. A coherent consolidated opposition will naturally emerge by 2014. That is an inevitability.