Whither Austerity Drives?

Our legislators continue their extravagant lifestyles at a time when a large part of the population is finding it hard to make two ends meet. The sight of expensive and luxurious cars in the parking lot of parliament house is shocking and seems to mock the sentiments of the poor in Pakistan. This flamboyant attitude does not suit leaders of a poor, third world country where economy is buckling under the financial crunch and a massive debt amounting to Rs 8.89 trillion.

It is high time that the country’s legislators think beyond their self-interests and lead by example by putting into practice the much talked about asceticism drive. It is worth mentioning that while our politicians drive in classy, bullet-proof cars, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the simple and austere Iranian president, is known for driving a 33-year-old Peugeot 504. Recently, Ahmadinejad has auctioned his car for $ 1 million with the intention of utilizing the proceeds to build 60,000 homes for disabled and needy women. When will our legislators follow suit?

But when night falls it is supposed to be followed by a bright sunny morning and maybe that’s the reason the nuclear scientist, Dr Samar Mubarakmand has given hope to this disillusioned nation. He discovered that Pakistan would earn about $ 2 billion a year if it were to mine and refine gold and copper from Reko Diq. However, if a foreign company is awarded the contract, it will only get $ 160 million in royalties. The chief justice of Pakistan should keep an eye out for any binding contracts and deals being signed, which may cause a loss of billions of dollars. Pakistan has the best research organizations and, therefore, it should not spend its foreign exchange on hiring foreign consultants and contracting companies. Since the case of Reko Diq is with the apex court, it is hoped that the Supreme Court will ensure that everything will be done in a transparent manner and no one will be allowed to rob the nation’s wealth.

A US-based non-partisan and non-profit public policy think tank institute, New America Foundation, has unveiled its research data about the drone attacks’ statistics in which it claims that of the total casualties, about two-thirds are thought to be militants and one-third were civilians. A research group called Aryana Institute of Regional Research and Advocacy (AIRRA) based in FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa, conducted a survey of public opinion about the drone strikes in FATA. This research states that most people believe that the drone attacks are accurate and do not lead to anti-US sentiments and are effective in damaging the militants. In addition, the locals also wanted the Pakistani forces to target the militants. Moreover, the research statistics validate the launching of drone attacks aimed at targeting the Taliban and al Qaeda militants, who were thought to have found a safe haven in FATA and Khyber Pakhtunkhawa. I am amazed why both our prime minister and president condemn these attacks, which are carried out to eradicate the militants. In my view, our government should endorse these counter-terrorism efforts in the larger interest of the nation.

Whereas one neighbor tries to eradicate the terrorists the other one becomes a haven for drugs. Drug abuse has become a global issue with the worst victim being the youth. Heroin, opium and morphine usage has become fashionable in various societies. Due to their addictive nature, these substances cannot be left without medical support. Heroin, which was historically used for relieving pain, is now used to obtain a ‘buzz’ or to forget the worries of everyday life. Hayatullah Ahadyar, a judge from Afghanistan, in his meeting with NATO officials in Brussels emphasized the need to provide alternatives to opium cultivators in Afghanistan which is the world’s largest producer of opium. Approximately 90 percent of the world’s opium supply, valued at $ 2,663 million, comes from Afghanistan. There are more than eight million heroin abusers worldwide, out of which two million live in the US.

The fact that heroin is addictive ensures higher profits for its cultivators and dealers. For example, the average per kg price of opium is $ 136.59 while that of wheat and rice is $ 0.23 and $ 0.47 respectively. This lucrative incentive surpasses the fear of punishment and farmers are encouraged to cultivate opium. Perhaps the judge was right in saying that the cultivation of this crop cannot be stopped through punishment alone but a reasonable socio-economic reform in war-stricken Afghanistan where the Taliban are exploiting the richness of the soil to fund their extremist agendas. There is a dire need to rebuild the economic as well as social life of Afghanistan or else it will emerge as a larger threat than that of terrorism.

Labeling religions as the “opium for the people” or the “opiate of the masses” is a fairly common tactic used by those dismissive of religion. Using phrases like this is a way to blow off religion without trying to counter or discuss it. Karl Marx was not the first to use this phrase, but he is the one most people are thinking of when they use this attack. Marx’s contention was that religion gives people artificial, illusory happiness—like opium does to a drug addict—and freeing people from that unrealistic illusion was part of building a better society. But for the same Karl Marx, economics are what constitute the base of all of human life and history — generating division of labor, class struggle, and all the social institutions which are supposed to maintain the status quo. Those social institutions are a superstructure built upon the base of economics, totally dependent upon material and economic realities but nothing else. All of the institutions which are prominent in our daily lives — marriage, places of worship, government, arts, etc. — can only be truly understood when examined in relation to economic forces and as Marx wrote,

“The religious world is but the reflex of the real world.”