Wednesday, July 11, 2012
What's Wrong with Pakistan? - By Robert D. Kaplan | Foreign Policy
What's Wrong with Pakistan? - By Robert D. Kaplan | Foreign Policy This very deterministic argument by Robert Kaplan has many arguable points, but it's certainly worth examining. The importance of geography can't be taken to be the only significant variable.
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Pakistan's identity crisis is not wholly defined by geography, albeit Mr. Kaplan does frame a very poignant argumentation. To his credit he does go into articulate depth about the historiography of Pakistan and it being subjugated to imperial conquest. Derived from that their is a amalgam of identities clashing at the bedrock of failed political cohesion. At first glance, I feel that geography may appear to the main premise Kaplan is trying to purport, within his essay he stresses the importance of history and geography equating to the current issue of nationalism within Pakistan. In foresight, Pakistan looks like its trajectory is grim because of that identity dilemma and its inability to find a unifying variable(keeping in mind it maybe religion, but with US interventionism those aspirations may not fruition). I find it very fitting that you raised this question, in conjunction with the tragic anniversary of the Bosnian genocide. I would make the argument that it is a similar case to Pakistan being marred by a clash of identity.
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