MEANINGLESS NATIONAL INTEREST(updated)

By K P PASWAN.

National interest used to be a very important subject of international relations.But in the changing  nature of international politics it is difficult to say, What is national interest?

 Let us start with super powers. What is the national interest of the mighty US? US has the capacity to disturb the gravity of the solar system.US has saved this world by introducing several medicines to fight life threatening diseases. Technological innovation has widened the scope of globalization. After one hundred years, the killer asteroid Bennu is supposed to pass by the side of the earth. Mathematical calculation show that the Bennu will pass without causing damage to our planet, but if something goes wrong, then NASA is preparing to destroy the asteroid before it comes closer to the earth.

The same mighty US is in the habit of toppling and destabilizing democratically elected government and patronizing dictators, simply these actions are of national interest. Small countries of central Asia are rich in oil, but most of the countries are being ruled by highly educated autocrats known as EMIRS and they are receiving deadly weapons from the US and other advanced Western countries, not to fight the external enemies, but to fight internal enemies, who simply demands more power for women and strengthening democratic institutions.  .

It is difficult to pinpoint any definite ingredient of national interest.  Two super powers, artificially create war like situation to serve their national interest. When USSR collapsed and split up into many sovereign nations, these small nations freed from Soviet Union, devised their own political and economic theories to serve their national interest. Interestingly many of these small communist nations gave up communism, joined European Union and to some extent achieved economic prosperity.

 With expansion of EU, national interest of member countries may vary. Germany under the leadership of Angela Merker became highly advanced as  she cared less for other countries. France is facing extreme form of terrorism which is religion based and it is in national interest  that France crush terrorists . With disintegration of USSR, NATO has weakened and the US policy towards NATO has considerably changed, affecting every member country, but Germany is at the receiving end.

 RUSSIA AND NATIONAL INTEREST. It is widely believed that erstwhile Soviet Union, suffered from poverty and lack of basic health facilities as infrastructures were created for productions of sophisticated weapons by compromising general welfare of common people.  Soviet Union tried to achieve parity with US in military and economic strength, but badly failed on both the fronts. Modern Russia is very rich in natural resources, there is plenty of oil and natural gases, infrastructures are being created for improvement in agriculture and health sectors. But Russia is yet to forget its past glory, when it was treated at per with US.

 In the name of national interest Russia is improving its presence in central Asia and extending political, military and economic patronage to countries opposed to US. Russia is being headed by an experienced politician of Communist era. Putin diplomacy has split the Middle East. Iran claims the support of Russia. Farther afield, Iran has the support of a few small countries, which once formed the Soviet Union. Some of the support is based on shared Anti Americanism. But some of it appear to be the fruit of Petro-diplomacy the cost of this to Russia is impossible to calculate.

 Vladimir Putin is also trying to revive its past glory by opening its economy for foreign investment. Since collapse of USSR, majority of the population still live in poverty, despite the government oil windfall. Several oil rich countries declared that dwindling oil reserves would make nuclear power a necessary option in national interest and are looking to Russia for help, causing concern in US.

  But here is an obstacle standing like a rock, it is in the national interest of US to check Russian ambition, as US needs some body to hate and that some body is not a person, but a country named Russia.

 In the case of India, it is almost impossible to say what stands for national interest. India is surrounded by two rogue nations, Pakistan and China. It is in the national interest to maintain equitable political and economic distance from these two nations. Pakistan cannot fight Indian army either with nuclear arsenals or with conventional weapons, so Pakistan is engaged in proxy war by sending terrorists to different parts of India with no additional cost. These terrorists trained by Pakistan army in conventional and guerrilla war, are giving excruciating pain to policy makers in India. China considers itself as superior to India, but cannot sustain a full-fledged war, as collateral damage may reduce Chinese economy at per with advanced countries like Germany of Europe and giving an opportunity to US to punish China for daring to stand in front of mighty US, Contrary to popular belief China is not a natural friend of Pakistan.

 China’s policy towards Kashmir is undefined and Pakistan knows that support of China is not enough, unless emerging economy of Pakistan is boosted, which appears to be impossible as Islamic nations of the Middle East are not supporting  Pakistan  is notorious for patronizing terrorists and propagating radicalism. So national interest of India demands to alienate Pakistan diplomatically and boost its own manufacturing activities. China’s economy has seen excellent growth in terms of exports which grew, post pandemic 30%. Small scale Industries is the last redoubts of economic nationalism in India. Emerging markets firms are making inroads into Indian markets Resistance to cross boarder within South Asian countries is crumbling Indian government has already given pressure from globalization. With a robust economy, India may be be in a position to shape national interest.

 We talk too much about QUAD which is nothing but an Asian NATO and greatest fraud, conceived by interested nations. In the case of hostile face off with China, neither Australia nor US is going to stand by India. QUAD is supposed to browbeat China, is it possible? The answer is that China cannot be browbeaten unless US, completely changed its Ping-Pong diplomacy and openly denounces China’s habit of threatening smaller nations by showing its economic and military strength.  

Japan under new PM  is expected to help India, Japan is a victim of Kissinger’s pro-China diplomacy and a resurgent Buddhist Japan does not trust US, despite of defense treaty with US. China also fears disintegration, Taiwan is unlikely to be occupied by the China, and Indian national interest necessitates deeper and everlasting friendship with Taiwan and Japan and South Korea. US, in its national interest will keep the issue of Tibet alive just to frighten the Mandarins and remind the strongman XiJinping, the balkanization of USSR. 

China needs latest technology to keep its economic growth flourishing. Its national interest is more pronounced, which aims at bullying its neighbors. China wants to keep its arch rival like India in check by applying all possible means.US needs big markets like China and India, but China has an edge over India in view of its restricted free speech, by which democrats cannot voice their dissent loudly.

PANDEMIC. Coronavirus has changed the very character of national interest. Brazil, Argentina and India have lost the opportunity to boost their emerging economy and China has emerged unchallenged economic power after US.

FINAL THOUGHT. National interest of any country in this world is influenced, to some extent by friendly relations between superpowers, It is time for US and Russia to narrow down their political differences and force new super power, China to submit to international laws and respect the sovereignty of other countries