Ignorance and Cowardice vs Leadership
by Alex Thurston
http://www.theseminal.com/

We cannot take what candidates say about Pakistan lightly. Bluntly stated, a nuclear state racked by constant suicide bombings and internal warfare is spiraling out of control, and the majority of our “leaders” have no idea what to do about it.

Let’s look at what they said.

I don’t need to spend a lot of time explaining the deep flaws in mainstream Republicans’ responses to the assassination of Benazir Bhutto, but here’s the brief version:

Our “War on Terror,” and the longer history of American intervention in Pakistan, bear substantial responsibility for the current tragedies unfolding in the unstable nuclear state. Therefore Rudy Giuliani’s call that we “redouble our efforts to win the terrorists’ War on Us” is not only wrong, but blind to history’s consequences. Fred Thompson and Mitt Romney, rushing to invoke the specter of jihadism and Al Qaeda, suffer equally from this blindness. Huckabee’s comparison of Pakistan and the United States was a complete non-sequitur. Hearing the statements of these men, supposedly leaders, one is left with the sinking feeling that not only are their attitudes toward Pakistan wrong…they don’t know anything about Pakistan in the first place.

Democratic candidates’ responses to Bhutto’s death largely invoked their own experience. Clinton, Edwards, Biden, and Dodd described their relationships with Bhutto. But beneath this potentially reassuring display of a connection with Pakistan lies a lack of ideas. Clinton says that “work” remains. The normally bold Edwards tells us that “at this critical moment, America must convey both strength and principle.” What does that mean, Senators? What “work” should we do? How do we convey “strength and principle”?

Obama, shamefully, clung to the War on Terror frame. As Todd Beeton asks,

The only coherent policy suggestions came from Ron Paul and Bill Richardson. While Paul did not directly offer a concrete response, his harsh criticism of “US interventionism” seems to suggest that the US’ role now is to leave Pakistan alone. While Paul’s objections to US interventionism sometimes leave him sounding like a broken record, his remarks concerning how recent history created current conditions in Pakistan are on the mark. However, the suggestion that the US should shut our eyes and stick our fingers in our ears does not, to me, represent real leadership either. Like much of Paul’s policies, he is able only to say what he does not like, rather than advocating a real alternative. Still, I give him credit for actually taking a position.

Love him, hate him, or ignore him, Richardson was brave enough to step into the arena and put forth concrete ideas about a workable US response. The governor said,

But whether Richardson is right or wrong, there are three things I like about his statement. Firstly, he shows that he has actually thought about Pakistan, and that he can draw on his knowledge of the country to generate a policy - instantly. That’s leadership. Secondly, he stakes out the high moral ground. Mike Huckabee says he wants the US to be “a shining beacon of hope,” but Richardson provides a glimpse of what that might actually look like. Richardson is not necessarily advocating the “interventionism” that Paul deplores - if I read him right, he is not talking about deploying troops in Pakistan, but rather using our financial and diplomatic might to pressure a dictator to step aside. Finally, he acknowledges that we already have a role in the situation, specifically the aid we provide to Pakistan.

I am not arguing that Richardson is right. I am arguing that his way of thinking on this issue exemplifies the kind of thinking we need right now: A nuanced but balanced view of America’s role in the world. If multiple candidates would step up to the plate with policy proposals for how to handle Pakistan, we could have a real debate among leaders, rather than an exchange of hollow platitudes among politicians. As things stand, we are left with a mush of vague statements that express little more than emotion, while Richardson and Paul shout from the sidelines, seemingly in vain.

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