small steps and great ones
1.05.2004
Quite a few things in the news today to make me hopeful:
Afghanistan approved a democratic constitution; the Mars rover is sending back pictures from hundreds of millions of km away; the leaders of India and Pakistan are meeting for the first time in over two years.
This last bit of news reminds me of the importance of pragmatism in world affairs. I don't pretend to be well-versed in world politics, but it does seem to me that pragmatism is usually more valuable than idealism in global relations. From what I know of Gen. Pervez Musharraf, he's gone out on a limb several times to take actions that resulted in better relations between Pakistan and the U.S. as well as between Pakistan and India. I don't know what his personal motivations are, but I know the results seem to have been good so far.
On the world stage, wanting peace for practical, even selfish reasons can be more powerful than wanting peace for idealistic reasons — since the practical reasons can be argued with some force, while it is much more difficult to argue people into your own idealism, especially when it may conflict with their own. For example, Musharraf may want better world relations for Pakistan for purely economic reasons, while some of his own people will want him dead for what he is willing to cede to the U.S. or India. But if he is successful in bringing more prosperity to the country, the results will become powerful persuaders in themselves.
Perhaps I'm naive, but that's my two cents, anyway.
