Book Review: Remoteness and Modernity Transformation and Continuity in Northern Pakistan by Shafqat Hussain

 

Hussain’s work is an anthropological inquiry into the idea of remote areas. He examines the diverse ways in which the people of Hunza have been viewed by outsiders over the past century. He also writes about how the local people used their remote status strategically, ensuring their own interest were served as they engaged with the outside world.

There are a number of errors in the book. The author states that Nazeem Khan was appointed as the ruler of Hunza state when he was seven years old. Here the author is mistaken because Nazeem was in his 20s when he became the ruler of Hunza with the help/support of Hamayun Baig. At another point Hussain says that Mir Silim Khan settled the area of Gojal and gave the land to Wakhi peasants and Kirghiz nomads (p. 64). Hussain’s source seems to have misinformed him as Wakhis were already living in Gojal, even before Hussain’s estimated time period. On page 70, the author mentions that the Wazirs of Hunza criticized the Mirs of Hunza for excessive taxation. Hussain does not mention the time period and does not mention the basis for his claim. Even if there was any criticsm he does not mention the nature of the criticism is not mentioned.

Further in the book, the author states that after the British invasion of Hunza in 1891, selection of the local ruler was taken out of the hands of the local clan leaders (p. 77). In fact, Humayun Baig played an important role in the appointment of Nazeem Khan, after negotiating with the British. Later Muhammad Jamal Khan who became the ruler in 1945 became the ruler of Hunza with the help of Inayatullah Baig, who was the Wazir of Hunza. There are still people in Hunza  who are alive and clearly remember the day when in 1945 Jamal Khan’s father Mir Ghazan Khan II was allegedly murdered in Gulmit village of Hunza. Many oral history accounts suggest that Wazir Inayat had instigated the murder. Hussain’s knowledge of the local history seems to be limited.

In 1905, the Mir of Hunza asked for compensation for withdrawing from Raskam, and the resident in Kashmir, on the recommendation of the political agent at Gilgit, recommended a compensation amount of 1,000 rupees from the government of India. Hussain says that Nazeem Khan’s tactics were on some ways equally influential in dictating the course of frontier politics in the region (p.71). In 1935, when Nazeem was negotiating a subsidy for the loss of grazing rights in Raskam, according to the political agent the Mir wanted the title of His Highness. Moreover, the author stresses that in 1935 Nazeem Khan did not allow the Wazir’s son to visit Srinagar. In October 1934 Ghazan Khan II (eldest son of Mir Nazeem) for Imam Yar Baig’s (younger brother of the incumbent Wazir Shukurullah Baig) murder. The author remains unaware that the ruler Nazeem had conflict with the Wazir’s family, so why would he send the Wazir’s son to Srinagar for education?

Hussain avoids using real names. He relies on pseudo names throughout this book. He describes and quotes Ghazi Muhammad (real name Ghulam Muhammad) of Passu, Kamran Ali (Farman Ali of Shimshal), Munawar (Muzaffaruddin of Shimshal), Master Daud Ali (Daulat Amin) and Hamid Shah (Hasil Shah). Hussain quotes Kamran Ali. Kamran Ali says that ‘up until recently the Wakhis were not socially mobile, but recently they have left behind the Buroshoski Ismailis of central Hunza. Wakhis are now in senior level government positions, in the Ismaili councils, and the Buroshos feel jealous’ (p. 116).

In the book, Hussain also overlooks the reality about Aga Khan Foundation when he states that ‘while the Pakistani state tries to integrate and assimilate Hunza into mainstream Pakistani society, the AKF and its institutions make Hunza part of a global Ismaili community.’ He avoids commenting on the important role of  Aga Khan Development Network in creating linkages between the people and the government through its different agencies.

Further in the book, the author discusses the life in Pamir, Shimshal Nature Trust, Khunjerav National Park and Hideki Yamauchi (Japanese photojournalist). Hussain says that Shimshalis represent themselves as a ‘society that is a perfect and unique hybrid of modernity and tradition’ (p. 205). Hussain mentions that Muzaffar (who served at a senior position in the AKRSP management) was ‘also conscious of the fluid nature of identity such that it can be deployed strategically depending on the circumstances (p. 204). According Hussain, the state is an important source of resources and development assistance that Shimshalis tap into when opportunities arise (p. 207).

According to the author ‘Hunza as the ideal rural society was not constructed by romantics; they were often scientists who used romantic language and discourse to critique industrial agriculture and, indeed, the wider capitalist ethos that had become, in their view, the defining characteristic of Western society’ (p. 107).

This book in an attempt to present a new perspective regarding various facets of Hunza. The author could have done much better if a detailed anthropological study was carried out. At some point, it seemed to me that the author was writing just for the sake of writing. This does not mean that one should not read this book!

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Book Review: Married to a Bedouin By Marguerite van Geldermalsen

 

This story is about a New Zealand-born nurse who marries Mohammad Abdallah, a Bedouin souvenir-seller from Petra in Jordan. In 1978 Marguerite and her friend travel to the Middle East where they meet Mohammad. She marries Mohammad and starts living with him in an old cave on a hill side. She becomes a nurse for the locals, learns Arabic, converts to Islam and gives birth to three children.

The author believes that she married a ‘wonderful man, who started his day by praying that God would be pleased with him, and that his parents would be pleased with him, and then went off to his work with a flick of his mendeel and a joyful step, while I did what I felt like without a care in the world’ (p.33).

Marguerite admits that her marriage was much larger than just marrying an individual. Describing her own wedding the she mentions her brother in-laws who work for road companies.  She also mentions a Chinese company building a road along Wadi Araba from the bottom of the Dead Sea, where a potash industry was being established, to the port of Aqaba’ (p.56). Mohammad and his wife also visit New Zealand. Marguerite’s parents also visit Petra.

As I was reading the book I kept thinking about the whereabouts of the couple until I discovered that unfortunately Mohammad passed away in February 2002. This is a very interesting read about a lady who shares her own life experiences. I really enjoyed reading this book!

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Book Review: Notes from Underground By Fyodor Dostoyevsky

 

First published in 1964, this novel is considered as one of Dostoyevsky’s most famous novels. Notes from Underground narrates the story of an unmade narrator who had gone underground as a protest against social utopia. This self-opposing account examines the moral and intellectual fluctuations of the narrator and man’s inherent illogical nature.

Some of the dialogues in the novel are as follows:

·     .- ‘I swear, gentlemen, that to be too conscious is an illness- a real thorough-going illness’ (p. 10).

·      - Man is so ungrateful that you could not find another like him in all creation (p. 29).

·       -Reason satisfies only the rational side of man’s nature, while will is a manifestation of the whole life (p.32).

·       -Narrating about his office environment he mentions about the officials in his office who ‘talked about excise duty; about business in the senate, about salaries, about promotions, about His Excellency, and the best means of pleasing him, and so on’ (p. 64).

This novel has a very different writing style and plot. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

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Book Review: An Appeal to the Toiling, Oppressed and Exhausted Peoples of Europe By Leon Trotsky

 

Speeches of Leon Trotsky are compiled in this book.  Some the themes which are covered include critique of capitalism, the need for revolution, his opposition to Stalin, and the political developments of his time. Trotsky wants the working class to recover itself and fight for peace. Criticizing the propertied classes, he says that for them the monarchy is the most reliable ally in their struggle against the revolutionary offensive of the proletariat. The Soviet leader gave three percepts. One, trust not the bourgeoisie. Two, control our own leaders and third, have confidence in our own revolutionary strength (p.24).

The author condemns secret diplomacy during negotiations. In a speech delivered in Moscow on April 14 1918, Trotsky says that ‘All those phrases about ‘democarcy’, ‘the fate of small nationalities’, ‘justice’, God’s commands’ – all these are but words, phrases used for the purpose of cheating the common people; in reality the powers are only looking out for unprotected booty in order to pocket it. This I say is the essence of imperialist policy’ (p.60).

Trotsky mentions that the genuine bourgeois thinks that nature itself has destined him to dominate. He warns that if the revolution did not spread to other countries, then it would be crushed by European capitalism (p.70). He further stresses on the intellectual development of women. Criticizing the anarchist communists Trotsky states that there is a need for state apparatus when a country as big as Russia plans to organize its economic system whereas the anarchist believed that the working class did not need state power as it was a bourgeoisie machine (p.82).

Trotsky praises Lenin’s personality and his efforts for the cause. According to him Lenin is the ‘fusion of a courageous, unwavering mind and a steeled and inflexible will’ (p. 100). He also condemns the assassination attempt on his life.  For Marx, he says that he was ‘the greatest of all fighters and thinkers who anticipated and pointed out the paths to a new history (p.97).

The author heavily criticizes the bureaucracy as he considers is an ‘embodiment of monstrous inequality. The revolution destroyed the nobility. The bureaucracy creates a new gentry. The revolution destroyed titles and decorations. The new aristocracy produces marshals and generals. The new aristocracy absorbs an enormous part of the national income. Its position before the people is deceitful and false. Its leaders are forced to hide the reality, to deceive the masses, to cloak themselves, calling black white. The whole policy of the new aristocracy is a frame-up. The new constitution is nothing but a frame-up’ (p125).

Trotsky believes that socialism is only possible when independent activity of the masses and the flourishing of the human personality takes place. Furthermore, he strongly believes in a communist future and wants the future generations to cleanse life of all evil, oppression and violence.

 

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Book Review: Civil Society by Michael Edwards

 

In this book the idea of civil society is presented by Michael Edwards. Edwards provides the theoretical and practical importance of civil society. He presents it as a basis for action. Civil society means different things to different people, plays different roles at different times and constitutes both problem and solution. Much deeper action is required in politics, economics and social life if civil society is to be effective vehicle for change.

The principal ingredient in volunteering is enthusiasm not necessarily an activism driven by a particular social vision. Voluntary associations are arenas for personal ambition and power as well as for sacrifice and service (p.44). The author says that avoiding debate is never the sign of a robust civic culture (p. 68).

Associational life that ignores power structures or substitutes for state responsibilities is unlikely to contribute very much. An inclusive and well-articulated associational ecosystem can be the driving force of the good society, but the achievements of the good society are what make possible the independence and level playing field that underpin a democratic associational life (p. 91).

The author says that increase in participation is welcome, since we learn to be citizens not through books or training but through experience and action (p. 102). The author states that in the West voluntary associations are less vulnerable to the whims of aid agencies as their sources of funding diverse (p. 104). Edwards says that civil society helps us to interpret and change the world. It is what we as active citizens make it. Civil society is the force for positive social change.

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Book Review: Friedrich Nietzsche: A Biography by Curtis Cate

 

Friedrich Nietzsche was the son of a Lutheran clergyman with a modest bourgeois background. He disliked Middle-class conformity and favored ‘aristocratic radicalism’. His aphorisms and statements are quite puzzling. They can be better understood within the context of his agitated life. In this biography Cate provides the reader with an interesting account of Nietzsche’s life. It makes it easier for the reader to understand his viewpoints. This includes experiences from his early life, relationships with his family members, time spent at boarding school, education, university teaching, friendships, travels and books.

Nietzsche was fascinated by Arthur Schopenhauer. He did not read Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations, nor read Karl Marx’s works, other than Communist Manifesto. Nietzsche says that the German language gives him no pleasure. What Nietzsche most disliked and despised in any human being- a smug hypocrite. Nietzsche says that ‘I live as though the centuries were nothing, and I pursue my thoughts without thinking of newspapers or the date’ (p. 301). He also condemned romantic affectivity, excessive emotionalism and spiritual hysteria (p. 306).

Nietzsche met a Russian lady named Lou Salome, whom he wanted to marry for two years. Things were not smooth between them. Nietzsche’s sister played a big role in furthering their divide. Nietzsche’s sister Elisabeth discovered that Lou had been showing around a photograph in which Lou herself was seated in a little cart by her two harnessed ‘workhorses’. One of the work horses was Nietzsche and the other one was Paul Ree. Elisabeth got really upset.

Cate quotes Ida Overbeck, who writes about Nietzsche in the following words: ‘He knew how to listen and take in, but he never revealed himself completely or clearly. To hold himself back in concealment was for him a necessity; it was not truly a distrust towards others, rather it was a distrust towards himself and the response he encountered’ (p. 331). Nietzsche himself once wrote that ‘I am only too happy to leave my plans in concealment.’ Nietzsche believed that the value of any civilization or culture depends on the number of geniuses and masterpieces it can produce. He also regarded every kind of involuntarily accepted work as a form of slavery. He disliked businessmen and industrial magnates because of their ‘swaggering self-importance’ and ‘loud-mouthed vulgarity’ (p. 361).

Nietzsche ‘conceived his mission as a thinker to be that of the herald of a new ‘dawn’ in philosophical thinking, the prophet of a new, more honest, less visionary morality, purged and purified of a vast accretion of moral, political, social and metaphysical prejudices and misconceptions which had reduced the vast majority of his contemporaries to a collective condition of sheep-like stupidity’ (p. 400). In Zarathustra’s tenth discourse he writes: ‘If you cannot be the saints of knowledge, at least be its warriors’. On page 409 the author quotes Nietzsche, who says that ‘Man should be educated for warfare, and woman for the relaxation of the warrior: everything else is folly’.

Nietzsche’s work had a lot of symbolism. He used to carry a notebook when he would go for walks. He believes that most original thoughts occurred at night. He rejects moral system because according to him this system rejects the vital need for order of rank, on which all healthy cultures of the past were based. He believes that ‘From Woman comes every mischief in the world’ (p. 532). He also considers Christianity a stupid and anti-intellectual religion.

Nietzsche lost control over his senses. He was taken to Jena. His mother looked after him. When she passed away his sister Elisabeth took the charge. Meta Von Salis agreed to buy a house where Nietzsche was to live for the rest of his life. Throughout his life Nietzsche suffered because of weak eyesight, violent headaches and bouts of nausea. He died on the 25^th of August after a heart attack.

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Book Review: 23 Things They Don't Tell You About Capitalism by Ha-Joon Chang

 

Chang says that free market ideology makes us believe that markets will produce the most efficient and just outcome. This is because competitive market processes ensure that individuals are rewarded according to their productivity. The author is not critical of capitalism, in fact he is critical of free-market ideology.

The first argument of the author is that there is no such thing as a free market. Two, companies should not be run in the interest of their owners. Three, most people in rich countries are paid more than they should be. Four, the washing machine has changed the world more than the internet. Five, assume the worst about people and you get the worst. Six, greater macroeconomic stability has not made the world economy more stable. Seven, free-market policies rarely make poor countries rich. Eight, capital has a nationality. Nine, we do not live in a post-industrial age.

Point ten, the United States does not have the highest living standard in the world. Eleven, Africa is not destined for underdevelopment. Twelve, governments can pick winners. Thirteen, making rich people richer does not make the rest of us richer. Fourteen, US managers are over-priced. Fifteen, people in poor countries are more entrepreneurial than people in rich countries. Sixteen, we are not smart enough to leave things to the market. Seventeen, more education in itself is not going to make a country richer. Eighteen, what is good for a large company (such as General Motors) is not necessarily good for the United States. Nineteen, we are living in planned economies. Twenty, equality of opportunity may not be fair. Twenty-one, big government makes people more open to change. Twenty-two, financial markets need to become less, not more efficient. Twenty-three, good economic policies do not require good economists.

Chang stresses that 95 percent of economics is common sense made complicated. In the book he tries to provide solution to the problem in simple plain language. He argues that the fundamental theoretical and empirical assumptions behind free-market economics are highly questionable. The author suggests that free-market capitalism has served humanity very poorly and because of this we should build a new economic system which recognizes the limitations of human rationality, brings out the best in people and stops people from believing that people are always paid what they deserve. Furthermore, Chang views making things (manufacturing) very important. Moreover, he says that striking a balance between finance and ‘real’ activities is important. The seventh point of the author is that the government needs to become bigger and more active. Last but not the least, the eighth point states that the world economic system needs to ‘unfairly’ favor developing countries.

In the concluding paragraph of the book the author says that ‘unless we abandon the principles that have failed us and that are continuing to hold us back, we will meet similar disasters down the road’ (p. 263).

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Book Review: The New Rulers of the World by John Pilger

John Pilger is an Australian investigative journalist and documentary film-maker who lives in London. In this book, Pilger exposes the myth of globalization. He gives a detailed analysis of the events in Indonesia.  He reveals how General Suharto came to power in 1960s due to western agenda which marked start of the imposition of the ‘global economy’ upon Asia.

The author brings to light the nature of modern imperialism. He unveils its secrets and illusions. Pilger states that about a million people died in Indonesia because of the World Bank’s ‘model pupil’. Atrocities of the western powers in Iraq also covered. With that, he also discusses the subjugation of the Aboriginal people in Australia.

Pilgers says that a sophisticated system of plunder has forced more than ninety countries into ‘structural adjustment’ programs since the eighties, widening the divide between rich and poor as never before. According to him this results in a world where an elite of fewer than a billion people controls 80 per cent of humanity’s wealth. The author objects to the West’s claims of furthering development of the poor world. He says that although members of the United Nations have agreed that the rich countries should give a minimum of 0.7 per cent of their Gross National Product in genuine aid to the poor world, Britain gives just 0.34 percent and the United States barely registers, with 0.19 (p. 121).

Pilger believes that ‘when great truths are omitted, myths take their place, and the nature and pattern of great power are never explained to the public’ (p. 128). He criticizes the academic hierarchy by mentioning the politics departments. As per Pilger, in these departments the task of liberal realists is to ensure that western imperialism is intercepted as crises management, rather than the cause of the crises and its escalation. By never recognizing western state terrorism, their complicity is assured. To state this simple truth is deemed unscholarly; better to say nothing (p. 156).

Writing about the Aboriginal population the author states that the life expectancy of the Aborgines is up to twenty-five years shorter than whites, lower than in most countries and matched only in India and Central Africa (p. 165). Pilger’s solution for the Australian tragedy is through justice and political will.

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Book Review: The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love by Bell Hooks

 

Bell Hooks says that militant feminism gave women permission to unleash their rage and hatred at men but it did not allow us to talk about what it meant to love men in patriarchal culture, to know how we could express that love without fear of exploitation and oppression. To simply label men as oppressors and dismiss them meant we never had to give voice to the gaps in our understanding or to talk about maleness in complex ways. She believes that feminist thinking and practice are the only way in which the crises of masculinity can be addressed.

The author writes that ‘we live in a culture where emotionally starved, deprived females are desperately seeking male love.’ She admits that many women cannot hear male pain about love because it sounds like an indictment of female failure. Moreover, she also writes about her own case where she did not want to hear about her partner’s feelings and pain. Moreover, in the book the author says that majority of the patriarchal attitudes are taught by mothers. These attitudes are reinforced in schools and religious institutions.

The author states that dismantling and changing patriarchal culture is the work that men and women must do together (p. 24). Further in the book, the author writes that feminist researchers are often unwilling or reluctant to target practical thinking. She believes that when men embrace feminist thinking and practice, which emphasizes the value of mutual growth and self-actualization in all relationships, their emotional well-being will be enhanced.

The popularization of gangsta rap, spearheaded by white male executives in the music industry, gave a public voice to patriarchy and woman-hating. The author views contemporary books and movies offer clear portraits of the evils of patriarchy without offering any direction for change. In her view until there is creation of a popular culture that affirms and celebrates masculinity without upholding patriarchy, there will be no change in the way masses of males think about the nature of their identity.

Further in the book, the author writes that it is possible to critique patriarchy without hating men. Without citing any figures, the author states that working women are far more likely than other women to be irritable. She states that ‘women want to be recognized, seen, and cared about by the men in our lives.’ She further stresses that love cannot exist with domination.

In the concluding chapter the author writes that those of us who love men do not want to continue our journey without them. We need them beside us because we love them. She believes that a culture of healing that empowers males to change is in the making. Healing does not take place in isolation. Men who love and men who long to love know this. She stresses that women should stand by them, with open hearts and open arms (p. 188).

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Book Review: Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics by Joseph S. Nye, Jr.

 

Power is the ability to influence the behavior of others to get the outcomes one wants. This can be done through coerce by threats, induce them with payments or through attraction and co-option. Soft power is the ability to get what you want through attraction rather than coercion or payments. When you can get others to admire your ideals and to want what you want, you do not have to spend as much on sticks and carrots to move them in your direction. The U.S government spends four hundred times more on hard power than on soft power.

Soft power involves agenda setting, attraction and co-opt. Government policies at home and abroad are another potential source of soft power. For example, in the 1950s racial segregation at home undercut American soft power in Africa. Much of American soft power has been produced by Hollywood, Harvard, Microsoft, and Michael Jordan. It is true that firms, universities, foundations, churches, and other nongovernmental groups develop soft power of their own that may reinforce or be at odds with official foreign policy goals. Credibility is an important source of soft power.

The author categorizes power into three types. This includes military power, economic power and soft power. He further stresses that soft power is not a constant, but something that varies by time and space. Stating culture as a source of soft power, the author quotes Secretary of State Colin Power saying that ‘I can think of no more valuable asset to our country than the friendship of future world leaders who have been educated here.’ He further argues that hard power created the stand-off of military containment, but soft power eroded the Soviet system from within.

Regarding the soft power of NGOs, the author says that the information revolution has greatly enhanced it. NGOs and network organizations have soft-power resources and do not hesitate to use them. The early efforts of soft-power resources can be observed in France. In the seventeenth- and eighteenth-century France promoted its culture. One example is the creation of Alliance Francaise in 1883 for the promotion of French language and literature. In Britain BBC was founded in 1922 which later broadcasted in all major European languages. As far as the United States is concerned VOA broadcasts in 53 languages to an estimated audience pf 91 million people (p. 104).

The author mentions three dimensions of public diplomacy. First is daily communication which involves explaining the context of domestic and foreign policy decisions. Second, is strategic communication in which a set of simple themes is developed, much like what occurs in a political or advertising campaign. Third is the development of lasting relationships with key individuals over many years through scholarships, exchanges, training, seminars, conferences, and access to media channels.

The author believes that the United States cannot meet the new threat identified in the national security strategy without the cooperation of other countries. He creates a need for learning how to better combine hard and soft power to meet new challenges. He wants the budget of public diplomacy to be doubled. In the concluding paragraph of the last chapter the author stresses that ‘America’s success will depend upon our developing a deeper understanding of the role of soft power and developing a better balance of hard and soft power in our foreign policy. That will be smart power. We have done it before; we can do it again.’

Ney emphasizes that soft power will help America deal with critical global issues that require multilateral cooperation.

 

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