Ken,

Just a point as to what can be believed and what can’t be believed and if we are to discard all that is in the open forum, then how will we proceed? Just to clarify, I am not here to prove any point, I am merely trying to share what is generally perceived in India and in turn, understand views that are generally felt in the western world on various issues.

Without doubt, nothing in the world is not agenda driven, be it the media, politics, Hearings or even life in general. Therefore, it is natural that one has to tread cautiously, to include being sceptical. Notwithstanding, as I see it, being sceptical should not, in any way, cripple the acumen for analysis and thought based on whatever is available, the events being beyond the average poster’s control.

Within this conundrum of belief, an analysis to fathom the issues has to be made. Therefore, one has to take each input (be it the media report, think tank analysis, Congressional Hearings etc), analyse it from all angles and try to see how far they fit into the mosaic that develops in tandem. And then see its place in the series of similar or near similar events/reports/conjectures/opinions of the past. It is obviously that a one off report cannot be taken as the Gospel, unless it is corroborated by other sources, preferably from the opposite sides of the fence, and better still, antagonistic in approach or is totally and irrefutably independent.

To wit, take the case of India building a road in Afghanistan.

Let us accept that it is being done for altruistic reasons. But when viewed with the India’s construction of the Chahbahar port in Iran and connecting it to this road built in Afghanistan as also having a military hospital and a Base in Tajikistan, and at the same time assisting in building the Afghan National Army, the obvious inference is that India has a growing interest in CAR, call it what you may, strategic, political, economic or whatever. Or else, what is all the effort in aid of? It does suggest that there is attempt to circumvent and even isolate the obstacle of the landmass of Pakistan and develop trade and even strategic ties in the CAR and ensure the ‘avenue’ to CAR is not bothersome. There are reports that that is not the aim, and instead it is to build ‘people to people contact’, ‘assist friendly countries’, ‘cement long standing and eternal historical ties’ and suchlike political rhetoric, which, given the events in the region, does suggest is mere smoke and mirrors.

So, what does one therefore analyse?

One has two options – analyse it and keep a watch and fit into the mosaic as it develops or rubbish it as not worth the paper it is written on.

History stands witness that when one reads the events to fit one’s own perception, or perfunctorily rubbish what does not fit one’s interpretation, then one comes a cropper. The suggestion is to avoid the obvious, and instead taking the inputs, dig deep, and see if it fits the mosaic developing and then accept or negate an input. Even then, one could not be 100% correct.

Take the case of Iraq. There was this evangelist zeal to spread ‘Freedom and Democracy’ and the American way of life as it was reported. It may have stirred some hearts, but the world saw it otherwise. After all, if it were to bring ‘Freedom and Democracy’, there were more deserving cases like Rwanda or even Mugabwe’s Zimbabwe and yet the US stood as a mute spectator!

Some claimed it was for Iraq’s oil, but was it? Media reported so and went to town. However, those who had read Cheney’s DPG and NEP (which when formulated was rubbished as kite flying and typical American ‘bolshiness’) and observed the events as it unfoleded, would realise that it was copybook of what was enunciated regarding not only in the field of energy security, but also in consonance to have ‘areas’ in world’s hot spots (post Cold War) so that US reaction was fast and not cumbersomely slow.

Therefore, what was taken to be rubbish when it was postulated was a design that was actually implemented.

The issue on which I have written/ stated is not the result of any ‘phobias’, it is just an attempt to analyse the events as reported from a variety of sources, western, Chinese, Indian, Asian and get the general western views on the subjects.

Since there are many posters who are highly placed one was only trying to find their views including those who felt that everything was rubbish. Indeed, if they are rubbish, the rational as to why they are rubbish would have helped and not merely by what I felt, rightly or wrongly, an attempt to dismiss the links and assume that one is the last word and that’s it! Or as the American’s say – Period!

I think you have misunderstood the Know All remark. It was not aimed at you for the simple reason that you gave your views with rationale and the inputs are appreciated. It was a generalised remark for reasons explained above.