鄧永鏘（DavidTang）中國會、上海灘創辦人
It'satopsy-turvyworld.Thisweek,BenazirBhuttowasassassinated.SomeclaimitwasorganizedbyPresidentMusharraf;someclaimitwastheAl-QaedawhowantedtothrowPakistanintoturmoilandretaliateagainsttheWest,whosedemocraticaspirationsBhuttoostensiblyrepresented.TheUSStateDepartmenthadimmediatelycommentedthattherewasnothingPresidentMusharrafcouldhavedone,therebyimplyingthathewasnotresponsibleorshouldnotbeheldresponsible.Thisisparticularlyoddasonlyamonthago,Americawasurginghimtostepdownasmilitaryleaderfollowingaratherdubiouselectionvictory.EvenmorepuzzlingishowAmericaandBush,inparticular,shouldregardMusharrafasanallygiventhathehadusurpedpowerinamilitarycoupandissomeonewhohardlyaspirestodemocracywhichiswhattheUnitedStatesseemstowanttosowacrosstheworld.TheredoesnotseemtohaveanylogictohowtheAmericansarebehaving.Iftheywanttopreachandspreaddemocracy,Pakistanistheonecountryinwhichtheconceptdoesnotpossessanypullwhatever.ButPakistanisstrategicallyimportantnotonlyasaneighbourofdangerousIraqandIranandAfghanistan,butalsoforitscriticalsituationinthecentrebetweentheMiddleEastandAsia.Therefore,theonlyexplanationisthatAmericaneedsPakistanasaphysicalbasetocarryoutits"waragainstterror"and,intheprocess,hashadtoturnablindeyetothecountry'sundemocraticDNA.Butthisisnotall.Americahasotherinconsistencies.TakePalestineforinstance.Aftersomanylaboriousnegotiationsandsomuchbloodshedandrecalcitranceandintransigence,theterritory(foritisnotacountryyet)finallyagreedtoafreeanddemocraticelection.YetwhenHamaswontheelection,theUnitedStatesrefusedtorecognizeit.Thestalematehasnotshiftedandallroad-mapscouldonlynowbeconstruedascul-de-sacs.ThisrefusalonthepartofAmericatorecognizethePalestinianelectionisanotherexampleofdouble-standards.
Furthermore,theUnitedStateshavemadeitquiteclearthatbothIranandNorthKoreashouldnotdeveloptheirnuclearcapabilities.Butbothofthesecountriesaresovereignstates.HowcanAmericasimplydictateitsforeignpolicyinitsowninterestsontoothersovereignstates?Theanswer,logically,isthatAmericashouldnot.
ThenwemustmentiontheCIAandallitscovertoperations.ItisnosecrettomanythattheCIAconsistentlydealswithindividualsandcountrieswhich,onfacevalue,areenemiesoftheUnitedStates.Butbasedonthepolicyofbalancesofpowers,theCIA,withitsownagenda,intricatelylinkedinaconvolutionofwhatmightpassasbenefitstotheUnitedStates,continuestodabbleinalmostincomprehensibleoperations.TheyarethestuffofaLeCarre'strilogyorspyfilmsofwhichtheaudiencecouldunderstandlittle.
AndIhaveonlymentionedAmerica-andtheyaresupposedtobegoodguys.Ifyoutookalltheothercountriesintotheequationofglobalbalance,thentheworldbecomesamuddyfieldofself-interestsanddouble-crossesandtriple-crossesandquadruple-crosses.China,forexample,isveryquietlyandeffectivelycolonizingthecontinentofAfrica.Theremightwellbeeconomicinterests,orevenpoliticalones,thatcouldappealtoChinaandindividualAfricancountries.Butsoonerorlatter,IcannothelpfeelingthatthecolonialscrambleforAfricawillrepeatitself.Tribaldivisionswillbeignored.Sovereignborderswillbetransgressed.Andcorruptionwillcontinuetobreed.Ifoneweretobepessimistic,Africahasbecomeatimebombfordisasters.
That'swhatImeanbyatopsy-turvyworld!EverymorningIwakeuptryingtomakesenseoftheworld,andeverydayIfindlessandlesscomprehension.Nothingisstraightforwardanymore.Noconflictisjustonesideagainsttheother.Nobattleisjustonearmyagainstanother.Nowarisjusttheinvolvementof2sides.Whatadeeplydepressingthoughtattheendofanotheryearinwhichwehavewitnessedsomanymiseriesandsadnessesandinjusticesandconflicts.Pacificismisawordorconcepthardlyspokenofnowadays.TheBertrandRussellsofyesterdayhaveseemedtodisappearonus.Allwehaveinsteadaresuicidebombers!Someofthemarenotevencarryingouttheirmissionsforthesakeofideologies,foritisnotuncommonforeconomicincentivestoinducepoorbutbravemartyrsintoactionforthesakeofthevicarioussurvivaloftheirfamilies.WhenIthinkhowfragileourworldis,Ibecomeincrediblymelancholic,especiallywhenIseetheotherhalfoftheworldinwhichwefindourselves,insulatedfromwarsandmiseriesanddevastation.Whenareweallgoingtocometooursenses?Thebestthingthatcouldhappenintheworldisfortheretobeabreedinggroundforpacifists.Oristhattoomuchorcrazytohopeandwishfor?
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逢周日刊出