US no more a world leader: Fareed Zakaria

Fareed Zakaria, who is listed among the world’s top 20 intellectuals, believes that new power centers are coming up the world over, especially in emerging countries like China, India and Brazil.

Fareed Zakaria

According to him, in this new world order, America still has a vital role to play but a different one from the traditional superpower role it has been playing for the past 50 years.

Indian born author and editor of Newsweek International, Zakaria has analysed this new power shift in his latest book A Post -American World.

Amidst July 4 celebrations, some in the intelligentsia warned that the US should prepare for an age where its relative importance as a world leader will wane.

”For much of the time that I was growing up the future was being produced in America. And consumed by the rest of the world. Now, even the periphery is producing the future. It is called the rise of the rest. It’s happening in India, in China, Brazil, Turkey, South Africa,” said Zakaria.

In his book, Zakaria explains that to survive in this new world order, America will have to evolve from the traditional superpower role it has been playing for the past 50 years to one of a global power broker which consults cooperates and even compromises.

”People who think it’s going to be the end of the American age are going to be sadly mistaken. There is no natural alternative to America. Nobody wants to live in a Chinese world; nobody wants to live in a Russian world. But it means that the United States has to recognize that the dominant phenomenon is the rise of the rest and that means playing the role of the Chairman of the Board rather than the Managing Director,” said Zakaria.

According to this book, the American business world has come to terms with the ”Post American World,” which clearly sees its business dealings with China, Brazil and India.

But businesses are subject to market competition and do not have the luxury of ignoring market realities for long.

The question now is, will the America’s political leadership choose to ignore reality or ride this wave.
Courtesy :- NDTV

$5.6 billion US aid to Pak unaccounted: Are you still sleeping Mr.Bush?

Nearly six billion US dollars provided by the US to Pakistan to fight against terrorism since the September 9, 2001 attacks on America has been of little use for that purpose, an independent audit has found out.

The findings by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released in a report on 24 June, 2008, showed a troubling lack of oversight and accountability for the US funds to Pakistan that were meant to combat terrorism.

The findings angered Congress members with the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Democrat, Howard Berman expressing shock at the lack of oversight of several billion dollars heading the way of Pakistan from Coalition Support Funds, which is funding the war on terror.

”I’m shocked at the lack of oversight of billions of dollars that have been doled out in Pakistan in an effort to fight terrorism,” Berman said in a statement.

The US has provided Pakistan about USD 5.6 billion since 2001 attacks on World Trade Centre, when more than 3000 people were killed. The GAO found several cases where the Bush Administration could not explain or account for such payments, including millions of dollars for road construction with no evidence that any roads were built, and reimbursement costs to the Pakistan military that may be duplicative.

”The report documents how US funds were used without any evidence that they supported counter-terrorism efforts. ”The US government is being asked to reimburse Pakistan for non-incremental air defence radar maintenance when al Qaida is not even known to have an air force. The purpose of these funds is to support the fight against extremists, and not to boost Pakistan’s conventional warfare capability,” Howard Berman said.

Bush :- Don’t worry man, Half of the money spent on ISI to combat against India and remaining went into pockets of politicians.

Howard Berman  :- Pakistan is spending more than budget allocated funds on ISI. There is no accountability for their own money how can you expect the accountability for US funds. But good try, Let’s see when will US government open it’s eyes.

Readers :- Most of the US (World) enemies (Taliban, Al Qaeda, Saddam Hussain etc) are once funded and supported by US. Once the designated work over, they became enemies (Only God knows the reasons). Let’s see whether history repeats or not?

Courtesy: NDTV