US: a Friend or Foe?

[Condor]

Originally Posted by Selma Shirazi

American friendship is for sell, it can be bought if you have big money to spend. Indian nuclear market is worth $100 billion, big business for Americans and allies so they ignore every fundamental commitments of NPT which actually came into affect after India went nuclear in 1974 and grant her a nuclear waiver despite India's refusal to sign NPT. Hypocrites!!

All I can say is this: With a friend like USA, who needs enemies?

US: a Friend or Foe?

[vsdoc]

Originally Posted by A1Kaid

What you say is true to an extent and is bases on a realistic interpretation in historical global politics...

However there are "special relationships or special bilateral relationships" that have stood the test of time.

US & UK
US & Israel

Pakistan & China
Pakistan & Turkey

To an extent Japan and US in modern history (post WW 2)

There are some others as well...US is a partner that comes with some difficulties....

Yes, there would be relationships forged that would withstand the ravages of time and the everchanging dynamics of the great game, but look deeper and you will see that there is mutual back scratching going on there.

The moment one party finds someone who scratches their back better and/or the current scratching gives more pain than pleasure, these too would change.

Case in point: Your tenuous relationship with Uncle Sam.

Cheers, Doc

[Condor]

Originally Posted by vsdoc

There are no "friends" in global politics. Just convenient bedpartners.

But I must admit that its a sub-continental talent. Melodrama and the pathos of unrequited love comes easy to us.

Unfortunately in real life, there is no janam janam ka saath.

If you guys can turn your backs on us after living together as brothers for millenia, toh yeh Amrika kis khet ki mooli hai bhai?

Cheers, Doc

Arrey Daktar Babu
Yeh to ab us Khet ki Mooli hai, jis Desh mein Ganga behti hai - Aur Pakistan ka to Hay! hay!

[vsdoc]

Haan bhai, lekin fark yeh hai ki bharat mooli/gaajar/lauki apne khet ka hi khata hai. LOL

Cheers, Doc

[vinod2070]

Relationship can be based on common interests or common values or both. Obviously interests can change and diverge over time and so a relationship based on common temporary interests will be temporary. Case in point being Pakistan-USA.

USA-UK shared many common values including common heritage, language, religious values and much more. Pakistan shares no values with USA, only temporary interests wherein Pakistan expects goodies for services rendered to USA at that point in time. As transactional as can be.

Even Pakistan-China relationship is based on common interests of containing India. There are no common values between a "pork eating atheist Godless" China and an Islamic fundamentalist Pakistan. Most Chinese hate Muslims (as per a recent survey). Most Pakistanis don't know anything about China, their society, customs, language, history anything. There is just nothing in common. This interest may stand the test of time or may not. One has to wait and see.

China is not above arm-twisting Pakistan when needed. The Chinese Ambassador forced Musharraf to carry out the operation in Lal Masjid when some Chinese massage parlors were raided by the LM Ninzas.

Even India-USSR relationships were mainly based on common values of socialism but as soon as Russia turned away from Socialism, the relations went South. Now the relationship is mainly about common interests.

Pakistan can only develop value based relations with Islamic countries. With others it will be just give and take.