Obama ke options by Puneet Rajhans

Obama ke options

Three weeks ago Obama had this to say. "The US won't settle for a second place when India and China are racing ahead." But is there a vacancy at the top? Not in the near future. It may come 15-20 years down the line. But why raise the spectacle of something that is years and years away. THe intent behind Obamaspeak was to let the underdog have a chance than China and India. Apparently miffed at China getting all the good reviews and palatable nod, the US wants to earn its place of prominence.
Who this underdog could be. On Obama's radar are nation states caught in the vortex of violence and within them few areas willing to branch out. Could it be some from the 12 Commonwealth of Independent States that sprung up from Russia. Could it be a breakaway Chechnya, a unified Kashmir (India Administered Kashmir and Pakistan Occupied Kashmir). Or any nation state away from radar but willing to play spoilsport to the chances of India, China displacing US. A Tibet here or a Taiwan there or even the prospective nation states that are in the kissing distance of being realised ("my men, freedom is round the corner" is the line they continuously take). THe US can't settle to a prospect where China feasts at Washington's prominent slide from one territory after another.
As for Obama's over the counter work managers they have handed a script to Bollywood to churn out stuff for the next 10-15 years which plays up the US dream and punctures the China's optimism as a misplaced one. It would endlessly aim at US the entity to watch out for. All season concessions would be given to producers to shoot at locales that even US producers haven't discovered and all movies would be with subtitles in Hindi and Mandarin. Here his managers are in constant touch with the biggies of Hindi and Southern Cinemas who have belted out hits after hits. Besides the Hollywood would be kept in the loop and collaboration taken as and when the need be.
THe US administration and the ones to follow later would be playing up all those forces that can dismantle the chances of China (China is the immediate threat after it displaced Japan as the second largest economy) to take the first place. An Afghanistan or Iraq (fence sitters and violence torn) could be considered. A quid pro quo could be that we would give you the opportunity to be the BIG PLAYERS (Economy and Military) provided you shun violence. So why not shift the gaze to a piece of territory that has been sandwiched between two Asian Giants and yet to realise its potential. After all this territory has thrown up surprises after surprises for decades. So for all the deals and dates with the military junta, the US could well settle for Pakistan to take the front seat given the level of engagement it has had with the US.
The US has already set in motion the process to let Pakistan deserve the hints of prosperity. New Delhi willing to deal with Islamabad was the first piece of action in that foray. Second, the US would cleverly aim to ratch up international opinion to give a permanent seat to Pakistan in UNSC given its geographical import and how it could scale down the level of violence not just in Afghanistan but also the resentment in the Islam World against the WEST. Along with this the different international bodies would be working in close concert to see that sporting events like ASIAN Games, Commonwealth Games are held in Pakistan. As for OLYMPICS, there is a fair degree of understanding that the OLYMPICS THAT China had probably pole vaulted it to dream about being No 1. No such Olympic outing for an Asian country as it stores the possibility for them to thing BIG. But rules would be relaxed for all-weather friend Pakistan. After all when close to 18 per cent residents in the US believe that Obama is a Muslim and his flip flop on Mosque in New York Trade Centre has finally led to his approval to the project so why not prop up Pak that Russia is also fond of.
AS these permutations and combinations were being discussed, Obama received a call from Secy of State. "Mr President, there is another coup in Pakistan and this time China is backing them." And Obama was upfront: "Ladies and Genleman, i told you this nation is a bowl of surprises. We need to keep engaging them."
As for India, he had this to add: "Same old Democracy and same old elections.The excitement quotient is missing. India could be considered if it could stage some surprises in the Middle Kingdom."