Interestingly, it is for anyone, who has been growing up in a place where political actions are taken forward through associated allegiance between people, let alone guided by religion, morality, economic gains, and self-interest. This pictures the politics in Pakistan and similar states, where hereditary political support has prevailed. I, like every other ordinary Pakistani, had been inept in critically examining politics within the country and the realpolitik of the world. Nonetheless, the change is inevitable for anyone who once divulges into an observation of political patterns and socio-economic goings-on.
Quite expressive about the above, let us read in this piece how critical thinking can disembowel the dreadfulness of a compromised political culture. Critical thinking, as various psychoanalysts and social sciences experts have endorsed in history and even agree today, is a scheme of getting to the kernel of literally anything. It would not go wrong to say that critical thinking prevails a sense of in-depth understanding as the thinker gets involved in knowing the truth, not only to believe in appearance vis-à-vis total oblivion.
Read more: Op-ed: Gujarat and India under Modi missed critical thinking
Politics, on the other side, is a complete paradox
Politics, an enigma of its type, ranging from the pre-post Hellenics to today’s neo-liberals, neo-populist, and right-center-left groups, is what a critical thinker would always be ready to break. Even though so much a shred of historical pieces of evidence exists but the dull human remains are unlearned of it. This shows that politicians rarely concentrate on becoming critical thinkers at large. However, critical thinkers can become quite a politician.
Today, political leaders and so-called torchbearers of world politics, are shabby and volatile. In their acts and their words, everything seems like an impolite slur. As Austin O’Malley puts in perfectly that “a politician is like quicksilver. When one presses the finger on it, one finds nothing underneath“. The politics of today has been dissolved into a shallow, vague, and visionless matter. If not blurred, then, the politics of today is a wholesome stupidity, of no great cause.
The modern Politician is like quicksilver,
When pressed, one finds nothing underneath
Irrationality or being uncritical is prevalent as seen in contemporary politics. Political leaders are driven by risky self-interests and narcissism as seen with the rise of Trumpian politics in Central-Eastern Europe and South America while adding the Asian continent would be a harsh reality.
Read more: Want to improve your critical thinking? Here’s how you to do it…
Focusing upon the global arena, lately, the predominant world order is in continuous power alterations. Rising dragons of imperial China and the belligerent bear of Russia are at the cross sword with the West. NATO’s adamant behavior has triggered Russia’s modern Tsar. Whereas, in the Pacific, the world policing of the United States of America is adding fuel to the Chinese fire. The war in Europe is a conclusive example that history repeats itself. It is repeating itself as an uncritical tragedy for humanity.
The Middle Eastern crises and the African survival remains hard to ignore. Similarly, whatever is happening on nearly all the continents is an unescapable misfortune. These confrontations are taking the world to the verge of Armageddon i.e., into the cross hairs of world powers. Nevertheless, the catastrophe in waiting is also complimented by the artificially peaceful countries who are following the steps of senseless world powers.
In the case of Pakistan, the wave of political instability is being influenced, like other influences except in humanity, civic sense, and education, by the West. Politicians are losing their delicacy revived reputation to their illogicality. Because of an absent touch of a critical approach to the future, politicians are becoming irrelevant to their subject in the present. They now, unlike their predecessors, lack charisma, and leadership acumen, and are drowned in a delusionary sway. People, thus, despise the abysmal politics being driven in Pakistan.
Read more: How to develop critical thinking of Pakistani students?
The situation is pretty much the same all around the globe
In this national and global mare’s nest, the critical thinking process of forecasting and prudence remains missing. This is because the leaders are not elected for national interests but are selected for their snobbery. Whether talking about Pakistan, where democratic norms are lapsing by coalition and the anti-coalition patches, or about the world powers, one thing remains clear that uncritical approach is lethal for political nurture.
In politics, critical thinking is becoming obligatory to restore peace between countries. More importantly, it is required for wise governance, diplomacy and socio-cultural exchanges. To get out of the tinder box, humans have fewer but decisive options. Simplifying everything, it is now on the people, if they want to follow the Pied Pipers to devastation or to break their flutes and cherish the critically enriched leaders.
The writer is a Pakistan-based political commentator and social critic with keen interests in political economy, history, philosophy, and religion. The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Global Village Space’s editorial policy.