Lenon revisited

Imagine there's no heaven,
It's easy if you try,
No hell below us, Above us only sky,
Imagine all the people, living for today...

Before beginning to embark on my sabbatical of a rant let me give credence to my point of view. I am an idealistic college brat who came back to Islamabad, to froth at the mouth, oppose all, criticize all, whilst unsurprisingly lacking the courage to follow through on my half formulated ideas. Thus I write, hoping that it might quench the pangs I have for change.

The need for change is dire and for the sake of there us a never-ending list of everything that our society must eliminate to be able to mould itself into the utopia that Plato envisioned whilst writing ‘The Republik’. Nevertheless the sustenance and/or growth of nepotism, bribery, corruption and numerous other vices that plague Pakistan can not be tackled alone. We must unite and restore the societal norms that we could once look up to and be proud to follow. With each passing year qualities that once distinguished the East from the West are slowly being eroded by external factors such as the media, the corrupt elite as well as our government which for some reason or another, despite is numerous manifestations, never seems to do anything different.

Maybe to hope is too farfetched, or so I am told. Idealism is admittedly a perspective rooted in the clouds, yet it provides the only exit in this maze of dead ends. Be realistic: a recurring statement, albeit one long ignored. To great extents one must go to ensure that the revolution of the mind is not pacified by one word not ignored. Realism.

Political science has long been dichotomised between two distinct levels of analysis: idealism and realism. It has been said that idealism allows one to dream about how the world should be and then take an approach mimicking reverse engineering to decipher the events of the past and present. Realism, on the other hand is more about documenting incidents as opposed to deciphering them… one cannot hope for progress and factual interpretation without both approaches permeating our mindsets.

Despite Pakistan being the manifestation of a dream, it is veering dangerously off course. Harsh realities, overpowering societal norms are beginning to sideline idealism, moulding us into a monotonous lot of middle income families trying to emulate the lives of the squealing Gucci piggies of the precious elite. One must realise that money is not everything… one must realise that capitalism need not be the right answer…one must not be afraid to question that which surrounds us. Challenging the status quo and overcoming the slithering serpent of reality which slowly chokes all aspirations is the only manner in which Pakistan can change into a progressive country with progressive policies. Changes must be made, and to make these changes people must believe. I argue not against the system or being realistic yet I remain steadfast in upholding our right to dream.

If we dream, the bonded labourer will not be resigned to his fate. If we dream, that same labourer might endure the hardships that are associated with sending his children to school. If we dream, social stagnancy can be combated and overcome within a generation. A possibility? It was in a number of other countries in the region, but in Pakistan dreams are nothing but a precious commodity for those who need them most. Instead of promoting change our bourgeoisie crust does everything in its power to hamper the empowerment of our minds by maintaining the status quo that is purely for the purpose of self-benefit.

Optimistic by nature, idealists set utopian like standards that, in optimal conditions, are near impossible to achieve. Nevertheless, the futile exercise provides a goal towards which society can work. One must remember that, in their time, a wide variety of people such as the Wright brothers, Einstein, etc were considered idealists. Now we herald them as scientific revolutionaries. What I mean to convey is; if everyone was a realist, society would become stagnant.

After adequately stoking the flames you might question, “What exactly are we supposed to dream about?”… If so, then it brings one to question “Can we no longer dream? Do we now need to dream about dreaming?” Therein lays the fundamental change that needs to take place and only then can a society aspire to tackle the vices stated earlier.

You may say I'm a dreamer,
but I'm not the only one,
I hope some day you will join us,
And the world will live as one