The cost of doing political business
Mahmudur Rahman | Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Mahmudur Rahman
One of the most followed surveys is the one related to the cost of doing business in a given country specially a developing one. The natural flow suggests that bottlenecks and corruption combine to increase the start-up and later the shift-in-gear of a business entity. It is supposed to be temperature check for a prospective business endeavour that seeks to set up camp in a new country. Similarly, nations that ventured in to war whether by proxy or direct intervention had a massive bill that they either had to provide for or pay up-front. The first major shift came during the war on Iraq whereby Saudi Arabia was persuaded to foot the bill and landed up with the proverbial foot in the mouth. They are still paying. Afghanistan was a painful, expensive and inconclusive campaign for the then Soviet Union and as if not learning lessons from history is proving to be similar for the United States. And so when the intervention in Libya, immaterial which angle it is viewed from, came about no one was raising hands in terms of putting money where their mouths were. The US has leaned heavily on Saudi Arabia to provide arms to the rebels; the Saudis have baulked. Qatar was then targeted and has until now kept their hands firmly in their pockets. In the end, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) reluctantly agreed. That has its own implications. The European part of NATO is bending backwards in trying to stem the huge budget deficits from bleeding the life out of their economies. The US has its own economic problems. And the one shining star -- Germany -- will shortly be asking if the world's problems are to be pushed squarely on its shoulders. Angela Merkel is unlikely to take the chance given the bashing her party received at a recent provincial husting. Funding is likely to be crucial in calculating how much time the rebels will have to overcome Muammar Gaddafi. The only way forward appears to be what everyone had thought it to be; the re-financing through Libya's precious oil reserves. Specific and credible leadership of the rebels has not as of yet surfaced. If and when it does, the question will definitely be posed to them because there's more to the conflict than just the removal of Gaddafi. There's the prospect of life after him. (The writer can be reached at e-mail : mahmudrahman@gmail.com)
One of the most followed surveys is the one related to the cost of doing business in a given country specially a developing one. The natural flow suggests that bottlenecks and corruption combine to increase the start-up and later the shift-in-gear of a business entity. It is supposed to be temperature check for a prospective business endeavour that seeks to set up camp in a new country. Similarly, nations that ventured in to war whether by proxy or direct intervention had a massive bill that they either had to provide for or pay up-front. The first major shift came during the war on Iraq whereby Saudi Arabia was persuaded to foot the bill and landed up with the proverbial foot in the mouth. They are still paying. Afghanistan was a painful, expensive and inconclusive campaign for the then Soviet Union and as if not learning lessons from history is proving to be similar for the United States. And so when the intervention in Libya, immaterial which angle it is viewed from, came about no one was raising hands in terms of putting money where their mouths were. The US has leaned heavily on Saudi Arabia to provide arms to the rebels; the Saudis have baulked. Qatar was then targeted and has until now kept their hands firmly in their pockets. In the end, North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) reluctantly agreed. That has its own implications. The European part of NATO is bending backwards in trying to stem the huge budget deficits from bleeding the life out of their economies. The US has its own economic problems. And the one shining star -- Germany -- will shortly be asking if the world's problems are to be pushed squarely on its shoulders. Angela Merkel is unlikely to take the chance given the bashing her party received at a recent provincial husting. Funding is likely to be crucial in calculating how much time the rebels will have to overcome Muammar Gaddafi. The only way forward appears to be what everyone had thought it to be; the re-financing through Libya's precious oil reserves. Specific and credible leadership of the rebels has not as of yet surfaced. If and when it does, the question will definitely be posed to them because there's more to the conflict than just the removal of Gaddafi. There's the prospect of life after him. (The writer can be reached at e-mail : mahmudrahman@gmail.com)