The Political Economy of                                          The Climate, Water and Agriculture Nexus

                                                       The Political Economy of

                                         The Climate, Water and Agriculture Nexus

To Combat Poverty:

A Futuristic Conceptual Seminal Paper

 

 

The Philosophy of Paradigms: (1)

 

          When Thomas S. Kuhn, the M.I.T. Prof. of Philosophy, (focusing the Philosophy of Science), introduced the revolutionary concept of “Paradigms” in his revolutionary work, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, way back in 1962, the term was instantly adapted, rather than just adopted, by all scientific and non-scientific disciplines, including Futuristics.  That is how I got fascinated with it, during my M.S. (Futures Studies) at the University of Houston, Clear Lake City, Texas, USA (1987-88).  Since then, I have employed it, alongwith the General Social Systems Theory, in my own work, as applied to Islami Strategic Futuring: Futurism (Theory) Futuristics (Applications) and Futures Studies (Integrative Holistic Forecasting and Planning), a systemic subset of which is its Pakistani counterpart: Strategic Futurism, Futuristics and Futures Studies.

          The point to be noted here is that with changing circumstances, the term “Paradigm”, itself, has evolved and developed in its widespread globalistic applications.   

 

          Here we are more specifically concerned with the ever-shifting slippery sands of the International Political Economy, and its problematic Paradigms, notably:

 

1. Communism;

2. Capitalism;

3. Socialism;

4. Democracy;

5. Nationalism;

6. Imperialism;

7. Colonialism; and:

8. Globalism-cum-Globalization.

 

With the demise of Soviet Communism by 1990, and the end of the two Super Powers’ (USA – USSR) Cold War, the West gleefully began its band-wagon the swan-song of “The End of Ideology” --- as if Soviet Communism was the only Ideology in the world.  It thereby tried to divert attention from the other seven Ideologies mentioned above, and many others, like Patriotism, and Islam, for focusing Capitalism under the cover of Democracy --- which gradually but slyly delinked Basic Needs from Human Rights.  That was a major blow to the UN mission of combating Global Poverty, as prevalent predominally in the Third / Muslim World. 

 

The New Political Economy Paradigm: (2)

 

That gave rise to the current-contemporary New Political Economy Paradigm which focuses Altruistic Ethical Economics --- as opposed to Capitalistic Corporate Exploitation, which generates and sustains Poverty.  The New Altruistic Ethical Economics formula is: FPAEP: Futuristic Poverty Alleviation, Elimination and Prevention.  That, by means of true Socio-Politico-Economic Integrative Holistic Justice as such Integrative-Holistic Socio-Cultural Development, through such HRD: Human Resource Development via Education as Enlightenment: “Irfan”.  Thus, Islam emerges as the Perennial Peace Paradigm for the Muslim World, including Pakistan.  Normative Islami Social Change is engineered as Activist Peaceful Social Change, under Islam, the Perennial Peace Paradigm and Muhammadi Moral Model, in an Islami Welfare State, Society and System, the core defining quality of which is true Islami Justice in Sovereign Strategic Self-Reliance and Fraternal Freedom.  (3). 

 

Political Economy and the Geosociological Imperative: (4)

 

The Political Economy of any Sovereign State Social System is critically dependent on its Geosociological Imperative, which means:

 

1. The Nation State’s Geography --- that covers its Elements of National Power, including its Defence and Security Nuclear Power;

2. Its Society, i.e., its Ideological Inspirational System and Socio-Cultural and Religious Sub-System.

 

Geopolitics, Geoeconomics and Geostrategy are all subservient to the Geosociological Imperative, which defines and delimits the Nation-State Social System, comprising:

 

1. The Nation, People and Society;

2. Their Government consisting of the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary.

3. Sovereignty is the core defining quality, characteristic and condition of the State Social System --- which makes it an equal among equals in the interdependent and interactive International System of Sovereign States.

 

The NWS Phenomenon:

 

          Interestingly today, an endemic manifestation of the Geosociological Imperative emerging currently on the international horizon is the sad strategic situation of the Nation Without the State.  The credit for this realization goes to the Peaceful Referendum by which the people of Scotland --- the Scottish Nation, sagaciously sought to decide peacefully the question of secession from the United Kingdom and Great Britian, as an Independent Sovereign State.  Even though its result was a `no’ to secession, its domino trigger effect has already emerged in Palestine / Filistine, Kashmir, Kurdistan, and ironically, the latest “Green Menace Monster” created by the USA and its Western NATO European Allies, the ISIS/L, as the successor of the Al-Qaeda.  Meanwhile, the Second Cold War between Russia and America-cum-the NATO, is fast emerging.  In time it may also suck in China, Japan, the Koreas (North and South), and even Australasia (Australia and NewZealand) as its Western Asia Pacific Region ally outposts.  The Afro-Asian Ocean littoral and island states are also likely to be drawn into the Second Cold War Conflict, like Indian and Pakistan.

 

The Altruistic Ethical Economics Focus: (5)

 

          It is on the Four Ds, i.e.:

 

1. Demographics as population explosion, dispersal, HRD, migration, poverty hunger, unemployment, and allied issues of Human Rights and Basic Needs.

2. Debt and Debt Servising / Repayment.

3. Just Integrative Holistic Politico-Economic Social / Societal Development; and

4. Sustainable Defence and Security.

 

The challenge is to balance the above four Ds, Geosociologically, i.e., justly, compassionately, integratedly --- holistically, futuristically and peacefully, in an enlightened and moderate manner --- which prioritizes the humane national-human interest, over capitalistic exploitative vested interests.

 

The Global Resources: (6)

 

By the current international and UN estimates, the Global Resources are limited.  What is worst, they are being depleted geometrically, exponentially, by:

 

1. Environmental OverKill: Excessive exploitation and extremist degradation of the Natural Ecology;

2. Glut Capitalistic Consumerism; and its junk values, life styles and behaviour patterns.

3. Failed Theories, Models and Paradigms of the International Political Economy;

4. Failed global, regional and local-national Collective Leadership; and:

5. Continuous Collapse of the total Global Human Life Support System.

 

The main causes of (v) above are (iii) and (iv).       

    

Futuristic Policy and Survival Strategy (7):

The Climate, Water and Agriculture Nexus to Tackle Poverty:

 

FPAEP: Futuristic Poverty Alleviation, Elimination and Prevention.  The New Altruistic Ethical Political Economy Paradigms, like Perpetual-Perennial Islam, and Islami© Economics, seek to combat Poverty simultaneously-concomitantly-cumulatively at all levels, local-national-regional-international, by FPAEP.  Poverty is not Divine Decree and Destiny.  It is a man-made curse caused by man-made extremism: excruciatingly exploitative systems like Capitalism and Communism which craft Poverty to make massive money.  Then how can they be expected to combat poverty and hunger, disease, ignorance, and human misery-suffering, generally?.....The remedy lies in:

1. Resource generation, mobilization, conservation and proper utilization, both Natural and Human --- Geosociological: Geoeconomic, Geopolitical and Geostrategic.  Time is the best and biggest resource, next to the Human Resource --- both Brawn and Brain.  The secrect of success in life lies in Strategic Management as: (i) Self-Management; (ii) Time Management; and (iii) Resource / Money Management.

2. A New International Law under the UN is urgently needed to manage the Global Commons, scientifically, judiciously and justly.  These Commons should include the Riparian / River and Water Resources of individual countries which run through each other, rushing on to the ocean, as in the case of South Asia.  Otherwise there will be Eco Wars (8): Economic, Ecological, Enviornmental, over food and water --- the source of all life.  Even in September, 2014, India is waging a Water War on Pakistan by opening its reservoir dams’ flood gates to inundate Pakistan, thereby multiplying its current flash-flood misery, manifold.  Likewise, it can desertify Pakistan by withholding water when it is most needed.  That is how man-made disasters manipulate natural disasters, in the spite and fury of enmity, war and terrorism.

3. Basic Needs As Human Rights must be prioritized --- integrally as two faces of the same coin --- not separately or segregatedly.

4. Hundred Percent Employment must be sought and secured, including Self-Employment.

5. Agricultural Development for Food Security ought to be highlighted, especially in agricultural economies like Pakistan.

6. That essentiates Climate Care and Environmental Ethics: Ecosophy: Ecological Philosophy, Sociology and Psychology.

7. Essentially interlinked to that is Water Resource Management by means of Mini Dams --- rather than elitist exorbitant city Mega Projects.  Water being the life source of Agriculture and Food, must be spotlighted for scientific economic use.

8. Promoting Aquatic and Marine Economy.

9. Thus, the Geosociological Nexus and Base of the Natural Life Support System --- and Its Natural Moral-Spiritual Laws --- must be respected and followed conscientiously.  That necessitates the pursuit of Environmentalism as Geosociological Policy and Practice, most consistently and persistently, reasonably and responsibly.

Conclusion: (9)

          The Geosociological Imperative is the Key to Global Peace, by challenging and combating to defeat the Capitalistic Imperial Hubris.  The New Altruistic Ethical Political Economy Paradigm ensures the success of the Climate, Water and Agricultural Nexus to Combat Poverty under a People-Friendly, Poverty-Eliminating Paradigm to End Hunger, Globally: Peacefully and Perpetually.                   

     

References:

 

1. The Univ. of Chicago Press; 1962; 1970.

2. …..

1. Ikram Azam.  International Political Economy: Globalization and Altruistic Ethical Economics.  The PFI-MVs; 2010.

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1. E.F. Schumacher.  Small Is Beautiful.  Vintage, London; 1993.

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1. …..

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1. Geosociology and the Future.  The PFI-MVs; 2004.

2. Global Peace: The Geosociological Imperative and the Imperial Hubris.  The PFI-MVs, and IKIU, Iran; 2013.

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1. Some Significant 21st Century Trends and Issues: Poverty, Population, Peace and Sustainability.  The PFI; 1998.

2. The 21st Century New Economics and Human Sustainability: Readings.  The NBF; 1992.

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1. …..

1. Damien Millet and Eric Tousaint.  Who Owes Who?: World Debt.  Zed Books, CADMT; 2004.

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3. John Perkins.  Confessions of an Economic Hit Man.  Ebury Press, UK, 2006.

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5. Kid, Karen, Attariri.  Power and Politics.  Palgrave, Macmillan; 2010.

1. Ikram Azam:

1. Creating The Future.  The PFI-MVs; 2001.

2. Securing the Future: Now!  The PFI-MVs; 2007.

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1. …..

1. David Day.  The Eco Wars.  Paladin, UK; 1991.

2. Gabriel Kolko.  Another Century of War?  The New Press, New York, USA; 2002.

1. Ikram Azam:

1. My Vision of the 21st Century Future.  (UP).

2. Bridges of Peace Through Friendship.  (UP).

3. Islam, Peace and the “Humzaad”: Soul Mates.  (UP).

 

 

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