This year we approach our independence day with a heavy heart. Floods across the country have caused many deaths and widespread misery among our least privileged citizens. Our biggest city is gripped by violence and on the other end of the country, militant extremists recently shot down the Chief of the Frontier Constabulary in the continuing wave of terror. As if the inept handling of the various crises by the government was not enough, President Zardari decided to abandon ship in the middle of the storm and head off to the land of our colonial tormentors. His sheepish gratitude, that he expressed more than once after his meeting with the British Prime Minister, brought us face to face with the fact that the struggle for independence did not end with the creation of Pakistan. In a way, it has just begun. As we mark our 64th independence day, the choices before us are stark. With the US-led new empire becoming more and more blatant in creating mayhem in the world, driven by its insatiable hunger to control the resources of other peoples lands, it really is a matter of deciding whether we stand with it in its inhuman exploits or against it, resisting its evil designs for the rest of the world. We cannot afford to pussyfoot around the issue and come up with nonsensical notions of finding a common ground and working with it while safeguarding our interests. Let us face it: either we choose to choke ourselves to death by this evil embrace or free ourselves of the various traps that come in the garb of a variety of helping friendly hands. Friends think this is an extreme view and we cannot afford to confront the sole superpower of the world and make it our enemy. But, I ask them, have we gotten anywhere by befriending it? Are we any better off by giving in to its malicious demands and serving as a tool for advancing its nefarious agenda? And even if this friendship worked for us, is it alright to be an accomplice in serious crimes against humanity? Even if our crumbs become a slice, is it alright to be an instrument in making our world a hell? Are we not actually strengthening the stranglehold of the greedy and unjust fat-cats and diminishing hope for creating a better world for the weak and the oppressed? By supporting its imperial project in Afghanistan, have we not sullied our hands with the blood of innocent neighbours, even our own citizens? Have we not destabilised our country and allowed our economy to be hostage to imperial institutions designed to suck any semblance of independence out of the countries they say they are helping with their loans? Are we not trading any remaining signs of self-sufficiency for a dependence on their outdated technologies, rejected products and hazardous chemicals? Arent our development priorities dependent upon what they are ready to discard? Can we hope for a better future continuing in this vein? I dont think so. The idea is not to declare war on the United States and the equally unscrupulous chicken of the developed world under its wings but to say no to their blueprint for the world. The blueprint is not hard to decipher; it is written boldly on the wall for anyone who cares to read it. The future as envisioned by these twenty first century imperialists is unfolding before our eyes as they invade one country after another on false pretexts killing millions of unarmed civilians, create wars in peaceful lands by dividing people on ethnic, sectarian and religious lines through overt and covert operations, engineer coups and manufacture governments to advance and sustain their control of lands and resources at the behest of their multi-billion dollar multinational companies. Of course, it will not be easy: breaking the shackles of slavery and standing on our own feet, thinking with our own mind. Clearly, the ruling elite is incapable of it, weaned on subjugation and happy to serve the imperial masters for the crumbs that are thrown their way, remorseless and shameless as they barter away their precious land and the future of millions of their God-fearing hardworking fellow citizens for their petty personal benefits. Corrupted into a stupor and bereft of any imagination, they are only good at parroting what they are taught by the imperial masters to justify their cruelty in the name of governance. It is not going to be easy in a world that worships the rising sun and bows before the power of weapons and money. To break out of a world order where principles are little more than hypocritical ruses for advancing goals of power and interests of big money might not be easy but that does not make it any less important. Besides, it is not impossible. We have examples before us of countries that have refused to become a part of this exploitative world order and are trying to chart out a better future for their citizens and for the world. Right next door, Iran has refused to accept the hegemony of this twenty first century empire. It might have been subjected to bullying and arm-twisting, but it has persisted in its resolve to stay independent. It might not come up to the standards of the liberal secular democracy and human rights that the empire doesnt tire of harping on but it is not interested in being judged on these counts by judges with double standards who treat the law as an instrument to oppress the weak and aid the powerful. On the other side of the world, Chavez is helping his country stand on its feet. The question is: What does it take to break free? Amidst the sadness of events unfolding in our country as we approach our 64th independence day, there is still hope. The anti-imperialist discourse, once the domain of the far-left and the far-right, is now mainstream. There is a growing consciousness of being exploited by foreign profiteers and their local stooges, and a realisation of the strength and beauty of our land and people. Whenever a natural or man-made disaster strikes us, the unity and compassion for each other among the citizens stands out like a brilliant ray. Disaster-struck citizens show courage in the face of adversity and demand a better deal; they can see behind the masks of agents of the empire masquerading as our leadership. A whole new crop of leadership is emerging that loves Pakistan and understands the bonds of humanity that tie us all together. These are the building blocks of an independent nation and despite the difficult situation we find ourselves in today, it is these crucial forces of change that will help us in our struggle for independence. The writer is a freelance columnist.