Dr Haider Mehdi In a Self-Awareness seminar, the participants were asked the following question: If time rolled back from present to the past, would you marry the same spouse? A middle-aged woman with a delightful humour and expressive candid judgment using a linguistic metaphor said: Ma nah apna kawand ko siti pur laga-ya hai (meaning, I have trained my husband to immediately respond to my whistling - the closest English translation is have him on a leash) then why would I want to marry someone else? I know I am capable of doing this to him and he is susceptible. I hope it stays this way forever The analogy fits perfectly to American political behaviour towards Pakistan. Historically, successive Pakistani governments have been on the American Leash for decades and the present leadership in Islamabad has categorically surpassed all the previous rules of engagement with the US. Todays Pakistan is on a short American Leash (meaning given very little leeway for independent behaviour). Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, came on a three-day official visit to Pakistan to make sure that the already short American Leash is being made shorter and shorter for the indefinite future. And the Pakistani abysmal incumbent leadership is tuned perfectly to respond to American whistling with absolute and humble submission. No questions asked, no eyebrows raised. Hillary Clinton finds this a perfect arrangement to carry on with her agenda of domination, suppression, oppression, control, supremacy and tyranny. For Clinton and the present-day Pakistani leadership, this is a marriage made in heaven; she gets what she wants and they who answer her whistle get what they like most. The matter seems amicably settled. Obviously, the question is: Then why would the US change its tactical and strategic political management approach towards Pakistan? Why would Washington alter its rules of engagement with Islamabad? But this set-up is like a catastasis - like the heightened part of the action in ancient dramas, this state of a relationship is directly leading to a political crisis - a catastrophe for the region and for the people of Pakistan. Though Hillary Clinton came to Pakistan with the professed mission to build bridges with the Pakistani masses at large, she did nothing of the sort. The reason for this terrible failure is that she (and her America) does not have the slightest inkling of who the Pakistani people are, what they want, where they stand on the so-called happy marriage of the US-Pak elite alliance, what they feel about this terrible war on terrorism, how they judge the American role in Afghanistan, Iraq and the rest of the Islamic world, why they are against US military-political interventions all over the world, how they view the recent American tilt towards India, what assessments they have made about the US agenda towards Pakistans nuclear arsenal, what they find appalling in Americas policy contradictions in political conduct in general and particular to Pakistans present situation, and how they evaluate American global political behaviour and corporate economic doctrine (neo-capitalism) fundamentally as a threat to world peace and stability. In a nutshell, Hillary Clinton and her America, in their typical arrogance, are completely ignorant of this nations culture, sociology, psyche, changing political trends. They are absolutely unaware of the Pakistani publics understanding of the present state of political affairs and how they perceive the prevailing deteriorating socio-political situation as directly linked to US meddling in the internal and external politics of their country. One does not come to a host country to scold, demean, insult, patronise and give ultimatums to its people. Hillary Clinton did all of that. No civilised nation can be allowed to conduct itself in this manner - not even the sole superpower. For a starter, consider the following: Did you notice Hillary Clintons Green Suit (the colour of the Pakistani flag) on the first day of her official visit to Pakistan? The fact is that Clintons Green Suit and Angelina Jolies touch of healing and compassion (her photos were widely circulated on the Internet hugging and caring for Pakistani children and poor old people on the very first day of Hillarys arrival in Pakistan) does not change the harsh neo-imperialist conditions laid down by the US in its Kerry-Lugar-Berman Act. Neither does it change the fact that American evil genius has invented the skilful, yet immoral, art of finding support and funding compromised leaderships in the Third World countries that work for American agendas as opposed to their own national interests. American theatrics work magic in its facade: appearing altogether different from what reality is. Clintons stage show in Pakistan was planned and managed for this very purpose. Just imagine how the American political establishment evaluates our overall intelligence They believe we can be persuaded by small things such as Clintons Green Suit and Jolies broad sexy smile and body-dress-posture. How pathetic and insulting How ignorant, how unwise, how terribly imprudent Clinton also blatantly lied to the Pakistani people and the media when she said she has opposed George W Bushs policies. The fact of the matter is that she voted for the invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, she supported Zionist Israelis merciless, violent massacre of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, and she continues to support the escalation of the US-NATO war in Afghanistan and extending it into Pakistan for years to come. In Pakistan, she has lectured us to accept Indian hegemony, indefinitely continue this so-called War on Terror and relentlessly work for American objectives in the region, without asking questions. She wants all Pakistanis (like the countrys ruling elite) on a very, very short American Leash (ask no questions, follow our dictates). Hillary Clinton needs to reform herself, and her America needs a fundamental revolutionary overhaul in its perceptual global perspective that has given birth to its decades-old political culture - now in direct and dangerous confrontation with the political aspirations of the masses all over the world. America needs to put its leash back into a closet - far better if it burns it to make it vanish altogether. To whom it may concern, let this be a warning: the Pakistani masses will not take it anymore. They are very angry with Hillary Clinton and her America I, myself, have been telling my American wife: Stop trying to put me on a leash It does not work with Pakistanis Unfortunately, the fact is, it is very hard to penetrate the American psyche and mindset And, yet, the final judgement is: No More Of This Leash Business For Us We are about to explode and challenge you. We have had enough of it The writer is a professor, political analyst and conflict resolution expert. Email: hl_mehdi@hotmail.com