question_answer

Analyse the biggest three constraints that operate on American hegemony.

Or

Examine any three major areas of conflict between India and Pakistan.

Answer:

Three constraints on American hegemony:

(i) The biggest constraint to American hegemony lie within the heart of hegemony itself. We can identify the constraints on American power after 9/11.

(ii) The first constraint is the institutional architecture of the American states itself. A system of division of powers between the three branches of government places significant breaks upon the unrestrained and immediate exercise of America?s military power by the executive branch.

(iii) Next constraint on American power is also domestic in nature and items from the open nature of American society. Although the American mass media may form time to time impose or promote a particular perspective on domestic public opinion in the US, there is nevertheless a deep skepticism regarding the purpose and method of government in American political culture. This factor, in the long run, is a huge constraints on the US military action overseas.

(iv) Last constraint in the international system which can put restriction on the US hegemony. There is only one organization in the international system that could possibly moderate the exercise of American power today and that is the NATO.

The US has an enormous interest in keeping the alliances of democracies and which in return can help the allies in NATO to put constraint in the exercise of US hegemony.

Or

Areas of Conflict between India and Pakistan:

(i) Territorial disputes over the Kashmir region sparked two of the three major Indo-Pakistan wars in 1947 & 1965, and a limited war in 1999. Although both countries have maintained a fragile ceasefire violations beginning in July 2014, and artillery shelling and small arms fire continued through late 2016. Both sides accuses each other for violating the ceasefire and claim to be shooting in retaliation to attacks.

(ii) Loss of trust between the Government of India and Pakistan. After conflict in Kargil, on the advice of then UN Gen. Secretary Kofi Annan, Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee and President of Pakistan Gen. Parvez Musharraf met in Agra summit in July 2001. After much diplomatic efforts, the Agra summit started amid high hopes of resolving various disputes between two countries. Since Parvez Musharraf met face to face with Kashmir! Leaders of All Parties Hurriyat conference, the talks and peace process between two countries collapsed and no signatures were attained. It was widely felt that it was Parvez Musharraf who sabotaged joint piece efforts.

(iii) The diversion of Jihadi fighters & proxy groups in Kashmir threaten to further increase in violence along the border and even within Indian Territory. If another Mumbai 2008 style attack where Laskar-e-Taiba whose leader Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, fighters rampaged through the city for 4 days killing 164 persons, were carried out by Pakistan?s militants, it could trigger a severe military confrontation between the two nuclear armed states. Yet again, Pakistani militants of Jaish-e-Mohammad, whose leader Masood Azhar freely moves in Pakistan, attacked Uri Air Base in 2016 killing 16 Indian soldiers.