session 8 "threat from within"

Bureaucratic politics by graham T Allison is very interesting yet debatable topic. I would call this as a master piece because this has opened new horizons of thought regarding policy implications, the way nations influence each other, direct their actions followed by decisions and how internal players determine the reaction of organizations which then influence and develop country's policies and reactions for other nation on the happening of any international imbalance.

previously we have been come cross the idea how realist deal with the international politics putting a pessimistic view of human nature and its impact on international politics. Through that we got to know how rising power of nation A alarms nation b which in turn prepares for the threat ultimately threatening nation A and how this vicious cycle operates. This is basically one general perspective. This reading by graham T Allison answers the hidden reality in the example given above such that why nations go that way? Allison argues that nations have different interests that are based on the interests of the organizations controlling the states, therefore it be said that in any organization there are different departments and every head of departments may have different interests. Every department head would be in continuous struggle to achieve maximum of his interests by exercising power he has within the organization.  Power is also unevenly distributed between people. Just as nobody is good at everything, there is a room for inequalities in power and ability. So similarly we can conclude that different people have different interests and these people together make organization .This forms different interest for different organizations and these interests of organizations together sum up and create country's interests.

To explain all this we can use the example from Pakistan. Bureaucracy and Army in Pakistan are the most strongest and disciplined institutions while parliament is not that disciplined or strong. The reason why parliament is not strong is because army has its own interest which it so called describes as national security interests. Army influences the national foreign policy and is one of the determinants in foreign policy of Pakistan. Similarly, parliament has its own interest in Pakistan. Parliament wants more power and hold of the country including the designing of foreign policy. The struggle between institutions and organizations together develop the policies of states and it is not always the case of a threat from other nations. Threat is sometime created to achieve certain objectives. Parliaments of both countries have their interest in promoting hatred among the two nations because they get votes from people .Armies of both India and Pakistan have great vested interests in maintaining conflicts with each other because otherwise the main motive of holding millions of armed forces cannot be justified. so interests of organizations are the elementary part of country’s policies. Through this example, the idea portrayed by Allison hold true.

                                                                                     ~UZAIR MUJEEB