Presentation vs. Policies.

My mother told me the other day that my younger sister has asked her to send an Eid dress for her. She tell me it must be of Khadi material-- a hand-loomed plain-weave cotton fabric, usually worn by the underprivileged. But now a days it is in fashion. My mother says, " you know her, Swan will feed on a pearl or will die hungry. She only demands the best."
What? Here I am thinking since when did Khadi become the attire of the rich?
This non-relevant conversation kept me up at nights, thinking what is behind this imagery--Swan and Khadi.

25th September, 2008...Venue: UC Berkeley....Speaker: Robert Fisk....
Iraq war is going terribly wrong. America and its allies are losing Afghanistan to Talibans, etc. etc. etc..Even though, the commander-in-chief has already declared Mission Accomplished. But the reality is, surge is on in Iraq and Taliban are not only reunited, in fact, they are taking hold of major portion of Afghanistan. The West has failed to establish democracy in Iraq and outside Kabul and that too within the confines of the green zone.
The mess has crept into the neighboring countries, economies are dwindling and the bottom line is the whole world is sick of the American policies in this war, even the West.
Americans who have been shaded by their administrations from the rest of the world is now waking up to the bitter realities of the world events as they are affecting them as well. Robert Fisk pointed out to a very important element in the handling of this war...Americans are more concerned about the presentation of the war than its outcome.
He submitted evidence through various letters written by the marines serving in Iraq that Americans do not understand the complexities of the region, its culture and governance which are dependent on each other. The greatest fear of the marines were that the risks and sacrifices of the soldiers will go in vain in the eyes of the Iraqis whom they have come to liberate. This was at time frustrating and depressing for the soldiers.
I am sure U.S administration must be losing plenty of sleep on this war as they are planning exit strategy, but their main focus be on the presentation of the exit. History must not count them amongst losers. This war started out with the speeches of liberation from a cruel tyrant, democracy for the people and modernization and uplifting of the masses. But under all this facade are harsh, undermining, disabling and unconnected policies. USSR and Britain lost in Afghanistan, lessons should be learned from them. There is only one way to win this war...and it is to win the hearts and minds of the people, understand their geography, and accept their culture, adopt it and respect it....
Until and unless Honesty becomes the best policy, their will be no end to this war. Regardless of how successful our presentation is for the world as the liberators and pioneers of democracy, till the time we synchronize our policies with our presentation, and sincerely communicate with each other, on the bases of truth, trust and honesty, we can not win people over. And this war may very well become the Khadi dress for the Americans.
And not matter how you present it Khadi will always be Khadi and will not be the fabric of a king's robe.