Gladiator Musharraf of Pakistan

In Gladiator Russel Crowe plays a general who is enslaved by a venal Prince who robs Rome of democracy and republic and establishes an Empire. The General is sold into slavery but he returns as a celebrated Gladiator and is once again imprisoned due to his popularity. The Gladiator General tries to escape from imprisonment to rally his troops. But before he can make it to his loyal men he is cornered and betrayed and is dragged back to prison. The General fights the Emperor in Roman amphitheatre, slays the corrupt King and dying he gives Rome to the people.

Sometimes I wonder what would have happened if the General had made it back to his troops. They would have certainly rode into Rome triumphant and an older version of the movie does have such a conclusion. The older version stars Moses (or Charlton Heston) who triumphs over the decadent Prince and walks away unscathed back to his life in the army. The modern version of the movie was incidentally made by a staunch liberal and pacifist hence the death of the General.

Today in Pakistan there is a simple man who leads the loyal and brave defenders of the Pure Lands. He has their undying loyalty and is determined to return the country to normalcy. Meanwhile the left wing and the right clamor for the resignation of General Musharraf and wish for him to relinquish his uniform. The wolves await in the wings for a man who knows little about politics and more about giving orders and getting things done. They wish Gladiator Musharraf would relinquish his uniform, lay down his armor and either become one of them, corrupt and immoral or die doing so.

General Musharraf however has many role models that the Gladiators of old never had. For one he admires Mustafa Kamal Pasha also known as father of the Turks and he just might succeed in making Pakistan a democratic, westernized republic if he avoids the mistakes made by Ataturk’s successors.

Then there is the role model of General George Washington. He went about wining the liberty of his people and then was a reluctant President twice until after eight years of relenting to public pressure he gave it up for a quite life on the farm. Such an act of selflessness was considered madness in those days in European circles. Who in his right mind would give up the throne? Only an American for America was founded on the following principle: “Of civil Offices in America, or Employments, there are few; no superfluous Ones, as in Europe; and it is a Rule established in some of the States, that no Office should be so profitable as to make it desirable. So the constitution goes: As every Freeman, to preserve his Independence, (if he has not a sufficient estate) ought to have some profession, calling, trade, or farm, whereby he may honestly subsist, there can be no necessity for, nor use in, establishing civil offices of profit; the usual effects of which are dependence and servility, unbecoming freemen, in the possessors and expectants of such offices. Faction, contention, corruption, and disorder among the people is the result of profitable civil offices. Wherefore, whenever an office, through increase of fees or otherwise, becomes so profitable, as to occasion many to apply for it, the profits ought to be lessened by the Legislature.”

So dear General Gladiator, make us a society where merit is everything and every man has a calling. Make a society where a man would feel grateful to a Genealogist, who could prove for them that his ancestors and relations for ten generations had been Ploughmen, Smiths, Carpenters, Turners, Weavers, Tanners, or even Shoemakers, and consequently that they were useful members of society; than if he could only prove that they were men of “royal lineage” or “Mughals” or “Rajputs” who did nothing of value, but live idly on the labor of others, mere consumers and otherwise good for nothing.

Do not lay down your sword nor your firearm for the land of the Pure has been under an evil eye since her birth. This curse claimed our Great Advocate within the year in the barren deserts of Sindh and then claimed his successor Liaqat Ali Khan. This time build our institutions, give her a constitution and a set of values we agree upon and then give Pakistan back to her people so you may return to leading your men against all who bear us ill will.