Sanchez's column: Presidential race affects whole world

At first, the reception was light and cheerful. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks were served. Journalists from Pakistan, visiting the United States in a program administered by the U.S. State Department, were making a stop in Kansas City. The Pakistanis told their American hosts of the rapidly expanding media in Pakistan — food channels, talk shows, soap operas and so forth. And then talk turned to the upcoming U.S. presidential elections. “Be careful when you vote for your president, because it really affects other countries,” one woman, an anchor for a television station, said adamantly. The guests all nodded. A few applauded. That’s a perspective not always heard here. At least, not so succinctly. But it is extremely relevant, especially this election year. We have paid a lot of attention to gender and race and age. And to whether or not the candidates appeal more to blue-collar or white-collar voters. These are important considerations, but hardly the most substantial indicators of how a candidate will govern, and the implications for the rest of the world. The world is becoming more and more connected, integrated by trade, migration and technology. So it is not surprising that people across the globe are following the U.S. presidential election with more than just passing interest. “September 11th happened here,” the television anchor added, pointing to the Kansas City soil under her feet. “But the ramifications were in Pakistan.” Pakistan shares a border with Afghanistan, and has been a haven for millions of Afghan refugees over the last three decades. The border region has been the hiding place for the Taliban and, some believe, for Osama bin Laden. U.S forces have pursued Afghan militants into Pakistan, and U.S. drones and missiles, the journalists complained, have strayed and killed innocent Pakistanis. The day after the reception, this headline appeared in The New York Times: “Pakistan angry as strike by U.S. kills 11 soldiers.” U.S. forces dropped about a dozen bombs, according to reports. The deaths spurred more talk within the Pentagon about how to coordinate such strikes better; in other cases Pakistani forces have complained that they were not even aware of impending attacks, and thus could not get out of the way. Pakistan is not quite sure whether America is a friend, several of the journalists remarked. “Anti-Mush and Anti-Bush” is a common protest refrain in Pakistan, they said — meaning people increasingly oppose their own President Pervez Musharraf for his ties with our president. They see the relationship as one that works to the advantage of the U.S., but not always to the benefit of their country. Pakistan is a key nation in regional affairs. As a nuclear power, it is an important friend and would make a formidable adversary of the U.S. Yet few Americans are aware of Pakistan’s importance, much less of how U.S. military actions play with the Pakistani public. In contrast, Pakistanis are well versed in U.S. culture, from politics to the most banal cultural trivia. They know about Britney Spears and her personal troubles, as well as the platforms of our presidential candidates and the names of military officials. The same could be said about many nations. Inasmuch as we Americans feel besieged by the developing world — for example, by the outsourcing of jobs — the truth is that we still hold far more sway with the rest of the world than it does with us. If a new radical Islamist madrassa is established in Pakistan, one journalist offered by way of example, the effect is not felt by Americans going about their day-to-day lives. But if the U.S. president makes a deal with the Pakistani president, as in the case of incursions into the borderlands, the effect can be stray missiles that kill civilians. This is not to argue that Americans should put world opinion before their own issues when voting for president. Rather, Americans need to bear in mind how far the reach of our government extends, and that the choice we make about whom we send to the White House has very real consequences for the rest of the world.