Back when the Cold War was a thing, the USSR and the US were quite evenly matched when it came to technology after the USSR was able to build its own nuclear arsenal.

In many cases Soviet technology was actually superior to American technology.

But there was one difference.

And it’s that the focus of American technology and innovation wasn’t just on military equipment.

For American scientists and engineers it was just as important to innovate and improve in consumer goods like fridges, vacuum cleaners and cars as it was to build new missiles.

And so when relations improved between the two superpowers and so when Soviets were able to see these American consumer goods at exhibitions it was this stuff that took them by surprise.

Because the USSR was wholly occupied by the battle of empires/ideologies and that is where the government spent all its resources.

And not having a private sector as such, there was basically no one to think about what will improve the daily lives of ordinary soviets.

And this is the thing. When a state and a people become wholly obsessed with ideology (no matter how good you may think it is) it can mean that more practical concerns of everyday people get sidelined and ignored.

And in fact in many cases that’s the intention.

Soviet mismanagement and corruption was causing rationing in the best of years and death and famine in the worst. And so this capitalism vs communist battle of the ideologies was a good distraction that served the soviets well.

Now many dictators/authoritarians across the world use the same tactics today when they fail to improve the living standards of their people and in many cases cause them to detoriate further.

And it's no different in Pakistan. All of our lives we have seen corrupt gernails, dictators and politicians do the exact same thing. Whenever they fail to perform or get caught abusing their position, it's the same drama.

Right now their favourite term is "hybrid warfare."

The regime is in its 3rd year, it has not only failed to fullfill any of the promises it made but it is guilty of a worse crime which is that it has destroyed any progress that had been made in years prior.

Just look at the economy, the inflation, the price of wheat and the gas shortage.

And so as the regime fails, we see the same drama again.

There's an attempt by the regime to distract the public with an India vs Pakistan or Islam vs "Fahashi" debates so as to sideline and ignore the failures of governance.

The reality is Pakistan is not at war.

Why would Modi's government have any problem with IK or his selectors when they have allowed him to annex Kashmir with no opposition?

And so this is where this “hybrid warfare” rhetoric comes in. The regime is failing, IK and those who installed him have been exposed as the charlatans they are, and so they want to use warfare rhetoric (even though Pakistan’s not at war) to distract from their failures.