Monday 30 June 2014

Why war is better at keeping peace

"Are we looking at the third world war?"

I came across this headline while scrounging for news on Google for any newsworthy items. And yes, I found plenty.This week China has again gone ahead with their cartographic skills, which for some strange reason showed parts of North east India in China. ISIS introduces a new caliphate in all it's captured regions in Iran and Syria and Ukraine is still caught in an seemingly unending nightmare of civil war. So yes, everything is normal as usual. But is there a war brewing up, one that could consume an entire generation?

Argue with the barrel - Bismark
In a world with growing hostility, there should be a conclusive movement towards war, evidently, as said famously by Bismark "The great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions but by iron and blood." And those rules sadly do not work in today's political world. And here is how.

First reason would be the inter dependence of economies, due to globalization. The economy of war is profitable, but complete annihilation of a country is not a great appetizer. Take an example, if China declares war on India, (which should not happen and if happens should not be attributed to this blog) South East Asia might rally with India(eg Japan, Vietnam etc.), due to the multiple conflicts that China has picked up over disputed territories. China would weaken economically by losing business in these countries in industries that it might have set up there.

I am the destroyer - Hiroshima
Second would be the dreaded super weapon : the N Bomb. If Hiroshima taught us something, it was that with great power comes great destruction. The use of this abomination in the war would lead to nuclear retaliation, causing mutual destruction on a catastrophic level. In the words of the great Oppenheimer, who headed the creation of the atom bomb "I am become death, the destroyer of worlds." 
One example can be taken from India and Pakistan. During the prime minister Vajpayee's time India and Pakistan conducted many Nuclear tests, each outnumbering the other, winning a Ig Nobel price for the unconventional method of promoting peace, by flexing one's muscles. 

Third reason would be that any war will turn into a world war. With vested interests of multiple countries in all parts of the world, even a small island can kick up a big feud. Take for example the Ukrainian conflict. From a resolution to join the EU turned into a reminiscent of the cold war era, with the US and Russia putting their weight behind the two opposing faction. Indians students have been transported back from Ukraine and Europe is voicing a need for the end of this violence. War is a complex phenomenon that involves multiple stakeholders, from the aggressors to even the passive viewers

Today seems a very distant contrast to the linear world run by European monarchs, on the throne fashioned from the backs of the their colonies. So when I see such predictions, I am not afraid, only hopeful that we are afriad to bring war upon ourselves. One knows that peace is only temporary, and it would not be long before we find an imperialist at the head of a government, plotting world domination. But let us enjoy the peace as it lasts. After all now international politics is like a game of ring a ring a rose. In the end, we keep playing till we all fall down.

3 comments:

  1. as said famously by Bismark "The great questions of the day will not be settled by means of speeches and majority decisions but by iron and blood."-- which in short means an eye for an eye. Will that not lead to the whole world being blind? Looking at the microscopic aspect of this scenario, isn't the characteristic feature of this generation, i.e. being impatient , one of the major reasons behind this. Well I hope that we realize what are we heading to before everything falls down!

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  2. The questions Bismark asks is about the course of history. Bismark was known for his effort of unifying modern Germany for the Prussian empire. His question would have been "What will happen to Germany tomorrow." It is not about an eye for an eye, but that wars naturally define the course of history. And this generation has suffered war due to miscalculations, and not impatience.

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  3. With great power comes great Responsibilities.. and not Destruction. Over the years its has been proven that "Pen is mightier tah sword".. so cultivate habitats via mass-mediums to grow economy .Wars would only mean end of civilizations.

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