The World at War

“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.” - Martin Luther King

Peace is such a fleeting thing. If you define peace as a world without global war, as in World War 1 and World War 2, then there has been peace. You cannot say that for countries that have suffered civil war, ideological war, religious war or regional war; before, after and between the two global wars. Even in countries that have not suffered the effects of war in their territories, peace has finally fled. New Zealand, Australia and other western democracies enjoyed decades of peace and prosperity since the end of WW2. For every country peace is at the risk

What is Different.

The difference is the destructive power of modern weaponry, including city destroying atomic bombs. Millions of people will die. Ask Japan how nuclear destruction felt. 

There are three dictators, use your own description, hell bent on war to achieve world domination. Russian Vladimir Putin has already invaded Ukraine, using the threat of nuclear destruction, in a war that has already reached a million casualties. There is Xi Jinping, China’s President, who uses the threat of war against Taiwan, while sending his warships into disputed territorial waters. China claims the South China Sea as its own; other countries have something to say about that. Then you have Trump of the USA who openly kowtows with Putin and falsely claims it was Zelenski of Ukraine who started the war. Trump is the most selfish (a gentle word for him) of them all. He is turning a powerful nation, the once champion of the democratic world, into another autocratic state by seeking a third term. His “divide and conquer” philosophy applies to friends and allies through trade wars. These three men are willing to send millions of people to their deaths to achieve their vision of a ‘new world order.’

Complacency.

I, like billions of others, have no say in the ambitions of these three dictators. Trump enables the other two dictators’ free reign to do as they please. Are those Americans who voted for Trump, so complacent that they cannot see the danger to the free world? Russia and China restrict information available to their citizens. There is no free press in those countries. It is the way dictators control populations, by feeding half-truths and blatant lies to keep the majority compliant. State violence is just under the surface for non-compliant citizens. 

A Free World.

Individual freedom, enshrined by basic human rights, is what will free us from the pestilence of war. Unfortunately, human nature, the desire to protect and increase one’s territory, no matter the cost to others, underlies much of the conflict we are witnessing. The citizens of the great United States can help change the direction of their country, by making it loud and clear that democracy is their future not dictatorship. Those countries who have a democratic society will continue to be free, to govern their citizens under a system of their own choosing.

I suspect war is coming, I pray I am wrong.