Opinion The Rite of Passage
to the New World Order
by Arvind Pandey
Cultures and
nations have past history, some good some they hope never happened like
the slavery of Africans in the US, apartheid in S. Africa, colonization
by the western powers etc. etc. Each of those we realized and fixed the
problem with pain. Time has been the healing factor. None happened
without emergence of great leaders like Martin Luther King, Nelson
Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi and the like and sacrifice of millions to
fight for justice. It was not handed over by the guilty parties in
silver platter. Although, the guilty parties today may see the justice,
have remorse and hence wish it never happened.
The world in the beginning of the twentieth century was a very different
place. Slavery, apartheid, colonization were all alive and kicking. New
national and cultural identities were shaping up. Nations like Germany
and Japan came to challenge the US, UK and USSR and wanted the piece of
the pie. The world had to go thru the trauma of two world wars. The
building and the use of the first two (and the last ones so far!) atomic
bombs mark an end of an era of land grab and almost a rite of passage.
There is no point debating the right and wrong. I see this as part of
our growing up as a world community. The defining of clearer national
boundaries and birth of new nations like India and Israel are a result
of the end of this phase.
Then the ideological war started (more commonly known as the cold war)
of the democracy vs. communism (and other forms of totalitarianism).
Trust and cooperation was still far on the horizon. It was the time of
the Korean War, Vietnam War and the war of words about the evil empire.
That resulted in the stockpiling of nuclear arms by the super powers and
naturally other nations looking at this as a means to the power status.
Some more nations joined the nuclear club and more are in the queue.
This war is far from over although there have been significant victories
like greater power to the people in erstwhile USSR and China, China
emerging as economic superpower, Success of South Korea, NPT, world
trade with freer economies and general increase in people power and
wealth. What will be the rite of passage for this phase?
Let us look at the earlier phase and see if there are parallels and
lessons to be learnt. First, did Germany and Japan really lose? Not at
all. Both became rich and powerful. Colonization was land grab, since
nations or empires were overpowered militarily by the powerful nations
to get economic advantage. When Germany and Japan rose, they tried to
continue that practice copying from Britain, France, Spain and the like.
This was copying the wrong practice of others and wrong kind of
leadership took shape that of Hitler and Japanese military. Instead of
trying to correct the wrong others have done, they perpetuated the wrong
with disastrous consequences. It taught us a few lessons:
Lesson 1
Copying
the wrong of others will give rise to wrong kind of leadership and a
threat to the very people copying the wrong practice. If instead of
overcoming slavery, the slaves created their own rung of slaves
would they be free? Instead, leaders like Martin Luther, fought
against that wrong for the good of all the slaves as well as the
masters.
Lesson 2
The wrong
will get corrected in due course. The colonizing nations had to give
up the colonies and create new nations; Germany and Japan were not
made colonies after they were defeated in war since colonizing
nations by then had learnt from past mistakes.
Lesson 3
With
trust and cooperation all win, so the victors and the victims both
won after working together.
Lesson 4
Germany
and Japan had every right to assert their positions but if they
asserted by trying to abolish colonization, they would have been in
a leadership position in the world and would have humiliated the
colonizing nations. The rise of leaders like Mahatma Gandhi in the
same period is a case in point. He did not wage a war against the
colonizers but fought for justice and peace.
Lesson 5
Firstly,
nations recognize the rights of other nations in this world and give
appropriate rights to form a good world and then the nation should
realize the rights of the citizen and give appropriate rights to
form a great nation. Both, Germany and Japan gave up their
dictatorial / imperial rule and became democracies. International
bodies like UN were formed to settle disputes between nations.
Coming to the
next phase, what should nations be doing to resolve the nuclear issue?
What will be the rite of passage this time?
Did the
US and USSR really need to stockpile the nuclear arms to the extent
that it can annihilate the world several times over?
If US
thinks it has earned the rights to lead the world, and create a new
world order, it will need to get the new kind of world leaders not
those that depend on the same old “might is right” kind of
leadership.
The US
has very poor leadership for its own good; forget the good of the
world.
Leadership is lacking in other nations who are feeling compelled to
copy the wrong things in hope of establishing their own identity and
power.
The focus
of this war has shifted from communism after a balance of power with
erstwhile USSR and China, to Muslim countries still with remnants of
middle ages in form of government and religious fanatics.
Terrorism
is a threat but a greater threat is powerful nations going berserk
with moralizing goals. The world hasn’t forgotten the earlier phase
of colonialism.
It calls
for stronger international bodies and democracy and freedom. The USA
did give in and abolish slavery, create a strong democracy and
became the most powerful nation. Today, it needs to do a better job
of understanding the rights of nations. The middle-east countries
need to change the style of government, open up and bury the past of
crusaders and religious wars.
If total
nuclear disarmament is the right goal and I think it really is, then,
The US of
A and others should be providing leadership for strong international
organizations that can deal with disputes of nations and have a
moral and legal authority to act in the interest of all. Some form
of democratic process must evolve to represent the whole world.
Nations
should be first working toward political and economic freedom of
their people rather than give false hopes of power. People in those
nations should be looking for the right kind of leaders who can
provide them with basic needs well and then regional and global
leadership to create a greater international forum to sort out
issues.
To disarm
US and USSR first and then other nuclear nations, rather than
inviting situation of sanction, nations must unite together to
impose sanctions on those powers. The tables can be turned for the
rightful cause. Imagine closing the markets and not selling the
essentials to those countries. But alas! Where such leaders will
come from? Some form of pressure needs to be applied to dissolve the
stockpile of nuclear arsenal.
That brings
us to the rite of passage for this phase. If the right leadership did
emerge, the reversal of the previous – not to destroy by the bombs but
to destroy the bombs itself will be the rite of passage. But what is
more likely is that just like the old rite of passage, there will be a
more powerful demonstration of the old and subduing of the weak. But
after a long and protracted battle of terrorism, small wars, there will
be the big bang not just in two cities or two countries.
Yes, there is enough re-generative power of nature and from those ashes,
the world will see the futility of what has been done and disarmament
will happen but after great pains to the weak and the powerful and those
in between.
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