War for Power

The voices of the world can say with utmost certainty (when they are not planning new war moves or shouting war rhetoric) that this century has started out as a total pile of horse manure. Since the 1st January 2000 and until today our existence has so far been surrounded and invaded by news of war and aggression and daily life has become filled with fear, sadness and uncertainty! The 1950's and 60's were better years with 'hope' on the agenda, the 70's and 80's were good and vivid and years in which the world became richer and the Cold War was a light at the end of the tunnel. Even the 90's was fruitful despite a few nations getting carried away in ideology and the prospects for the new century became World Peace, Economic Growth, and a newer and greener life as countries fought to save the planet and finally managed to work together towards a common goal.

Yet instead the world has never been in poorer state. Every single country in one form or another has an aggressive stance towards another, each shouting their mouths off about anything and everything just for something to do and the world as a whole is a dirtier, un-safer and more depressing place to live in than say 3 years ago.

Instead of leaders fighting for a better world around us we are faced with 'war' on a never ending basis. And if not war then talk about war is ceaseless as countries pretend that their reasons for an aggressive or promotional stance is for resultant peace rather than for obtaining oil or increased presence in world trade and future bargaining power.

Modern reasoning behind war in this new century is one that politicians like to call moral responsibility or they push the reason for military build-up under a common umbrella of "for the sake of world peace". Countries are fighting like never before: either internally, with immediate neighbors or on a global basis and it is getting worse. More aggression is resulting, more unhappiness is apparent and still countries arm and talk about oppression, values, moral responsibility, and duty whilst doing nothing to reduce bloodshed, making no attempt to fashion a better lifestyle for all and not once choosing a peaceful and withdrawn stance when faced with conflict.

It is all utter nonsense. The average man on a normal day in a typical street of a common town in any country doesn't care less about going to war, fighting the oppressor, or even about solving the problems of the world outside of his own sphere. His moral responsibility and duty is to feed his family, not to take the problems of a nation 3000 miles away onto his shoulders and not to worry about something that has no immediate impact or effect on the bread and butter that he needs to earn regularly to take home to his wife and children.

Nations interest and activity in other nations is a product of globalization. And whether we like it or not the world is coming together as one: a vision of a thousand years could be that all men are equal and that one leader rules all. This is possible but at the present stage of the game the globe is made up of hundreds of individuals who are more concerned about their ego and making a name for themselves than striving to make a better world for all to live in. And these people are those that control the livelihood and fate of millions of others who just want to have a happy life without struggle and fear predominant and without the worry of impending doom and crisis that seems to pervade every corner and moment of society today. These people are our leaders.

It seems that the leaders in this world are unable to communicate with other parties and are incapable of accepting others who speak or act differently without resorting to aggression or to sending battalions of poor kids to war. It is blatantly obvious that wars are being fought over actions or statements produced by very few men. It is also obvious that the average citizen of this world has not a clue nor care about what is really going on outside of their immediate space. Countries are spending billions of their citizens' money on arms and weaponry for defense and for possible war when Joe Bloggs at home is struggling between being able to afford a chicken leg or a whole chicken for dinner. Whilst nations arm and equip thousands of innocent boys and girls with expensive toys and build missiles of stupendous proportions that will be obsolete in five years, people struggle to live in a world that is polluted beyond measure, that is sinking fast in terms of ecological and environmental stability and whilst doing so are stripping the world of every possible material and natural resource.

We are killing ourselves, our planet and all around us in a rapid and alarming fashion.

And what is the world doing about it?

We are going to war!

Ieuan Dolby
Author and Webmaster of SeaDolby.com
Copyright © Ieuan Dolby, March 2003