Christmas is over and its message of peace and joy reverberating across the world is at an end. The news about conflicts in Europe, Asia, Africa, etc., resumes its almost daily headlines. But that is our world. When will an international tribunal to settle disputes, and, with the power to enforce its decisions become a reality? Not while major powers, or those with their backing, continue to flaunt the present one, namely the ICC (International Criminal Court).
If by some miracle, the world changes and accepts an ICC with the capability to enforce its judgements, we would see wars as an instrument of policy being superseded by high-powered government lawyers arguing their cases before a respected international court, often for high stakes.
Be that as it may, it is difficult to imagine a country like the U.S. giving up its potential threats, economic and military, against an adversary. It has an advantage since no one wants a war with it on home ground with a high probability of infrastructure destruction requiring billions to replace.
As is clear, it would necessitate a high level of cooperation between the major powers, and statesmanship that is willing to sacrifice possible immediate gains against a future peaceful world, a world with military expenditures supplanted by a focus on enhancing the quality of lives in a new utopian world.
The reality is sad to observe. In Ukraine the ground war has reached a stalemate with neither side able to make much progress. They are close enough to the border between Ukrainian and Russian majority regions -- a good place to stop and negotiate a settlement. The trouble is that war has become a lifeline for Zelensky. It provides aid from the West and he enjoys his "celebrity" of sorts status.
In India the people of the north-east have little in common with the majority Hindu population. They are Mongoloid in appearance and their culture is alien to India's caste system. The Indian military has tried vainly to put this square peg into a round hole for decades. The result: a sprouting of separatist movements in Assam, Manipur. Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram. As is often the case, the Indian government calls them terrorist groups; the people involved call themselves independence movements. And then there is Kashmir with its frequent flare-ups because the Muslim population is restive under a constant military presence.
Neighboring Pakistan has an insurgency in its vast, fossil fuel-rich Balochistan from where Sui gas is pumped to the cooking stoves of the rest of the country and heats the homes of the upper classes. The Balochis do not think they are being paid enough and lag in education and development.
It is a fractious world. Look at any continent and we find someone fighting someone else. The human race deserves better and the only answer is a peaceful resolution of disputes by a fair tribunal. How long will it take humans to get to such a rational conclusion? That is anybody's guess.
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