The world has already borne the brunt of two gripping and calamitous world wars. The harrowing experiences of these still bring tears to the eyes of its victims and send chills down their spines as they nostalgically recall those traumatic and agonising years of the past. Another world war would mean rubbing salt in their wounds and adding to the agony that they tend to obscure under the guise of a joyful and secure present. This would entail inhumane brutality, catastrophic repercussions, gruesome carnage and other such unspeakable horrors. This is going to shake the very foundations of liberal democracy, independent foreign policy and infuse anarchy, chaos and mayhem. The purpose of this article is to shed light on the gruesome and devastating consequences of a war and the dent it leaves on those who lived to tell these tales. Can we allow the world to drift into this dreary forest of darkness, indifference and carnage?
I am bent on discussing the contemporary geopolitical landscape and providing a comprehensive analysis substantiated by worthy evidence to support my proposition. I am committed to address a plethora of issues that steer the world towards another harrowing international conflict.
Ongoing wars between Russia and Ukraine, Israel and Palestine, problems pertaining to cross-border terrorism between two nuclear – equipped nations India and Pakistan bear testimony to the looming danger of another catastrophic convergence of global tensions. As the American military officer Dwight D. Eisenhower aptly puts it, “There is no glory in battle worth the blood it costs.”
Embittered by Ukraine’s close ties with NATO and the West, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine impacting civilian life, killing thousands of civilians, injuring many thousands more and destroying civilian property and infrastructure. Enraged by the October 7 attacks by Hamas, the Israelis embarked on a massive military campaign to put an end to Palestine.
Driven by a toxic mix of vengeance and hatred, the Israeli forces unleashed a reign of terror and committed a litany of violations of international humanitarian law with indiscriminate bombardment and shelling of civilian areas, healthcare and educational facilities. Pakistan’s unwavering support to cross – border terrorism continues to torment India and remains a substantial hurdle in the normalisation of relations between the two countries. Pakistan’s resentment at the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir has led to a constant influx of militants which has fueled the rivalry between the two states with peace prospects seeming a distant dream.
Adding to the menace, extremism, nuclear proliferation, cyber warfare, technological threats and ideological polarisation are tearing the world apart and piercing the armour of unity, peace and stability that the world most fashionably adorns. Do we really have the guts to say that the much – hyped principle of collective security, peace and stability which each country vouches to uphold has succeeded in deterring this mass destruction, carnage, inhumane brutality and terror? By mentioning this rhetoric, I aim to leave this question lingering in the thoughts of the readers.
This article’s conclusion would present in a nutshell the multitude of ideas mentioned above. Amidst such alarming circumstances which send tremors to the very foundations of international order and stability, we are perilously close to another worldwide conflict which would exacerbate international tensions and global instability. Only concerted efforts and deliberate actions by international agencies like the United Nations can turn the tide and be a catalyst for change fostering peaceful coexistence and international stability.
