I sense a change in the winds
This post was first published on 5th October 2006 at 01:47 PM on my previous blog
I'm a war freak. Don't get me wrong ! I don't crave for wars... rather they facinate me. Historical wars.. all of them. They signify the brightest and the darkest aspects of the human mind. From the greatest blunders to the just causes. I think the two world wars defined the world as we know it today. It is because of them that the human race is where it stands today. The accelerated scientific growth during those brief periods pushed us beyond the 'then' accepted boundaries ! I really think that despite all the death, destruction and atrocities, the two big wars did leave behind their benefits.
Now, I've always maintained that there isn't going to be a 'Third World War'. I think the human race has grown smarter than that. I really don't think any leader of any country, no matter how much noise he/she makes, will not 'actually' use a nuclear warhead and trigger a nuclear war. I know, a lot of people will disagree and throw a couple of names saying so and so will use it and all but I think one really needs to have XXXXXXXXXL sized balls to push that red-button. But now, I sense a change in my mind. I think there is a possibilty, and quite a good one, that we may haveta face a big one in our life times. And its not going to be nation vs. nation, rather now I believe its going to be religion vs. religion. After (and due to) the events of 9/11, our world is getting increasingly polarised on the basis of religion. How long before all impartial voices are drowned ? How long before everyone is forced to choose a side ? The battles have already started. Today, I can still take comfort in the fact that its secular states vs. extremist idologies. But what if this changes ? Can there really be a winner in a religion vs. religion war ? And what of the victor then ? How will they re-establish order based on a religion ? What happens to the secular democracy that we crave ? I really don't connect democracy with religion ! I don't think they can go hand in hand totally. Always, somewhere down the line, democracy is strangled. There are no true religious democratic states. I mean, I cannot see a maulana or sadhu or even the Pope as a credible head of state !
If there indeed is a world war in our future, rest assured, its going to be more devastating than anything that this planet has ever seen. Already the nature of war has changed. The front lines are everywhere. There are no 'battlefields' anymore. You cannot tell a civilian from a combatant untill that bomb strapped on his chest blows up in your face. So... who decides who to shoot and who to leave ?
As we can all see from the American mis-adventure in Iraq, victory is a relative term.
Now, I've always maintained that there isn't going to be a 'Third World War'. I think the human race has grown smarter than that. I really don't think any leader of any country, no matter how much noise he/she makes, will not 'actually' use a nuclear warhead and trigger a nuclear war. I know, a lot of people will disagree and throw a couple of names saying so and so will use it and all but I think one really needs to have XXXXXXXXXL sized balls to push that red-button. But now, I sense a change in my mind. I think there is a possibilty, and quite a good one, that we may haveta face a big one in our life times. And its not going to be nation vs. nation, rather now I believe its going to be religion vs. religion. After (and due to) the events of 9/11, our world is getting increasingly polarised on the basis of religion. How long before all impartial voices are drowned ? How long before everyone is forced to choose a side ? The battles have already started. Today, I can still take comfort in the fact that its secular states vs. extremist idologies. But what if this changes ? Can there really be a winner in a religion vs. religion war ? And what of the victor then ? How will they re-establish order based on a religion ? What happens to the secular democracy that we crave ? I really don't connect democracy with religion ! I don't think they can go hand in hand totally. Always, somewhere down the line, democracy is strangled. There are no true religious democratic states. I mean, I cannot see a maulana or sadhu or even the Pope as a credible head of state !
If there indeed is a world war in our future, rest assured, its going to be more devastating than anything that this planet has ever seen. Already the nature of war has changed. The front lines are everywhere. There are no 'battlefields' anymore. You cannot tell a civilian from a combatant untill that bomb strapped on his chest blows up in your face. So... who decides who to shoot and who to leave ?
As we can all see from the American mis-adventure in Iraq, victory is a relative term.
posted by Ahmer Hasan at
1:47 PM
3 Comments:
Originally posted on October 05 at 2:45 PM
Ainz, I'm not so sure about the thing you said about war catalyzing technological development. Sure for a few limited fields like nuclear physics etc. war may provide a stimulus for their advancement but from a biolgists point of view it's not that great. Also the developments are generally only in those countries where they can actually afford to do the research. From a contemporary point of view if you look at wars like the conflicts in places like africa, they don't really develop anything.
Yeah i agree that the next major conflict will most probably be between different religions, but i can't really see a 'war' in the actual sense of the word occuring. MOst of the states invloved are too poor to actually fund a full scale war, it might involve an escalation in 'terrorist' activities.
And like you said there aren't any real victories left to be won. It's still open to interpretation. Like mussharraf claiming that pakistan won in kargil or the hizbollah claiming victory gainst israel.
Wrt. the size of balls required to use nuclear weapons, the americans seem convinced that North Korean balls are indeed XXXXXXXXXL sized! But then i've always considered them a bit paranoid
Kartik
1:35 PM, October 18, 2006
Originally posted on October 05 at 4:21 PM
Hmmm.. I agree with you that the present day war senario in Africa is not contributing anything towards technology... towards anything infact. But then again, the concept of 'war' has changed since the days of the second world war. Also, I think, the seeds of most technologies are sown in conflict ridden times. I mean, people developed so many life saving drugs while they were researching on Bio-chemical weapons or the Anti-dote to these weapons ! Cause the time frame gets compressed during war time. You have just 'x' number of days to 'show your ememy what you got' and therefore you will divert more and more recources to get your hands on that 'next big thing' before your ememy does !
As for the American establishment, the biggest problem with them is that their left hand doesn't know what their right hand is upto and their head is occupied by Bush ! :-p
1:36 PM, October 18, 2006
Originally posted on October 05 at 8:33 PM
Yep i agree, the concept of ar has changed after the world wars.
But, most of the significant developments in biology have acutally taken place during peace time.
1:37 PM, October 18, 2006
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