We have entered a time when military force takes precedence over politics and negotiation. For all his talk about ending wars, US President Donald Trump seems to be just the latest to join the club of natural-born killers.
That club’s two pre-eminent members, Russia’s Vladimir Putin and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, have been waging war for years, either to stay in power or to stay out of jail. Could Trump be trying to divert our attention away from the Epstein scandal?
Though no-one will shed a tear for the murderous mullahs of Tehran, it’s ordinary people who always bear the brunt of bombs and missiles. Though preferable to carpet bombing, we now believe modern weapons are so precise they can be delivered through whichever window the operator chooses, giving the victim a surgical death.
It’s not politically correct to mention dismemberment, burning or life-changing injuries to the innocent that are inevitable. If the building next door collapses this is considered acceptable collateral damage — “too bad, we’ll do better next time”.
Institutions established to mediate conflicts such as the UN seem powerless to stop the onslaught. Security Council meetings invariably lead to a veto due to the East/West divide. The fate of nations is now driven solely by the personalities of those who are in charge, while parliaments and congresses watch impotently from the sidelines.
Unfortunately the above-mentioned trio will be around for a while, so we’d better get used to it.
Bernard Benson
Parklands
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