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'Peace, Peace!'
When There Is No Peace
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After somehow surviving perhaps the bloodiest 100 years in human history, will we finally see the peace process work in the 21st century? |
by John Ross Schroeder
A British author and journalist, A.N. Wilson, observed recently that "the history of the twentieth century is the history of death and slaughter on a scale (of) which our forebears could have had no inkling. The millions killed by the folly and wickedness of politicians far outstrips the numbers in Africa and Asia who died of unnecessary starvation."
Yet, about halfway through 1999, the Anglo-American news media were generally optimistic in their judgment of the world's prospects for peace. For instance, the writers of The Economist summed up their view on the last day of July:
"On the face of it, this has been a good season for peace, and a good one for intervention. Over the past few weeks, agreements have been reached to end three of Africa's nastiest wars-in Congo, in Sierra Leone and between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
"And restraint has prevailed, with some help from outsiders, in the dispute between India and Pakistan over Kashmir. And in Kosovo the West has put a stop to Serb ethnic cleansing. All of a sudden the world looks quieter. Those who have worked to end the violence-whether by diplomatic means, as in Kashmir, Congo, Ethiopia and Eritrea, or by military intervention, as in Kosovo, Sierra Leone-may feel encouraged. Blessed are the peace-makers" (emphasis added throughout).
The Economist article did not mention that considerable progress had apparently been made in the long-running dispute in Northern Ireland. More important, the Middle East peace process had taken a decided turn for the better with the olive branches offered by Ehud Barak, prime minister of Israel.
What a difference a year makes
But where are we now? Reading the morning papers is not an encouraging activity. Several recent stories have indicated that progress toward peace is not as advanced as the above analysis suggests.
For example, the war of words between India and Pakistan is escalating again. It would be foolhardy to imagine that these two neighboring countries have settled their long-running dispute over Kashmir. An exchange of firepower could come at any time-and nuclear weaponry could conceivably be used. A major article in the Financial Times stated, "Pakistan's General Pervez Musharraf and India's Atal Behari Vajpayee are perilously close to taking their countries into another war over the disputed state of Kashmir."
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