Written by Frank Li
First Paris (Paris Was Attacked, Again!) and now Mali (Terror in Mali), why are there so many terror attacks around the world?
First the Iraq War and then Syria at war, why are there so many wars?
The answer is very simple: because of human nature – People are competitive and some of us are just evil!
The harsh reality is that unless we all work towards peaceful co-existence, including keeping the evil in check, we will end up with World War III, accidentally (Turkey downs Russian warplane near Syria border, Moscow denies airspace violation) or by design. Either way, it may destroy us all, as a species!
1. Human beings
We, as the sole surviving hominid species, are competitive by nature! Not only do we compete against other species, we also compete among ourselves, individually as well as by group (e.g. country, race, and religion). Three informative readings:
Sadly, some of us are inherently evil. Two examples: Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein! Can we prevent the bad ones from perpetrating their evil? No! But we must try to minimize the damage and suffering they cause!
2. WWI and WWII
WWI was supposed to be the war to prevent all future wars (The war to end war). But that turned out to be a false hope, despite the creation of the League of Nations.
WWII was even larger in scale and more destructive than WWI. To prevent another world war, the United Nations was created.
3. The United Nations
The UN is mostly democratic, now with 193 member states enjoying equal rights in voting (i.e. one state, one vote).
The UN is not truly democratic in one aspect at least: it gives the veto power to five Permanent members of the UN Security Council: the U.S., the U.K., France, China, and Russia.
Why the veto power to the privileged five? There are too many special interests to allow true democracy in the UN, then at the inception and now!
Although the UN has addressed many issues since its inception, its chief focus can be easily found by examining the vetoes exercised by the big five. Here is a highlight (Vote power at the UN Security Council):
- By February 5, 2012, 263 vetoes had been exercised.
- Russia used its veto 127 times, with 119 undertaken before 1991 under the USSR.
- The U.S. did not exercise its first veto until 1970. Since then, we had used it 79 times, with more than 40 related to issues in the Middle East.
In summary,
- Russia used the UN to its advantage during the Cold War.
- The U.S. has been using the UN to its advantage in the Middle East.
Because the Cold War is over, for the purposes of this discussion, let’s forget about Russia and focus on the U.S. alone: what is the status of the Middle East today? It’s a mess, thanks to America’s brainless foreign policy and reckless actions! For more, read: Middle East: Past, Present, and Future.
4. The International Court
Another important international organization governing the behaviors of nations is the International Court. Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia – International court:
International courts are formed by treaties between nations or under the authority of an international organization such as the United Nations and include ad hoc tribunals and permanent institutions but exclude any courts arising purely under national authority.
Early examples of international courts include the Nuremberg and Tokyo tribunals established in the aftermath of World War II. Three such courts are presently located at The Hague in the Netherlands: the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the International Criminal Court (ICC). Further international courts exist elsewhere, usually with their jurisdiction restricted to a particular country or issue, such as the one dealing with the genocide in Rwanda. In addition to international tribunals created to address crimes committed during genocides and civil war, ad hoc courts combining international and domestic strategies have also been established on a situational basis. Examples of these “hybrid tribunals” are found in Sierra Leone, Lebanon, East Timor, and Cambodia.
By the way, did you know that the U.S. is not a part of the ICC (International Criminal Court)? Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia – the U.S. and the ICC:
The United States is not a participant in the International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC is a permanent international criminal court, founded in 2002 by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Rome Statute) to “bring to justice the perpetrators of the worst crimes known to humankind – war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide“, especially when national courts are unable or unwilling to do so.[1]
As of January 2015, 123 states are members of the court.[2] Other countries that have not signed or ratified the Rome Statute include India, Indonesia, and China.[2] On May 6, 2002, the United States, in a position shared with Israel and Sudan, having previously signed the Rome Statute, formally withdrew its intent of ratification.[2]
Why did the U.S. withdraw in 2012? It might have something to do with George W. Bush and the Iraq War! Specifically, here are two perspectives:
- War Criminals Among Us: Bush, Cheney, and the Eyes of the world.
- Desmond Tutu calls for Blair and Bush to be tried over Iraq.
What, then, is Mr. Blair’s position on the Iraq War? Here is the latest news: Tony Blair’s acceptance that Iraq war facilitated rise of ISIS is a first step to acknowledging the conflict was a disaster. What about President George W. Bush’s position? No change of heart, yet!
5. Is George W. Bush a war criminal?
Perhaps, at least by some international standards as well as by a few American standards! Two examples:
6. America vs. the world
America may never concede to handing George W. Bush over to the International Court, but we must truly understand the Iraq War, not only from the American perspective, but also from the international perspectives! For more, read: America vs. the World.
Specifically, despite the recent terror attacks in Paris, Americans must not be un-American on two critical issues: religion and immigration!
6.1 Religion
Avoid a religious war between Christianity and Islam!
6.2 Immigration
America has the responsibility for both Iraq and Syria – We destroyed the former and we have ruined the latter – The world knows it! For more, read: Paris Was Attacked, Again!
7. Closing
Not all of us get along all the time. Some can’t get along any of the time. But for any hope of world peace, some of us must get along all the time from now on. Specifically, I am referring to the big three: America, Russia, and China! For more, read: Three New Kingdoms.
Among the big three, America obviously holds the most important key to the world! If we promote peace and harmony, the rest of the world may follow suit. On the other hand, if we continue our current war-mongering policy, we will inevitably cause World War III, in which America will be involved and destroyed for sure. The only two questions are: (1) which of the other big three will be directly involved against America in MAD (Mutually Assured Destruction) and (2) will the last one of the big three be left standing after the war? For more, read: Don’t Mess with Nuclear-Armed China!
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