We are living in a different time period. All the talks about the war were futile till the real war started. One must admire the courage of Ukrainians for the way they are fighting this war. While most other countries that brag about patriotism and freedom, are not even in the picture. Why is this so? Is there any solution?
All the economical sanctions on Russia may not be enough if all other countries do not unite. Wars are never good. The people die. On both sides. Soldiers die. That’s also not good. Any loss of life is bad for everyone. It’s easy to be on your couch and talk about it.
Why do wars happen?
At the fundamental level, humans are territorial animals and always like to form their groups and communities. But we are also peace-loving animals. We’ve enough intelligence to understand the repercussions of war. Still. We go for wars. The human ego can be dangerous. After all, one man’s ego is the root of current evil. If history and mythology have taught us anything, it is always one man’s ego. Whenever this has happened, the war has created misery for everyone and the man with ego had been on the losing side.
In the 21st century, we are connected in so many ways. But this still does not deter some from waging a war. All the technological advances backfire in this scenario. Social media becomes a propaganda machine. Truth goes out of the window. Freedom is threatened.
In the end, we all lose. There is no victor in a war. The people we lose, the destruction we cause. Everything is ours to lose.
History of wars
The world has seen enough wars. Our current world history has been written with two world wars that caused massive destruction across the world. Some of this destruction has been so bad that the after-effects are still felt.
Humans are complex. The randomness of our lives should make our life interesting and not dull. But people don’t like uncertainty. The thirst for power is strong and humans will do anything to feel powerful.
The cost of Peace
Peace. World peace is not easy. It has a cost. The cost of human lives. Whether the war was in the middle east or the recent war in Ukraine, the result of war is destruction. That destruction is the cost of peace. In a connected world, we would think that this would be easier. But it had made the peace more difficult. People want to live life and earn their livings. Desire, greed are the vices that people go after. Politicians that can help to improve lives or change the situation of a country are rare these days. If the recent pandemic has shown anything, then the politicians were equally clueless in handling the pandemic despite having all the power.
Many politicians used the pandemic for the power games. Especially in India. What about war and peace? There was the book War and Peace by Tolstoy. Again the war never helps. For the attacker, it is an act of aggression. For the defender, it is an act of honor.
In the end, we all lose. Lost human lives are the cost of peace. Why do we have to do this to ourselves?
Till the time, there is a war, our goal should be to have peace. Peace all over the world. The world needs it. The people need it. It is the only way. Peace is only possible if we love each other and treat each other as humans. In the war, we might lose humanity but don’t. Be human.