Nation and Military #3

‘Violence is the last refuge of the incompetent,’ wrote Isaac Asimov. Whenever any nation or other group resorts to war, it represents its failure to conduct its political policy. It is like a player who could not win the game by the rules and resorted to foul play. While all nation-states pursue their interests, they must also know how to conduct foreign policy and diplomacy without resorting to war.

Does a fight between two people constitute war? Of course not. War only occurs between groups and not individuals, when a set of people have something in common which they are so passionate about that they are willing to resort to violence for it. In the prevailing world context, this commonality is shared national identity.

If the world is to be peaceful, then a change in the form of group identification is required. People must defuse their identity passions and realise that whatever their intergroup differences they do not justify violence, destruction and insecurity.

Humanity can only bring an end to conflict when truly united. Demilitarization and disarmament are only possible if every single group and identity relinquishes arms. In a divided world military is central to groups vying for power, and groups have no rational basis for disarmament. No nation can relinquish arms without risking being dominated by others who have them. This is showcased by the failure of nuclear disarmament attempts.

The paradox of military is that it exists to provide security but is itself a cause of insecurity. In other words, it is the defender against threats for one but is also the threat itself for another.

Whether to increase their power or just to safeguard their existence, nations must continuously expand their weapons build-ups and are locked in an endless arms race. Even if disarmament is somehow achieved, all it takes is one group to take up arms and begin the race again. World peace can only be achieved in a state where there are no nations to fight each other, when all humanity is united. What is needed is a massive worldwide shift in consciousness towards realizing that war is futile and the world can live peacefully as one.