War is a science of destruction
„War is a science of destruction,“ said John SC Abbott , „ which results only in loss of life and property/land. Both parties pursuing the war end up with massive economic and social losses.“
In recent times, these statements have proven to be prophetic, be it the Afghanistan conflict or the conflicts in Syria and Lebanon or the war between Russia and Ukraine, or the NATO, EU and Russia.
The actors in this tragedy obviously don’t care about the losses. It doesn’t affect you personally, and it doesn’t matter how the Ukrainians, the Russians, the Germans and the rest of the world fare.
The actors see war or the preparation for it as the only alternative on the way to all-encompassing world peace. After only 11 months, the left-wing „Give Peace a Chance“ community became a Ukraine debacle, a snarling pack of politicians and journalists who have gone berserk and have nothing else in mind than to demand and deliver more weapons, to escalate further, to provide nonsensical justifications and to supply the people with FakeNews. The more dead on the Russian side, the better.
Germany has meanwhile decided, as have some other member states of the European Union, to increase the budget for military spending. They believe that „the road to peace is to prepare for war.“ More and higher-quality military equipment deters the enemy and contributes immensely to peace. As an example, how could it be otherwise, Ukraine has to serve again. Eleven months ago, the Russians‘ „special operation“ was only possible because Ukraine was not well armed.
But there are other views as well. Michael Brie, from the Petersburger Dialogue online, thinks he has found a way out.
Prepare for peace in war
How Europe could find a way out of the spiral of ever new wars
The war in Ukraine will soon enter its second year. It is not the first war in Europe since 1990 and certainly not the first war on Europe’s borders. In alphabetical order one could name among others: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iraq, Yugoslavia, Kuwait, Libya, Serbia and Kosovo, Syria, Chechnya. We thought we were at peace and lived surrounded by wars.
The world is in upheaval and these upheavals give rise to conflicts that turn into wars. The European Union and the Federal Republic of Germany have not yet found an answer to this. The war in Ukraine is becoming a test of whether a way out of this spiral of ever new wars can be found. The Romans had the motto: Si vis pacem para bellum (If you want peace, prepare for war). But now, in the war, we must finally prepare for lasting peace.
You can only prepare for peace if you face the causes of the war. As long as one proceeds from the notion that Russia’s policies are the sole cause of the war in Ukraine, peace is impossible.
In the eyes of Russia, the eastward expansion of NATO and the EU was a threat and an incentive for regime change. Russia saw red lines crossed when Ukraine and Georgia were given prospects as part of NATO in 2008. The West has not taken seriously the weakness and vulnerability of Russia and its elites and their perception of NATO’s eastward expansion .
Furthermore, this war on the part of the Ukrainians is a legitimate defensive war. The citizens of Ukraine are victims of brutal acts of war. Many towns and villages have been destroyed. Millions are on the run. Ukraine’s sovereignty and right to self-determination are under threat. At the same time, Ukraine did not take its own security situation into account. This was a catastrophic mistake, which the certainty of formal law cannot overcome.
The following topics are covered in his article:
causes of war
Ukraine and US targets
Fear of further escalation
Necessary: armistice and negotiations
What an agreement might look like
Is a world war imminent?
Today’s opponent – tomorrow’s partner?
The original text
Relevant newspaper articles:
Lukashenko, Belarus: „Whoever wants peace must prepare for war“. https://www.msn.com/de-de/nachrichten/welt/lukaschenko-wer-frieden-will-muss-sich-auf-krieg-preparen/ar-AA15B7yf
https://www.wsws.org/de/articles/2019/09/06/frau-s06.html
Prof. Dr. Julian Lindley-French „Anyone who wants peace should at least think about the war“ https://internationalepolitik.de/de/wer-den-frieden-will-sollte-ueber-den-krieg-zuMIN-nachmachen
Cover image from: War and Peace » Universal Pictures Germany – Home Entertainment www.uphe.de
a-bigger-bang 
Hat dies auf Calculus of Decay rebloggt.
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