War is often considered the source for the achievement of national goals. Clerics even go so far as to achieve glory through him. War is a historical threat. But it goes against the dignity of man to think that it cannot be discouraged or abolished. Tolstoy’s view is more convincing that war in all circumstances is illegitimate. History has shown that war has always multiplied problems and is inseparable from irreparable losses. In World War I there were 37 million casualties. In World War II, there were 60 million casualties. More than 100,000 million dollars were “invested” by the combatant nations in World War II to kill or insult these peoples. The money lost in collateral damage is next door. Immediately after ten years, the war became many times more dangerous. In the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, published in 1955, it is written:
“It is claimed from a very good source that a bomb can now be made that will be 2,500 times more powerful than the one that destroyed Hiroshima.”
One can imagine what a war can do to humanity in the 21st century when nuclear technology has become so advanced.
A common reason is that war has always been advocated by the elite, directly in earlier times and indirectly in the modern era. This is done in two ways. The most important of these is the “use” of the clergy. The clergy is that strange creature that declares itself a benefactor while acting as a catastrophic factor. The most important example of their direct role is their active participation in the Crusades during the Middle Ages. Even today, the Pakistani clergy believe that Kashmir should be part of Pakistan and multiply their wisdom by presenting the military solution. Russell says in “The Ethics of War” (1915): “The goals for which men have fought in the past, whether just or unjust, will no longer be achieved by wars between civilized nations.”
A common loss that humanity has suffered in war is deaths, even of those who are not in favor of it.
Most wars have been fought between countries that are economically depressed. After World War I and World War II, no war has been fought between developed nations. Poor countries have fought several wars. The most important examples are the Iraq-Iran war, the Cano-Indian war, the Pakistan-India wars and many others. The beneficiaries of these wars were the elite class of the countries involved, and the Western Davis Men, who supplied weapons. In these countries, the public plays a minor role. Before and during the French Revolution and the Russian Revolution, it was the poor who realized that war is fought with their blood. They were deprived of their basic democratic rights. Only the clergy and upper class were consulted. When the poor came to power through rape, wars ended. Today, in third world countries, there is poverty and the poor public has little role to play in decision making. They are deceived by the ruling class through the clergy. So poverty is directly or indirectly related to this issue. In addition to this, the people involved in the acts of terrorism are economically disadvantaged as in the case of Pakistan. The first generation was economically disadvantaged. The second generation became obscurantist, the third became terrorist. The Pakistan Army used these people to create trouble in Kashmir. Similarly, the Indian Army used such people to stir up trouble in East Pakistan before the 1971 war. In addition to this, poverty deprives the masses of education and the youth do not realize the horror of the war. It is clear that many educated people are also involved in goading the establishment into waging war. But the point is that they use uneducated people as weapons.
According to the clergy, poverty is destiny. And the other religion is the enemy. So unreasonable are they that recently, a clergy has said that if a person leaves Islam, his punishment is death. But if a person accepts Islam, he must be honored. Such an unreasonable attitude gives anti-groups the opportunity to spread hatred against the particular community. In this way, the clergy play a full role in “reducing the population.” No clergy counts the ravages of war. Only the so-called glory achieved by her counts.
Modern wars have been waged to propagate constructive philosophy and to abolish destructive philosophy. For example, in World War I, England fought Germany for the cause of democracy. According to Samuel Huntington, the coming wars will be fought between Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Jews. Adherence to ideas, theories and ideologies is created from pre-existing ideas, theories and ideologies. It is done to rule the masses. The unity of the masses allows the elite class to run a state through taxes. It is only through education that the masses can distinguish between good and bad ideologies. If people learn to judge preachers by the difference between what they say and what they do, they will identify the black sheep. In clerical states like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, there is the problem of poverty and civil rights. Contrary to this, in European countries, state officials are sensitive to public rights. That is why there is minimum poverty and everyone enjoys civil rights. When there is no poverty and violation of civil rights, a country will not feel the need for an enemy. Pakistan and India need enemies as they are to publicize fear to get maximum taxes. The public in France and England understood the point long ago. That is why there has never been a serious dispute between them.
Those who advocate war should study the 1947 post-partition riots in India and Pakistan. It was not a war but just a hatred that involved 12.5 million innocent people. People who lived together for centuries became enemies of each other. Whereas in 1952, Indian Muslims were permanently denied to immigrate to Pakistan. In 1971, when Pakistan was partitioned, 10 million people were killed. In 2002, two thousand innocent people were murdered in the Indian state of Gujarat. This proves that the spread of hate only killed people and made the problem worse. The same hatred is being spread by the clergy of both states.
Samuel Huntington has said all that is true in his “Clash of Civilizations” (1993). It can only be warned through the campaign against the war. Practical measures will have to be taken, such as the creation of independent bodies
State of Palestine. Only then can the world community be convinced that this is a political issue and not a religious one. The great powers will have to realize that only they can counter the war mongers. The money, used in the manufacture of weapons, must be spent to advance moderate, competitive and honest people in civil authorities. You have to create forums and help those who work against the war and you have to give prizes to active members. Education must be propagated as much as possible. A realistic approach must be adopted instead of an imaginary and superficial approach. For example, a student should be educated on the basis of this idea that instead of talking about love, he should talk about tolerance. Talented students from the third world must be given maximum scholarships so that they can be deployed to spread liberalism and secularism throughout the world. The United States and Britain are doing well on the education front. In Pakistan, scholarships are awarded at the primary level. Every student is benefiting from it. War is beneficial only to a tiny minority, while a world free of war is beneficial to all human beings.
The role of international institutions can only be efficient if the Davis Men cooperate. The need of the hour is to take away from medieval men the weapons that were given to them during the Cold War. International institutions must work at two levels. First, they must do justice to the dispossessed. It is necessary, as Russell has said in The Ethics of War (1915):
“But with regard to the poorer classes of society, economic progress is the first condition for many spiritual goods and often even for life itself.”
Second, they must be made effective. Groups should be targeted and not countries. “Curbing violence through violence” has turned out to be a mistake due to the collateral damage in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. It has seriously tarnished the image of the liberal community around the world. Direct attack on a country cannot be justified. Penetration of civil authorities by peaceful means is possible and fixable. The money that is used in war must be used in the promotion of education; particularly in countries dominated by the clergy. The day will not be far off when the public rejects the hatemongers and sides with the great powers. Only then will centralization be beneficial.
The best way to eliminate groups advocating war is to isolate them. It doesn’t mean your bread and butter should be snatched away. It must be done through the empowerment of the liberal masses. Most of the human being is liberal. So the majority should be empowered. The masses can be empowered only through the empowerment of ONE. UNO can be empowered with the financial support of Davis Men. Instead of investing in activists, as they have done in the past, they should give this money to UNO. This money should be spent on education, mineral exploration, software projects, and building infrastructure in backward regions. All projects must be compatible with the culture of the regions. For example, if the people of Waziristan are not happy with coeducational education, separate institutions for men and women should be established. The land from which minerals are explored must receive the benefit of their usefulness.
Suppose that if a certain country accepts the conditional aid given by the United States and Great Britain, its benefits will be observed by the whole world. Therefore, there will be a temptation for political parties to offer such programs as a promise to the public. In this way, good programs will spread throughout the world. Backward Muslim countries must be given maximum aid with strict monitoring and strict conditions. The most important condition should be that of auditing as in the Kerry-Lugar bill. Corruption is rampant in the Muslim world and the clergy use double channels to obtain benefits. In the Muslim world, the clergy is almost as strong as it was in France before the Revolution of 1789. But the difference is that this is the modern world and we can get rid of them in an easier way.
Today, the world is fed up with religious and ideological reforms. It is time to talk about the basic problems and those problems are security, bread and butter, and the right to live with dignity. The clergy were left powerless in Europe and now it is Asia’s turn. But in Asia, the clergy must be eliminated through peaceful means. Only then can the basic causes of war be eradicated.
How can war be abolished?
By
Shahid Iqbal
