An African proverb goes thus: when two elephants fight, the grass suffers. The only issue in the case I’m about to discuss is that both the elephants and grasses suffer.
News
Before the advent of a novel coronavirus, the world knew some peace. I mean there were wars, civil unrests and some economies wobbled on unsteady legs, but the world never came close to this level of distrust, hate, and xenophobia towards one another. Before the coronavirus, we could sit and reason on the same table, but this is not the case anymore.
Each day I wake to heartbreaking news. Nations isolate, build wall boundaries as the US did across its southern border with Mexico and Brexit from the EU. Other countries focused on territorial expansion and conquest: China, Pakistan and India in Kashmir and Lakda; Israel and Palestine Territories; Greece and Turkey; China, Taiwan, Hong Kong SAR and the South China Sea. Spying and economic sabotage are new. Corona virus, for example, crippled some economies. Suddenly more satellites are sent into space; more equipment are purchased for armed forces. India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and other countries are purchasing military equipment. Lands (and islands, previously without military presence) are rapidly fortified. Economic guru’s say the world economy is sitting on a keg of gunpowder. Countries retreat into their shells, to withdraw from alliances and agreements.
Nationalism is on a record high. It had overtaken common human reason. The human selfish and greedy nature is awoken. Nations pledge loyalty to their benefactors or brethren. Communism and capitalism engage in a ruthless tug of war. Yet the world is faced by other pressing issues like rising poverty levels and insecurity, unemployment and lack of quality education. Lebanon’s economic woe has more than our eyes see. Hong Kong, an important international financial hub, is no longer under the influence of the West, and this is causing ripples globally. Religion is persecuted and minorities silenced or sent to camps in Asia and Africa. Freedom is gradually suppressed. At this time, things don’t look suitable for the human race. The truth is that the world is heading for a conflict.
What am I talking about?
I’m no politician, but I follow political trends. I need no gainsaying to know that the world is very sick. I also don’t need a soothsayer to tell that coronavirus is not the prominent bone of contention. Why should America and Europe bear the brunt of the Coronavirus disaster while China, where it came from record lesser cases? I don’t want to buy into theories. Not yet.
Every nation and region has a fair share of internal disturbance. This shows that no national ideology is perfect. So we must stop trying to impose on others our ideologies. America and the rest of the world are still contending with racism. Recent global riots on racism and black life matter protests attest to that. China is grappling with human rights violations like the case of the Uighur Muslims. The EU has shown its weakness by making biased decisions. The UK is not perfect, Scotland is dissatisfied, and nationalism is growing. The German, French and Italian economies are not that strong anymore, Brussels has a big job to do. Talking about the economy, Venezuela, Lebanon, Zimbabwe, and some other nations suffer from hyperinflation. Does it look like someone is testing how inflation rates will look on selected samples from each continent? Sine Fein wants political and economic unification of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Middle East is divided into factions; Iran and Saudi Arabia leading different sections. The war in Yemen is one of selfish interest and does not reflect what the average Yemeni wants. Turkey is fighting for her parts in Libya and currently having a roll with Greece. From Burma to Thailand and Malaysia, human rights abuses are recorded. We don’t need to talk about North Korea; it’s a very secretive country. Siberia just like Biafra and Catalonia demand their independence and liberties from Russia, Nigeria and Spain respectively. This is a global uproar.
To summarise, I have a few questions that I’ll like to answer. First, why the sudden land grabbing, territorial expansion and intent to exercise economic and political influence over other people? I know this has been happening before now, but why the sudden intensity? In my opinion, I’ll say with the look of things; it seems that some nations are grabbing resources and spaces in preparation for something. What is this something? Whatever it is, it won’t spell right for anyone.
I’ll end with a rhetorical question: do you agree with me that there are forces anxiously fighting to destroy the global economy and possibly ignite a worldwide conflict?
Oke Iroegbu's Blog 