generalspeaking

Focus On Power

It's the oldest game in the world. Totalitarian governments who abuse their populations always know how to divert attention from their own dystopian rule, their disinterest in governing in the interest of the people. Entertainment in lieu of solid achievements to better the lives of people living with endemic poverty, disease, lawlessness, unemployment, will do the trick, however temporarily. Witness the glory and prestige brought to South Africa with the FIFA World Cup of Soccer.

And China, whose abusive human rights record was swallowed in the huge celebratory atmosphere revolving around the shining success of the 2008 Summer Olympics. The glory that South Africa and China revelled in, bringing the attention of the world to their doorsteps in a mass adulatory convention of celebrants invested in the world of sports had poverty, crime, bad government and human rights abuses take a back seat to what was really important.

And this goes hand in hand with countries of the world whose record on improving the lives of their people is horrendously dismal. They are often forgiven by the outside world because these are developing countries, nations whose treasuries are co-opted by the oppressive rulers, countries that are often given hands-up by the developed, advanced countries of the world. Judged by a far different standard as it were, by democratic countries.

Yet when funding is available those in power choose to use the state treasury not to enhance the life prospects of their populations by investing in scientific research and protocols that will make life safer by making water potable, by producing life-saving vaccines, by improved agricultural processes, by building more hospitals and funding medical research. Rather, the choice goes toward what is seen as prestigious, an expression of power.

Myanmar, brutal Burma whose people live in abject subjugation, fear and poverty, has announced its intention to join Iran, North Korea and Syria in their determined journey toward developing of nuclear weapons programs. They will join the elite company of India, Pakistan and China, all countries with severe and ongoing social problems related to endemic poverty, disease, unemployment and inadequate government programs.

It is far more costly to build nuclear installations, to fund nuclear science and scientists, to purchase the elements required to build those installations and bring the knowledge and expertise of foreign experts into the picture than to establish national institutions geared to research, education and production of medicines and agribusiness. But the allure lies in the glamour of achieving the status of a nuclear power.

That these countries are also aggressive, belligerent, military-type nations accounts in part for their choices, and results in good reason why they and their agendas are deplored and feared for the potential of disaster they bring to the world order, security and peace. When a choice is made between ensuring that their populations are well fed, healthy and given opportunities to advance their interests in education and employment, or achieving nuclear power, the choice is to surrender their people to neglect.

Delegates of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty have been encouraged to seek to isolate the State of Israel over its undeclared nuclear program and its ownership of nuclear weaponry. This is a country that has never threatened its neighbours, yet alone any other country on the Globe. It is a wealthy country, one well invested in scientific knowledge and the higher education of its young, and prepared to share its knowledge with any other country expressing interest.

Yet the focus is on Israel. At the present time, Russia, China, France, Great Britain and the United States are acknowledged nuclear powers. As are India and Pakistan. With North Korea, Iran and Syria all invested in acquiring that status for themselves; and now Myanmar as well. The former nations can be acknowledged as responsible, with the inclusion of India. Pakistan and the other three have a huge question mark nudging disaster stuck to their plans.

The agenda of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty members to attempt to persuade nuclear-owning states to reduce their arsenals, and to push for a nuclear-free Middle East by pressing Israel over its arsenal of nuclear weapons rather than to attempt to form a distinct body whose sole interest should be to stop North Korea, Iran, Syria and Burma from any further investment in nuclear does not bode well for humanity.

Their interests in availing themselves of nuclear technology is not invested in civilian uses of nuclear-produced energy. It exists for the sole purpose of exerting the power of terror over neighbours and the world at large. Of possessing a threat that will result in 'respect' and 'awe' and 'deference' from other countries of the world, including the clear-headed and responsible nations that would never dream of unleashing nuclear weapons.

Not to be overlooked is the potential for any of those countries to generously share their nuclear knowledge and competence in the future with other rogue states like Libya and Venezuela, but even more alarming is the prospect, and a quite real one that non-state terror subordinates to the nuclear-availing states will be handed neat little nuclear packages for their own use and to our immense detriment to protect ourselves.

The conundrum is how to go about exerting influence over the intransigently demented minds whose purpose will not readily be distracted from the achievement of nuclear warheads. Distractions such as promising greater aid to impoverished people in those nations when their own heads of government couldn't care less about their predicament is fairly useless.

More assertive, strong-arm tactics disabling those plans from building to full fruition seem to present as the only alternative to placing the entire world in a state of apprehended disaster.

Labels: Technology, Troublespots, World Crises

posted by Pieface @ Monday, July 12, 2010