The Never Ending Wars in my Life

In the late 1940s - six countries were created - Israel& Palestine (1948), India & Pakistan (1947) and North and South Korea (1948). Four of the partnered countries were created with the support and in sometimes outright manipulation and coercion of the western countries who had been "successful" in the proceeding world war. India & Pakistan were created as those on the Indian sub-continent demanded independence from Britain. In the following 70+ years, there has been constant tension and sometimes outright war between the adjoining countries.

While there have certainly been other conflicts that have caused a greater loss of life in the past few decades (i.e. Rwanda, the Sudan, Syria etc) the above areas have for my entire life been in the news, have been the cause of constant debate amongst western world leaders and have on more than one occasion, brought the world close the another all-out war. The causes for the antagonism between the countries are complex and frequently seem to be lost in time -I am not sure if anyone really understands the original grievances. Two of the conflicts have, at least on the surface, partial roots in religious differences (India/ Pakistan - Hindu/Muslim; Palestine/Israel - Muslim/Jewish); part of the causes of the original conflicts stem from Western, generally imperialistic countries, assuming that they knew what was best including what type of government the "people" needed.

In spite of decades of negotiations, posturing and outright threats any possibility of peaceful co-existence or in the case of North and South Korea, reunification seems to be unlikely either in my lifetime or my grandchildren's. It is almost as if there is more invested in perpetuating the conflict than truly resolving it. All of the parties appear to be so entrenched into their positions that only total capitulation on the part of one country will satisfy the other. The dialogue frequently reminds me of some terrible daytime reality television program where adulterous couples fight in front of the cameras - one can only assume for money as they display their pettiness and their stubbornness.

In the past few days, India and Pakistan are verbally and perhaps with a few planes, fighting again over Kashmir. While there is all of the usual posturing promising to both be reasonable and at the same time protect their honour and their right to stand up for what they believe to be right - there are continuing concerns that there are some within both regimes who would consider using the nuclear weapons to resolve the conflict once and for all. It is not the first time that the world has had to hold its breath. I can remember when I was in elementary school receiving some instruction as to what to do if there an atomic war (hide under my wooden desk). At least four of the countries created in the 1940s have some nuclear capability ( plus of course, South Korea which could have access to US nuclear weapons). There is no way any one individual can know how concerned one should be - but it feels as if someone should be doing something to slow the hyperbole down.

Life was perhaps so much easier when all one had to do was to find a champion with a solid horse and a long lance to defend one's honour.