THE WORLD IS DRAMATICALLY
CHANGED
In 1999 it seemed that any progress made by mankind towards
peaceful international relations had been set back more than fifty
years. Organisations, treaties, and conventions which had been set
up over years of intense and tireless effort to try to bring about a a
more just and peaceful world were set aside without a moment's
hesitation.
NATO completely ignored the very basis of its existence (ie as a
group of countries that would only ever fight in self-defence) and
made a devastating, ruthless and sustained attack on one of the
poorest countries in Europe, a country which had never even made
so much as a threatening remark against NATO countries. NATO
blatantly flouted the Vienna Convention, the Geneva Convention
and everything the United Nations Organisation stands for.
The stated aim of NATO was preposterous - to resolve an
inter-ethnic conflict by bombing. Inevitably, the death and
destruction NATO caused was itself a crime against humanity, and
the ethnic hatred was enormously increased. (It should be
remembered that the pitch of hatred at the start of the bombing
was only so intense then because the United States had hotted up
the conflict by backing armed rebels.)
Serbia and Kosovo today are provinces in extreme distress and the
blame rests to a very large extent with the leaders of all NATO
nations. All are guilty. The people of NATO countries are guilty for
supporting these disgraced politicians. The silence of the media and
"opposition" politicians since the war is a continuing shame and
very worrying.
A new political order has, by stealth, come into existence in
Europe. It is more centralised, less democratic, more aggressive,
more militaristic, more ruthless, extremely deceptive, and shielded
by media which are subtly influenced or controlled. A political
awakening is needed. The world is in peril.
Politicians must change or be changed. People of goodwill have an
urgent duty to work to this end. As part of it we also all have a
duty to try to persuade the media to take up the truly important
issues of the day.
October 2000. |