The world we live to day is changing very first. 20th century is not the replica of 19th century. 20th century has developed so much in industry, science, technology and IT sector which could not be done in two thousand centuries. What is the distinctive about the twentieth century in which we lived? Cynics have said that history is bunk; others say like idiots, it repeats itself. After 1911, the Manchu Empire disappeared; so did the Czarist Empire, the Ottoman Turkish Empire, the French Empire, the Portuguese Empire, the Dutch Empire and the American imperial domain, of which the Philippines was the outpost. The disintegration of these empires was accompanied by vast upheavals in Asia, Europe, Africa, Latin America and elsewhere too. The century also witnessed for the first time in human history two world wars.Present world linking past and future
What we need today is meeting of our hearts and minds in search of co-operation by overcoming our political divisions
Monaem Sarker
The world we live to day is changing very first. 20th century is not the replica of 19th century. 20th century has developed so much in industry, science, technology and IT sector which could not be done in two thousand centuries. What is the distinctive about the twentieth century in which we lived? Cynics have said that history is bunk; others say like idiots, it repeats itself. After 1911, the Manchu Empire disappeared; so did the Czarist Empire, the Ottoman Turkish Empire, the French Empire, the Portuguese Empire, the Dutch Empire and the American imperial domain, of which the Philippines was the outpost. The disintegration of these empires was accompanied by vast upheavals in Asia, Europe, Africa, Latin America and elsewhere too. The century also witnessed for the first time in human history two world wars.
20th century had witness to vast explosion of human consciousness. It also witness to vaster explosion of human knowledge expressed in terms of advances in basic sciences and in their application. The range and extent of human awareness in our own country, for example, has taken a quantum jump. The first expression of this consciousness is assertion of ones identity expressed in terms of language and culture. And by culture, I mean to include in it all those non-quantifiable parameters of human existence on this planet of Earth, such as human spirit, love, compassion, search for justice and equity, etc. Politics and economics, which fail to recognize the reality of the explosion of human consciousness, result in creating tensions and conflicts. Human beings are increasingly articulation their two basic urges, namely, the hunger of their physical self and the hunger of their spirit. None of us could have survived if our mother, after we cried on our birth, did not put us up to her bosom for our comfort. Why she should do it? We cannot therefore obviously survive without that non-quantifiable parameter of human existence on this earth called motherhood and mothers love. This it self in turn should lead us to contemplate the condition of one-half of humankind in this century, namely, the women.
What we need today is meeting of our hearts and minds in search of co-operation by overcoming our political divisions. Such divisions are nursed and nurtured by the way politicians, possessing no larger vision, play their game of politics and bring suffering and grief to the people. For centuries upon centuries, historians have examined the interaction between those who exercise power and those who are subjected to its painful consequences. Until the emergence of democracy, power was legitimized either through birth or through sword and conquest.
Politics as it is today is a game of power, but the politicians get away with this game of power, since no true political or economic structure can survive in this age of massive explosion of human consciousness knowledge. The great British Empire could not last nor would the petty president Ministers. So-called developed countries of the world, more especially by the United States of America, which practices unilateralism as an instrument of its diplomacy; Persevering the moral health of body polity and maintaining the ecological balance are condition president to survival and growth not only of Bangladesh, but of the entire world. If this is not done in time, we will continue to suffer from the unresolved dilemmas of the nuclear age. The dilemma of the nuclear age is how to use nuclear weapons diplomatically so that they are not used militarily. Power and nuclear power is necessary but wisdom is essential. It is only power with wisdom is good.
On April 12, the US Department of State submitted to Congress its annual Report on Adherence to and Compliance with Arms Control, Nonproliferation and Disarmament Agreements and Commitments. As usual, Washington reported on the United States model adherence to and compliance with all its commitments while posing as a self-appointed teacher charged with assessing other countries behaviour in this respect.
Even a cursory analysis of the Report shows that it is not a serious document that reflects real state of affairs in arms control and disarmament. The US Department of State has showered Russia with unsubstantiated accusations. The assessments provided in the report are judgmental, biased and prejudiced. They are comprised of a combination of speculation, exaggeration, false messages and openly distorted facts. The obvious goal is to create a negative image of Russia in the hope that few readers will take the trouble to analyse the details of the unsubstantiated examples of Russias alleged violations. When compared to the real state of affairs, the US Department of States assessments present a sad picture of these expert assessments.
At the same time, the United States disregards concerns in this respect : The United States continued to test missile targets under its Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) programme, possessing characteristics that are similar to intermediate and shorter-range. In addition, these tests are also used to further improve key elements of missile systems that are prohibited under the INF Treaty. It is also alarming that the US plans to deploy new nuclear aerial bombs with limited power but high precision as part of its unprecedented programme to modernize its nuclear arsenal. It is a very dangerous project that can drop the threshold of using nuclear weapons when US nuclear bombs in Europe could become battlefield weapons.
It is important to remember that Moscow and Washington gave up this option 25 years ago. The US seems keen to recover this irresponsible practice of balancing on the brink of a nuclear war. The 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) saw the US along with the UK and Canada block the concluding document of the conference, thus demonstrating that consolidating the nuclear non-proliferation regime was not on their priority list. This is particularly unfortunate, considering that the US is a state depositary to the NPT Treaty, and furthermore, aspires to become a global non-proliferation leader. Washingtons declared commitment to stronger non-proliferation
regime is also contradicted by its inconsistent position on the comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
Back in the mid-1990s, then-President Bill Clinton declared the CTBT treaty the highest priority for the US. Since then, the Americans have made numerous statements on their intention to ratify the CTBT and put it into force shortly. President Obama also made promises to the effect but has failed to make any practical steps in this direction so far.
This year marks twenty years since the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) was open for signature. The treatys destiny still depends on the eight non-member states listed in Annex 8, which must ratify the treaty for it to come into effect. Washingtons irresponsible position in terms of CTBT ratification is the main obstacle toward making the treaty an effective international legal instrument. Other countries look to Washington. Therefore, the prospects that the CTBT will enter into force are slim.
The unseemly intention of the US Department of State to contest the entirety of Russias announcement on Article III of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) and thus to doubt the competence and deserved authority of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) as the most efficient and successful global structure for disarmament and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction is surprising. However, the OPCW has no claims against Russia, Unlike Washington.
We would like to advise US to abandon their double standards in the use of chemical weapons by non-state parties in the Middle East. Washington should itself comply with its obligations under UNSC Resolution 2118, 2209 and 2235 and provide the Security Council with evidence of the crimes committed by ISIS and other terrorist groups in Iraqi Kurdistan, which US forces found in 2015 and in 2016 at the sites where the extremists had used chemical weapons. Now Middle East has become a killing zone only America can stop it. Americas long standing friend Saudi Arabia is also going against American dictations. Like Vietnam American will have to leave Middle East with greater humiliation in men materials.
We would like to conclude the article, since two world wars, war industries had developed all over the world more or less, but America had developed so much nuclear weapons of mass destructions which can annihilate the globe number of times.
The writer is Director General
Bangladesh Foundation For Development Research
