There is perhaps only one episode in human history when global peace may have been momentarily achieved, between AD 536 and 538, during the early Middle Ages. A thick, persistent dust veil or “dry …Read MoreThere is perhaps only one episode in human history when global peace may have been momentarily achieved, between AD 536 and 538, during the early Middle Ages. A thick, persistent dust veil or “dry fog” shrouded the skies from Europe to Asia Minor, darkening the world and plunging much of it into a climate catastrophe. The abrupt climate change led to widespread crop failure, triggering mass starvation. This was soon followed by waves of disease, including what became known as the Plague of Justinian. In the face of nature’s overwhelming force, human conflict paused, not because peace was negotiated, but because survival became the only priority. In this rare moment, peace was achieved not by diplomacy or goodwill, but by the hand of Mother Nature, whose intervention proved far more sinister. Even after the devastation of World War II, new conflicts emerged as colonial empires dissolved and new nations were carved out, often arbitrarily. By 1989, the fall of the Soviet Union once again ignited territorial disputes and nationalist fervor, leading to more warfare. In 2001, a new global threat appeared with the rise of international terrorism, uniting nations under a common enemy. Today, we remain entangled in relentless ideological clashes, from the unforeseen ending of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the South to the brutal war between Russia and Ukraine, two historically connected peoples, who are now locked in a tragic struggle. A young actor-turned-president was thrust into the role of a wartime leader, not by choice but by provocation. He now fights to defend and safeguard democracy, something still new and fragile in the nation of Ukraine.
Undeniably, conflict may be innate to human nature. We seem always to require an enemy…real or manufactured, to justify the presence of political power and the endless pouring of public funds into military development. In a world where a single button can bring about total annihilation, it’s worth asking: “Are we truly capable of peace, or merely skilled at manufacturing borrowed time…postponing the next war?”
Note to fellow Interns: Referral read: Hannah Arendt, On Revolution. Read Less
Conflict between humans is unescapable. It has been everywhere throughout human history. Perhaps things can be more peaceful in 50 years, but I highly doubt the human race will ever experience global …Read MoreConflict between humans is unescapable. It has been everywhere throughout human history. Perhaps things can be more peaceful in 50 years, but I highly doubt the human race will ever experience global peace.Read Less
This certainly depends on your definition of global peace. People in the early 1940s would say that the status quo is a period of global peace, because in comparison, the number of deaths caused by …Read MoreThis certainly depends on your definition of global peace. People in the early 1940s would say that the status quo is a period of global peace, because in comparison, the number of deaths caused by war is far lower now than in WW2. Moreover, there are a number of unresolved conflicts, like those in Western Sahara, and the rise in technology induced extremism makes me doubtful we will achieve full global peace in 50 years, although we may certainly come closer to it.Read Less
There is perhaps only one episode in human history when global peace may have been momentarily achieved, between AD 536 and 538, during the early Middle Ages. A thick, persistent dust veil or “dry …Read MoreThere is perhaps only one episode in human history when global peace may have been momentarily achieved, between AD 536 and 538, during the early Middle Ages. A thick, persistent dust veil or “dry fog” shrouded the skies from Europe to Asia Minor, darkening the world and plunging much of it into a climate catastrophe.
The abrupt climate change led to widespread crop failure, triggering mass starvation. This was soon followed by waves of disease, including what became known as the Plague of Justinian. In the face of nature’s overwhelming force, human conflict paused, not because peace was negotiated, but because survival became the only priority. In this rare moment, peace was achieved not by diplomacy or goodwill, but by the hand of Mother Nature, whose intervention proved far more sinister.
Even after the devastation of World War II, new conflicts emerged as colonial empires dissolved and new nations were carved out, often arbitrarily. By 1989, the fall of the Soviet Union once again ignited territorial disputes and nationalist fervor, leading to more warfare.
In 2001, a new global threat appeared with the rise of international terrorism, uniting nations under a common enemy. Today, we remain entangled in relentless ideological clashes, from the unforeseen ending of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the South to the brutal war between Russia and Ukraine, two historically connected peoples, who are now locked in a tragic struggle. A young actor-turned-president was thrust into the role of a wartime leader, not by choice but by provocation. He now fights to defend and safeguard democracy, something still new and fragile in the nation of Ukraine.
Undeniably, conflict may be innate to human nature. We seem always to require an enemy…real or manufactured, to justify the presence of political power and the endless pouring of public funds into military development. In a world where a single button can bring about total annihilation, it’s worth asking: “Are we truly capable of peace, or merely skilled at manufacturing borrowed time…postponing the next war?”
Note to fellow Interns: Referral read: Hannah Arendt, On Revolution. Read Less
Conflict between humans is unescapable. It has been everywhere throughout human history. Perhaps things can be more peaceful in 50 years, but I highly doubt the human race will ever experience global …Read MoreConflict between humans is unescapable. It has been everywhere throughout human history. Perhaps things can be more peaceful in 50 years, but I highly doubt the human race will ever experience global peace. Read Less
This certainly depends on your definition of global peace. People in the early 1940s would say that the status quo is a period of global peace, because in comparison, the number of deaths caused by …Read MoreThis certainly depends on your definition of global peace. People in the early 1940s would say that the status quo is a period of global peace, because in comparison, the number of deaths caused by war is far lower now than in WW2. Moreover, there are a number of unresolved conflicts, like those in Western Sahara, and the rise in technology induced extremism makes me doubtful we will achieve full global peace in 50 years, although we may certainly come closer to it. Read Less