Kamal Ghorui
The announcement by America and Iran of the ceasefire is a matter of celebration, not because the objectives of both sides could be met, but because a small nation like Iran could checkmate the superpower America’s imperialistic move. Israel, bereft of American support, is expected to fall in line soon.
Americans at large, having tasted the outcome of raised tariffs, would be asking President Trump some hard questions now: What exactly could he achieve? Killing of top Iranian leadership could not check that country from filling up the vacuum seamlessly and in no time. It’s indeed a lesson in resilience and resourcefulness that every country can learn.
Trump may gloat over the huge orders for arms supplies which his family received which provides a lesson for the American electorate: never give reins of power to a politician who is so riveted to personal business that he forgets the interests of ordinary people in America (concern for humanity would be too great an expectation).
People all over the world wonder as to how a self-assigned patron of democracy that America is, does not have any checks on its president. While the Federal Court could strike down his tariff hikes as illegal, and the Pentagon’s bill are still stuck in the process of passage in the legislature, Trump could go on merrily with his whimsical actions tormenting mankind.
He is not covering himself as also his country with glory. Even the close friends of America in Europe have distanced themselves from it. It will take a long time before America is able to establish its credibility as a dependable ally and benefactor.
Killing of thousands of innocent people on both sides of the hot border as also the co-lateral damage suffered by neighbouring countries in the Middle-East is a matter which ought to shake the conscience of the world, which means in effect, the political leadership even as it has grown immune to the plight of ordinary people.
Again, people all over the world have had to and will continue to suffer for a considerable time the disorder in supply chains and the rise in petroleum prices leading to domino effect in other products. Beyond the economic factor, it is the sense of precarious uncertainty that will haunt mankind for long.
The jubilation over ceasefire will, for the time being, make us forget the starting point of this conflagration which was the sudden and ferocious attack on Israel by Hamas supported by Iran whose constitution precludes the existence of Israel.
Now, while Iran is demanding guarantee of ‘no attack’ from the US, Israel too is justified in expecting similar guarantee from its neighbours. The ideal situation would be where every nation can co-exist with other countries in dignity and safety, and that applies to both Iran and Israel and to so many other neighbouring countries in the world which are at daggers drawn with each other.
Unfortunately, the jungle rule of ‘might is right’ seems to be defeating the rule-based order. It seems much like the death wish by humankind of which the American-English poet T.S. Eliot had spoken in his memorable poem The Waste Land. Are we heading towards the nemesis, everyone seems to be asking.
Since politics is now securely intertwined with economics, therefore superpowers covet resourceful countries as America did to Venezuela or Russia to Ukraine or China to Taiwan.
At the same time, to bolster their arms industry, they sow the seeds of discord among nations. It also helps them to weaken other countries.
The blatant remark by Christopher Landau, US Deputy Secretary of State, that the US will not repeat the “mistakes” it made with China by allowing India to rise is a solid proof of this unhealthy and inhuman mindset.
It’s not their existential fear, but plain dadagiri or hegemony that they wish to retain, regardless of civilizational values. Trump could not cause the death of a civilization in Iran, instead it has turned out to be the murder of civilizational values by America.
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