War – When Will We Learn?

The last week of the month of April and the first nine days of May hold special significance for the billions of people living on planet Earth. That 10-day span marks the anniversaries of the end of some of the most tragic events in human history; the inhuman wars in South-East Asia (Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos) and the biggest war in human history, World War 2.

To mark those anniversaries, 50 years in the case of Vietnam and 80 years since World War 2 ended in Europe, there were massive activities to celebrate the end of those wars and the desire for the ushering of peace on a global scale.

In the case of Vietnam, there is just reason for celebration for that underdeveloped country succeeded in accomplishing two of the most significant military victories in the annals of human history, victory over France to regain its independence in 1954, and then inflicting a humiliating defeat on the might of the US war machine in 1975. The US troops beat an ignominious retreat from Vietnam on April 30, 1975.

It was 30 years almost to the day since Hitler’s hordes formally surrendered to mark the end of World War 2 in Europe.

Both wars had global implications for the rest of the world which experienced economic disruptions and hardships. Shipping and trade were severely affected, and even small countries like ours suffered from shortages of imports because of the naval battles in the Atlantic. The Vietnam war waged by the USA between 1964 and 1975, spread to neighbouring Cambodia and Laos with the Americans viciously carpet bombing those countries, along with the millions of tons of chemicals dumped on all three countries to destroy crops and forests. In addition, countries like Australia and New Zealand also sent troops to fight on the side of the USA.

The casualties in the Vietnam war were heavy, 58,000 US troops; between one and three million Vietnamese; 300,000 Cambodians; and 60,000 Laotians. But these in scale could not be compared with the death toll from World War 2, a total of between 40 and 50 million of all races, creeds and countries big and small. Even our tiny country, a colony of Britain at the time made contributions, including sending men to fight for ‘the motherland’ as soldiers. The War Memorial in the heart of Kingstown is a tribute to the victims.

Given these experiences, one would think that the logical conclusion where such wars are concerned would be “Never again”. Yet today the world again stands on the brink of another, even more deadly military conflagration, a war which could see the destruction of the entire planet. The Zionist genocide in Palestine continues unabated and unchallenged, while in Eastern Europe, where Russia is continuing its aggression towards Ukraine; coupled with other conflicts on the African continent and the Middle East, it would not take much to trigger another global war.

The senselessness of war still does not seem to impact on the consciousness of those who occupy power in Washington, Tel Aviv, Moscow, London or Paris. What is the point in commemorating the dead of previous wars while we toy with the prospect of even larger casualties at the present? What is the point in all the talk of peace while right before our eyes millions in Palestine, Sudan, Yemen, the Congo and Europe die from starvation due to conflict and genocide? What have we learnt, and will we ever learn?