The Dark Alley of Block Wars

Are we nearing the Armageddon, perhaps not but we are dangerously close to undermining the global security landscape due to division within the most significant stakeholders in stability - the P 5 divided in blocks which are at war. Have a look...

As we enter the end of the second phase of Russia’s Special Military Operation commonly known as the War in Ukraine, that the impact is global and not just restricted to the warring parties is evident. What has emerged is not a “Cold War,” nor fortunately, “World War III,” but what can be roughly called as, “Block Wars.” The two Blocks being one led by the United States and the other jointly by Russia and China. The sharp divisions are not only evident in respect of the U.S. and western support to Ukraine to withstand wartime pressures from Russia but also in all other spheres of geopolitical activity - politics, diplomacy, economy and the military. Take for instance the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) the primary forum for stability in global governance. The disunity in the two blocks has meant that “rogue,” states as North Korea have got away with at least 16 missile tests this year including what is presumed as an ICBM and a self proclaimed, “hypersonic,” missile without any reproof from the august body..

The Hermit Kingdom may be heading for a nuclear test, the first since 2017. Despite the possibility of a rogue state in possession of nuclear arms, there is no action to curtail proliferation. This divide is also evident on Myanmar, where the military is running away with some of the most brutal tactics of slash and burn but the UN SC has not been able to build a consensus to check the violence.

As Blocks coagulate opponents are letting their rancour known through potently aggressive demonstrations witness breaching of the South Korean and Japanese Air Defence Identification Zone by Chinese and Russian fighters even as the United States arced the Indo Pacific Economic Framework aligning 12 partners – some called it the, “Dirty Dozen,” binding together vectors as economy, trade and technology. The QUAD summit which happened alongside saw North Korea letting off a series of missiles just as the leaders left Tokyo.

For the developing World, domains of confrontation between the Blocks are impacting the “gut,”, staring the poor with mounting inflation which in Sri Lanka has touched over 40 percent and making food out of reach for large number of people as in Afghanistan. These are just the short term challenges – others that are devastating and could have a lasting and longer impact such as climate change, global warming, cyber and space are pushed into the backdrop. And the world is just recovering from two years of a crushing pandemic that has led to loss of millions of lives and is still raging with the Zero COVID lockdown in Shanghai a grim reminder of its longevity.

More dangerously nuclear nonproliferation is nowhere on the global high table and may skid into oblivion to the detriment of atomic stability as we near the edge of World War III – the precipice of Armageddon. This may not seem just a scary scenario buildng exercise but has the portends of turning into reality for who expected on the morning on February 24, this year that Russia and Ukraine will plunge into a headlong war which seems no where near the end three months and more. Read On!

New Delhi Rahul K Bhonsle

2 June 2022 Editor (rkbhonsle@gmail.com)