War In The Coming Century Essay, Research Paper

War In The Coming Century

As we turn the page on a century full of war and conflict, it is a good time to think about the possibilities this next century holds. The threat of war today, is far greater than at any time in history. The presence of nuclear weapons not only threatens the destruction of our world as we know it, but also the existence of mankind altogether! The scary part is that the chance of a major war, or even a World War III, in the coming century is very high. It seems like the United States and other countries have been walking a tightrope between war and peace, where one little slip could have disastrous consequences. Will we face a repeat of the bloody violence and anguish of years past? Many people have tried to answer that question recently, as they have throughout history. World War I was supposed to be the war to end all wars. Many people predicted it would end in a lasting peace. When the Berlin Wall came down it was a sign to many of a future filled with peace and unity. Of course these predictions were very wrong, as are the predictions being made for a future of peace now. I agree with Winston Churchill when he said, The further backward you look, the further forward you can see (Emmott 6). Looking backward I see a century of continuous struggle between nations for power, possessions, and advantages. This struggle was at the root of almost every war in history. It is constant, it never has stopped and it never will. The point is, this battle between nations has always, and will again lead to war.

Maybe you re still convinced that there is some way to avoid this fate. You have hope that somehow, someway we will learn from our past mistakes. We will suddenly turn off our path towards destruction, and take steps toward peace and unity. Sadly, there are many reasons why this will never happen. Our own human nature stands in the way. People always want to be the best, they want to be recognized, and they want to be feared. There is a definite streak of aggression in us that cannot be contained. Sure, we can keep it on a leash for a while, but every now and then, when a generation starts to lose the memories of the violence and horror of the past, it breaks free. People again consider war as a solution to their problems. While living in a world full of prejudice, anger, jealousy, and hate it seems we have become immune to the filthy, terrible ways of society. People see killing and bloody violence on television everyday and they start to get used to it. After a while we accept it as normal and even enjoy it. This coming generation is not exactly the conservative, respectful type. They are arrogant and demanding. They take for granted all the freedoms and privileges, living in the United States provides. This new generation forgets the countless Americans who laid down their lives so we can have the freedom and lifestyle we enjoy. The memories of the terrible wars and suffering of the past are slipping, and aggression is starting to show.

Statistically, based on this past century, the chances of a major war soon are very high. Since 1917, the United States has been in a state of war for 17 years or 20% of the time! The U.S. has averaged a major war about every twenty-five years. We aren t the only ones constantly at war though. Over the past century Britain has been at war for twelve years, not counting smaller wars. Japan has been at war for 18 years and the Soviet has been at war for 22 years over the century (Ahmed 3-4). It s very interesting that over an entire century, the citizens of the world have not found any other solution to their problems. Peace has always proved to be just a temporary setback for the unstoppable force of war.

Although we carry many of the problems of this past century with us into the next, a whole new set of challenging problems awaits us. A major concern is the constant deterioration of our environment. Problems like pollution, resource depletion, and a possible climate present a major threat to the peace. It appears limited natural resources like oil, water, land, and minerals will be at the root of many conflicts and likely wars (Rogers 2). This can be taken to an even greater extent if the resources are very limited. Desperation would fall on all those trying to escape the grasp of poverty. Just think of millions of desperate people, with nothing to lose. This would create one of the most dangerous situations the world has ever seen.

One thing that is absolutely certain is that whatever problems and conflicts the next century brings, the United States is going to be right in the middle of it. The U.S. is the unchallenged the leader of the world and is always involved with any issue of interest around the globe. The imbalance of the United State s power and the rest of the world have left us with the dangerous duties of being the arbiter of peace and development (Khan 2). A good leader is defined as someone dedicated to its followers that really cares and is willing to make sacrifices. They lead by example, and not just by words. While the world looks to us, maybe our only chance of avoiding war is being that kind of leader. We say we represent justice, freedom, unity, equality, and opportunity. We can talk the talk, but it s time we walk the walk. The priority of the United States right now is to protect their position of power. Is it living up to what we stand for to be just another nation in the never-ending struggle for power and advantages? The fact is that many countries such as China and India are steadily gaining stability and influence, slowly closing the gap between the only superpower and the rest of the world. It is true that there is no permanent friends in politics but enduring interest (Khan 2). Maybe the United States enduring interest should be in establishing some permanent friendships and finding a way to resolve world conflicts and keep the peace. If anyone is strong enough to take a stand for what is right it is Americans. As the tightrope we walk between war and peace becomes thinner and shakier with the problems this century has in store, it s just a matter of time before we tumble into the grip of war and destruction. The question is: What are we going to do about it?