Thursday, February 27, 2014

We live in a very troubled world

It is heartbreaking. We humans never learn from history.



Here are some examples:

AFRICA:
Hot Spots: Central African Republic (civil war), Democrati Republic of, Egypt (popular uprising against Government), Mali, Nigeria, Somalia Sudan ,Sout Sudan (civil war)

ASIA:

Hot Spots: Afghanistan ,Burma-Myanmar (war against rebel groups), Pakistan, Philippines

EUROPE:

Hot Spots: ,Dagestan , Ukraine (in Crimea russian people are forming Popular Brigades against new Government created on February 23 2014. Until now have not reported clashes.)

MIDDLE EAST:

Hot Spots: Iraq ,Israel , Syria (civil war), Yemen

AMERICAS:

(5 Countries and 25 between drug cartels, militias-guerrillas, separatist groups and anarchic groups involved)

Hot Spots: Colombia (war against rebel groups), Mexico (war against narcotraffic groups)

Number of Countries involved in wars 60
Number of Militias-guerrillas and separatist groups involved 523

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7 comments:

  1. Don't count on it getting better anytime soon, LD. We're at the 'early onset' stage of climate wars.

    Drought in Syria and resulting food shortages are said to have been a major factor in that horrible civil war. Sudan was a water war.

    Israel will never give autonomy to the Palestinians for fear of losing control of the aquifer that sits beneath the West Bank.

    Iraq is threatened by Turkey and Syria damming the Tigris and Euphrates. Likewise Egypt is endangered by upstream nations beginning to demand a greater share and control of the Nile waters.

    Tensions are rising among China, India and Pakistan over access to river flows out of the Himalayas. China pretty obviously conquered Tibet to dominate those great rivers - among them the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra.

    States in the American southeast are constantly suing each other and the Army Corps of Engineers over shared access to inadequate freshwater resources. In the southwest, everyone is squabbling over who gets how much of the Colorado and Mexico, meanwhile, is left holding the dirty end of the stick.

    In South America watch for squabbles over the Amazon.

    In Southeast Asia, nations from China to Vietnam and Laos are gearing up for a fight over the Mekong.

    The only countries that don't seem particularly water stressed any more are the extreme northernmost and the extreme southernmost. Every place in between is in some state of water insecurity.

    This water insecurity forms the foundation for serious conflict when severe weather events - major and sustained droughts - compound already difficult conditions.

    When you're out of water, you're out of luck. Water insecurity means inadequate water for agriculture leading to food insecurity; inadequate supplies for drinking and cooking and inadequate water for hygiene and sanitation (epidemics).

    This is all happening, LD, right now and it is threatening the stability of our civilization. Yet as nations and communities of nations we're doing next to bugger all about it. How do you imagine that strategy is going to pay off?

    By the way, before I go did I mention that China, India, Pakistan and Israel are well stocked with nuclear warheads and that a few of the other countries involved aren't that far away from developing their own?

    As Roy and Dale used to say, "Happy Trails."

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  2. Only 3 civil wars, only one of which is really all that serious. Pretty good shape compared to the past. Back in the 1980s most of Central America, Africa and much of Asia and the Middle East had wars.

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  3. Mound, you have summarized it so well. I totally agree with your assessment. I cannot add anything. If you don’t mind I will like to use your comment for posting tomorrow.

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  4. doconnor, we're not saying that the past was peaceful. However, we have not learned from the past.

    I don't know where you got only 3 civil wars. You should Google and you may be surprised.

    Besides my post Mound has summarized the world situation quite well. More trouble is on the horizon. Just look at Ukraine situation.

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  5. @ doc - you don't seem to grasp the magnitude and reality of water insecurity. To suggest we're "in pretty good shape" is to stand reality on its head.

    When there's not enough of any vital commodity to go around, something has to give. Some group of people have to yield, someone has to do without. People don't tend to give up something critical to their survival voluntarily. You should read Gwynne Dyer's "Climate Wars" to understand what happens and what the Pentagon and Brit Ministry of Defence foresee.

    For some reason they don't share your complacency.

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  6. "we're not saying that the past was peaceful. However, we have not learned from the past."

    The fact that the world is getting more peaceful, suggests are learning slowly.

    I got 3 civil wars from your list.

    Mound of Sound, I didn't see your comment before posting my. Conflict over water could be a concern in the future. Hopefully if we continue to learn we can settle some of the conflicts without war.

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  7. doconnor, I may have not qualified all wars as civil wars but they're many ongoing wars in the world. Death and destruction are ongoing because of these wars-conflicts.

    You did not read what Mound suggested. Moreover,please do Google and you will be amazed how many ongoing wars there are.

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