Berlin Wall and New Cold War

-DR. ABDUL RUFF COLACHAL

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The Berlin Wall that divided Germany as well as West and Soviet Union symbolized acute Cold War, terrorizing the entire world is a historic wall which is no more as the wall was pulled down as per the agreement between the last Soviet President and actor turned US president Gorbachev and Reagan in 1985, leading to the collapse of Soviet Union and communist system as well as dismantling a series of communist regimes and weakening of socialist and communist ideology.

Fall of Berlin officially signalled the end of the Cold war era when both USA and Russia were toying with the disastrous idea of waging a nuclear war to dismantle with globe not to quench their blood thirst.  Although that threat quickly disappeared, it has returned in recent times as a powerful tool of US unilateralism, militarism and cold imperialism.

The Wall is an enduring memory of many of humanities’ most horrendous excesses – the Second World War, the Cold War and the fall of communism and its destruction marked the start of a new era of brotherhood in humanity. So 25 years from that historic event, are we as divided or do we still have the metaphorical wall between us? Are we on the brink of another Cold War that again threatens to tear the world apart?

As Germany marked the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall on November 9, Former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev warned about a fast emerging another Cold War with Western powers targeting once again Russia for sanctions over Ukraine. The anniversary was celebrated by showing clips of West Berliners greeting their eastern counterparts, along with clips of pieces of the fallen wall from across the world, including Berlin London Seoul, Cape Town, Madrid, Moscow, Washington and New York.

Although the Berlin wall has been dismantled and communist regimes have disappeared, social ideology lost its way under the capitalist weight, the threat of nuclear war is not really died down. Many communists in Russia and china have become capitalists and powerful oligarchs, controlling the economy and looting the national resources with regime backing. These former communist nations now feel proud of publicizing their billionaires and trillionairs, who have stolen the economy of common people as well. .

Former Soviet Union president Mikhail Gorbachev – the man considered by many to be the man who helped end the Cold War – has warned that the world is ‘on the brink of a new cold war’. He believes this stems from the West’s (other European countries and the United States) behaviour post the fall of the Iron Curtain.

Emerging Russo-US cold war could rekindle the division of world into pro-US and pro-Russia as it had been during the Soviet era, and set in motion the regional arms race too.

Humans have always been a selfish and violent race. Most of the skeletons found in archaeological diggings show deaths from violent conflict. Greedy humans have been killing each other from the beginning of time, while powerful countries destroyed weak nations, looting their resources, killing people.  Colonies set up by European superpowers were responsible for some of the worst atrocities in history. Self-preservation is the most basic human trait and it often comes at the expense of others.

Like all superpowers, dating back to the age of colonial rulers, the USA, now the only super power on earth, believes it had the solution to all the world’s problems and entire world must help advance its national interest. With an ugly display of military prowess,  American capitalists became self-appointed guardians and exporters of democracy. This led to them arming drug lords, terrorist groups, dictators, revolutionaries and any other group willing to fight those they considered a ‘threat’. False threat perceptions helped USA in pursuing its economic agenda by selling terror goods, USA pampered its  allies to be the chief  benefactors of US led imperialism which gives birth to conflicts that would last for years. Americans also sell weapons to the needy people and nations globally.

Certainly, the  rise of socialist and communist ideology  shook the  capitalist  system to some extend and therefore  the enemies of these humanist  ideals  conspired and succeeded in dismantling al humanistic systems. So, despite whatever the papers tell you, humans today live in amazing times, are infinitely better off than our ancestors.  People globally better fed, more educated, protected against diseases, have the ability to voice our opinion, rebel against tyranny and even spend hours glued to the new smartphones without worrying about being eaten by a sabre-toothed tiger. Thank communism and socialism that forced the capitalist world to ease the life of common people. .

Fast development of science and technology has made the life of people easier and beneficial.  The internet and social media, combined with the speed of technological progress have made this world less divided than it ever was. No matter how uncomfortable an opinion may be for the powers-that-be, today it does get voiced, though state efforts to black them also have been on the rise. Tyrants are fought on social media and even the most powerful individuals come under scrutiny. State apparatus everywhere is confused and worried even with all resources at their command.

There was a time when most people in the world couldn’t even afford the basic necessities – food, clothing, shelter and fuel. There was a time when anyone from a minority religion was hacked to death, but the rulers use judiciary to get their plans executed and the Muslims as minority people world over but then Islam is insulted, the Muslims are just abused on both core media outlets and social media sites.

One only hopes, like the Berlin Wall, the targeting of Islam and Muslims needs to be torn down. And it’s going to happen even if not a lot fast enough.

Today, entire world cutting across continents target Islam while USA is trying to use the religious codes to get the Kremlin on board to target Islam. However, former super power Russia is unwilling to be an assistant for USA, though would not mind working for  USA in Afghanistan, for instance.

New Cold War emerging on account of new cold rhetoric between USA and Russia following the Russia’s annexation of Crimea from Ukraine can be as dangerous as before.