As I read Chanda’s book, Brother enemy: The war after the war, I felt that these warring countries were immature
children, bullying one another in the playground. It is absolutely ridiculous
how the constant struggle over power became a pissing contest of rivalry,
friendship and enemies that cost hundreds of thousands of lives. I don’t want
to be cynical but as I read the stories of mending strained friendships and exchanging
of gifts only to learn of the symbolism behind their hatred for one another it
makes me wonder, what intent really is there to ever mend any sort of
relationship after all these wars? It almost makes me question who allowed these people to even come
to a position to rule such countries. Feelings aside, this book is a sad reflection
of what hunger for power and control can do to devastate a country. The saddest
part is how other countries think they can exert their power and meddle into
other countries’ political affairs only causing more chaos as Vietnam, Cambodia
and China attempts to rebuild themselves-only resulting to other micro wars
amongst themselves.
These warring countries reminds me of the United States and
their recent encounter with Iran. Trump’s authorization to kill Soleimani, an
Iranian general, led to the counter attacks that not only killed American soldiers
but by “human error” take down an entire airplane killing all 176 passengers aboard.
The two warring countries are now fumbling to blame one another as to who is
responsible. It is obvious that decades later, countries have still not learned
past wars and innocent lives continue to pay the price for the assertion of
political and military power.
What are your thoughts, do you think countries can ever mend
their past and become friends and not warring nations? Is there such a thing as peace? Do people who live in these countries or those abroad as immigrants, transnationals or refugees as a result ever achieve peace?
Image: This is the image of the wreckage of the Ukraine Iran
Plane crash. How do you justify this as “human error?”
References:
Chanda, N.
(1986). Brother enemy: The war after
the war. Harcourt.
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