Bilateral and multilateral agreements on arms control have not succeeded in affecting the arms race.
Arms production, arms sales and gun-running have impacted inexorably on the decline in world economic well-being as states spend more on armaments.
The world has been warned by the elements that a serious nuclear explosion could occur as a result of the level of tension in contemporary world society.
We should remember the impact of Bhopal, Chernobyl, Long Island, and lately Fukushima nuclear explosions, on the economy of the states, where those nuclear tragedies have occurred.
Of course, men forget easily. In Japan, the whole story of the Fukushima nuclear fallout has not been told, but the disastrous consequences on the economy are telling. In spite of the so-called Abenomics, Japans industrial output, will face fierce competition in the foreseeable future.
Yet, Japan intends to expand its military capabilities in pursuit of geo-political goals. Diversion of needed fund into military technology is bound to create problems in the social policy sector.
A restless Japanese unemployed youth fraternity is girding its loins to express discontent, like we have witnessed in Greece, Spain and elsewhere.
What frightens rational thinkers is the continued proliferation of nuclear and thermo-nuclear materials among people, who can use them indiscriminately.
Researchers are warning that nuclear arsenals in ocean-beds are beginning to show signs of leakages due to long storage.
Also, the dissemination of information on how to produce bombs is disconcerting.
A review of the arms control agreements since 1899,shows that multilateral arms control treaties, have not successfully regulated humanitarian rules of wars.
Attempts to regulate arms trade and production have not been very successful. The evidence of the inefficacy of arms trade and production can be seen in the length of time wars take, the intensity of military combats and the deplorable increase in deaths of men, women and children.
Recently, in Syria, the Latakia and Alleppo combats were fierce and formidable.
The display of military might during the North Korean celebrations was mindboggling.
Studies in defense intelligence show that in all conflicts, both government forces and the opposition are equally guilty of brutalities after satan takes control of hostilities.
The Spear of satan is thrown indiscriminately. Putting the blame on one side is a game in mindless partisanship. The best option is to sit around the table and iron out differences, instead of engaging in the killing of fellow human beings.
Always, good and enlightened governance reduces conflicts.
Details of efforts to control the arms trade and production are contained in the following instruments:
1) The 1890 Brussels Act
2) The 1906 Act of Algeciras
3) The 1919 St. Germaine Convention.
4) The League of Nations Handbook.
5) The 1925 Geneva Convention on the arms trade.
6) The 1929 Proposal for the Supervision of arms production.
7) The United Nations has hosted Disarmament Conferences in 1950 and declared the 1980’s, the Disarmament, decade.
What must be underlined is that states cannot win civil wars or vanquish the opposition, who even if defeated, is of the same opinion still.
Also, funds spent in buying arms, could have been used for meaningful development. However, in the unreasonable calculations of politicians, they rather waste money on contentious engagements.
Among the earliest international efforts to fashion out rules of humanitarian law, were the two International Peace Conferences which were held in 1899 and 1907 at the Hague.
There was codification of the laws of war and certain types of weapons were prohibited.
Today, anything goes. Combatants are either government troops or rebels, who must be annihilated. Where is civilization? Where is humaneness? Who benefits from the vagaries of war and attendant brutalities?
I always laugh, when I listen to moralizing politicians talk about human rights and freedom. What hypocrisy!!!
The mechanisms for dispute resolution have been discarded, as a result of the fact that combatants are supported by ideological fanatics, who claim to possess eternal wisdom about earth matters.
Under the double impact of nuclear proliferation and terrorism, it has become very difficult to preserve peace amongst nations.
It can be recalled that after the Treaty of Versailles was concluded, restrictions were imposed on the strength of the German army and the same thing happened after Germany’s defeat in 1945. Japan suffered similar penalties, but today, Japan is increasing its military strength, as China builds its defense structures.
NATO seems to have exhausted its war ability after the Libyan campaign. Europe is mired in economic morass. Amidst these interlocking circles of misery, desperation is manifesting in international diplomacy.
The US Baruch plan was rejected by the Soviets, which set in motion active diplomatic efforts to regulate the arms trade and manufacture.
In recent years, Russo-American diplomatic relations have been subjected to NIET responses.
There is need for a World Conference on Peace and Security.
The influence of China and Russia , their new solidarity and internationalism reminds me of the old Komsomol song: “Goroda gde ya zuvial nakatori taskaval… Mu na krau zimli predem, mu pastroem pervi dom ukatorix nasvaniya niet.”
TO THE WORLD CONFERENCE ON PEACE, WE MARCH!!!
THE PRINCE OF PEACE WILL PRESIDE.
