As Russian President Vladimir Putin pushed his distorted views on the Ukraine Crisis over the course of 2014, this writer, among others including US Security of State John Kerry, recognized the Russian government was acting with the mentality of a Nineteenth Century power.
The brutal, cruel mentalities of terrorist groups like the Islamic State and Boko Haram are equivalent to that of US slave owners in the Antebellum Era and rulers of the Dark Ages. Under such worldviews, the old adage “might makes right” thoroughly dictates the rules of war and everyday life. In terms of modern day thinking, there are no civil liberties or human rights. The power elite make all the rules and those who fail to follow them are punished with often-irrational violence and cruelty. People are seen as objects to be treated as those who can force their might onto others see fit.
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When “that didn’t work before” is constantly the response to all options on the table, it is time to find a different approach. The first place to start is where others have been successful. It is, however, more important to understand why an idea may have been successful and when it might fail. This is especially true when it comes to building an economy and community.
In response to the so-called Freddie Gray riots, narratives pointing to Baltimore’s longtime struggling economy have started to emerge as a means of explaining the massive civil unrest. It is argued that Baltimore needs more upper Middle Class individuals to build to a self-sustaining economic revival. Where New York is a hub for international commerce and Washington, DC feeds off government spending, Baltimore lacks an economic base capable of supporting a strong consumer economy. TPP, NAFTA, and other blanket free trade agreements deleverage American workers and businesses while undermining US economic sovereignty. Despite what short-term benefits the Peoples and economies of poorer countries receive from free trade, they face the same costs in the long-term.
After all, free trade and the overall liberalization of the global economy are supposed to “free” global markets from government control, which means further empowering the economically influential, i.e. wealth individuals, corporations, and business-like governments such as that of China. Inside the United States, Democrats have offered backlash against President Obama’s pursuit of TPP. Of course, they may well have reached a political compromise that would allegedly provide greater enforcement mechanisms against so-called currency manipulation. Unfortunately, the political consequences do not matter. Next to Syria, Columbia has the second largest number of internally displaced individuals with that number growing by 300,000 annually since 2000. Unfortunately, civil war perpetrated by the FARC rebels has driven instability, terrorism, and an illegal drug industry in Columbia since 1964. From Syria to Ukraine, the inability to resolve the armed conflict offers valuable insights.
When solving a problem, it is wise to find an example where a solution has had success then examine where it has succeeded and where it has fallen short. Not only has Columbia’s economy grown by about 4% for the past four years and various Columbian industries blossomed over the past decades, the number of FARC rebels has been steadily declining. May 9th is Victory Day. With 11 million people forced from their homes due to conflict in 2014 alone and that number only expected to grow, the Peoples of the world need a victory. Targeting the country with the largest number of internally displaced persons, recent developments in the Syrian Civil War offer a chance to give the world a victory over extremism and tyrannical government.
It is first important to recognize the Assad regime started the Civil War by attacking peaceful protesters while sustaining the conflict by continuing attacks on areas populated by civilians. Consequently, the Syrian Civil War will not end unless the Assad regime is subdued. |
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April 2020
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