The World Today

By: jagtish rajendran If you tip through the newspapers nowadays, it would be a miracle not to see articles concerning wars, natural disasters, famines, diseases or pollution. All these gives indication that the world is going towards destruction. For those who are unaware, let us have a glimpse at the world today. Wars are very common these days. They have been happening since the Roman days and there seem to be no cure for these deadly wars. In recent years, thousands of people have died in the Iran-Iraq, more in the Gulf war and people are still dying in Yugoslavia, South Africa and Sri Lanka. There are many reasons for wars but the main culprit is human greed. People are never satisfied with what they have and always want more and would try to obtain them by hook or by crook from others. When this happen, argument arises and bit by bit it escalates into a war. Natural disasters are also common features in the newspapers. Earthquakes, floods, typhoons and tornadoes strike populates areas without warning and cause heavy loss of lives and property. These disasters often happen in very poor countries like Bangladesh and Philippines and worsen the economic situation in those countries. Other poor countries like Somalia and Ethiopia are attacked by famine. In these countries, thousands of people die of hunger and malnutrition. To add to the woes of the people, incurable deadly diseases also cause concern. Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a disease that attacks thousands rampantly and there is no cure for the disease. This means thousands of helpless people die from this disease. Lack of environmental concern also causes problems. The polluted substances dumped onto the atmosphere by humans deplete the ozone layer and when the layer is punctured, thousands of people can die of radiation.

Why all do these incidents happen? There are cases that can be avoided such as wars, diseases and environmental problems. These problems can be reduced if each one of us became more responsible for the world and the people who dwell in it. Those who craze for power and wealth need to be more considerate about others who get crushed along the way because of their deeds. Natural disasters cannot be stopped but they can be monitored and proper precautions can be taken to reduce to avoid death. One thing is for sure. If people do not start realizing the path along which the world is going right now, it is going to be late.