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Last updated: Oct 2018

mmahindro@yahoo.com

Essay on
World’s worst crimes against humanity like wars,
human right violations, and environmental
pollution were committed, and are still being
committed in the name of ‘national interest’- To
what extent it is true- please discuss?

Outline:
1. Introduction
2. It is addressing the question of safeguarding the organized human life on the planet.
3. Is it Nuclear or onslaught of Artificial Intelligence (AI)?
4. Why not nuclear?
5. The role of TNCs in keeping the big powers from going to nuclear annihilation program.
6. Atom as a blessing and good deterrence.
7. Is it global warming/climate change?
8. Why is it difficult to exercise a complete restriction on the use of fossil fuels?
9. Worldwide exploitation of the weaker by the powerful in the name of ‘national interest’?
10. ‘National Interest’ being the most formidable monster to keep the world in continuous clash
and conflict.

The crucial question before all the intellectuals has always remained the survival and
safeguard of organized human life on this planet. There have been two imminent threats to human
survival since the mid-20th century onward as Noam Chomsky says. No.1 The nuclear threat and
No. 2 Global warming. Artificial Intelligence is threatening human jobs through the robots, but
the bigger than this could be the threat of use of AI in weapon system automation particularly the
‘Automated detection system’ of enemy’s attack. In case of any positive signal, the country has to
respond in minutes. If the system fails and gives wrong signals of attack, then one can imagine the
level of disaster if the response has to be in the nuclear form. Therefore the use of AI in the weapon
system could be dangerous and has to be taken care of.
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The question as Noam Chomsky puts, “whether organized human life will ever survive not in
the distant future?” The question has been put given the fact that man has achieved the capacity to
destroy everything. It has nuclear arsenals in such a number that job of the destruction of the world
is just one foolish decision away. According to him if we have so far survived the nuclear age is
due to luck and divine intervention. I believe such stupid things were possible in the early second
half of the last century when TNCs were not that much stronger as these are at present. They have
become mightier than nations. They finance the election campaigns of the big powers hence are in
a position of influencing the legislators and policy/decision makers. They have trillion dollars
business/investment spread all around the globe. The real ownership of global power is in their
hands they own the world economy. Only controlled wars are in their interest and not the nuclear
ones hence I believe such wars will not see the light of the day. It doesn’t mean that nuclear
weapons will not be made any more or the world would be made nuclear-free. These will be made
to act as a good deterrence against any perceived aggression and also to strengthen the bargaining
position during conflicts.

Additionally, we have seen that the atomic bomb was used in 1945 by America against Japan.
It was so because Japan was not an atomic power at that time, even not any other country on the
plant. That was the factor which invoked the convenience of America to drop it. Had there been
such device with Japan this would not have happened. That is the reason even after the lapse of
more than 72 years atomic bomb has not been used up till now whereas the number of bombs is
running into thousands at the moment, and many times more destructive in the form of hydrogen
bombs. Moreover, there have been so many serious encounters both proxy and direct between the
superpowers like USA and USSR during the cold war era and even afterward. Because the atomic
belligerents cannot sign on their any mutual destruction program.

As regards the governments, the most critical threat to them would be practicing of the brutal,
oppressive, and non-democratic form of government. All such governments are supposed to perish.
In the words of Abraham Lincoln, only those governments will survive which are of the people,
by the people, and for the people.

Ever-increasing mean temperatures are being observed all over the world. For instance,
during the summers of 2018 Tokyo for the first time observed 40 degree Celsius, and 125 people
died as a result if heat wave associated with it. Briefly speaking out planet is one degree Celsius
hotter than the preindustrial age. Greenhouse gases (mostly Carbon dioxide and Methane)
emissions are still going up despite the measures taken up till now to reduce the same, so is the
investment in oil and gas. Since climate-friendly power generation via nuclear sources is
expensive, therefore we observed an increase in overall demand for coal during 2017. Energy
consumption in the emerging economies of Asia particularly of China, ASEAN, and India rose to
40% during 2006-2016, and the use of coal and oil increased by around 3% annually.

According to Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), “Climate

change will curb global GDP by 1.5% on average and almost 6% in South and South-East Asia
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before 2060 unless increases in CO2 emissions are curbed”. There is also a strong apprehension
that CO2 emissions are less likely to be curbed as the production engines of the world particularly
China, India, and the USA are reluctant to stop usage of their substantial coal deposits.
Afforestation of the Amazon basin, Congo basin rain forests does not seem to keep pace with the
ongoing deforestation. No doubt battery operated Tesla electric cars will go a long way in
decreasing the dependence on fossil fuels, but the impact on the emission of greenhouse gases
would not be that much significant.

As per the research carried out by the scientist of North Carolina, the USA there would be a
39 inches rise in sea level due to the melting of polar ice sheets and glaciers by the end of the
current century. This may result in inundation of many coastal cities hence a significant threat to
human survival.

The Paris climate talks and agreement was to address the issue of global warming by forging
a verifiable and binding treaty on the carbon emissions by the members, but due to American
interference, the agreement remained at the advisory level as a binding treaty was not going to
have the approval of Republican Congress Party leadership. Since it lacked the binding
enforcement mechanism, therefore, there is the likelihood that the real objectives of addressing the
issue of global warming would not be realized as expected.

We have seen that with the incoming of president Trump coal companies in America started
opening mines in Ohio, Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia and Alabama. Accordingly, the coal
production in the USA increased from 728 million tons in 2016 to 774 million tons during 2107,
and coal-related job gain was around 900 during the same period. Almost all the domestic coal
consumption was in the power generation sector, but it has also been exporting to China, India,
and Japan. Despite all these developments, there is a general opinion in the USA that the coal
industry is in decline.

China at present is the largest producer and consumer of coal, but its production has been
observed as declining. China ranks third in coal reserves after the USA and Russia. Due to its high
energy requirements, it used to import coal from North Korea, Australia, Indonesia, Russia,
Mongolia, and the USA.

Due to high consumption of coal and other fossil fuels both China and India are in the grip
of smog most phenomenal in Beijing. According to International Energy Outlook 2017 coal-fired
electricity generation in China was more than 72% in 2015. In India, it is more than 76%. It appears
that it will continue for a long time until coal-fired plants are not reduced in sufficient numbers.
And some of the commercial, industrial and financial centers are also not shifted to some other
less congested places or new cities are not built in the periphery of the mega cities. And they switch
over to make use of renewable resources particularly solar panels of which China is the leading
producer.
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Keeping in view the prevailing economic culture both in the developed and developing world
it appears that global warming will continue to increase in the coming at least a quarter century.
This will be due to ever-increasing industrial activity stimulated by the increased demands of the
swelling population coupled with their purchasing power. The race to produce the most
competitive product will continue at every cost. It means profit maximization will prove a big
hurdle in bringing down the CO2 emission. Hence, the problem, in a nutshell, will remain how
much we are willing to sacrifice the economy to save the environment? That means we are going
to lose the war against climate change.

How much this may look a fiction, non-pragmatic, non-realistic, and wishful thinking but this
is a reality that we worship the word, “National interest’ and seldom realize that this world is
singularly responsible in creating havoc and disaster in the world. Just have a glance over the
human history you would agree that maximum bloodshed has occurred in the name of this word,
‘the National interest.’

Look at the two world wars – The Axis and Allied powers fought these wars in the name of
national interest resulting in more than 100 million causalities. During the 19th and 20th century
Imperialist powers colonized the whole world in the name of the national interest. Can you imagine
how many natives were killed in the Latin and Central America 16th century onward by these
colonial powers to put these countries under their control? How many red Indians were shot dead
by the European powers in North America to advance their national interests? How many Africans
were put to death, and put into chains to sell them as slaves in both the Americas in the name of
national interest? How many Koreans, Chinese, and Vietnamese were assaulted by the imperialist
powers during the World War two, and Vietnam war?

Human history is scarred by these tragic episodes carried out so cold-bloodedly by granting
criminal legitimacy to the word of ‘national interest.’ Things have not changed even at present.
Just see what is going on in Syria, Yemen, Libya, Iraq, Myanmar, and at many other places, and
see the human sufferings there – and you would agree that this is being done to serve someone’s
‘national interest.’ Differences and disagreements do arise and are still there, and will be there in
the future too. So will be the difference in color, religion, language, racial background, the values,
and the geographical habitats. The world will remain divided between rich and poor, powerful and
weak but that doesn’t confer any right on the powerful to impose its values or carryout loot and
plunder of the weak just for the reason that it has the power to do so. The difference of opinion,
ideologies, and values could be disagreed but not disrespected and humiliated. Let these be
weighed on the touchstone of rationale and reason. Truth and reality have their own strength and
convincing power. Let it work.

Exploitation in any form and violation of human rights are to be condemned, rejected and
agitated against. Joining hands by all the humanity lovers across the globe via human chain is the
only way to keep the oppressor from crossing limits and to put the monster of ‘National interest’
into chains. Is it not the moral obligation of all of us to pressurize the permanent five and UNO to
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do more on this count? Is it not the time for the ICJ to take Suo moto action in accordance with
the UN charter on human rights? Is it not a stigma on the face of the civilized world with all its
advancement of knowledge, wisdom, and connectivity in this 21st century to see all these things
happening daily and still unable to address human sufferings by establishing a meaningful system
based on justice and fair play? And finally is it not our moral obligation to even stand and condemn
our own respective states if they are involved in exploiting any other nation in the name of
‘National Interest”?

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