Birth Pangs of a New World Disorder

Survival of the fittest

"The urge to domination is nearly a constant of human history.

However, archaeologists and anthropologists have not discovered any evidence of warfare during the Paleolithic era.... The consensus among archaeologists and anthropologists seems to be that cave people were too busy trying to survive and care for an entire group of people to indulge in warfare.

There are even skeletal remains of handicapped people who were obviously taken care of by the rest of the group. Of course, populations were sparse, land and territory were not an "issue" in hunter-gatherer societies, since land "ownership" was not a concept then.

Later, when an agrarian existence came into being, and "ownership" of land became an issue, along with resources to grow crops and have places for livestock to graze, then warfare became part of the lives of human beings - and continued to be more commonplace as human beings "evolved."

When it comes to art work and tools from the ancient past, it seems that people of the paleolithic era were far more civilized than present-day human beings. They had cooperative hunts that enabled the greatest number of them to survive to produce young, and feed, clothe and care for an entire group, and that's reflected in cave paintings and weaponry designed to kill animals for food, but not weapons to kill each other.

As the world becomes increasingly over-populated, humans have devolved into less civilized beings. Not only do we kill each other, but we kill off other species and make whole regions uninhabitable with our waste products and our pollution at alarming rates, disrupting the balance once sustained by Mother Nature.

That's a sad commentary on our species."

Re: Parthian

Well said Parthian. I don't have any problem with criticising any country's policies, but only if it is in a balanced way. One cannot focus and concentrate only on the US while negleting the wrong doings of Russia for example.

The Polish people have the right to choose to join or not to join NATO. They have chosen to join. What business does anyone else has to mandate a choice for the Polish people?

Yes Reality...

No one, or no nation is above criticism. United States has done some terrible things, and is currently screwing up other things as well. This is not the point here. This guy is not discussing U.S' screw ups. The topic here is world chaos, and more specifically the events in Georgia. I have a problem with people like Daniel, they are not genuine, they make their names by being in a perpetiual state of criticizing United States. It is really easy to do that, and it seems to make your popular, but in most instances there is little substance to this guy's writing. They seem to have a wet dream every time United States does something in the world, because they know they will find a way of criticizing it, and it fulfills their lives. It also seems to be a love/hate relationship with US.

It is completely and utterly absurd to justify Russia's actions, or blame United States for what is happening in Georgia. To become a member of NATO, there are 10-12 countries involved, an application process, and legislative process. This is not something U.S is forcing down people's throat, those countries really want to do this. It is ridiculous to blame NATO's expansion for Russia's actions. This is not a an instance where United States can be blamed.

Are you telling me that just because NATO is expanding, the Russians have the right to use cluster bombs on Gergia's civilians? World Chaos is been around since before humans became humans, suddenly United States is to blame for this too? Overall, United States is been more of a positive force in the world than one creating chaos. Whether US is here, Israel is here or not, the world will be a chaotic place.

Reality?

BK,

Both you and Parthian seem to have missed or are completely ignorant of the points the author is making. Since when exposing negative blow backs of the American foreign policy considered “U.S. bashing”?

When bad decisions are made, everyone including ordinary Americans pay a hefty price for them. U.S. foreign policy especially after 9/11 has been a long laundry list of one screw up after another. You seem to be even strengthening the case the article is making that negating international treaties pushes others to do the same; like Russia now placing a missile defense system of its own in Syria.

Welcome to the jungle.

Great article

Another very well written article.

You made valid points. I am sending this article to many of my friends who are absolutely furious with the hypocrites in the white house and the way they are taking us towards a doomed fate.

Thank you!

IRANdokht

Kashani has no facts

He states: "The reality is that treaty has been violated million times by sneaky governments such as Russia itself, and Iran"--The IAEA has never declared Iran in breach of the NPT.

He also states: "Just yesterday, Syria expressed readiness to host Russian missle defense system. Notwithstanding the fact that it was done after the U.S Polish missile defense, I wish these Iran and U.S hater Iranians, show the least possible amount of decency, and express their objection to this Syrian move. Of course they have none."--The Russian missiles in question are an air defense system. They are a defensive weapon against air attacks and don't have an offensive utility. If either Russia or any other country sells offensive weapons (as both the USSR and US sold offensive weapons to Saddam), then they should be condemned.

However, the US "Star Wars" system has long been considered by US officials to be a potential offensive weapon (link below). If the Polish people want purely defensive weapons, that is a reasonable request and should be entertained.

//query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940...

Can you smell World War III?

A Russian war against Israel?
Your View, August 20th 2008, 2:15 pm

This is a guest post by Marko Attila Hoare

Hezbollah’s secretary-general, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, has reportedly gloated over the Russian crushing of Georgia as a defeat for Israel. ‘[Israeli brigadier-general] Gal Hirsch, who was defeated in Lebanon, went to Georgia and they too lost because of him’, said Nasrallah; ‘Relying on Israeli experts and weapons, Georgia learned why the Israeli generals failed… what happened in Georgia is a message to all those the Americans are seeking to entangle in dangerous adventures.’ This opinion is endorsed by Ali Abunimah of Electronic Intifada, who writes in the Tehran Times : ‘The collapse of the Georgian offensive represents not only a disaster for that country and its U.S.-backed leaders, but another blow to the myth of Israel’s military prestige and prowess.’

Nasrallah is not the only sworn enemy of Israel and the US to feel heartened by the Russian victory. According to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: ‘It is not possible for the United States, which even failed to protect its ally Georgia, to attack Iran. The US could not even protect its own ally. US clout in world politics is decreasing. Moreover, it is in a major economic depression.’ He went on: ’We will see that the US empire will crack and eventually collapse. There is nothing that the US can do against Iran.’

Meanwhile, Moscow is reportedly planning to establish large-scale military, naval and air-bases in Syria, including nuclear-capable Iskander missiles, and to supply previously withheld advanced weapons systems to Iran.

Until the outbreak of the current conflict in the Caucasus, Israel and Georgia had enjoyed close, friendly relations. Israel armed and trained Georgia’s armed forces, apparently supplying Georgia with some $200 million worth of equipment since 2000. Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili, for his part, has been a staunch ally of Israel. As Brenda Shaffer, an expert on the Caucasus at Haifa University, writes in Haaretz : ‘One of the first telephone calls I received from overseas in the summer of 2006, while missiles were showering on Haifa and the north, was from a senior adviser in Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili’s bureau. He said the president had instructed him to call me and say he was willing to fly over immediately to display solidarity with Israel in its hour of need.’

Now, however, Russia appears to have scared Israel away from continued support for Georgia, by the threat of increased military support for Iran and Syria. The Israeli foreign ministry has recommended suspending further military cooperation with Georgia, reportedly on the grounds that ’The Russians are selling many arms to Iran and Syria and there is no need to offer them an excuse to sell even more advanced weapons’, in the words of an Israeli official. This, indeed, was the Russian intention. According to Theodore Karasik, director for research and development at the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis, ‘with immense strategic implications, Russia is also trying to send Israel a clear message that Tel Aviv’s military support for Tbilisi in organizing, training and equipping Georgia’s army will no longer be tolerated… Further, Israel’s interest in Caspian oil and gas pipelines is growing and Russia seeks to stop this activity at this time.’

The failure of the West to respond effectively to the Russian assault on Georgia, and Israel’s retreat before Russia’s threats, are nevertheless likely only to strengthen the confidence of other enemies of the US and Israel, including the regime in Tehran. As Shaffer writes: ‘Tehran is learning from the crisis in the Caucasus. If the U.S. fails to help its ally in Tbilisi, Tehran’s power will increase. On the other hand, serious American activity in Moscow’s back yard would teach Tehran a completely different lesson.’

Quite. Russia has opted to fight a new Cold War against the West, so there is no point in labouring under the delusion that it will join with us to contain the Iranian nuclear threat, while our failure to resist Russia in Georgia is emboldening Iran. To sacrifice Georgia - a loyal ally of Britain, the US and Israel, and the third-largest contributor of allied troops to Iraq - in the naive belief that a sufficient amount of grovelling will dissuade one sworn

//www.hurryupharry.org/2008/08/20/a-russian-w...

Even the most vicious anti

Even the most vicious anti American governments like the former USSR and IRI, praise at least some, maybe couple, of U.S foregin policy achievements. But these lost leftists won't even do that! They're just digging in news to find out what U.S has done so they can write some absurd bashign about it.

The reality is that treaty has been violated million times by sneaky governments such as Russia itself, and Iran, and others, thats its just not valid no more. Just yesterday, Syria expressed readiness to host Russian missle defense system. Notwithstanding the fact that it was done after the U.S Polish missile defense, I wish these Iran and U.S hater Iranians, show the least possible amount of decency, and express their objection to this Syrian move. Of course they have none.  

Russia is no Sovjet Union,

Russia is no Sovjet Union, i.e. a communist country! Therefore, the American new policies towrads Russia are questionable! It is not Russia which is threatening US interests, it is the other way around! With the poor execue of Iranian missile threat towards Europe ... It is sad to see an American President contridict himself by speaking of the soverignty of other nations. Georgian President gambled and lost, he should have known better, his decision to invade south ossetia makes him a poor politician. And as usual innocent people suffered!

Parthian: yours is the true masterpiece

Are you another one of those right-wing U.S. government propagandists of the paid mercenary, "Shabban bi Mokh" ilk? Since when is criticizing U.S. foreign policy a sign of "hating" America. I suppose that criticizing British or Canadian policy would constitute "hating Britain" or "hating Canada", right genius?

Speaking of "selective humanity", where are your crocodile tears for the Ossetians killed when Georgia sparked this war by subjecting the South Ossetian capital city to a barrage of rockets? Both sides have committed atrocities, and I do NOT support what Russia has done. However, the killing and destruction wrought by Russia and Georgia pales in comparison to what the U.S. has done in Iraq (I'm sure you'll find that fact to be "anti-American").

As far as the issue of cluster bombs (for which Russia deserves condemnation), I hope you'll find the information below to be enlightening. Again, I'm sure you will find evidence of a great, "anti-American" conspiracy somewhere in there.

//www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-12-10...

//www.commondreams.org/headlines03/0415-13.ht...

In February 2007, the United States rejected an international call to abandon the use of cluster bombs, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said.

"We ... take the position that these munitions do have a place and a use in military inventories, given the right technology as well as the proper rules of engagement," McCormack said.

Forty-six countries meeting in Oslo on Friday pledged to seek a treaty banning cluster bombs by next year, with major user and stockpiler Britain and manufacturer France signing on, Norway said.

"We, ourselves, have already taken a couple of other steps with regard to technical upgrades to cluster munitions, as well as looking very closely at the rules of engagement, how they are used," said McCormack.

"So it is something that over the course of the years we have looked at very closely. We have taken very seriously the international discussion with respect to the threat posed by unexploded ordnance to innocent civilians," he said.

Japan, Poland and Romania refused to sign the accord, while key nations such as Israel and the United States did not take part in the conference.

The 46 countries agreed to "commit themselves to ... conclude by 2008 a legally binding international instrument that will prohibit the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians," according to the declaration.

A number of leading countries, including Britain and France, had previously said they wanted a ban to be part of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, a process which Norway and a number of other nations consider to be a failure.

A cluster bomb is a container holding hundreds of smaller bomblets. It opens in mid-air and disperses the bomblets over a large area.

The smaller bombs do not always explode on impact, which means they can continue to kill innocent civilians years later.

A recent report by Handicap International claimed that 98 percent of casualties from cluster munitions are non-combatants.

According to Wikipedia:

In the final 72 hours of the war between Israel and Hezballah, Israel dropped over 1,000,000 cluster bombs on Lebanese civilian populated areas. In August 2006, the UN's Mine Action Coordination Center in Tyre, Lebanon raised an alarm over the post-conflict impact on returning civilians of unexploded cluster bombs used by Israel against Lebanese civilian occupied village areas. Israel has not provided maps to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and Israel's refusal to cooperate with the U.N has further caused diplomatic tension. Israel used cluster bombs in Lebanon in 1978 and in the 1980s.

Since the war in 2006 nearly 300 Lebanese civilians have been killed, a small number of the people killed include UN peacekeepers stationed in Lebanon.

Once again, Fred is lying

Iran's nuclear program is not "illegal"; the IAEA has never found Iran to be in breach of the NPT.

Judge she made me do it

In justification of Islamist republic’s illegal dual purpose full cycle twenty year long clandestine nuclear activity NIAC/CASMII lobbyist says: “America’s persistent devotion to these hypocritical double standards is actually hastening the emergence of a new world disorder by forcing other countries to pull out of international treaties that put limits on nuclear arms.”

Another masterpiece (BS)

Another one of those leftist, America-hating, one sided shallow analysis by those who hate America, yet continue to live in the country.

Poland was not pressured to accept this, Poland saw what happened to Georgia, and all those miserable, dark memories came back. Unlike you who enjoy the freedom of US, those folks lived in darkness of tyranny of communism for many decades. They are scared. Talk to the Ukranians, Lithuanians, Latvians, they all hate Russia for they know the animal better than anyone else. I bet Ukraine will join NATO in a heartbeat now just to repel Russian aggression. This is not US fault. Those countries wishes, and interest should not be sacrificied because your papa over there in Russia might get mad.

Meanwhile, I am still waiting for your selective humanity, and human values to kick in to condemn the Russians for using cluster bombs on Georgian civilians, and occupying Georgia's proper.

Another masterpiece (BS)

Another one of those leftist, America-hating, one sided shallow analysis by those who hate America, yet continue to live in the country.

Poland was not pressured to accept this, Poland saw what happened to Georgia, and all those miserable, dark memories came back. Unlike you who enjoy the freedom of US, those folks lived in darkness of tyranny of communism for many decades. They are scared. Talk to the Ukranians, Lithuanians, Latvians, they all hate Russia for they know the animal better than anyone else. I bet Ukraine will join NATO in a heartbeat now just to repel Russian aggression. This is not US fault. Those countries wishes, and interest should not be sacrificied because your papa over there in Russia might get mad.

Meanwhile, I am still waiting for your selective humanity, and human values to kick in to condemn the Russians for using cluster bombs on Georgian civilians, and occupying Georgia's proper.

Russia warns of military response to U.S.-Poland missile deal

The United States and Poland signed a deal Wednesday to place a U.S. missile defense base just 115 miles from Russia — a move followed swiftly by a

new warning from Moscow of a possible military response.

//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080820/ap_on_re_eu/po...

Agreed, esfandiar

I wouldn't call it "desperate", more like business as usual. They need some excuse for the massive corporate welfare program that calls itself "missile defense".

Another disaster in the U.S. foreign policy

Signing this deal with Poland, in defiance of the 1972 treaty, is a clear sign of desperation of the U.S administration, and another step toward further international isolation. It is going to take decades, if not more, before international communities reestablish their trust in U.S. commitments at global level.