Will Europe’s Past be Asia’s Future?
In the eighteenth century, Europe created upheaval and fanned the flames of three major wars till the world became unipolar. Now if we compare the past with the present then the Asia Pacific may be considered a new war theatre because many developing nations like India and China are emerging in Asia. Along with this United States of America (USA) considers China’s growth as a menace to its hegemony. So the point is will Asia forget the massive destructions of bloody wars in past and follow the footsteps of Europe or will it choose to be a pacifist? If nations opt to be optimistic and learn from the past then there could be many reasons to evade war.
Firstly due to globalization, economic interdependence around the globe has created a wasted interest of nations in other nations’ economies. According to some estimates, the US owes China approximately $1.06 trillion as of January 2022 and the withdrawal of those will seriously devalue the US currency. On the other hand, according to the estimates of the World Bank 35% of China’s GDP is dependent on foreign trade which means conflict between them can cease the growth or even destroy their economies.
Secondly, Asia will not be ripe for rivalry as was Europe because of its unique geographical features such as the Himalayan mountain range which separates the Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia.
Thirdly, Asians follow the culture of collectivism and according to Samuel Huntington both “European-type hegemonic wars” and “European style balancing of power” are absent from Asia. He suggests that with the rapid rise of China, other nations must have to choose between “power balanced at the price of conflict” or “peace secured at the price of hegemony”. Western societies might opt for power balancing but history and culture strongly suggest that Asia will go for peace and hegemony.
Iqra Memon
From Online
Save Buriganga from Plastic Pollution
A report published a few years ago stated how the Buriganga River became toxic due to plastic waste, and how all the living creatures in the river are dying due to plastic pollution. The hazardous elements emitted through plastic pollution can cause various chronic diseases in humans, including cancer.
Therefore, it is necessary to limit our use of plastics, increase the production of jute products to be used instead of plastics, raise public awareness about the issue and enforce the laws enacted by the government.
Mahmudul Haq Hasan
Dhaka College
