Second Cold War In The Making

“A Third World War will make Armageddon be a thing of the past” Comrade Brezhnev of USSR, speaking on the possibility of a Third World War in the near future

It looks as if the clock is ticking back in time. World War 1 started this way. Nations started arming themselves in anticipation of a pre-emptive strike by their perceived enemies. Before one could blink, war broke out between nations and proxy war became the order of the day like what is happening in Syria and Yemen. Fortunately, nations had not developed Weapons of Mass Destruction so the damage was minimal. Even when Weapons of Mass Destruction were not used, millions lost their lives and properties destroyed. More than eighteen million died in that war and twenty three million got wounded

The League of Nations could not hold the world at bay from a Second World War and so World War II broke out. This time around, for the first time in the history of war, America dropped a more devastating atomic bomb on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing thousands of innocent civilians. In that world war, more than eighty million souls were lost, including death from disease-related and famine. The scars of that barbaric attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki are still embedded in the memory of the people of Japan in particular and the world in general. The United Nations Organization which was formed after the Second World War is grappling with the possibly of a Third World War which will be so catastrophic that Armageddon will be a child's play as Comrade Brezhnev predicted.

After the First World War, the League of Nations was formed to see to it that, that type of war does not happened again. As we trudged on, nations started arming themselves secretly. That was the beginning of the Cold War. Then the nuclear race started with a number of nations developing nuclear weapons and dangerous chemical weapons such as, biological, radiological, nuclear, nerve gas, mustard agent, sarin etc. Today, nations like the US, Russia, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, India, UK, North Korea, Syria and a host of them have in their arsenal, a stockpile of Weapons of Mass Destruction. In a nuclear war, these dangerous weapons would be used and the effect will undoubtedly be devastating if not catastrophic.

We are in an era of a second cold war as every nation is arming herself for any eventuality. Recently Kim Jong Un of North Korea served notice that he could destroy the whole US with a press of a button and Donald Trump responded by telling the “Little Rocket Man” that his button is bigger than that of Kim. Trump has also threatened 'fire and fury' if North Korea continue to test her missiles which could reach the shores of the US. Israel has threatened a preemptive strike at Iran because Israel suspects that Iran has crossed the red line as far as the enrichment of uranium is concerned. On the other hand, Iran has also threatened to wipe Israel out of the surface of the world map and the war of words continued unabated between the two nations. Every year the US and South Korea will conduct a joint military drill to flex their muscles while North Korea continue to test her missiles.

The Foreign Secretary of UK, Mr. Boris Johnson has told the world that Russia is stockpiling nerve agents similar to the type used in the attack of Mr. Sergei Scripal and his daughter in Salisbury. The substance used is part of a group of military-grade nerve agents known as Novichok, developed by the Soviet Union. As at the time of writing this piece, Theresa May, the British Prime Minister has expelled more than twenty Russian diplomats from the UK and has threatened more. Russia has also threatened to retaliate at the appropriate time. When issues start to go this way, then the world starts to sit on tenterhooks. What is making the world so dangerous is that when sanctions are applied on pariah nations, they find their way to bust the sanction with the help of other nations.

Currently, the most dangerous nation that can trigger a Third World War is North Korea. This secretive communist nation is alleged to have been supplying Syria with nuclear technology and Syria has been accused of poisoning its own people. Meanwhile the poor folks of North Korea are starving. Gradually the UN is becoming a toothless bulldog that can only bark. For example, when the world body met and ordered Assad to stop the bombardment of Easting Ghutta for humanitarian aid to reach the besieged city, Assad defied the order but nothing was done to him. After all, Russia is backing that barbarous regime.

HOW WILL AFRICA SURVIVE A COLD WAR?
This is a multi-million dollar question which can only be answered with time. In fact, I shudder to broach this topic because I am yet to see any Africa nation developing any Weapon of Mass Destruction or even a bomb. When the late Colonel Ghaddaffi tried to develop one, he was stopped in his tracks. So when the UN fails like the League of Nations did and a Third World War erupts, Africa will be losers. I wonder if Africans would be able to afford a gas mask to protect themselves when a mustard agent is dropped from the air. The truth is that we will all die like flies.

During a cold war, nations prefer to keep weapons they develop a top secret. After all, a man's best weapon is his secret. Africa will have nothing to hide and we will have to only fold our arms, awaiting Armageddon. But come to think of this: where is the Non Aligned Movement (NAM)? Is it defunct or still active? This was a movement formed by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah and his compatriots during the last cold war but sadly it has been a long time since I heard of the movement. The movement is a group of states that are not formally aligned with or against any major bloc. The purpose of the organization was to ensure the national independence, sovereignty and security of non-aligned countries. If the group is still alive then they should wake up from their slumber because the world is taking a U-turn as far as security is concerned.

When it came to fiery presidents of America as far as cigar smoking is concerned, Ulysses Grant stole the show during his time. He smoke twenty cigars a day to keep him calm. And you know his favorite cigar? It is called Panetela. So excuse me while I do my own thing with a stick of Panetela.

By Eric Bawah