News
Consequences of U.S. Cold War mentality destructive to world
By Zhong Sheng, People’s Daily
A large demonstration was recently staged in Belgrade, capital of Serbia to protest the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia 23 years ago, which was executed without the U.N. Security Council approval and lasted for 78 days.
NATO’s war crime will never be forgotten by the Serbians, the Chinese, or the people in the rest of the world.
The U.S. and the NATO have waged a number of wars in the past decades, tearing countries and regions in different parts of the world apart. These wars demonstrated to all peace-loving people around the globe that the U.S., which is obsessed with Cold War mentality, as well as the U.S.-led NATO, is the biggest source of turbulences in the world.
Since the outbreak of the Ukraine crisis, the NATO has purported to be a guardian of peace, order and morality.. It positions itself as an ultimate decision-maker of international affairs, provokes confrontation, and threatens other countries to pick a side with sanctions, so as to reach its geostrategic goals.
However, it’s self-evident who initiated the most ferocious international security conflict in the post-Cold War era. An international political analyst believes that the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is a result of U.S. conspiracies and interference.
According to a political dignitary, the conflict could have been avoided if NATO had heeded the warnings from among its own leaders and officials over the years that its eastward expansion would increase regional instability..
The arbitrary decision of the U.S.-led NATO to move its so-called line of defense for collective security to the borders of Russia and Ukraine has directly turned down the opportunity to settle the Russia-Ukraine conflict through negotiations and led to a war between the two countries.
“We say we’re a peaceful nation. Why do our leaders always keep us at war?” That’s a very good question once raised by The Washington Post in one of its articles.
The U.S. always talks about peace, but it is indeed marching along the opposite path – wars. It’s a country that’s addicted to wars, and the American history is exactly a history of wars, which is a fact recognized by the international society. It is indicated by the photos posted by many people on social media of how their countries look like after U.S. bombings, as well as the miserable stories of themselves and their families in the wars launched by the U.S.
According to U.S. website War History Online, America has been at war 93 percent of the time since it was founded in 1776. After the World War II, Uncle Sam extended the tentacles of interference to the whole world, and became even more unscrupulous after the Cold War ended. A study by professor Monica Duffy Toft of international politics at Tufts University showed that the U.S. was engaged in 46 military interventions from 1948 to 1991, and the number more than quadrupled to 188 between 1992 and 2017. It’s fair to say that there was a trace of the country in almost every conflict that happened.
The U.S.-based magazine Foreign Policy once pointed out that the U.S. may feel an impulse to start a foreign war as long as it is deemed necessary, and as for the terrible humanitarian disasters resulting from these foreign wars, they will be borne by others.
American historian Alan Brinkley recorded in the book American History that during the Vietnam War, the U.S. military carpet-bombed Vietnamese villages, tore down buildings with bulldozers, and wiped out fields and forests with chemical agents, killing two million civilians and forced over three million refugees to flee their homes.
Furthermore, the U.S.-led NATO employed depleted uranium weapons, which are banned by international treaties, in bombing Yugoslavia, and caused long-term negative impacts on Serbia’s environment and people’s health. Following the 9/11 attacks, the U.S. successively launched wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, leading to regional turbulences and spillover of security threats.
According to Smithsonian, the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution, the U.S. launched military actions in the name of “counter-terrorism” in around 40 percent of the countries on the globe after 2001. The Costs of War project at Brown University indicated that these so-called “counter-terrorism” wars have killed over 800,000 people and displaced more than 38 million. The refugee problem that has plagued Europe for years was indeed to a large extent caused by the warlike nature of the U.S.
The U.S. has devolved into a destroyer, and Washington is obsessed with armed forces rather than building peace, according to Stephen Wertheim, Deputy Director of Research and Policy at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.
Repeatedly provoking conflicts and wars, showing indifference to peace talks, and even trying to protract the conflict, the U.S. has fully revealed that to protect global and regional peace and stability is never a priority in its strategy. What matters most to the country is its dominance in the international landscape, especially in the so-called “superpower game.”
The above point is well explained by the Ukraine crisis: what makes the U.S.-led NATO contain Russia is the White House’s intention to take dominance on the issue of European security.
We live in the 21st century, but the U.S. is still reluctant to abandon the outdated zero-sum games. The warlike U.S. is the largest destroyer of international order, and is in no position to play a guardian of peace.
Super Eagles head coach Éric Chelle has defended his decision to hand opportunities to several new players during the Unity Cup and the international friendly against Poland, saying the move is part of efforts to strengthen the national team.
According to DAILY POST, Chelle included eight home-based players in his squad for the Unity Cup invitational tournament as he continues to assess new talents capable of improving the team.
Players such as Femi Azeez, Owen Oseni, Arthur Okonkwo, and Rafiu Durosinmi all made their debut appearances during the competition.
Banik Ostrava defender Abdullahi Bewene also earned his first cap for the Super Eagles in the friendly against Poland, while Genk defender Christian Akpan received a late invitation for the upcoming friendly against Portugal.
Speaking to the Super Eagles media team, Chelle said the inclusion of fresh faces is aimed at raising the quality and competitiveness of the squad.
“We have analysed our game over the past year and have tried to bring in players who can help the team grow,” Chelle said.
“We need to improve because, for me and for everyone, it is often the smallest details that make the difference between being the best team and winning a trophy.”
The Malian tactician has continued to experiment with his squad since taking charge, with a focus on building a stronger and more competitive team ahead of future international competitions.
Ehiozuwa Agbonayinwa, an aspirant for the Edo South Senatorial seat under the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has expressed deep frustration over his experience in the party, describing his defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the NDC as “moving from the frying pan into hellfire.”
Speaking on Arise News’ News Day programme on Friday, the former member of the House of Representatives alleged that despite winning the party’s senatorial primary election, he is now being prevented from appearing on the ballot.
Agbonayinwa further accused the NDC’s national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, of reneging on earlier encouragement for him to contest the Senate seat on the party’s platform. According to him, Dickson personally persuaded him to purchase the party’s expression of interest and nomination forms, only to later deny ever doing so.
“I have moved from the frying pan into hellfire,” Agbonayinwa said.
“After efforts to reach a consensus failed, we proceeded to a direct primary election. Party leaders brought all the aspirants together and encouraged us to step down for one another, but no agreement was reached.
“We went through a rigorous process. I understand the party is relatively new, but in all my years in both the APC and PDP, I have never witnessed this kind of situation. The primary election was held on May 29, and as of June 5, the results have still not been officially announced.”
The former lawmaker said he was particularly disappointed by the role allegedly played by Dickson, whom he described as a longtime friend and respected associate.
“Before joining the NDC, I reached out to Senator Seriake Dickson and later visited him at his residence. During our discussion, he asked why I could not pursue a Senate seat under the NDC platform.
“At the time, I was considering contesting for the House of Representatives, but after his suggestion, I told him I would consult with my political leaders. After doing so, I informed him of my decision and thanked him. To my surprise, the same person who encouraged me to obtain the nomination form has now claimed he never made such a recommendation,” he stated.
Agbonayinwa maintained that the handling of the primary election process has left him frustrated and disillusioned, raising concerns about transparency and internal democracy within the NDC.
A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Anthony Ehilebo, has expressed concern over the worsening security situation in Nigeria, alleging that some individuals now view insecurity as a profitable enterprise.
Speaking on News Central’s Politics HQ on Friday, Ehilebo said the failure of authorities to bring perpetrators of major terrorist attacks and kidnappings to justice has contributed to the continued spread of insecurity across the country.
He cited the abduction of schoolgirls in Borno State and the attack on students in Buni Yadi as examples of incidents in which those responsible have not been adequately held accountable.
“When Boko Haram kidnapped girls in Borno State, till today we have not found those responsible and held them to account. Buni Yadi happened and nobody was held to account, and it spread to other schools,” he said.
Ehilebo noted that insecurity in Nigeria has evolved into different dimensions, including terrorism driven by extremist ideology and criminal activities motivated by financial gain.
“There are multiple facets and there is one that is solely domiciled within terrorism and if you look at the literal translation of Boko Haram, it means western education is haram according to radical Islamic teachings,” he stated.
He also alleged that some people now engage in kidnapping and related crimes for economic reasons, citing a recent case involving a senior special assistant in a state government who was reportedly arrested for allegedly staging her own abduction in an attempt to obtain ransom from the government.
“It has now become an industry and a commercial venture for some and for some it has become literally a religious thinking process,” he said.
The PDP chieftain argued that the lack of consequences for criminal acts has encouraged the persistence of insecurity, stressing that stronger political will is required to address the challenge effectively.
“The bottom line that has kept this is the consequence, which is almost driven by political will,” he added.
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