The 298 passengers of the Malaysia Airlines flight that was shot down in Ukrainian skies could not imagine that their trip from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur would end that way.
Most of them probably did not even realize what happened to them.
They lost their lives without a clue, because they happened to fly near a war zone.
They have been documented as collateral damage in a merciless war for the control of contested land after the crisis in Crimea.
And even worse, as collateral damage of a disturbed and unbalanced world, which has yet to find its balance 25 years after the history-changing events of 1989.
Until then the competition of the two superpowers brought some balance on a geopolitical, financial and social level.
With the domination of one superpower some thinkers, such as Japan’s Francis Fukuyama, enthusiastically spoke of “the end of History”, suggesting that the world would move forward as one and everything would sort itself out.
Indeed, after the end of the cold war and the American domination, the homogenization of the world was attempted. The liberalization of the economies and trade, the deregulation of market became global targets that were gradually adopted by almost all countries on the planet.
Around 2000 the aforementioned pursuits and goals created the environment or rather the conditions of what was called globalization.
Earlier though, in 1993, we had the unfinished war in Iraq against Saddam Hussein, which left many open wounds in the greater Middle East and Asia.
As soon as states and nations managed to regroup, we had hot fronts in the Caucasus, Yugoslavia and Afghanistan; control was completely lost in Africa and after a point the isolationism of states such as Iran and North Korea was increased.
The global wave of change gradually benefited religious and other conservative ideas, it supported separatist movements and – worst of all – it allowed fanatic and obsessive communities to cultivate hate and to act in a completely aggressive and unorthodox way for the West.
That is how we came to the coordinated airplane attack against the Twin Towers in New York, symbols of the USA’s hegemony, causing a global shock. After that terrorist attack we had the invasion of Afghanistan and the second and final war against Saddam Hussein.
The situation has not calmed down since then. Even the liberal movements in North Africa and the Middle East were consumed over the course of time and lead to even worse conditions than before they emerged. Currently, a few years after the expulsion of Gaddafi, Libya is going through a terrifying civil war, from it is uncertain if it will emerge united.
Egypt also seems to be culturally divided and has no hopes of surviving. Violence and conflict will follow for many years to come.
Syria is also experiencing a tragic long-term civil war and there are no guarantees for its territorial integrity. The jihadi caliphate established to the east of the country will threaten Syria for years to come. Baghdad will also feel the same threat.
Likewise, the Kurds in Iraq believe that the time has come for them to become a legitimate state, Iran’s role is upgraded, the government in Kabul will always be under threat from the Taliban, Western Pakistan will continue to be critical for fanatic Taliban and in all this violent mess, Israel will not hesitate to begin military operations against Hamas and the Palestinians.
Despite all this, those promoting the idea of a Levantine globalization insist that by force and money the area will change and the Islamic zone extending from Mauritania to Pakistan will become the main feeder of global growth over the next few decades, since eastern customs and wealth fit the culture of the next globalization.
They believe that the timeless “divide and conquer” doctrine will prevail over time and we are heading in that direction.
The affiliation with Iran is indicative, the use of refined Mullahs to appease North Korea stands out and the use of Russian diplomatic skills in the Syrian crisis is even more interests, despite the complications in the Ukrainian crisis and the heinous crime of shooting down the Malaysian aircraft.
Meanwhile it is interesting to note the Chinese penetration in Africa, Latin America and Europe – Greece in particular; just like the initiatives of the BRICS group to create new financial institutions to serve their interests, similar to how the IMF and World Bank serve the interests of the USA and Europe respectively.
The world may appear to be crazy, unbalanced, disturbed, but it seems that the financial goals are stronger and ultimately they are in charge. The pursuit of establishing new economic zones is dominant and irreversible. This will inform the action of the planet’s powerful. Until then though, we should be prepared for more collateral loses like in Donetsk and Gaza.
Antonis Karakousis
