Civilization and Beyond: Learning from HistoryNearing, Scott
History
Civilization and Beyond: Learning from History
Nearing, Scott
Civilization -- History
This brings us face to face with one of the most important problems
facing mankind at the present moment. Given the worldwide revolution of
the past two centuries, what changes--political, economic, sociological
and ideological--must be made to prepare the way for the new society and
shift the family from the old homestead to the new apartment with a
minimum of pain and a maximum of satisfaction?
CHAPTER TWELVE
TALKING PEACE AND WAGING WAR
Blatant contradictions disorganized human life after war's end in 1945.
In the crucial area of war and peace three groups were bidding for
attention: dedicated peace partisans (peacenicks); nationalist
enthusiasts waging wars of liberation; and massive semi-official and
official nationalistic groups busily preparing for the next big war.
Occasionally these groups joined hands on "hot" issues. Generally they
were far apart. Often they were in active opposition.
Dedicated peace advocates were an important factor in this post-war
period. They had been vocal and influential in July, 1914 immediately
before the outbreak of the first general war. They had continued to play
an active role between the first and second general wars. In the autumn
of 1972 the World Peace Council called together a peace assembly in
Moscow representing significant elements from 143 countries. The largest
single element in the World Peace Council was the Socialist bloc, headed
by the Soviet Union.
Peace advocates mobilized wide public support for the "no more war"
movement that developed during the closing months of the 1914-18 war;
for the Briand-Kellogg Treaty of 1928 which renounced war as an
instrument of policy; for the effort to secure general disarmament that
resulted in the General Disarmament Conference of 1933 and for the
United Nations Charter of 1945.
Official declarations in favor of disarmament and peace had been
paralleled by the organization of unofficial peace committees and
societies in western Europe, in the Americas and in the socialist
countries.
Peace efforts had been strengthened by the outbreak of local
wars--between India and Pakistan, between Israel and the Arab League; by
wars of independence and liberation in Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, North
Africa.
Much of the public backing for the peacenicks came from student groups
in official and private high schools, colleges and universities.
Nationalist liberation movements were active in settled communities such
as Ireland and Canada's Province of Quebec. There were less established
movements in newly liberated restless ex-colonies and remaining colonies
of the chief European empires, of Japan and of the United States. The
widely advertised World Peace Council turned more and more from general
advocacy of peace, such as the Stockholm Peace Petition, to the support
of liberation movements among colonials and supressed minor
nationalities.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account