A History of Violence

Casting ones eye over European politics of the twentieth century with a layman's view of history, one sees a change from larger scale conflict to more domestic squabbles. When one thinks of the polarisation of the European powers on two separate occasions in the first half of the twentieth century it seems the conclusion must be that we have 'worn ourselves out' and are now concentrating solely on the imperialist style aims that have always gone hand in hand with state rivalry. The amount of energy expended to keep the public in the dark to what is really going on has increased due to the proliferation of global means of dissemination of information such as the internet (this informing of the general public en masse seems to have begun with the advent of the printing press and the accompanying concept of pamphleteering). A large amount of money and time also goes into keeping subject states in line with the wishes Western powers have for them. But given the relatively short time span that the European power dynamic has taken to change it is conceivable that a new stable power bloc could emerge in the next few decades, with the assistance of a growing lobby of global moral conscience. Attempts to form such alliances rival to that of the Western powers have so far been scuppered by sponsored coups or assassinations, but if the eyes of the world watch closely with a new awareness of the underhand dealings of the secret service etc it is possible. I await with interest the developments in both the Middle East and in South and Central America.