Historians often cite the Cold War as a pinnacle of diplomatic tension. Certainly, people thought that the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union was a scary memory. Now imagine a world in which nearly all of the nation-states are engaged in an arms race. Add a sprinkle of mass destruction to this mix of global military proliferation, and one will indubitably see the folly of what is cooking. Unfortunately, this hypothetical world is ours, we are its inhabitants, and the hypothetical is not so hypothetical.
World military spending has nearly doubled since 1996, reaching an astonishing $1.7 trillion dollars in 2011. As global military expenditures increase, so does the possibility of war. Although diplomacy necessitates an appearance of amicability, each country is scrambling to compile a deadlier arsenal than its neighbour. This situation is similar to a standoff, in which three people each hold a gun to another's head. For the sake of having a stake in the game, none of them would put down his guns. Similar reasoning is behind a country's choice to participate in the current proliferation of military activity. Yet ironically, if the parties involved in the standoff persist, the only foreseeable outcome is mutually assured destruction.
The existence of nuclear weapons makes this possibility a feasible reality. Such technology would allow a single country to destroy the world a few times over. Yet, even the achievement of such devastating power would not halt the military expansion of some nation-states. Indeed for some, military power is defined by how many times over it can destroy the world. When that definition becomes a standard, then the world is in real danger. We are human, and by condition prone to making mistakes and repeating them. The only exception here is that when we make a mistake, the result could be nuclear in scale. In this race to the top, the participants would be racing to the bottom.
In order to avoid an early apocalypse, we must eliminate war. The only way to make war extinct is to instill a greater sense of trust and respect into members of this global community. A set of universal laws should be made and enforced by a central tribunal. This set of laws is meant to foster an atmosphere of trust. Firstly, nation-states must replace standing armies with defensive forces in reserve. This is to show other countries that it poses no threat. Secondly, offensive weapons such as Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles and nuclear war-heads must be destroyed. Such an act shows other countries of one country's sincerity and commitment to peace. Moreover, a nation-state's annual defence spending must not exceed ten percent of its GDP. Lastly, the developed countries must put 8% of their country's GDP towards an International Development Fund. When put into practice, this plan would eliminate the capacity for war, ensuring that the folly of unhindered military spending be not repeated again.
Some assembly required.
