World War III

World War III

Reflections, May 24, 2009jsc

World War Three seems all but inevitable after 2050, given the present course of global human development in the Age of Terrorism. To those who say World War Three is impossible, let the great wars of the last century be our lesson; only after experiencing globally the terror of war unbounded by law, terrorism by any other name, did a war-weary humanity embrace embryonic international law twice last century.

Let us count some of the generally recognized factors in play at the beginning of the 21st century: Within a decade there will be serious shortages of fresh water, striking billions with chronic, pervasive hunger and thirst; at current projections the Arctic ice caps will be gone by 2040 releasing billions of cubic meters of methane gas, ten times stronger than carbon dioxide, will be destroying the ozone layer; the growing gap between the haves and the have-nots will leave an ever-growing majority in the world critically destitute; significant amounts of nuclear bomb material will be unaccounted for; the threat of even more nations wanting nuclear equality. A self-fulfilling prophecy, for surely the vectors of these factors will converge at some point in real space-time. The world will not end, but historians will scribe it as the greatest destruction of civilization ever recorded. Did not Einstein say he did not know what World War III would look like, but foresaw World War IV fought with sticks and stones? The age of terrorism will end, probably sometime before 2050, and if not, a cataclysmic last half of century Twenty One.

All ages end, it is a question of what is left standing. There will be a remnant to carry on.

We were forewarned, and now we can foresee the choice before us: Will humanity take the third step to rule by law before or after World War III? Law or war, in which do we trust?