World Politics 2015: Hoping for voices of reason!

World Politics 2015: Hoping for voices of reason!

by Yvette Estermann, National Councillor SVP (Swiss People’s Party)

As a long-time member of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National Council, I am much concerned about World Peace. Why so? Everything happening anywhere in Europe or in the world ultimately also relates to our country, and I ask myself: Can and will politics solve the existing conflicts peacefully, or are we repeating the mistakes of the past and heading towards a third world war?
At the time when US President Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev ended the Cold War and took steps towards each other, the world believed that now indeed a new, peaceful era had begun. And for a time, this was the case. The Berlin Wall fell, and with this fall came the opening to the East. The “Warsaw Pact” had become history, it no longer existed. However, the Western military alliance, NATO, remained. And that was not all: One country after another of the former Eastern Bloc joined NATO, and that organisation started arming itself extensively! Soon, Russia saw that it was surrounded by “enemies”, for military equipment and missiles were stationed on its borders. Dark clouds were gathering on the European horizon once again. And the sabre rattling began again, and a new brand of war rhetoric was born, which reached its peak in the conflict in Ukraine.
With the active support of their Central Intelligence Agency, the United States under their President, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate (!) Barack Hussein Obama, are playing the global cop all over the world. When countries do not pursue the United States’ interests, i.e. they do not “obey”, they are discredited, abused, showered with accusations, with groundless suspicion and with sanctions (Syria, Ukraine, etc.). In these countries, demonstrations and active resistance have been and are being organized, managed and supported.Riots are called for, the country is destabilised with the aim to replace the existing government by a US-friendly one. In the final stage, armed troops are brought into the country in the name of democracy, so-called “military advisers” begin their activities, and the government is overthrown. What happened on the Maidan Square in Kiev in 2014 is a prime example of this targeted approach!
Today the American people have had enough of their president’s aggressive policy, enough of wars abroad, and that is why they severely rebuffed him in the recent senatorial and congressional elections. Still, the EU supports his war machine, and takes over his rhetoric together with its threats, its insinuations and sanctions. The NATO is  an inglorious role model in this respect, as well. Just think of the situation in Serbia in 1999, when NATO “freed” the new state Kosovo by means of a three-months bombing of  Serbian territory, which it was part of. What legitimation did they have? Several thousand of people were killed – including  many children!
There is obviously a lack of wise and far-sighted minds in “high politics”, and there is often a shortage of common sense! Not efforts for peace, dialogue and diplomacy are in demand today, but military force (NATO) and sanctions. But this also bears witness to blatant weakness and helplessness. The methods of the West including violence, threats, sanctions and, finally, war clearly show one thing: That man has learned nothing from the past!
And what has been the use of all these “democratisation efforts” of the US and NATO up to today? The results can be seen in Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Syria and elsewhere. Hundreds of billions of dollars have gone up in smoke, burnt by wars, thousands of people have been killed and untold misery and massive refugee flows have been the consequences. And the situation in the countries hit by “humanitarian missions of war” executed by the US and NATO is worse than ever before: destruction, scorched earth and political chaos!
I ask you: Why do ignorant power and self seekers keep returning to power, to the top? Where in the “great world politics” are the sane, reasonable and responsible personalities with foresight, whom people might be able to trust? Or is it the people, who elect the wrong kind of persons for high offices? We long for strong men and women who do not act in their own interest, but have the common good in mind. Endeavours to further a peaceful and prosperous coexistence are not an illusion. For now though, it is a matter of fighting ignorance and the craving for power of those already great and powerful!
Here in Switzerland, we still live on an “island of prosperity” and are not acquainted with many of the problems of others. However, we are duty bound to leave to our children and grandchildren a country that is free, independent, neutral and progressive. In this effort, we must not bow to any world power, any dictator or any  community of states. Thanks to our direct democracy, we have it in our own power to determine our future.     •
(Translation Current Concerns)

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