2024 leaves behind a grim legacy of conflict and chaos, with staggering civilian casualties and geopolitical upheavals. As world powers assert dominance, fragile international systems falter, ushering in a perilous 2025. by Gopal Misra
With the sun finally having set on December 31, the tumultuous 2024 is buried. Its dreaded ghost, however, is continuing to haunt mankind. During the first ten months of this erstwhile year, more than 12,000 innocent civilians including 659 children succumbed to avoidable conflicts and an additional number of 27,000 civilians grievously injured in the ongoing fratricide between Ukraine and Russia. These statistics being made available by the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) are not just statistics, but each casualty narrates the sad story of individuals comprising mankind.
The final casualties in the West Asian conflict are yet to be made available, but the ongoing war has further expanded during the last weeks of 2024. With the sudden Islamic uprising supported by the West and the dreaded al-Qaeda against the secular Baath Party in Syria finally leading to the collapse of the Asad government has given a difficult task to the high-profile experts of the Arab politics from Washington to New Delhi to analyse and if possible, make prophecies about how these recent happenings would be influencing the world politics in 2025.
The casualties in the West Asia region are estimated to be 42,000 civilians, including 13,319 children, 3447 women and 3447 elderly people.
Amidst these heart-rending developments, Chinese President Xi Jinping has become more assertive. His polite refusal to attend the inauguration of President Donald Trump scheduled on January 20, 2025 has given a strong message to the US-led West that the Dragon has become much more assertive during the tenure of the US President Joe Biden. Its Wolf War diplomacy would be more pronounced in the New Year
For mankind, the post World War-II international systems evolved during the past eight decades or so to avoid any war in future, appears to have lost their steam. The institutions like the UN have not only become defunct, they, perhaps, are facing their doom like the League of Nations. The League of Nations was set up after World War-I to avoid a large-scale conflict in future. It is being rightly asked whether the UN too might be doomed like its predecessor.
The West, especially the United States, has cared little to learn from its own history. With the eclipse of the Soviet Union, the US has been dominating geo-politics as the only super power since 1990. It, however, did not care to usher in any substantial measure for strengthening the UN systems. Instead, they have been echoing the West’s colonial agenda.
It may be recalled that the successor state of the USSR, the Russian Federation, had not only disbanded the Warsaw Pact, and it was expecting that the US would also reciprocate by dissolving NATO. The successor leadership in Moscow was keen to be a part of Europe. The US, however, not only refused Moscow under President Yeltsin to end the defence alliance, it also turned down his request for NATO membership.
Interestingly, during the past three decades, Russian oil had been reinvigorating the industries in the Western Europe; but the Anglo-Saxon alliance within the West, i.e. the US and the UK, have expanded NATO in Eastern Europe. For the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, it was unacceptable, because it was felt that those at the helm in the White House were keen to revive the West’s apathy towards Russia in the 20th century.
The colonial agenda
It will be unfair for the world to expect from the descendants of the former colonial powers of Europe, the US, to revisit European literature related to the catastrophic events of the past, especially recorded in the poems and paintings describing or portraying the majesty of death or the Dance of Death. It is believed that these silent efforts had led to the advent of renaissance.
During the late middle ages, Europe was under the strict control of the Churches, especially the Vatican. Their way of life and the political power enjoyed by them, perhaps, was no different than the Muslim clergy’s assertive role in the Muslim majority countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and in most of the Arab world. During the dominance of the Church in Europe nearly 2.5 million people had succumbed to plague, it is remembered as Black Death, but it didn’t prevent the war between England and France (1337-1453) causing death, poverty and misery to the common people. The Ukraine-Russia conflict took place soon after the pandemic of the Covid-19.
US supports Islamists
The year 2025 is the halfway of the third decade of the present century. It is often stated that contemporary history often repeats the past. The world, perhaps, is repeating the events witnessed during the first quarter of the 20th century. The Russians and the West had almost ended the Ottoman Empire. Its influence was diluted in the region, but its decline in world politics weakened the hold of the Caliph, thus helping Turkey to become a democracy.
It, however, has never been explained why the Indian leaders like Mahatma Gandhi were supporting the Caliph; thus opposing the democratic movement led by Kamal Ataturk.
According to many political scholars, Gandhi supported Khilafat movement during 1919-22 gave Indian Muslims an international identity and connection, but also uprooted and alienated them from their motherland.
Earlier, neither the Delhi sultans nor Mughal emperors had given any importance to the Caliphs. They not only considered themselves as the rulers of India, a civilized country, but they, like Indonesian Muslims considered most of the Muslims of West Asia as barbaric people. On the other hand, the Muslims in Malaysia and Indonesia retain their ancient traditions. For the Islamic University of Jakarta, Lord Ganesh symbolises their faith having a common universal dimension.
Biden has also ensured the end of democracy in Bangladesh. He has not only been supporting the army takeover with the help of the Muslim clergy, but didn’t hesitate to welcome Mohammad Yunus, a Nobel Prize winner. He is seen serving like a Trojan to the ISI, who had conspired with Pakistani intelligence, Inter Services Intelligence (ISI).
The ISI is known for running an international drug business with the blessings of the American Deep State. Meanwhile, Marijuana has been allowed in as many as 24 states in the USA, thus benefiting the drug business involving a number of intelligence agencies.
Apart from successfully installing a sham democracy in Bangladesh, Biden will also be remembered for renewing ties with Islamists, especially with al-Qaeda in Syria.
Covid-19 investigation stalled
Apart from the renewal of the support of the notorious American deep state comprising CIA and FBI and their so-called think tanks to the ISI supporting its drug business, Biden will also be remembered for helping China in avoiding any scrutiny regarding its role in the spread of the coronavirus. It appears history is repeating itself. The world witnessed Black Death caused by a man-made virus unleashing the pandemic, Covid -19 causing innumerable deaths across the continents. The virus developed at a laboratory in Wuhan in mainland China, was liberally funded by the US-based pharmaceutical companies. During 2019-24 Biden Administration successfully wrapped up or deliberately avoided the enquiries related to the Covid virus and its different strains.
It may be noted that the research and development of viruses, which could be used as biological weapons, have been banned by the UN. It is quite well known that these viruses could be weaponized. In spite of being signatories to the international protocols, the research in this field has never been discontinued by the world powers.
Also, these researches are also being used for profits by the international pharma companies.
It has been noticed that apart from funding the development of these dangerous viruses, pharmaceutical companies develop vaccines for their cures before these viruses are unleashed among the poor countries of Asia and Africa
Joe Biden, who has promised cooperation to Trump, appears to be creating formidable challenges before his successor, who has been elected despite the conspiracies of the American deep state. Trump has to invoke the spirit of Hercules to serve his country.
