2010: A Summer Of Global Issues
By Gulam Mitha
14 August, 2010
Countercurrents.org
Several articles have been published regarding the global problems of 2010. The summer has been one of global discontent. Here is a summary of the issues:
1. The recession of 2008 just does not want to disappear and there continues the talk of a double dip recession. Is the recent US Fed decision to buying treasury debts yet another sign of an impending economic collapse or a chess move towards another war to mend the economy? In spite of the massive stimulus from the G-7 countries, predominantly the USA, there are dark economic clouds hovering above. The world is taking on far more debts than its ability to repay back to the society. Greed is rampant and the 5% rich are becoming super rich and the 80% poor becoming super poor as a result of the recession. In between are the 15% middle class going nowhere.
2. The US Gulf disaster that killed 11 oil workers on 20 April does not need any introduction. Nearly 5 million barrels of oil leaked into the Gulf over 3 months. It has been the worse oil disaster in US history that diverted the attention of the Obama administration and lawmakers from other pressing issues concerning the American public. Moreover, the lawmakers have been busy trying to shore up support for re-elections in the 2 November Congress and Senate elections.
3. Iran remains an important issue for the US administrations in the White House, Congress and Senate. The fourth round of sanctions against Iran were successfully passed in the United Nations. The US Congress overwhelmingly (408-8) passed a new round of sanctions against foreign companies trading with Iran. The sanctions passed 99-0 in the Senate. On 22 July, the US Congress proposed House Resolution 1553 reaffirming the US support for Israel and the right of this small country to use all means necessary to confront and eliminate “nuclear threats” posed by Iran. If passed, it’ll become a declaration of war against Iran. An articled published on Global Research titled “Iran Encircled: Two US Congressional Resolutions, One World War” http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=20401 is excellent detailed reading. Appropriate words of the author are “we’re now witnessing the legalization and industrialization of another war, one which will set the entire region ablaze”.
4. In the early hours of 1 June, Israel’s IDF attacked peace activists carrying relief supplies for Gaza on board the Mavi Marmara killing unarmed civilians in cold blood. Israel and the US were quick to thumb their noses at Turkey and reject an international commission to investigate the horror. Turkey, a member of NATO and an ally of Israel, has hunkered down for the present but it is licking its deep wounds. This act of Israel stinks of arrogance and exposes America’s financial subservience to this tiny nation which has become a global irritation akin to the ant in the elephant’s ear.
5. The July-August floods in Pakistan have killed 1600 people and effected over 10% of the nation’s population of 170 million. It has devastated large parts of the country and threatens a fragile economy. When the floods recede, the true proportion of the calamity in terms of deaths, displacement, health and economy will be clearly known. Presently, the focus is on how to deal with the floods. This calamity follows on the heels of another little known disaster that happened in the northern area of Gilgit when, in early January, a massive landslide on the Hunza river caused the formation of an artificial lake causing 50,000 people to be moved to camps and cutting off the main link between Pakistan and China. As if all these calamities are not enough, US drone attacks have killed hundreds of innocent civilians in a cooked up war on terrorism. Pakistan is nation with 75% poor people and 5-7%rich businessmen and politicians having ownership of 90% national wealth. This horrendous calamity comes on the heels of an earthquake only 5 years ago that killed 85 thousand inhabitants and left over 150,000 shelter less and without food and water in northern Pakistan. Instead of opening up their palms, the corrupt politicians and business community continues to lament their own meagre losses.
6. Moscow is simmering in record high summer temperatures of 380C as compared to the normal summer highs of 24-270C. Temperatures have soared to 420C in Ukraine. The toll from the heat wave, forest fires and acid smog in Moscow has climbed to 700 deaths per day. Moscow city mortuaries are overwhelmed with 1400 dead bodies. There have been reports of over 600 fires across Russia. Carbon monoxide and other poisonous pollutants are at least 3-5 times higher than safe level.
7. On 6 August, a 260 square kilometre iceberg, 600 feet thick, about four times the size of Manhattan and weighing 5 billion tonnes has broken off or calved from the Petermann glacier, one of the two remaining glaciers in Greenland. Though of no immediate threat, the calving has opened up serious debates about global warming. According to University of Delaware, such a massive iceberg that stores freshwater could keep the American taps flowing for 4 months. Also, according to Canada’s Globe and Mail of 10 August, the massive floe could damage oil rigs and other marine industry as it makes its way down the Newfoundland coast.
The hurricane season in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic has another 3 months before it ends. Global warming or not, the sea temperatures are rising and with that the threats of major hurricanes are increasing. Late August to mid-October are the worse periods for deadly category 4 and 5 hurricanes. Katrina, one of the 6 deadliest hurricanes, struck the US in late August 2005.
This is the summer that Mother Nature has begun to issue strong global warnings in various languages. Our politicians should be listening to these warnings and give up war preparations and instead work towards peace. The world’s greedy businessmen should stop amassing horrendous wealth which would benefit no one should nature decide to stop issue warnings and instead deal catastrophic blows. The global inhabitants should start to pay attention to environmental issues, conserve energy and prevent wastage. If the politicians and the business communities and we, as individuals, continue to go on the existing ways, it might become too late to go in the reverse mode. Mother nature does not allow any quick reversing. The Divine message is fix your problems or they’ll get fixed by nature.
