World Army

Wednesday September 8 2004 08:22 IST

By Karmayogi

The world, world union, World Army, World Parliament have been ideas afoot for a long time. Many such ideas were described as moonshine at the time of their conception.

A few later became a reality, such as the European Union, and others became topics for scholars to study. Again, a few turned out to be moonshine.

Marx's idea of Socialism never gained ground for 70 years until Lenin made it a reality. It ended up as a reality of command economy and police state.

After 70 years, it destroyed itself. Socialism in the sense of welfare to the masses has become an abundant political fact all over the world. When one such idea arises, along with that a whole crop of ideas appears, perhaps illustrating the principle that there is nothing unique, but all belongs to a general type.

Around the time the Cold War ended, it was estimated that the defence expenses of the world were $1.2 trillion. With the ending of the Cold War, there was a substantial reduction in this. Some claimed it to be a third. The one commonly known argument about these savings is that it could go for development expenses. If it did, it is welcome.

The presence of an army in each country implying that the nation must be ready for war at some time is a belief that can generate subconscious tension in the people. The tension Cold War generated was palpable in the sixties and seventies. Also, the relief when Cold War ended was equally tangible.

It was Robert Van Harten, the Member from Holland, who mooted the idea of a world army at Moscow at the meeting of the International Commission on Peace and Food. The Commission endorsed it.

Recently, the European Union is considering the idea of one Army for all its members. It is at the stage of an idea. An idea is valuable. But people in the field have to implement it. They see all the practical issues they will face in implementing an idea. No idea is practised before it is fully prepared in all its details anticipating all the hurdles.

When an idea becomes a scheme or a programme, it meets with not only obstacles but opportunities. The realities are accepted and a working scheme is prepared. In other words, an idea is organically dynamic. So its growth is organic too, not fully prepared previously.

The World Army that will replace the national armies is one such dynamic idea capable of organic growth. If it ever comes into existence, it will be the world police or a Peace Army. It is worth examining again in the present context of the post-Iraq war.