The many hidden agendas and nuances in prevailing world politics, suggest that trouble is brewing..
The US government has raised concerns over Beijing's claims that Chinese military levels exceed self-defence requirements - rich coming from the US, but worrying nonetheless. Does China have a hidden agenda? Perhaps not so hidden is the reality that they are running out of land and resources, so may perceive the inevitability of expansion
A little to the North West, Russia is heading for the polls. Ex President Gorbachev feels that they democratic context is flawed and open to manipulation. Does Vladimir Putin have a hidden agenda? Is he ready to reassert Russian power and would there be any alliance with China? Certainly recent Russian military activities suggest a more aggressive stance. Their manoevres in the Bay of Biscay were, to put in somewhat crude terms, an "up yours" to Nato. Forgive me, but that is how brazen they are being.
In addition to raising the global ante, Russia is building dangerous strategic relationships with India (cooperating on the Mig-35 and other projects) and Iran (supplying fuel and otherwise protecting Ahmadinejad from the UN).
Now NATO has revised its nuclear stance. Admittedly they see value in the use of nuclear weapons only because of the threat of wepons being acquired and used by rogue agents and despotic regimes. But that is potentially a convenient pretext for anotehr hidden agenda. Is NATO preparing for a more aggressive world posture.
The US, never one to be left behind, is also getting uppity. Congress has been asked to vote billions of Dollars for military campaigns on Iraq and Afghanistan, but to fund that one can't help feeling that they are having to dig rather deep in their pockets. Nonetheless, with elections looming, the perennial hidden agendas of wanna-be presidents and their parties must be a factor of influence over the current US posture.
Meanwhile Pakistan, peace-loving Pakistan, is heading to the polls to decide who will be the future custodian of the nuclear arsenal that they have built at the cross-roads of current middle-east, Russian, Chinese and Indian tensions.
It does seem like a potential bonfire is slowly building up, but the flint, the wild card that could set the fire burning across the centre of the earth, lies with some or other extremist lurking in the muddy waters of middle-east politics.
Are there people mad enough to trigger a major war? Maybe. Are there people mad enough to go to war over the religious and oil stakes that have intrigued the world for the last few centuries? Most certainly.
So whose hidden agenda will be revealed first? Who will play the opening game? Right now that coudl well be Israel, given her growing vulnerability in the light of Iran's maturing nuclear program, a situation that the world is still musing over: at a time when Iran is close to that tipping point where the US would think twice about attacking for fear of the consequences.
A little to the North West, Russia is heading for the polls. Ex President Gorbachev feels that they democratic context is flawed and open to manipulation. Does Vladimir Putin have a hidden agenda? Is he ready to reassert Russian power and would there be any alliance with China? Certainly recent Russian military activities suggest a more aggressive stance. Their manoevres in the Bay of Biscay were, to put in somewhat crude terms, an "up yours" to Nato. Forgive me, but that is how brazen they are being.
In addition to raising the global ante, Russia is building dangerous strategic relationships with India (cooperating on the Mig-35 and other projects) and Iran (supplying fuel and otherwise protecting Ahmadinejad from the UN).
Now NATO has revised its nuclear stance. Admittedly they see value in the use of nuclear weapons only because of the threat of wepons being acquired and used by rogue agents and despotic regimes. But that is potentially a convenient pretext for anotehr hidden agenda. Is NATO preparing for a more aggressive world posture.
The US, never one to be left behind, is also getting uppity. Congress has been asked to vote billions of Dollars for military campaigns on Iraq and Afghanistan, but to fund that one can't help feeling that they are having to dig rather deep in their pockets. Nonetheless, with elections looming, the perennial hidden agendas of wanna-be presidents and their parties must be a factor of influence over the current US posture.
Meanwhile Pakistan, peace-loving Pakistan, is heading to the polls to decide who will be the future custodian of the nuclear arsenal that they have built at the cross-roads of current middle-east, Russian, Chinese and Indian tensions.
It does seem like a potential bonfire is slowly building up, but the flint, the wild card that could set the fire burning across the centre of the earth, lies with some or other extremist lurking in the muddy waters of middle-east politics.
Are there people mad enough to trigger a major war? Maybe. Are there people mad enough to go to war over the religious and oil stakes that have intrigued the world for the last few centuries? Most certainly.
So whose hidden agenda will be revealed first? Who will play the opening game? Right now that coudl well be Israel, given her growing vulnerability in the light of Iran's maturing nuclear program, a situation that the world is still musing over: at a time when Iran is close to that tipping point where the US would think twice about attacking for fear of the consequences.
(c) Peter Eleazar at www.bethelstone.com
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