Superpowers must work together

THE EDITOR: It seems clear that the four superpowers of the world, the US, China, the EU and Russia, all seem to have major differences with each other, which have heightened global tensions at a time when it is crucial for these world leaders to be co-operating with each other for the benefit of the global family.

Of course, the biggest international divide at this time is between the US and China, with the latter furious over American and British criticism of its crackdown on various dissenting voices, both on mainland China and in Hong Kong, together with various aspects of China’s nationalistic trade policy.

Meanwhile US relations with Russia are at an all-time low over the autocratic/plutocratic policies of Vladimir Putin.

The situation is calling for cooler heads all around, as these superpowers face a clear choice in the coming years and decades. Either they continue with unfair and unbalanced policies leading to a continuation of the ultimately destructive arms race or they all work towards reasoned compromise, thereby improving overall relations among themselves and drastically reducing the current high level of tensions worldwide.

Make no mistake, if the most powerful nations in the world continue or heighten the current reckless arms race, building ever more destructive weapons, there is little positive hope for mankind going forward.

Really and truly, these superpowers need to find a compromise mechanism that will allow them to shift the large majority of their current spending on weapons towards the provision of the basic needs of the global family. They cannot do both simultaneously.

Either they invest in arms and death or they invest in infrastructure and life and the future development of all mankind.

GREGORY WIGHT

Maraval