Contributed from Victoria

The world has become a more dangerous place for humanity. Many people are concerned about deepening economic and political crisis. They are also talking about an ecological crisis that is already with us. There is growing dismay about the incapacity of political leadership, intent on continuing on the road of business as usual.

Humanity is increasingly worried about rising global tensions, the drive to war, and the rising tendency to accept and commit atrocities. We have now reached the point where the threat of nuclear annihilation is rising. The world is close to the edge of a precipice.

Image from Seed World: Crisis is leading to rising global tensions

This doesn’t mean tipping over the edge is a foregone conclusion. There is a choice between war and cooperation, and this is the choice humanity must make.

Rising tensions between nations are an outcome of the multifaceted crisis. Facing and overcoming the parts of this crisis is the way to counter this tension. Either the forces pushing in this direction get the upper hand or there will be a catastrophe.

Up to now, the world has managed to void nuclear conflict. This has been brought closer to ending by Ukraine’s bombing of Russian nuclear facilities, and the follow up committed by Israel against Iran. There is no excuse for either. They breached the terms of agreements that nuclear facilities are as no go, and that crossing this line entitled the attack to retaliate. Taking the step to attack nuclear facilities is incredibly stupid and dangerous.

If Russia and Iran did not retaliate; they would have exposed their impotency and become vulnerable to further similar attacks. Thankfully, both were measured in their responses with conventional weapons. This seems to have produced a backdown. At least for now. but the situation remains dangerous.

The United States, Britain, Germany, and France, have in fact not only led the cheer squad for the attacks on Russia and Iran. Evidence now being revealed shows that they were involved in both nuclear attacks. A handful of other countries, and this includes Australia, turned a blind eye to them, and by doing so, became accomplices.

Revelations are making it clear that behind this is that the economic and political elite of the former colonial nations cannot accept a world where they are not dominant and will do anything to keep the old order of their supremacy, and this includes using other nations and peoples as proxies for their ambitions.

This is what lies behind the pivot against China. Containment and dismemberment of this nation of this rising nation is the ultimate. What is happening in Ukraine, West Asia, and across the Indian and Pacific oceans expansion of naval presence is connected to this.

Image by Alberto Forchelli: The drive to preserve the remnants of the old western colonial era is ultimately about stopping China’s rise

Countering this, is the growing movement of nations and peoples for peace, economic justice, sustainable development, and the right to sovereignty and self-determination. A government-to-government global example is the BRICS alliance seeking an end to big power domination in a multi-polar world. Peoples around the world are starting to stand up.

They face powers that have become seriously weakened, and this opens up opportunities to advance. This can only be realised if combined with the movement for peace. All government have a duty to stand by this movement, oppose the proxy wars at home and in international forums, and condemn any move that increases the nuclear threat, whether it be Ukraine, Israel, or anyone else. This leads to isolating the danger posed by the former colonial powers, which in reality, are the bigger threat.