Vice: A World In Dissary

Just watched this HBO special about some of the flashpoints in the world today and America’s involvement–or non-involvement. The show covers Syria, North Korea, Ukraine and South China Seas. It seems to argue that America can’t afford to sit by whether it wants to or not–that there is no choice to simply sit it out. It argues that “sitting it out” may in fact be worse in some instances and to have led to the instability we see today.

It was an interesting show but frankly, I’m not sure asking some of the people who have screwed things up so much are the people to ask about fixing things. The more interesting aspect of the show was visiting these places and talking to the people on the ground. Regular people. Young South Koreans, for example, don’t especially want our defensive weapons there as they see that provoking the north to offensive weapons. China sees it’s territorial rights as an inheritence from their ancestors but they also apparently need the territory because of a growing population. This in turn affects Japan and the Philippines who fish these waters. The Ukraine spot showed pro-Russian and pro-independence women arguing. I’m not sure that is any less a civil war than Syria.

Syria is of course a big mess.

A point was made that the nations that did not pursue WMDs (Iraq and Libya for example–have their leaders toppled. They are invaded and civil war breaks out). Nations with WMD are treated with more respect. Therefore the incentive is to get WMDs. That’s at least what the show suggested.

Putin is shown as a leader willing to take risks. That’s probably true. China is shown as a nation that seems to be drawing a line in the South China seas and that may be willing to go all the way on that issue. They also don’t want Kim Jong Un toppled because of the refugee crises it would create for them.

In short–things are a mess.

And America is going to have a hard time keeping its shiny white America First suit clean.

Interesting show. Didn’t agree with everything but these are certainly flashpoints and the world is probably very close to a collapse of order and possibly major wars. Maybe even nuclear.

Humans are a mess. Certainly its leaders are.

There are not a lot of great answers.

Anyway–I found the show worth a watch. Even if you feel you’re getting a somewhat narrow view of the issues.

• This topic was modified 7 years, 4 months ago by PA Ram.