Hope and Depravity Persist – 2024 in Review
All in all, 2024 was a year in which human beings continued to be human and make a bigger mess of things…
By Anil Madan
By what metric should we measure 2024, the year just gone by? If the only metric that matters is whether we humans have left the world better at the end of the year than we came upon it at its advent, the report card does not reflect well on us. As with any other year, there were bright moments among the dark spots. I begin with two bookends, both bringing light to a dark story.
2024 in Review. Pic – Sky News
The first uplifting note for year-end was that the magnificent cathedral of Notre Dame was restored and reopened, brighter and more glorious for all to see. That which man glorifies can be restored. That which fire destroys can be rebuilt.
The second uplifting note was that the reign of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, notable for his relentless urge to kill, was ended. Those whom man kills cannot be brought back to life. Can a nation such as Syria be rebuilt from the ashes of hatred, division, and sectarianism? It remains to be seen. The fall of Syria signifies the defeat of Iran’s dreams of wreaking havoc throughout the Middle East, and by extension throughout the western world by exploiting its planned Shia Crescent of hate. The fall of Assad also marks the defeasance of Vladimir Putin’s aims to project influence from Syria across the Middle East and to the energy markets and supply routes of the world.
On the other side of hope was depravity. Putin’s war against Ukraine continued. Repeated threats of nuclear escalation and the importing of soldiers from North Korea spoke both to Putin’s desperation, and Kim Jong Un’s willingness to use his people as cannon fodder in exchange for whatever commodities, technology, and knowhow that Putin could provide. That which man destroys, continues to be destroyed.
Within a few days after the October 7, 2023, assault by Hamas on Israel in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed in a mass murder and hundreds taken hostage, I wrote that Hamas had made a terrible mistake. Retribution on a scale unimagined was sure to follow and I predicted that Israel would be accused of genocide. All that has sadly come true. Yet, we are no closer to an end to the ongoing killing in Gaza and attacks from Gaza on Israel continue. In the meantime, Israel has done severe damage to the offensive capability of both Hamas and Hezbollah, to the point that Hezbollah has agreed to a ceasefire. Whether that can withstand the urge to kill and destroy, remains to be seen. It should be noted that Israel has killed leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah.
Qatar ended its role as mediator between Israel and Hamas when the latter rejected yet another ceasefire proposal. Does this signify that Qatar is more interested in a durable diplomatic and economic relationship with Israel than with appeasing the Palestinians? Israel has made demonstrably major progress in degrading the threats posed by Hezbollah and Hamas and perhaps opened a pathway to the fall of the theocrats in Iran. Qatar and indeed, Saudi Arabia, have much to gain from cooperation with Israel and they share a common loathing of the Ayatollahs in Iran.
It remains to be seen what the incoming Trump administration will do in the region. There is an opportunity for the US to seek rapprochement with Syria and permanently breach the supply routes that Iran uses to arm its proxies. In the process, there may be an opportunity to take over the airfield and naval base used by the Russians, but that would be a delicate manoeuver. The US cannot be asleep at the switch here though because Turkiye is also anxious to project its influence in the region and deal the Kurds a blow at the same time.
China’s unrelenting pressure on Taiwan continues. It remains a mystery why China sees control of the island nation as so important to its national pride and security. To be sure, absolute control of the ocean surrounding China is a reasonable strategic goal, but China has de facto control anyway. Another dimension to the Taiwan situation is that China frequently accuses the US and western countries of impeding its economic development. Taiwan is a major supplier of semiconductors and other equipment to the west. China’s control of Taiwan’s exports will add another dimension to the ongoing rivalry.
A year of elections and global uncertainty
2024 was a year of elections around the world. In India, Prime Minister Modi’s BJP party suffered a setback by not winning in an expected landslide, but the BJP remains firmly in control. Europe seems to be falling apart as governments in Berlin and Paris teetered and coalitions failed. In Britain, the Tories lost control of Parliament after a long run at the top.
The ongoing war in Ukraine, uncertainty about how President Trump will approach Russia and NATO in his second term, and shaky economies will continue to pressure Europe and Britain. President Macron and Chancellor Scholz are both under threat of losing their positions. There are calls for Macron to resign and Scholz is widely expected to be replaced as Chancellor after losing a confidence vote in Parliament.Read More… Become a Subscriber
Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 20 December 2024
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