By Anil Raturi
A large section of the human race, (mainly the layperson), has still not realised that what is happening in the Gulf has seeds of the destruction of all civilisation! Devastating all that humans cherish!
It is not just about control over the wealth related to petroleum and its products.
There is no doubt that the disruption of oil and gas can bring the human economy to a standstill. Also there is no doubt that this war, is till date, the most serious challenge ever posed to this world’s energy supply!
Notwithstanding all that, this war and its relentless escalation, fuelled by the hubris of a couple of psychotic individuals (who have taken control of systems that have the maximum destructive potential that mankind has ever seen), can lead the human race to two very dangerous roads.
First, Israel’s bombing of South Pars (the largest gas reserves in the world-owned by Iran and Qatar) has set a precedent which can spiral into a deadly cycle of retaliation that can wipe out all oil and gas reserves of the Gulf for ever, leaving the world hopelessly depleted of precious energy!
This cycle wantonly begun by Israel has given the despotic and tragic Iranian regime a “fig leaf” to burn many more oil and gas sources of the Gulf countries.
One can imagine the kind of havoc the countries of the world (specially the developing countries) will face due to the long term disruption of oil and gas supply.
Secondly, even more dangerous is the road that leads to humankind’s nuclear annihilation. Once the tit-for-tat cycle heightens, it is likely that both sides to this war will lose control over the events which inevitably acquire a life of their own.
To stall the deadly cycle and in order to desperately resume control over it, the side with more resources may feel compelled to use the nuclear option!
It is said that the path to hell is paved with good intentions.
In this case, the original rationale of attacking Iran was that its despotic regime should be prevented from getting nuclear weapons, that Iran armed with nuclear weapons would surely destroy the world!
Well, now we seem to be on a hedonistic treadmill that is inching towards a potential moment, where the self-professed redeemers of this world, with all their alleged good intentions of preventing a nuclear Iran, could themselves be unleashing nuclear destruction upon this world!
(Anil Raturi is a retired IPS officer and former DGP, Uttarakhand.)
