Recently, the peace of humanity has slowly been breaking down with the threat of war increasing in many countries. In particular, the Russia-Ukraine War in February 2022 and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that reignited in October 2023 heightened international tensions. Additionally, as the pro-American political party won Taiwan’s 2024 presidential elections in January, disputes among China, Taiwan, and the United States (U.S.) have escalated to extremes. The Chinese government has warned that peace will depend on the outcome of the Taiwan presidential election, intimating the possibility of using force. As a country in an armistice, Korea is also nearing a war crisis. Two U.S. experts on North Korea, Robert Carlin and Siegfried Hecker, commented in January that there is a great possibility of Kim Jong-un, the Supreme Leader of North Korea, making a strategic decision to start a war just as his grandfather did in 1950. In response to North Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, the president of South Korea, expressed a strong willingness to retaliate at a Cabinet meeting in January.
The New Cold War perpetuates the remnants of the Cold War and creates a perilous atmosphere that extends to the present day. It is not an exaggeration to say that erstwhile human history has always been with war. According to American historian Will Durant, the No War era is only 270 years long among the 3,500 years of human history. However, there have also been consistent claims for anti-war. From ancient Greek philosophers to humanitarianists, numerous Western thinkers have claimed anti-war. In the East, Mohism typically opposed the offensive war during the Warring States period. Even during World War I, socialists held a Zimmerwald Conference to support the war’s end. During World War II, an international peace organization, the United Nations (UN), was established at the suggestion of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the U.S. president of that time. The clamors for peace still exist today. Authorities arrested 18,000 Russians for participating in antiwar protests in response to the Russia-Ukraine War, and 500 students from Massachusetts University were arrested while protesting against the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Hence, the movements for peace have continued with the history of war to this day.
Unfortunately, most efforts that have advocated for peace have been persecuted. Yet, the anti-war movement will be the key to keeping the world’s peace, especially during the precarious recent conditions. The flap of a butterfly’s wings can return as a tornado on the other side of the world. Even a minor idea or action against war can lead to peace, saving countless lives. Wars producing terrible sacrifices must stop, just as Benjamin Franklin claimed, “There never was a good war, or a bad peace.” Now is the time to shout anti-war. The world should recognize that nothing is better than peace. How will our era be marked in history? With war or peace?