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Boy, do I ever miss the Cold War!

Other News Materials 24 November 2015 18:25 (UTC +04:00)
For a few decades after WWII and until the downfall of the Berlin Wall we lived in an era that came to be known
Boy, do I ever miss the Cold War!

By Claude Salhani- Trend:

For a few decades after WWII and until the downfall of the Berlin Wall we lived in an era that came to be known as the Cold War. Despite its name, and some near misses, It was called that because it was for all practical purpose a war.

Armies were kept combat ready on both sides of the Iron Curtain. Boots were kept polished and guns were oiled, cleaned and armed.

The US Strategic Air Command maintained a number of planes including super bombers armed at times with nuclear devices, airborne and ready to launch Armageddon at a moment's notice.

True, the two sides - the NATO countries and the Soviet block were actually on the brink of thermonuclear disaster, but no one dared fire the first shot. Everybody was well aware of the consequences of what would happen if the Cold War turned from cold to hot. Special care was taken by both sides not to escalate incidents, of which there were many.

Today however, the Cold War is over but things have never been so precarious.

The Middle East and North Africa are going through some of the worst times in their short existence as modern mini states.

The region is going through terrible wars and political strife and social strife. Never has the entire region witnessed such horrid times.

From Benghazi to Beirut and from Aden to Ankara the region has never been so volatile where several wars are going on at the same time.

The Cold War seemed to hold people back because they feared the consequences. People who found themselves on the frontlines during the Cold War realized the degree of responsibility that was theirs and accepted that heavy burden and the consequences of their actions.

But as time goes by he world has changed and regretfully one may add, not for the better.

The Cold War instilled a certain level of balance between the superpowers and in turn Washington and Moscow saw to it that their allies were kept in line.

The shooting down of a Russian bomber over Turkey would probably not have happened as it did today. It appears that when the Wall came tumbling down so to did human value in a world gone mad. As we draw to the end of the year and reflect on way events have unfolded in the past 12 months, we are certainly not better off. In this day and age there are humans still being sold as slaves in the marketplace. Women forced to become sex slaves and torture being practiced on an industrial scale.

True that those on the wrong side of the Iron Curtain were denied many of their basic rights, but the word appeared at least to have been a safer - albeit somewhat precarious - place to live.

Here is wishing for a better tomorrow.

Claude Salhani is a senior editor with Trend Agency. You can follow Claude on Twitter @Claudesalhani

Follow us on Twitter @TRENDNewsAgency

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