Today, violence is everywhere. It can be found in all dimensions of society, and not only in France. Violence against homosexuals, journalists, teachers, politicians, and anyone who can make a little difference, or have a little bit of influence or power.
Many would like a situation whereby no one is able to criticize or challenge authority; and that everything be smooth, uniform and consensual.
Nothing is more dangerous. Firstly, of course, for democracy, where strength is never an argument. And more generally, it is always through debates that reasonable solutions are created and found.
In addition to these manifestations of individual violence, other sources of violence are re-emerging in international relations. Sources of tension that we believed that we had under control are once again opening up the paths to hell. And even if all the official statistics are reassuring, and show that all forms of violence are at their lowest rates, the facts show the opposite –both in the private sphere against individuals, and the political sphere, threats to nations.
We must take seriously the US President’s announcement that he is willing to withdraw from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF), an agreement on intermediate-range nuclear weapons that was signed in 1987 by the last leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, and then-President Ronald Reagan.
This treaty, which abolished the use of a whole series of land-based missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers, had also put an end to the crisis triggered in the 1980s by the deployment of Soviet SS-20 nuclear warheads in Europe, more precisely in the Far East; and by the decision of the United States to install equivalent rockets in West Germany. That is until the negotiations led to the dismantling of these weapons, on both sides.
Donald Trump has accused Russia of not respecting this treaty “for many years.” In particular, Trump has complained about Moscow’s deployment of the 9M729 missiles, whose range, according to Washington, would exceed 500 kilometers, which is a violation of the treaty. Trump has announced that the United States would begin to “develop these weapons too.”
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Riabkov has rejected the accusations: “Not only are we not violating the treaty, but we respect it in the strictest way.” Riabkov went on to say that, “and we have been patient over the years in the face of blatant breaches of the treaty by the United States themselves.” He described this decision as “very dangerous” which he said “will not be understood by the international community and will draw serious condemnations.” Riabkov also added: if the United States continue to act “clumsily and rude” and unilaterally withdraw from international treaties, “then we will have no choice but to retaliate, which may include the use of military technology.”
Mikhail Gorbachev, a signatory to the treaty thirty years ago, immediately ended his silence to denounce the “lack of wisdom” of the current US president, calling on “all those who cherish a world without nuclear weapons” to convince Washington to reconsider her decision, in order to “preserve life on Earth.”
Berlin has also reacted by saying they “regretted” the withdrawal of the United States from the treaty, and asked that it be discussed within NATO, because such a decision cannot be unilateral.
If the situation worsens, one could imagine the deployment of US tactical nuclear weapons in Poland, which Russia cannot accept. We can also fear the denunciation of the New START treaty on strategic missiles, which is set to expire in 2021. We would then find ourselves in a situation that is eerily similar to what occurred in the 1980s, but with weapons that are infinitely more sophisticated.
And those who think that “it was better before,” will be once again contradicted by this new playing field.
j@attali.com