The Roman Empire is a classical example. Its existence was built on war to subdue and loot the surrounding nations. But it collapsed. It lasted for half a millennium in which civilization was nearly destroyed, but it collapsed. Contrary to popular notions, Rome was not defeated. It died in a whimper brought on by the pain of the imperial disease. When the barbarians invaded the trash that was left of it, the invading ruler couldn't even be bothered to declare himself Caesar - Caesar of what?

The next big war was the Venice instigated war, a string of wars launched in the 16th Century to destroy the Renaissance, that ended with the infamous Thirty Years War. This colossal warfare ended a century and a half later, after half of the population of Europe was killed in an orgy of destruction unequalled in history until the 20th Century. Nothing was gained by this war. It ended out of necessity, in a great peace, the Peace of Westphalia. Peace was inevitable.

All of these great historic tragedies could have been avoided. They were unleashed by fools, and a foolish society failed to stop them before they unfolded.

World War I was likewise not inevitable as the American economist Lyndon LaRouche pointed out in his 2003 State of the Union address. He pointed out that World War I occurred, because fools allowed it to happen. 

Only the peace that followed was inevitable. Once the feuding nations had destroyed their civilization to the point that they could only whimper, peace was once again resumed. No victors emerged from this war. The destruction of Europe was the only legacy that came out of this war, which was so immense that the effects of it in terms of cultural destruction are still felt to the present day.

World War II was not inevitable either. It too, occurred, because fools allowed it to happen. Only the peace that followed was inevitable. 

Fortunately for humanity, the 1932 elected U.S. President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, was able to revive the productive capacity of the USA at this time. This grand revival enabled a coalition of nations to be formed, and enabled it to intervene and stop that war before the total destruction of civilization had occurred. Because of this intervention, the destruction of Europe and the world became not as severe as it would have been, as indeed, that of World War I had been.

None of the wars of the 20th Century had been inevitable, which had, because of needless folly, become the worst century of war in human history, while nothing was accomplished except the destruction of human culture and civilization. Nor will anything be accomplished by the great war that is presently planned, the war against Iraq, that is set up to be more destructive than all the wars in history combined. It is a war designed to become a war of civilizations, more than a war of nations, in which nuclear weapons will play a role as we have been virtually assured by the American administration.

By its design, this war is set up to be an imperial war that plays a role in a much larger game than most people are will to acknowledge, in which the United States of America itself, is the real target. Most likely, the designed outcome cannot be avoided. This once great nation, that had long been revered in the world as a beacon of hope, has been set up to destroy itself by its foolishness as it submits itself to the presently staged imperial game into which it is being dragged by the stooges that have been recruited for this purpose. Indeed, the destruction of this nation has been the imperial goal ever since it declared its independence from the imperial world in 1776. It had been forced to defend itself time and time again against the onslaught of imperial wars; first on the battle field, then on the economic front, then against internal subversion, and finally against a complete political takeover.

"Let us be blunt," warns the Lyndon LaRouche organization in this regard, "This war has absolutely nothing to do with Saddam Hussein, or Iraq, or weapons of mass destruction. This is the Clash of Civilizations conflict, promoted by British Arab Bureau old spook Bernard Lewis and his American dwarf, Samuel Huntington--to breakup any possibility of Eurasian integration and development. Only a sucker believes that this war drive has anything to do with Iraq. So President Bush has to stop being a sucker--before he finds his Presidency ruined. This is Bush's {real crisis}, brought on by the toleration for a Sharonist war party inside the Administration." (issued Jan. 30, 2003)

When the dust settles over the world, after the presently planned war has played itself out, there will be peace once again. This peace is inevitable. The destruction of humanity and civilization that is planned to occur before this peace unfolds again, will necessarily be in proportion to the dynamics of the new war, designed to be a war of civilizations, a religious war, an ideological war, and a nuclear war. Even without this war, already today, by its economic and strategic policies, the USA finds itself to have become the most hated nation on the planet. That illustrates the trend. How many people will remain alive to eventually see the peace that inevitably follows after a war runs its course, cannot be determined.

World War II was not easily stopped. It would not have been stopped as quickly as it was stopped, without Franklin D. Roosevelt's humanist revival which created the physical resources to force an end to this war. The United States had been gripped in the jaws of a deep depression at this time, which too, could have been avoided, but wasn't. But when Roosevelt came to power with the promise to end the depression, the USA was still a relatively moral and economically strong nation that could be developed, and was developed into becoming a bulwark against this war. Nothing similar exists in today's world. The world economy is bankrupt. The dollar is disintegrating. South America, Africa, and other nations are subjected to genocide by policy.

A war of the kind that is presently contemplated cannot likely be stopped in mid stream once it unfolds, as World War II was stopped. The moral and economic strength does not exist anywhere in the world that would be required to marshal the resources to stop such a war in its course. Nor is this war designed to be won. No exit strategy exists; no victory strategy; nor do the economic resources exist in the current age of the worst financial and economic disintegration in history, to support the new world war in a conventional way, that is, without nuclear weapons. (see economic reality) In this sense, Saddam's warning is valid when he pointed out that the invading forces won't likely return home alive. In a theatre into which nuclear weapons are planned to be used, the chance for human survival drops to very low levels. But none that has to happen. War is not inevitable. It has never been inevitable that humanity allows itself to be dragged into the worst nightmare in its history, by a bunch of fools, and by its own foolishness.

War can be avoided. War is not inevitable. Peace alone is inevitable. And, as has always been the case throughout history, this peace can be won before the pains of war destroy the fabric of human society. By winning the peace for once, before the war unfolds, humanity would be winning the war. This is the only way in which a war can be won. No other option exists. It is one's hope therefore, that the urgency of the hour will inspire humanity to muster the courage to win this war in this manner, and to score for itself a victory that leaves the field wide open for a bright and prosperous future.

Rolf Witzsche, 2/2/2003

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