BY TURKER ALKAN
RADIKAL- States want to be powerful. Maybe this desire comes from the wild nature of international politics. For example, look at the situation in Iraq. Generally, citizens want a strong and great Turkey. Former President Suleyman Demirel said 10 years ago that the Turkish world stretches over an area from the Adriatic Sea to the Great Wall of China. However, once Russian President Vladimir Putin said that being a superpower is not important and that Russia has no desire to be one. Actually, Russia could become a superpower again but it might have learned that doing so is too expensive. I liked this statement and thought that Putin was acting like a statesman. I wonder why not even a single statesman has said, ‘We must become a country which produces the best poets, philosophers and writers.’ No one tries to do this. They don’t try to make a nation of happy people. Everybody wants a country boasting the strongest army, large territory, a big population and the greatest wealth, and their policies reflect this.
Of course it’s very difficult to become a superpower. However, countries like Turkey say, ‘At least, let’s become a regional superpower’ and invest huge sums of money into their armies and weapons. US political campaigns cost nearly $400 billion, but $300 billion would be enough to meet many poor countries’ housing, clean water and electricity needs. If we spent money for civil rather than military purposes, maybe one of the chief causes of war would end. We need to break the cycle of hopelessness, poverty and war. Towards this end, leaders with good vision are needed. Europe could have comprehended the meaning of peace after two terrible wars. The EU experience shows that it’s possible to solve problems through peaceful means and also demonstrated the limits of foreign policy conducted through economic and military threats. However, the EU hasn’t quit politics yet. More importantly, US President George W. Bush’s recent election victory shows that for the foreseeable future, a world order not dependent upon brute force is just a dream. Even if there are biological factors, I think that social causes determine human aggression. In other words, if we can act reasonably, there’s no need for despair.