India & Pakistan Apparently Now at War With One Another

Just what we needed, right?

Yet another war.

Right now, there are two major wars which have been making horrifying headlines for years. of course, I speak of the war in Ukraine with Russia, and the Israeli war in Palestine, or specifically in Gaza.

Plus, there were other wars going on which are not dominating international headlines nearly as much. The one in Yemen is one example. The civil war in Sudan is another. Plus, there are regions that just recovered from war, but which still feel unstable. The Palestinian lands felt like that before the outbreak of this most recent war. So did, and does, Syria. And of course, Afghanistan seems like it has not known any real stability in something like half a century or so, now. 

Now, it appears that India and Pakistan have joined the ranks of countries at war. India initiated air strikes on Pakistani targets. Military officials claimed that now, they have evened the score.

Of course, Pakistani officials feel otherwise. They are promising a strong retaliation.

So it now appears that both sides are gearing up for war.

Here's the thing: both countries are known nuclear powers. It feels like this war could escalate very quickly, and the fact that they both are nuclear powers makes that an unnerving thought.

Let's remember that these two countries are, to my knowledge, the only two countries in world history where visible tensions at the border became something of a spectator event. In at least one spot on the Indian-Pakistani border, they built makeshift stadiums in order to watch ceremonies on both sides by border guards. The soldiers involved put on angry displays and briefly march aggressively towards the border line, sometimes almost seeming on the verge of crossing. To be frank, it feels a bit like a ceremonial pissing contest of sorts.

Now, it could be mere political theater. A strange form of entertainment, to be sure. Yet, it might seem mostly harmless.

Except that, it seems to me, when something like this becomes a popular spectator sport or event like this - and there are cheering crowds and fiery displays meant to fire people up on each side - it hardly feels like this is easing tensions between these two countries and their people in any way. Truth be told, it feels like it surely must be quite the opposite, in fact.

Those tensions never ceased to exist. And now, the two countries, which maintained a delicate peace at best, now seem on the verge of an outbreak of an armed conflict outright. 

Just what the world needs right now, eh?

India-Pakistan Border Ceremony | BBC Studios

Indian air strikes - how will Pakistan respond? Four key questions by Soutik Biswas, BBC India correspondent• 7 May, 2024:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cd020710v1ko