111. If You Want Peace, Prepare for Peace: Reflections Amid the Current Political Crisis
- Author:
- S. Kazennov and V. Kumachev
- Publication Date:
- 06-2015
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Abstract:
- The Path to Peace has always been thorny, unlike the path to war: it is always easier to walk down a slippery slope, while the expectations are often brighter than the results that are achieved, that is, of course unless the goal is to indulge in self-publicity on the captain’s bridge of an aircraft carrier, fly a victorious flag over Baghdad or “win a difficult victory over the opponents of democracy” ahead of elections in one’s own country. We are the avowed proponents of the “if you want peace, prepare for peace” approach, but under different circumstances, at different historical and geopolitical periods, “preparations” can and should be different. In one situation, the reduction of the military capability and “disarmament” are regarded by opponents and partners/rivals as the striving for the relaxation of international tensions and the building of new relations, with a new substance and with the “friendly” proportions of positive and confrontational interaction.
- Topic:
- Conflict Resolution, Politics, International Security, and Peacekeeping
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus