Could we stumble into a war?
The world is a powder keg and could go off at any moment. Sometimes it feels that way. As the world commemorated the 100th anniversary of the World War I armistice this week, the big question is whether the fuse to the powder keg is growing shorter.
French President Emmanuel Macron certainly seemed to think the fuse was going in the wrong direction.
In a pointed speech to an audience including Russian president Vladimir Putin and American President Donald Trump, Macron contrasted nationalism and patriotism.
‘‘Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism,’’ Macron said. ‘‘By saying, ‘Our interests first, who cares about the others’, we erase what a nation holds dearest, what gives it life, what gives it grace and what is essential: its moral values.’’
It was clearly a dig at Trump who last month declared himself a nationalist although he later explained his remarks by saying: ‘‘You have nationalists. You have globalists. I also love the world and I don’t mind helping the world, but we have to straighten out our country first. We have a lot of problems.’’
Macron also worried about the re-emergence of sinister attitudes.
‘‘I know there are old demons which are coming back to the surface. They are ready to wreak chaos and death,’’ Macron said.
Fine words and we need them but is he right?
All countries act in their own interests and one of those interests is to make the world a fairer and safer place. Despite the rhetoric, the United States probably does a lot more good around the world than France.
Most enlightened governments spend a small proportion of their budgets on what could be seen as altruistic purposes overseas.
Voters don’t mind and even expect it until they feel they are missing out.
But government altruism is often self-interested. New Zealand is spending a lot of money in the Pacific but part of the motivation is keeping Chinese influence in check.
The nationalism we are seeing in Europe with stronger far-Right parties in Germany and Sweden and more nakedly selfish governments in Poland, Hungary and Italy is different from the nationalism that led to the First World War.
Before that war broke out, nationalism was partly an independence struggle, with regions sharing cultures and ethnic ties rebelling against the yoke of Austria and other imperialists. It was no accident that the war was sparked by an assassination committed by a Serbian nationalist.
T he nationalism currently sweeping Europe and the US is more about a reaction to unprecedented immigration from failed states in Africa and the Middle East and to the constraints and obligations of belonging to alliances like the EU.
In New Zealand we can feel a bit holier than thou but we need to remember we have a coalition government that includes a party called NZ First. And all that National needs to topple the coalition is a couple of boatloads of illegal immigrants landing on our shores.
Of course many of the conditions that created the volatile climate in which war seemed inevitable in 1914 still exist today.
There are potentially dangerous rivalries between the big powers with countries like China and Russia asserting their ambitions to be dominant world powers.
Before the First World War, the big powers were engaged in an arms race with armies expanding and navies increasing in size and deadliness.
Arms budgets around the world are increasing and the US is urging European countries to spend more.
Ilove books. As a humble concrete contractor I was greatly influenced by the works of Alvin Toffler. More recently was impressed by Sapiens whose author, Yuval Noah Harari, challenged almost everything the average reader probably believed in.
The question he asked was why is it that we humans have totally dominated planet Earth. It was not a very comforting read but his broad brush views of philosophy, science, history, economics, anthropology, biology and storytelling were certainly stimulating.
Books can also be deliberately provocative and an absolute nuisance.
This was certainly the case with the publication of Le Quesnoy, written by the well respected New Zealand historian Christopher Pugsley.
Over the last four years I have been campaigning to transform the former hotel, mayor’s residence and Gendarme HQ into a New Zealand War Memorial to commemorate all the New Zealanders who served overseas in both world wars.
Sir Don McKinnon is chairing a trust to oversee this project and several months ago purchased the property. Now the challenge involves the restoration work and maintenance needed for this project.
As citizens of Invercargill we know all about the difficulties of establishing a museum.
First of all you need a hero and Councillor Toni Biddle has certainly been heroic considering the tsunami of criticism she has faced after the closure of our own museum.
In the case of Le Quesnoy the ‘‘hero’’ for this campaign was obvious. The town was designed as a fortress. There were 3000 civilians trapped in this fortified town so heavy artillery was not an option.
Under cover of smoke a party of riflemen led by 2nd Lieutenant Leslie Averill scaled the wall. He was the first New Zealand soldier to scale the wall and enter the town using a makeshift ladder.
His heroic leadership is portrayed as part of a leadlight window feature in St Andrew’s church in Cambridge. He was the perfect hero.
Then along came Christopher Pugsley and his book. It now appears that the hero of Le Quesnoy was in fact Winiata Tewi Tapihana.
He was the first New Zealand soldier to enter the town with a group from the Maori Pioneer Battalion. The soldiers were hungry so Winiata climbed across a plank and grabbed a couple of chooks and opened fire on the German defenders.
Then returned for a feast of chicken stew.
Rather than receiving a medal for bravery Winiata was sentenced to 14 days Field Punishment No 2 for absconding without permission.
Which reminds me. I’ve often written about my father who was a pilot in the Fleet Air Arm and was killed after volunteering to serve in Korea.
I proudly wear his medals on ANZAC Day but I’ve failed to mention all the other Shadbolts who actually served in World War 1.
Our family tree in New Zealand goes back to two Shadbolt brothers who arrived in Banks Peninsula in the 1850’s. I apologise to the female descendants but it is more difficult to follow the family line once women get married.
With those reservations here goes:
John Henry Sergent (aka John Henry Shadbolt-Sergent) WW1 43134, Albert Shadbolt WW1 33258, Albert Francis Shadbolt WW1 46617, Arthur Benjamin Shadbolt WW1 58611, Charles Henry Shadbolt WW1 41896, Frederick John Shadbolt WW1 72131, Frederick George Shadbolt WW1 46490, Frederick John Shadbolt WW1 80182, Harry Sergent Shadbolt WW1 25747, Lawrence Joseph Shadbolt WW1 63772, Leslie Joseph Shadbolt WW1 24/1190, Robert Allan Shadbolt WW1 7/1782.
Tim Shadbolt is the Mayor of Invercargill.