Gorbachev: Time To Revise The Entire Global Agenda
https://worldbeyondwar.org/gorbachev-time-to-revise-the-entire-global-agenda/
An Interview with Mikhail Gorbachev, World BEYOND War, April 5, 2020
Q: How did you take the news of the pandemic?
A: I think I took it the way most people did. Initially, there was hope that it could be controlled, localized. But things took a very different turn and the epidemic spread far and wide. Unprecedented measures and decisions became necessary. Leaders, citizens and international organizations found themselves in an extremely difficult situation. All of this will have to be thoroughly analyzed, but the priority now is to take things in hand and defeat this new, vicious enemy.
Q: How do
you assess the measures now being taken?
A:
The main concern must be people’s security and saving
people’s lives. I assume that the steps now being taken
are based on science and the advice of the most competent
experts. Right now they are practically unanimous that
lockdown is necessary. This is something both the
authorities and the people must accept. A lot depends on
people’s behavior. Utmost responsibility and discipline is
of the essence. Then we may hope that the worst could be
avoided.
Q: Is it time yet for lessons
learned? Do you agree that the world will never be the
same?
A: That depends precisely on what
lessons will be learned. I recall recent history of how we
addressed the nuclear threat. We understood that it is our
common enemy, a threat to all of us, and the leaders of two
nations, the Soviet Union and the United States declared
that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.
Then came Reykjavik and the first treaties eliminating
nuclear weapons. By now, 85% of those arsenals have been
eliminated. We must continue along this path but we now see
new challenges. Together with my friends in the Forum of
Nobel Peace Laureates we have for years been calling for a
radical rethinking of international politics. Let me quote
from out appeal adopted back in 2005:
“Focusing on meeting human needs and having a reverence for life are the foundation of human security. Excessive military expenditures actually breeds insecurity. Two areas where funds need to be channeled by the international community are education and health, particularly regarding the scourges of AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis through both protection and prevention.” What could one add to this? Just the name of the new dreadful disease.
Over the past five years all we’ve been hearing is talk about weapons, missiles and airstrikes. But is it not clear by now that wars and the arms race cannot solve today’s global problems? War is a defeat, a failure of politics! This common tragedy has reminded us of the futility of trying to go into hiding and sit it out, ignoring the threats that we face. In today’s world, no one can hope to go into hiding!
And so I’ll never tire of repeating: We need to demilitarize world affairs, international politics and political thinking and reallocate funds from military purposes to the purposes serving human security. We need to rethink the very concept of security. Above all else, security should mean providing food, water, which is already in short supply, a clean environment and, as top priority, caring for people’s health.
To achieve human security we need to develop strategies, make preparations, plan and create reserves. This should be the responsibility of national leaders and leaders at all levels.
I believe that preparations should start now for an Emergency Session of the United Nations General Assembly, to be held as soon as the situation is stabilized. It should be about nothing less than revising the entire global agenda.
Q: Could I ask how things have
changed for you and for the Gorbachev
Foundation?
A: Of course we are complying
with all requirements and we have had to start working from
home. I am communicating with colleagues by phone and we
have created a discussion platform on the web. We’ll be
adapting to the new circumstances. I’ve been asked to
write an additional chapter for the English edition of my
book What Is At Stake Now, to account for the new
developments. I have agreed and will work on
it.
Thanks to Pavel Palazhchenko and Metta Spencer.
David Swanson is an author, activist, journalist, and radio host. He is executive director of WorldBeyondWar.org and campaign coordinator for RootsAction.org. Swanson's books include War Is A Lie. He blogs at DavidSwanson.org and WarIsACrime.org. He hosts Talk Nation Radio. He is a 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee.
Follow him on Twitter: @davidcnswanson and FaceBook.
Help support DavidSwanson.org, WarIsACrime.org, and TalkNationRadio.org by clicking here:
http://davidswanson.org/donate
.
Sign up for these emails at
https://actionnetwork.org/forms/articles-from-david-swanson
.