KASHMIR - The assassination of the most famous Iranian General Sardar Qassem Soleimani has saddened and shocked the people in all parts of divided Jammu Kashmir to such an extent that I have made an investigation as to why America can’t live without wars.  My findings are based on reports in various publications including the Times of India referred to the google. These reports are backed by my information obtained qualitatively. 

The former American Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel in Obama administration and Secretary of State John Kerry are both former army officers, who participated in wars in the past. They describe America as a country made for wars, not for peace.  Up until 1947, American Department of Defense was called as the Department of War. By one account, America fought 70 wars since its birth. American economy is described by its own leaders as a “WAR ECONOMY.”  American leaders claim they like wars and that they are good at it. They admit that “we are not good at anything else. We can not build a decent car or television; can not give good education to kids or health care to the old, but we can bomb the shit out of any country.”  Similar sentiments have been echoed more recently. “American economy is a war economy. Not a manufacturing economy. Not an agricultural economy. Not a service economy. Not even a consumer economy.” Business Pundit Paul Farrell wrote this during Iraq war: “Deep inside we love war. We want war. Need it. Relish it. Thrive on war. War is in our genes, deep in our DNA. War excites our economy, our brain. War drives our entrepreneurial spirit. War thrills the American soul. Oh just admit it.  We have a Love Affair with War.” 

My qualitative discoveries are based on my direct interactions with western political activists and intellectuals. When I went to Europe at the age of 17 in 1979, my concentration was on my education and self-sufficiency.   My mind was fresh not much politics written on it as yet. Therefore, the western press and politics began to influence me. The West led by America against another power such as Soviet Union, claimed that the west was a free world and Soviet Union was like a prison, where people lacked a freedom of choice and freedom of self –expression.  The West also claimed that the Muslims and Christians believed in one God, while the Communists had no god at all.  America used several Muslim states against Soviet Union and at the same time demonized Islam. America supported all oppressive Muslim regimes against their own Muslim masses.  Such American contradictions began to raise so many questions in my mind and stopped my earlier positive impression of Western democracy and American claim of its so called “Free World.” These confusions and contradictions increased my interest in politics in general and intellectual debates in particular.  One day, I met with a western political activist, who said the next war would also be started by America.  I was astonished, because until then, I heard many people in Europe speaking against the Soviet Union, but hardly anyone speaking against America.  I asked the gentleman why he thought the next war would be caused by America and he laughed and said because the previous two world wars were also caused by us.  The Soviet Union simply contained the war.  He said that America wanted a political and economic hegemony and that would be the cause of another war. That was about 40 years ago. Now, the history of 40 years proves all that and much more.  

Now, the main question for me and I am sure it would be the same for anyone LOVING THE HUMANITY, is, as to why someone should use power negatively? What would be the impact if the power America has is used positively and benignly?  I am sure it would have a positive result. I was a young man when I was falsely accused of involvement in the killing of an Indian diplomat Ravinder Mhatre on 5th February 1984.  He had been kidnapped by a group of Kashmiris in Birmingham, UK, in order to protect the life of the Father of the Kashmir Independence Movement, Maqbool Butt. I was mistreated by the British government and sentenced by the Home Minister rather than a judge. I fought both judicially and politically against the politically motivated incarceration and finally won my freedom after 22 years. Thanks to the European Court of Human rights and countless people from all social and political backgrounds, who campaigned for my release?  The treatment meted out to me and my people in Jammu Kashmir has not made me bitter, but more humane and committed to the cause of justice for all and everyone everywhere.  I do not believe the American leaders claiming that the war is in their genes. It is the environment they have created. They are Pavolovian and Behaviourists, who have conducted experiments on dogs, rats and cats to learn how to control human beings, but I would only suggest human methods to deal with humanity such as empathy, compassion, tolerance and mutual respect.  Otherwise, the balance of political power is must to contain war which what the Americans say is in their “genes.” The cost will be too high, while the humanity deserves peace and prosperity through co-existence!