Obscured plurality leads to war

(Alexander Nikitin, Department of Philosophy of Moscow State University in 1979. Ph.D. -International Relations, Professor of the Department of Political Sciences, Director of the Center for Euro-Atlantic Security of the Institute for International Studies at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations" Political and Economic Causes of War" 2000. ; LF)

Political contradictions and clashes of interest do not lead to war until they are manifested, sharpened and pushed to the extremes in ideologies and propaganda. Conflicting political interests are still interests of limited social groups (more often - elites), while wars require involvement and participation, concentration and starvation of whole nations, much broader masses of people.

The “Us versus Them” mentality, intolerance towards other nations, religions, systems of beliefs, are artificially inflated and skilfully employed by all political leaders going to war since the epoch of ancient wars and medieval Crusades. In the time of mass media, television and multi-billion propaganda empires, ideological pressure on the population could become more direct and effective. But by the same token, a pluralistic media and individual access to information provide the prerequisites for a less manipulable citizenry.

The spreading of a culture of peace, based on tolerance towards the “other”, values of pluralism and co-existence, and development of social immunity to war-oriented propaganda and ideologies, is an important resource for a peaceful future.