Khanh Nguyen

Period 2

What you do Matters

The world has faced two world wars till date and the third world war if occurs will take the world back to
the ancient time from where we have progressed slowly and steadily. Albert Einstein once said I know
not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and
stones. That, as far as I see can be the most accurate predictions that one can make, also the easiest one.
With rapid technological advancements in the military sector owing to everlasting and continuous
territorial and resource related conflicts among nations, if today a third world war occurs, then there
remains very little possibility of any other war, forget another World War. The main reasons that countries
are ready to crush each other are mainly military conflict, national debt, trading and terrorism.
The first war is Trade War between United States and China. Though perhaps not outright military
competitors, the two countries have long regarded their deeply entrenched trade policies with suspicion.
Are America and China in the makings of an economic war? Many in American government cry
currency manipulation as Chinese government continues selling its currency and purchasing foreign
U.S. dollars. In 2012s US presidential election, Republican candidate Mitt Romney even went as far as
announcing he would officially label China a currency manipulator and allow the government to impose
taxes on Chinese goods entering Americaon the very first day of his presidency. Would this be a
declaration of war? If so, how would China retaliate? No doubt China and the US would prefer settling
trade matters with quiet diplomacy, rather than, say, a legal dispute under the World Trade Organization.
But this hot issue has the potential to shake the economies of both countries, and perhaps trigger a much
greater conflict somewhere down the line.
Another war, hotly debated and argued through recent years, is Military Conflict between Russia and the
West. The most fascinating thing about the recent dispute in Ukraine is the echoes of the past coming to
the forefront. The conflict began when the Ukraine president, under Moscows influence, refused to sign a
trade deal with the EU. Protests supporting Ukraines EU-integration flared up and quickly turned violent.
Russian president Putin declared an insurrection and took over the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea. The
US condemned it as an incredible act of aggression. To generalize the issue, many Ukrainians see
themselves achieving true independence by aligning with the European Union and not the former Soviet
Republic, and vice versa. In the past few days, protesters from Kiev to Moscow have thrown opposing
chants-Support us, America! and Russia! Russia!in an old-fashioned stand-off across Ukrainian
territories and international politics. Whats more, to the West the sudden conflict is probably the most
ideologically and historically charged in recent memory. Western powers have threatened Russia with
economic sanctions; in response, Russia drafted legislation allowing it to confiscate US and European
assets if sanctions were imposed. Both on the ground and behind closed doors, tensions are high in this
sort of classic Cold War scenario. For now, Russia remains in control of Crimea.
Solutions which have been proven to work out include tying all countries together through trade so tightly
that all sides would suffer if a war started. In other words, encourage globalization. If country A depends
on B for food, and B depends on A for energy, A and B are not going to attack each other. Even if there
are alternate sources of those commodities, going to war would hurt both economies. It is only when A
and B don't rely on one another that they can go to war. In other words, do what the world has been doing
since around 1950. The reason we haven't had World War III so far is because we've inadvertently built a
world in which large-scale wars are not possible or attractive anymore.
In short, if the countries arent careful and conscious, there is always a chance for war to drag us down to
ancient times. A global issue needs to be heard and all countries should work together on it, not taking
advantage of it for their own purposes. Eventually, all countries are in one place the earth, which ties
them together as a family. People around the world, no matter citizens, politicians or presidents, should all
lend a hand to make this whole world a better place.

Khanh Nguyen
Period 2

What you do Matters