Skip to main content

Wars of control: Profits, propaganda, and the price paid by the people

By Bhabani Shankar Nayak 
World peace lies buried beneath the wreckage of imperialist wars waged by the American and European ruling classes—wars that have devastated the lives, homes, livelihoods, and happiness of ordinary people, along with their libraries, schools, museums, archives, and histories. From Afghanistan, Beirut, Bosnia, Cambodia, Grenada, Iran, Iraq, Korea, Kosovo, Laos, Panama, Palestine, Somalia, and Vietnam to Yemen, countless people have endured the brutality of wars launched by Western imperial powers—wars justified under the banners of fighting terrorism, promoting democracy, defending human rights, and maintaining peace.
However, recent Israeli attacks on Iran and Palestine, as well as the American assault on Iran, have shattered the illusion of moral superiority that Europe and America project. Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Donald Trump have not only bombed Iran—they have symbolically bombed the very foundations of so-called liberal and constitutional democracy in the West. Their actions have also further undermined the already fragile legitimacy of the United Nations in upholding global peace.
The Zionist ruling elite of Israel, backed by American imperialism, is now even targeting graves in Gaza. Palestinians are paying with their lives as they resist colonial dispossession. Israel is attacking children in schools, patients in hospitals, and women in their homes. Its aggression against Iran, carried out without justification and in violation of international law, adds to this growing catalogue of crimes. Meanwhile, both Ukrainians and Russians are dying in a war driven not by national interests but by imperialist agendas.
Together, Zionist forces and Western imperialists are not only destroying ancient civilizations and killing people to seize control of natural resources, but are also systematically erasing the cultures and identities of working people across the globe. These war-mongering ruling classes continue to bomb nations, loot resources, and dismantle entire societies under the pretext of imperial power and neocolonial control.
The enormous profits reaped from these wars—through arms sales and the extraction of plundered oil, gas, and mineral wealth—provide only temporary relief to the suffering working classes of Europe and America. This momentary economic reprieve becomes the foundation of modern slavery, serving to pacify and silence workers in the name of national interest. Yet these wars will ultimately engulf all of us, stripping away our humanity. Dehumanisation is not a distant consequence of war—it is an intimate, everyday process. As violence is normalised and otherness is entrenched in daily life, our minds become militarised, and our lives increasingly defined by fear, exploitation, and uncertainty.
The collective punishment of people through imperialist wars is a deliberate strategy by ruling elites to impose mass shock therapy. It conditions the population to accept violence as a normal governing principle. Instability, insecurity, and uncertainty are not accidental side effects—they are deliberately engineered tools of imperial control designed to domesticate the masses. These tactics operate like a powerful pill, making the plunder of labour and natural resources appear natural, inevitable, and unquestionable. Such conditions confer unchecked power upon the imperialist ruling classes, enabling them to survive and expand their dominance.
Imperialist hegemony signals the death of liberal, constitutional, and secular democracy. It erodes the very foundations upon which human rights, citizenship, and individual freedom are built—threatening our ability to live, work, and love freely. In doing so, imperialist wars place the lives and livelihoods of the global working class in grave peril.
There are no truly nationalistic, religious, or cultural wars; these conflicts are designed to divide working people and send them to the slaughterhouses of imperialism. This is why the fight against war must be central to working-class politics and its internationalist, emancipatory vision for global peace. As democracy comes under increasing threat from imperialist aggression, working people across the world must unite to reclaim their democratic and citizenship rights—before it is too late.
The struggle for peace is, at its core, a struggle against the imperialist war machine. These wars can be stopped. Lasting global peace is possible—but only through mass mobilisation and unified movements of working people. Internationalism is the cornerstone of all emancipatory struggles.
Standing in solidarity with the people of Iran and Palestine is not only a moral imperative—it also strengthens and empowers the global working class in its fight for peace and prosperity. Imperialist wars are our common enemy. They destroy and dehumanise us all, robbing us of the essence of life—not only as human beings, but as interconnected members of the natural world. If working people fail to unite and resist these wars, then barbarism will surely be our shared fate.

Comments

TRENDING

The soundtrack of resistance: How 'Sada Sada Ya Nabi' is fueling the Iran war

​ By Syed Ali Mujtaba*  ​The Persian track “ Sada Sada Ya Nabi ye ” by Hossein Sotoodeh has taken the world by storm. This viral media has cut across linguistic barriers to achieve cult status, reaching over 10 million views. The electrifying music and passionate rendition by the Iranian singer have resonated across the globe, particularly as the high-intensity military conflict involving Iran entered its second month in March 2026.

Kolkata dialogue flags policy and finance deficit in wetland sustainability

By A Representative   Wetlands were the focus of India–Germany climate talks in Kolkata, where experts from government, business, and civil society stressed both their ecological importance and the urgent need for stronger conservation frameworks. 

'Fraudulent': Ex-civil servants urge President to halt Odisha tribal land dispossession

By A Representative   A collective of 81 retired civil servants from the Constitutional Conduct Group has written to the President of India expressing alarm over what they describe as the wrongful dispossession of tribal lands in Odisha’s Rayagada district. The letter, dated April 19, 2026, highlights violent clashes in Kantamal village where police personnel reportedly injured over 70 tribal residents attempting to protect their community rights. 

Dhandhuka violence: Gujarat minority group seeks judicial action, cites targeted arson

By A Representative   The Minority Coordination Committee (MCC) Gujarat has written to the Director General of Police seeking judicial action in connection with recent violence in Dhandhuka town of Ahmedabad district, alleging targeted attacks on properties belonging to members of the Muslim community following a fatal altercation between two bike riders on April 18.

Maoist activity in India: Weakening structures, 'shifts' in leadership, strategy and ideology

By Harsh Thakor*  Recent statements by government representatives have suggested that Maoism in India has been effectively eliminated, citing the weakening of central leadership and intensified security operations. These claims follow sustained counterinsurgency efforts across key regions, including central and eastern India. However, available information from security agencies and independent observers indicates that while the organizational structure of the CPI (Maoist) has been significantly disrupted, elements of the movement remain active. Reports acknowledge the continued presence of cadres in certain forested regions such as Bastar and parts of Dandakaranya, alongside smaller, decentralized units adapting their operational strategies.

Why link women’s reservation to delimitation? The unspoken political calculus

By Vikas Meshram*  April 16, 2026, is likely to be recorded as a special day in the history of Indian democracy. In a three-day special session of Parliament, the central government is set to introduce a comprehensive package of three historic bills: the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026; the Delimitation Bill, 2026; and the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026. The stated purpose of all three is the same: to implement the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (106th Constitutional Amendment) passed in 2023. However, the political intent concealed behind these measures — and their impact on the federal balance — is far more profound. It is absolutely essential to understand this.

From Manesar to Noida: Workers take to streets for bread, media looks away

By Sunil Kumar*   Across several states in India, a workers’ movement is gathering momentum. This is not a movement born of luxury or ambition, nor a demand for power-sharing within the state. At its core lies a stark and basic plea: the right to survive with dignity—adequate food, and wages sufficient to afford it.

Catholic union opposes FCRA amendments, warns of threat to Church institutions

By A Representative   The All India Catholic Union (AICU) has raised serious concerns over what it describes as growing threats to religious freedom, minority rights, and constitutional safeguards in India, warning that recent policy and legislative trends could undermine the country’s secular and federal framework.

Cracks in Gujarat model? Surat’s exodus reveals precarity behind prosperity claims

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*   The return of migrant workers from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, particularly from Gujarat, was inevitable. Gujarat has long been showcased as the epitome of “infrastructure” and the business-friendly Modi model. Yet, when governments become business-friendly, they require the poor to serve them—while keeping them precarious, unable to stabilize, demand fair wages, or assert their rights. The agenda is clear: workers must remain grateful for whatever crumbs the Seth ji offers.