Planet Earth remains to this day the only known planet in the Universe that can provide eight billion human beings with the animal and plant biodiversity, water, atmosphere, climate, food and energy compatible with sustainable life.
At the risk of repeating ourselves, we understand that greenhouse gases (GHG) and their corollaries global warming, pollution, the squandering of resources which are not unlimited and the risks of pandemics represent existential threats which know no borders and which all humans face, regardless of their nationality or social status.
The current massive nuclear arsenal can easily spread lethal radiation that can quickly travel from one continent to another. It seems obvious that all humans without exception, according to their abilities, should contribute to the fight against all the scourges that ultimately endanger life on Earth as we currently know it.
On the other hand, the notions of country, border, nation, language, race, gender, religion and culture stir up divisions, create tensions, fuel the dichotomy between “them” and “us” and paralyze the solidarity efforts essential to the resolution of multiple global existential problems.
Clans and tribes have been at war since the beginning of primitive civilizations. Empires have been decimated one after the other and replaced by others. Armed conflicts continue endlessly. Geopolitical tensions between countries hinder the development of intelligent and useful solutions to the many problems that are common to all.
Discord
China and the United States, the two largest powers, are currently engaged in an economic war over batteries and electric cars, microchips, steel and aluminum. Extreme protectionism prevents any compromise that could accelerate the fight against inflation and the reduction of GHGs.
Rather than pooling their respective expertise and production capacities and ensuring the continuity of supply chains, they have chosen confrontation, which only slows down the development of urgent beneficial actions essential to the well-being of all and the protection of the environment.
The UN is also the scene of fruitless struggles between countries with veto rights. The resolutions adopted are non-binding and remain pious wishes, just like the judgments of the International Criminal Court.
Countries are also often associated with religion. Israeli Jews struggle to coexist with Muslim Arabs. Catholics and Protestants in Ireland have terrorized each other. Hindus and Muslims do not mix well in India, as do Buddhists and Muslims in Myanmar. What about the tensions between Shiites and Sunnis?
Russians and Ukrainians have shared Slavic origins for over 1000 years and use the same Cyrillic alphabet, and their Orthodox religions have the same origins. Why so much hatred between two cousin peoples, if not a delusional patriotism based on an outdated virtual notion of a sovereign country?
How can the international community justify its inaction in the face of the misery of the Haitian, Cuban or Sudanese populations, if not by accepting the unequal value of life according to nationalities?
Borders
Rich countries are increasingly supporting the far right and want to close their borders to the too many climate migrants and refugees, who they say threaten their economic well-being and their “national identity”. Within rich countries, the right and some multinationals like to treat environmentalists as “alarmists” in order to continue to enrich themselves without worrying too much about the irreversible damage to the environment that could one day cause their own downfall.
Rich countries refuse the degrowth that is nevertheless necessary to reduce GHGs. Poor countries emit few GHGs, but do not have the resources to ensure a certain resilience in the face of climate disasters.
Comparisons are always flawed. However, let us imagine a honey bee hive where the workers would fight among themselves to obtain better working conditions and certain prerogatives according to certain of their genetic attributes. The discord thus created would probably end with the disappearance of all life in the hive.
Humans have few predators. Pandemic pathogenic viruses and multi-resistant bacteria threaten them. Otherwise, their most dangerous enemies are their fellow human beings who are ready to fight and kill for the honor of their country, religion, nation, culture or language, oblivious to the fact that the survival of the species depends on solidarity and concerted efforts in the face of multiple global existential threats.
Homo sapiens Will he be the first herd animal to orchestrate his own extinction, through his neglect of others, his irrational over-devotion to his clan, tribe, nation, country, race or religion, or his insatiable greed for wealth and power? Will he bequeath to future generations a planet incompatible with life after having purged it of its natural resources to allow the richest countries to dominate the poorest?