There are many transnational blocs and counter-blocks in the world. While some blocs are economic and cultural interest driven, others are counter-military blocs aimed at protecting from security threats from any specific countries or a group of countries. But most transnational blocs in the world are economic, cultural and other cooperation-based blocs including the European Union, the ASEAN, the SAARC and the African Union. Among counter-military blocs, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Warsaw Pact, currently dissolved, are notable. The BRICS — rendered the anti- west bloc — which, according to multiple sources including the BBC and CNN, has expanded its members recently is an emerging counter-bloc. But blocs and counter-blocs raise a question on the possibility of bloc based military confrontations.
It is pertinently notable that the bloc based military hostilities were not absent in the past and may not be surprising altogether in the future. According to multiple sources, there were military hostilities between NATO, an intergovernmental military alliance comprised of 31 member countries from North America and Europe which was established in 1949 aiming to promote collective defense and security cooperation among its members, and the Warsaw Pact, another military alliance formed in 1955 by the Soviet Union and its satellite states aiming to maintain Soviet control over Eastern Europe in response to the former, including the Berlin Crisis of 1961 and the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 during the Cold War. The Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, where the United States, a NATO member, and the Soviet Union, a Warsaw Pact member, came dangerously close to nuclear war.
Among current counter-blocs, the SCO and BRICS are notable. Though the SCO alliance — consisting of eight countries including Russia and China — has security goals, it is not yet established as a military bloc. The BRICS, a group of emerging economies that can make some significant changes in the global economic and political sphere, is also currently not a military alliance. Consequently, the possibility of NATO and the Warsaw pact-like counter-military alliances is not yet visible, though the development of another well-equipped counter-military bloc(s), be it the SCO, the BRICS or any other alliance, is not unlikely in the future driven by several factors including geo-economic and geo-political hostilities involving powerful countries including Russia and the United States. Consequently, the chance of bloc-based military confrontations cannot be canceled altogether.
It is desired that the world does not become more militarily confrontational driven by blocs and counter-blocs involving superpowers. But to avoid any potential large scale military wars and possibly catastrophic consequences to the world as a whole, fostering communication channels and promoting peaceful resolutions among blocs and counter blocs are crucial. Putting emphasis on preventive diplomacy may be helpful. It is notable that diplomacy helped resolve the Cuban Missile Crisis involving the then Soviet Union and the United States. Among others, strengthened economic relations and cultural exchange programs may also help increase cooperation and reduce the chance of large military confrontations in the world based on transnational military blocs and counter-blocs.
Amir M Sayem
Chief Editor
Dhaka Opinion Magazine
