Politicians For Peace, by Douglas Roche,
Toronto, NC Press, 1983, 175 p.
Since 1980, Douglas Roche has been
International Chairman of Parliamentarians for World Order (PWO), an
organization of elected politicians from over fifty countries who believe that
the nuclear arms race must be halted immediately and that ending disparities
between rich and poor nations should be a priority in world affairs. In this
capacity, Mr. Roche has travelled to world capitals, lobbied extensively at the
United Nations, and has been involved in the growing international peace
movement. He identifies passionately with the PWO and has been one of its
principal architects.
Politicians for Peace is a manifesto
describing the PWO's plan for global change. Its central theme is that mankind
is facing catastrophe because of the escalating nuclear arms race and
increasing deprivation in the Third World, Mr. Roche argues that the vast sums
now spent on armaments must be diverted towards solving the problems of hunger
and disease and towards educating the hundreds of millions of people who lack
the skills to adapt to modern economic methods. The main prescriptions in the
PWO's vision of a new world order are a freeze on the testing, production and
deployment of nuclear weapons, the phased elimination of these weapons, the
creation of an international inspection authority to monitor arms control
agreements, a multinational police force to take up peacekeeping duties in
world trouble spots, and the establishment of a new global development fund. At
the heart of the PWO's strategy is the idea that values and allegiances must
change. They advocate a 1ongrange survivalist system" based on a radical
restructuring of the United Nations and sweeping changes in international law.
In defending this bold programme, he repeats Bernard Shaw's often used
quotation, "Some men see the world as it is and ask why; others see the
world as it might be and ask why not."
While few would dispute the reality of the
dangers described by Mr. Roche, or the genuiness of his beliefs, the tone of
his writing and the nature of the globalist vision that he advocates are
themselves disturbing. The book has a self congratulatory and moralistic air
and gives the impression that the author sees himself as the appointed emissary
of the world's people. There is little modesty. It is also the case that he
appears not to have undertaken the sober reflection that he has asked of his
readers.
The analysis is flawed in a number of ways.
First, the manifesto does not deal in any meaningful way with the means that
would be needed to achieve the ends that are advocated. Calling for global
disarmament is not enough. as the Kellogg-Briand Pact and other misadventures
in history have demonstrated clearly. A detailed examination of his various
confidence-building measures might work, how destabilization brought by
unilateral "build-downs" might be avoided, and how the system of
mutual deterrence might be replaced, would have given the book greater
credibility.
Second, the discussion of world development
is similarly bereft of critical analysis. One is tempted to say that there has
been a lack of courage on the author's part as he appears not to want to offend
those in the developing nations. While many would agree that the old
imperialistic system and new methods of exploitation have done grievous injury
to Third World hopes, such regimes as Idi Amin's and Jean-Bedel Bokassa's
cannot be absolved of some aspects of blame. Roche does not, however, hold
Third World dictators, whose reigns are often based on moral corruption and
economic mismanagement. responsible to any significant degree for their
countries' plights. He focuses on the arms race and on the international
banking and commercial systems as though there are no other important factors.
Mr. Roche's vision of a future world order
must be questioned seriously. Although the United Nations system has been
discredited in the minds of many people who are concerned with democratic
values and human rights issues, he sees the international organization as a
cornerstone for future achievements. The reasons for his optimism remain vague.
How the new global order is to be brought into being and how it would be
maintained are not discussed. The classical argument against a. central global
authority is that if that body becomes tyrannical or unjust, then freedom is
endangered everywhere. In proposing to deliver us from our many problems, Mr
Roche's plan might have within it the seeds of an even more perilous future.
While one must commend the author and the
PWO for their sense of humanity and high purpose, the book is, on the whole,
neither particularly informative no, useful. A more practical blueprint for
action is needed.
David Taras, University of Calgary