The Two Faces of Violence:

We all know the obvious impacts of violence and the destruction it causes, but what are some of the hidden impacts of war and conflict on people and societies?

Last week, I came across two articles that grabbed my attention. The first is titled “If Guns Go Silent, the Sound of the Poor Grows Louder”, written in Arabic by renowned Palestinian-Israeli lawyer and academic Zaki Kamal, with whom I have exchanged articles and engaged in meaningful dialogue. I greatly benefit from his sober and objective analysis of Israeli politics. He typically writes about the impact of Israel’s policies on Israel itself, the occupied territories and the nearby Arab countries. 

In this article, he specifically presents data highlighting how Israel’s most recent war efforts have come at the lofty cost of lower growth rates, a weakened economy and bigger budget deficits, all of which have exacerbated the economic woes of the less fortunate segments of Israeli society.

Mr Kamal provides clear and direct examples of how these wars have made it significantly more difficult for fragile and lower-income groups in Israel to access healthcare, nutrition and education. These wars have primarily impacted labour-intensive investments, while severing much of the income generated from tourism, which in turn has decimated the livelihoods of many service industry workers.

The heavy cost of war always impacts the poor and working class of Israeli society, not just in fiduciary terms, but also in-kind. For instance, the constant stoppage of electricity impacts those without access to alternatives the most. This war campaign has also led to the mass relocation of people living in kibbutzim and subsidised colonial outposts. These massive inconveniences are adding to the daily burdens of people, pushing them to protest in the streets against the increased impoverishment and deprivation.

On the other hand, my son Ali, who acts as my research assistant and helps with editorial work, brought to my attention a book called “The Better Angels of Our Nature” by Harvard Professor of evolutionary psychology and cognitive science, and one of the pioneers of psycholinguistics, Dr. Steven Pinker. The book, published in 2011, provides optimistic datasets on the decline of war and violence in the world. Pinker posits that since the turn of the 20th century, the rates of death from war have dropped significantly in comparison to the centuries prior. He makes his argument through seven key points: 1) Long-term historical trends, 2) The civilizing process, 3) The role of democracy, 4) The spread of international laws and institutions, 5) The decline of interstate wars, 6) The changing nature of warfare, and 7) Moral and cultural progress.

This brings us to the disparity and distinctions between the two aforementioned authors. On the one hand, Mr Kamal highlights how even with the advent of high-tech advancements and a shared, deeply rooted historical trauma, a society can still inflict unimaginable harm on other

peoples and countries, despite possessing, on the other hand, what Pinker refers to as attributes that should make them reject violence.

If one were to look at any of the major data references in the world today, they would find that there are between 56 and 100 active conflicts. According to the “Global Peace Index” (GPI), the world is currently at a crossroads. According to their latest report, published out of London in June of this year, there is frightening evidence that violence is expected to grow and reach explosive levels. This conclusion is supported by the following facts: 1) 97 countries “deteriorated in peacefulness” this year, the highest number since 2008. The wars in Gaza and Ukraine are attributed as the main causes of this spike. 2) Ninety Two countries are currently engaged in conflicts outside of their borders. 3) There are 110 million people who are either refugees or internally displaced.

So, while from a philosophical and psychological perspective, one can conclude that violence is tampering down, there is ample statistical evidence suggesting that the potential for increased violence is heating up and moving us in the opposite direction.

The world population has grown eightfold, from 1 billion to 8 billion, in the last 100 years. If the world was much more violent when there were significantly fewer people, we should be wary of the potential for violence to erupt in a world where the population now exceeds 8 billion. We are now faced with existential threats the likes of which we have never seen before.

Dr Zaki Kamal is correct in drawing our attention to the hard realities of the poor, and of poverty—which is growing rapidly—and how they are impacted in times of war. Although Professor Pinker’s sociological and historical approach paints a picture of a world headed in the right direction, this is not an adequate remedy to pacify our fears of a highly asymmetrical and volatile world. In fact, the world looks more like that of H.G. Wells’ “The Time Machine”.