Latest news with #ErichMariaRemarque
South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
As things fall apart in the world, why aren't investors worried?
All Quiet on the Western Front was the title of the classic novel about the first world war, written by Erich Maria Remarque. To me, the book pretty closely describes the current situation in Western financial markets . But is it now, as it was then, a case of the calm before the storm? Advertisement For the answer, we can turn to the work of another writer, William Butler Yeats. In his poem, The Second Coming, he penned the lines, 'Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold; mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.' This was prescience on his part, given that events later unfolded into the Great Depression and a second world war. Today, the 'centre' might be used to describe the United States. Under the Trump administration , the country appears to be either engaged in a process of – if not outright self-destruction – destruction of its role as the world's premier economic power. What is 'falling apart' is the post-war global economic order, under the impact of both trade and hot wars. Yet, despite all this, a strange kind of apathy or complacency seems to have gripped stock markets in the US, Europe, Asia and beyond as they maintain their bullish outlook or even register record highs in some cases. What could, and likely will, bring them down to earth? First, we need to understand why stock markets continue to ride so high while they are in the grip of Trump's trade wars, conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and tensions in East Asia, not to mention precariously high global debt , fears of a financial crisis and, of course, climate change Advertisement We're in the early days of tariff threats under this Trump administration, so it is understandable that worries about their impact are muted among investors. But that only means that, absent a sudden withdrawal of these levies, the impact will be much greater once they begin to bite. That is how protectionism feeds upon itself through retaliation and plummeting confidence.
Time of India
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Words against war: Capturing the horrors of conflict
A still from the 1930 film, All Quiet on the Western Front, based on the novel by German writer Erich Maria Remarque. From Ernest Hemingway to Saadat Hasan Manto, writers have talked of the dehumanising impact war has on those fighting it, the trauma it fuels, and the absurdity that underlies it all A Bertolt Brecht verse published in 1939 captures the role of anti-war literature: 'In the dark times will there also be singing? Yes, there will also be singing. About the dark times. ' It seems frail compared to weapons and realpolitik. But to give voice to the case for peace, when govts and populism try to silence it, is a very courageous act. Very resiliently humanist. Instead of death, it embraces the power of life. Notes on the killing In giving voice to the despair, dislocation and trauma that is minimised in war-makers' calculations, anti-war literature has an ageless, universal quality. Saadat Hasan Manto's short story Toba Tek Singh calls out the lunacy of neighbours killing neighbours. Erich Maria Remarque's novel All Quiet on the Western Front underlines how primeval ideas of valour first seduce young men, then betray them with brutal mutilations ('They stagger on their splintered stumps into the next shell-hole'), and finally shrink them into emotionally empty shells. Today's wars are newer. But Slaughterhouse-Five to Catch-22 , A Farewell to Arms , The Tin Drum and Train to Pakistan , the classics haven't grown old. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Gentle Japanese hair growth method for men and women's scalp Hair's Rich Learn More Undo Connecting millions Many anti-war books have autobiographical underpinnings. Some disguise this more, like Bertha von Suttner's Lay Down Your Arms: The Autobiography of Martha von Tilling and some disclose it more, like Ron Kovic's Born on the Fourth of July . But by far, it is Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl that is the modern world's most influential first-person anti-war book, even if this was not something it set out to do. In a hidden nest of rooms she quarrels with family, crushes on a boy, does schoolwork… and worries about the Gestapo knocking on the door. Why did she write it? What if she hadn't? The horrors of war cannot be captured in statistics alone. For countless readers, it is one account, one life, which connects them to the suffering of millions. Verses against tyrannies From Sahir Ludhianvi's Parchaaiyaan to Matthew Arnold's Dover Beach and Wilfred Owen's Dulce et Decorum Est , poetry can carry its messages more elliptically. Or not. How straight is Siegfried Sassoon being in Does It Matter?, 'You can drink and forget and be glad, and people won't say that you're mad; For they know that you've fought for your country, and no one will worry a bit.' Or Faiz, resisting the tyrannies that torment the politics of protest, here: 'If a seal were put upon my tongue, what does it matter? For I have put tongues into the links of my chains. ' And here: 'There where you were crucified, so far away from my words, you still were beautiful.' In 2023, a few weeks after Gazan poet Refaat Alareer shared this 2011 poem, 'If I must die/you must live/to tell my story,' he was killed in an Israeli airstrike. To sabre-rattlers and philistines, that would convey the powerlessness of literature. But what they are deaf to, the rest of us hear loud and clear. Also read PART 3: Silent victims: Poisoned land, decimated ecosystems Also read PART 5: If you take a gun to culture, you kill the human spirit
The Hindu
11-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Health preparedness in situations of war
'A hospital alone shows what war is' — Erich Maria Remarque While the possibility of a full-blown war between India and Pakistan seems to have been abated after the nations consented to a mutual ceasefire, it might be an important chance to think about health systems preparedness — and how public health physicians should be better trained to handle such uncertain situations. Consequences of war on human health A series of protracted wars around the world have highlighted the far-reaching consequences of wars on human health. A statement by WHO about ethnic conflict in Sudanreveals that the majority (>67%) of hospitals were out of service, > 4 million women were at risk of gender-based violence, and sharp increase in the probability of vector-borne and infectious diseases. More than the violence itself, it is the absence of daily amenities such as food, shelter, water, clothing, and sanitation that takes the maximum toll on health. If there is an accompanying cocktail of reduced immunity, poor nutrition, and increased exposure to risk factors predisposes war victims to various infections, which are often worsened by disrupted healthcare delivery, communication blackouts, transport shutdowns, short medical supplies, and a dwindling workforce, thereby, creating a vicious loop. Prolonged wars, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), can have profoundly detrimental effects. They lead to an increase in the number of refugees whose overwhelming need for care puts an enormous strain on an already fractured healthcare system. The vulnerable populations—children, women of reproductive age, and the elderly—often take the brunt. Non-communicable diseases, mental health, vaccination services, and MCH (maternal and child health ) facilities often fall through the cracks of the healthcare system which has been reoriented towards handling war wounds. The medium- and long-term consequences of such health disparities are alarming. Wars do lead to regression of a country's development and negate any strides made in health equity. They also exacerbate environmental degradation, rapid deforestation, habitat destruction, greenhouse emissions (the third year of the Ukraine war caused the CO₂ emissions to rise by 230 metric tons), and contamination of natural resources with munition residues disrupt the natural food cycles. All of us are well aware of environmental impacts of chemical warfare (such as Agent Orange in the America-Vietnam War) or the genetic mutations observed in multiple generations after the Hiroshima-Nagasaki bombing. But while there are studied effects of environmental degradation, sometimes off-the-page impacts can even take epidemiologists by surprise. The destruction of mangroves in Vietnam during the war led to the creation of craters, which became breeding sites for mosquitoes and a reason for the steep rise in vector-borne diseases in the region. Public health as a discipline that looks at the intersection of health with social, psychological, physical, and economic impacts of war, acts as a bridge to the community. Experts suggest that decentralising healthcare alone can ensure optimal care in a crisis. A WHO handbook on disaster focuses on community participation. The community is often the first responder and should be endowed with practical knowledge to provide first aid care. Take, for example, the unlicensed midwives of Mosul(Iraq) with limited formal training who operated from bombed houses to provide care to pregnant women. Disaster management and preparedness The disaster cycle involves mitigation and preparedness even before the disaster strikes. Detailed protocols for disaster management integrated with armed conflicts should be available at all healthcare facilities. At regular intervals, these protocols must be reiterated through knowledge dissemination and mock drills. Contingency protocols for fuel, power, water, and communications should be in place. The functioning 700-bed Al-Shifa hospital in the recent Israel-Palestine conflict was crippled, due to, among other factors, the lack of generator fuel. A mere 300 liters of fuel was sent by Israel as aid to the hospital, which requires at least 8000-12000 litres every day. A safe, strategic reserve of essential medicines, lifesaving drugs, blood bags, and vaccinations is essential to building resilient healthcare systems. Deployment of mobile health units and investment in healthcare innovation is another way of improving disaster preparedness. Healthcare systems that had preexisting digital infrastructure showed resilience, operating through telemedicine, and remote prescriptions in Ukraine. In Gaza,solar-powered dialysis machines were used to help patients with kidney failure. Ensuring availability of emergency health facilities Continued surveillance and documentation to check the existing as well as future needs of the community are paramount. Collaborative efforts with international organisations such as ICRC, MSF, and the WHO should be strengthened. Diplomatic efforts between the warring countries should ensure that civilian health is not impacted, and this can be done through the creation of neutral health corridors and the availability of aid and emergency facilities. In Afghanistan, UNICEF, WHO, and Afghan health authorities negotiated for temporary ceasefires called 'Days of Tranquility,' which were used for vaccinating children and continuing the country's fight against polio. In the 2008 edition of War and Public Health, Levy and Sidel emphasised the tragic impacts of war: 'War accounts for more death and disability combined.' They also harp on primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention strategies that can be employed by public health professionals to address war. However, it is unfortunate that, worldwide, topics such as refugee health and the impacts of war remain out of the ambit of the public health courses. Most countries invest in their military capacity; however, they forget to make proper preparations for healthcare. A 2000 report showed that Ethiopia spent $16 on military while only $1 on health in 1990. On the opposite, the Assad regime of Syria was more hostile to its doctors, who were prevented from performing their duties due to fear of persecution. Until John Lennon's dream of 'all people living' in peace' when 'there's no countries, nothing to kill or die for,' is realised, it is important for doctors to be aware of their rights and responsibilities so that they can not only protect themselves but also the people suffering during a war. (Dr. Kinshuk Gupta is a public health physician and writer of Yeh Dil Hai Ki Chor Darwaja Prof. Suneela Garg is ex-dean of Maulana Azad Medical College and Chair, Programme Advisory Committee , NIHFW Prof. Mongjam Meghachandra Singh is director and head, Department of Community Medicine, MAMC and Chairperson of Centre for Occupational and Environmental Health, Delhi)
