Final Word from Thursday, September 3, 2020
An entire industry has sprung up around international conflict resolution. Universities offer concentrations in it. Nobel Peace Prizes are awarded for it, including in 1978 to Anwar el-Sadat and Menachem Begin, in 1995 to Joseph Rotblat and the Pugwash Conference, and in 2008 to Martti Ahtisaari. Some recipients of the Nobel Prize, notably Henry Kissinger, get rich peddling peace, love and understanding. But we live in the era of destruction, and creating conflict, not resolving it, is the order of the day. Miloš Vystrčil didn't do a bad job of turning his trip to Taiwan into an international melee, but he's an amateur at it. His 15 minutes of fame are almost over. Look at how Angela Merkel, or perhaps Donald Trump himself, thrust Nord Stream 2 into real doubt with the Navalny ordeal. Now that is the work of seasoned professionals! It's time for crisis creators to be given proper recognition. The first Nobel Conflict Prize could go to the Wuhan lab for its amazing covid-19 work. [ Czech Republic Aexei Vladimir Putin Senate President China coronavirus pipeline Russia Germany ]
Glossary of difficult words
to spring up - to grow or appear suddenly;
to peddle - to promote (an idea or view) persistently or widely; to try to sell (something, esp. small goods) by going from place to place;
melee - a confused fight or scuffle;
to thrust - to push or move something forward forcibly;
ordeal - a very unpleasant and prolonged experience;
seasoned - experienced; accustomed to particular conditions.