Character of the 21st Century

When one takes into consideration the character as well as the integrity of the 21^st century world, one can see many things happening that endangers the survival of man. There is an ever-growing number of individuals who feel that they can engage in various compromising acts, which are occurring secretly. However, one only needs to look at headlines of various news, in order to realize that individual’s intentions to hide darker side of their lives does not seem to be working in this new age. Contemporary societies may have lost their values; the truth remains that those who play around with their characters can be easily identified. This paper attempts to look at the character of the 21^st Century. The thesis statement for this paper is,” 21st century character is going to be chaotic and prone to war rather than peace”. The paper presents some reasons as to why the character of the present age is likely to be chaotic and prone to war.

Why the Character of the Present Age is Likely to Be Chaotic and Prone to War

The character of the 21^st century is expected to be more chaotic and prone to war rather than peace. Many authors argued that the world might be more peaceful in the 21^st century. However, going by the events that are unfolding in this century, war and chaos seems to be more likely features in this century than peace. Character as well as integrity, which are the pillars of the societies, used to be respected and applauded, but in this century, they have devalued and cheapened at an exceedingly high rate. Lack of integrity makes the world increasingly prone to wars and chaos. Compromises in integrity and character have now been accepted in this century. The shift in the cultural values is the main concern on the way forward for the world, at present.

Competition for economic resources is one main reason why the character of 21^st century may be chaotic and prone to wars, in nature, rather than peaceful. The world is currently characterized by inequality in distribution of economic resources, whereby majority of the population is living in extreme poverty. For instance, most of the people in developing countries lives of an income under one dollar a day. This situation may make the character of the 21^st century hostile as these people try to find their mean of survival. These people lack access to basic needs, which they cannot afford from the little income that they earn. Therefore, in order to meet their basic human needs, they engage in illegal activities, such as theft and robbery. The fights and struggles for the scarce resources have been witnessed in many African countries such as Chad, D.R.C. (Democratic Republic of Congo), among others. These are just signs of eruption of an increasingly threatening world, which cannot be escaped, unless measures are formulated and implemented to reduce poverty levels, which are rising each day, both at national and international level. The situation is made worse since most of the rich people are using the existing economic conditions in the world for their personal gains. Unless the distribution of natural resources is addressed, achievement of a peaceful century would be an unrealistic dream.

The competition for resources between countries is another economic issue that makes the character of 21^st century more likely to be characterized with features of chaos and wars. South Sudan and Sudan are constantly fighting for oil along the border, and this situation destabilizes the whole region. Competition for economic supremacy among nations also predisposes the character of the current century to chaos and war, as various global economic powers fight for control over economic resources, in various parts of the world. There are some allegations that these powers fund rebels to fight legitimate governments, so that they can exploit resources of these poor countries.

The second reason why the character of 21^st century is more likely to be chaotic and prone to war is fight for political power in the world. Developing countries have weak political institutions and these tend to make them more prone to war during elections. This has been the case in the recent elections conducted in Ivory Coast and Kenya were the elections turned out to be chaotic, resulting in loss of lives and properties. Some authors of international relations argue that, if strong governance institutions are put in place, the world may enjoy peace in the 21^st century. The proponents argue that these institutions can address some of the problems that cause political chaos and wars.

Political conflicts are the third reason that makes the world predisposed to chaos and wars in the 21^st century. Fight for political power is increasingly experienced in this century. There are various marginalized groups of people all over the world, who will revolt against marginalization. These forms of revolt have been recorded in Arab countries in the recent years resulting to bloodshed and wide spread chaos in the affected regions. Need to address issues from marginalized groups in the society is the first step to enhance peace in the 21^st century. Misuse of power by those in governance institution should be avoided at all cost, so as to ensure that political chaos and wars are avoided.

Finally, social reasons may be a significant source of chaos and war in the 21^st century rather than being a source of peace. Historical, social injustices are what the current century is characterized with, and this makes the regions that have this state of affairs more likely to be prone to chaos and war in the future. A convincing example is among the Somali community, found in East Africa, where there are conflicts between clans due to various historical injustices such as land disputes. Unless historical, social injustices are properly addressed, the world will be prone to civil wars, which can be avoided, if proper measures are put in place. Family disputes are another social issue that comprises the character of the 21^st century. Issues, such as conflict over family properties, are what the world is experiencing today. These disputes decrease safety in the world, as far as chaos and wars are concerned. The world is currently characterized with lack of moral values and integrity. Many individuals are engaged in social crimes such as drug trafficking, among other crimes, which make the world in this century inclined to chaos and war. An outstanding example in this respect is the killing in Mexico, where thousands of people have lost their lives as a result of war between drug lords in this country. This chaos can be prevented if measures to address drug trafficking are taken, worldwide.

In conclusion, unless measures are put in place, the 21 century will be characterized with war and chaos rather than peace. The issues, as discussed in this paper, need to be addressed in order to ensure the safe world, which is not prone to chaos and wars. Social, political and economic issues need to be addressed amicably to enhance peace in all corners of the world.