Human history is defined by a continuous cycle of warfare. Sociologists and historians categorise these conflicts into major structural drivers, i.e. Resource Competition, which promotes Imperial Expansion driven by the pursuit of land, water, oil, and wealth; Ideological Clashes, which cause global conflicts triggered by opposing political systems, such as democracy versus communism; Religious Wars that caused centuries of violence rooted in dogmatic differences, exemplified by the Crusades; and Nationalism, which means tribalism scaled to state levels, causing catastrophic events like the First World War and the Second World War.

People keep wondering why peace remains an elusive dream. Total global peace has never been achieved in recorded history. Several systemic barriers prevent absolute harmony. The Security Dilemma remains prevalent, as one nation's defensive build-up is always perceived as an offensive threat by its neighbours. Human nature, or evolutionary biology, programmes humans for in-group loyalty and out-group hostility. Like the spoils of war in ancient times, even now, economic incentives remain one major driver of conflicts because the military-industrial complex generates immense profit from ongoing global instability. The decline of one global superpower causes geopolitical power vacuums, which invariably trigger wars of succession among rising powers.

True peace is the absence of fear, not just the absence of war. As a historical paradigm, peace has only existed as an enforced state of........

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