Megalomaniac Aspirations to Revive Empire Days Should Be Obstructed Early

Abstract

This opinion article argues that the megalomaniac aspirations of some national leaders to revive the days of former empires endanger humanity and should be obstructed early. Starting from the premise that survival is a key factor in evolution and that Homo sapiens would be expected to abolish threats to its existence, the author contends that humanity has instead allowed irrational people to lead and jeopardise its future. The article discusses the putative motives behind such aspirations in Russia under Vladimir Putin, Iran under Ali Khamenei and Turkey under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, whom the author calls Arduan, against the background of the Russian, Persian and Ottoman empires. These aspirations are characterised as driven by inflated egos, religious justifications, memories of imperial greatness and the wish to divert attention from political and economic failures, with the Russian threat to use nuclear weapons identified as the main present risk. The author also reviews current hot spots seen as capable of igniting a world war, including Chinese pressure on Taiwan and the Israeli-Arab conflict. The article concludes that humanity's inability to restrain such leaders, together with intolerance, religious superstition, racism, competition over resources and environmental destruction, increases the probability of extinction, and calls for the removal of megalomaniac leaders and for reliance on science rather than religious belief.

Abstract prepared by the editorial office from the full text of the article; the authors did not supply one.