For whom the bell tolls?

Whenever I read this kind of diplomatic history of world powers, I feel angry about what Western powers did for themselves without serious consideration on other nations’ future, in this book, especially SEA nations. For whom did they, especially the U.S., try to stabilize SEA? For whom did they divide Vietnam and Korea by two states? For world peace? Pax Americana? Someone (I do not remember who) said that Pax Romana was a peace only for the Roman Empire, specifically the city of Rome, and so did Pax Americana. That was not even stability that they had created. Koreans had war in our own lands, and even though almost 60 years have passed from the war, we are still living with a bit of tension.

In For whom the bell tolls, Robert sacrificed himself for the democracy of the Spanish. I think, however, the love between him and Maria was more important than the noble cause and he should have survived and been happy with Maria for a long time. Without happiness of the common people, no nation can be happy. Democracy without happiness of the people is extremely pointless. For whom did the U.S. protect democracy? For whom did it try to create a more stable and prosperous world order? (218) At the least it was not for the South-East Asian people. Before World War II, western powers colonized and exploited the region, and after the war they tried to control it to protect their lands, their own democracy, and their people. They thought, by doing so, that world peace would be achieved and everybody would be happy. In actuality, they could not even make their own people happy (remember the civil rights movement!) The western powers also killed a great number of people in the Vietnam wars. Vietnamese are still suffering from the aftermath of the wars like Koreans.

For whom did they ring the bell? For what did Robert die at the bridge? Where is a more stable and prosperous world order they tried to make? Probably that is not in South Asia, one of the poorest regions in the world.

I think we can find something in this phrase; “any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. Therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.” (John Donne)