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 23 Nov 2002 @ 20:21, by ming. Violence, War
Part of what keeps us all from living in an entirely peaceful world is that, if we're honest about it, most of us find guns and violence and war very entertaining. War makes for great programs on the History Channel. Violence makes for great action movies, and most of us cheer when the good guy kills the bad guy at the end. Guns are kind of cool and sexy. It is a powerful feeling to shoot a gun. Part of what motivates people to be police officers or soldiers is that you drive fast, or fly expensive toys, and you chase bad guys and you blow things up.
But what we like is exactly the game aspect of it. The thrill and risk, the power, the rush, the gadgetry, the stimulating special effects. But if we are really exposed to the effects of violence and war, very, very few of us would think that it is cool. Just one bullet, or the tiniest of bombs, do horrible things to human bodies. Just one life lost, or one life lived as an invalid, can be a huge tragedy for the people involved. The only way we accept it as a society is to be detached from it, by just watching it on TV and thinking about it abstractly. Yeah, let's go whip Saddam's ass real good. Looks good on TV. But we aren't able to fathom the scope of what several hundred thousand dead Iraqi children means. It is just numbers. And most Americans have never even heard about those numbers.
We'll have to embrace our desire for action and violence, and provide for it, without leaving all those innocent victims behind. I hear people giving visions of the future where there is no violence. "In the New Civilization there must be no violence!" Aha, ok, then what are you going to do with the people who want it? Outlaw boxing and wrestling? Action movies? Body piercing? Jackass stunts? That's all violent stuff, but it is violence that people volunteer for. And it is entertaining. Hoping that nobody will be interested in watching it just isn't going to work. Finding a harmonious relation between all sides of ourselves is more likely to take us somewhere. More >
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 1 Oct 2002 @ 15:28, by devic. Violence, War
War is Peace, which means villains are necessary.
Many thousands of years ago, the ethic of 'War is Peace' was conceived.
When war rages, or the threat of war looms overhead, the masses become focused on that impending doom. This clears the pathway for the ruling classes to lead a peaceful existence, well away from the gaze of the 'cattle' (that's you and I).
This is what the phrase 'War is Peace' actually means. It's a double-bound statement. The notion of war is and always has been a technique employed for keeping the masses in a state of perpetual fear. Divide and Rule. Order out of Chaos.... More >
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26 Sep 2002 @ 01:28, by finny. Violence, War
Not sure how widely circulated this is. It surely is good news from the halls of power, somebody is standing up in order to be counted. A letter from former Secretary of State; Ramsey Clark to Kofi Annan. Has this been big news in the USA?
September 20, 2002
Secretary General Kofi Annan United Nations New York, NY
Dear Secretary General Annan,
George Bush will invade Iraq unless restrained by the United Nations. Other international organizations-- including the European Union, the African Union, the OAS, the Arab League, stalwart nations courageous enough to speak out against superpower aggression, international peace movements, political leadership, and public opinion within the United States--must do their part for peace. If the United Nations, above all, fails to oppose a U.S. invasion of Iraq, it will forfeit its honor, integrity and raison d'etre.
A military attack on Iraq is obviously criminal; completely inconsistent with urgent needs of the Peoples of the United Nations; unjustifiable on any legal or moral ground; irrational in light of the known facts; out of proportion to other existing threats of war and violence; and a dangerous adventure risking continuing conflict throughout the region and far beyond for years to come. The most careful analysis must be made as to why the world is subjected to such threats of violence by its only superpower, which could so safely and importantly lead us on the road to peace, and how the UN can avoid the human tragedy of yet another major assault on Iraq and the powerful stimulus for retaliatory terrorism it would create. More >
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9 Sep 2002 @ 14:27, by sylhara. Violence, War
Hello everyone and Blessings;
As we approach "9-11", and living in America, I have a few thoughts about our coming future that I wish to share. With the world seemingly headed into madness, and hearing the beat of war drums ever louder, I ask for sanity to return to us before we fall from the precipice. Please;
Know who you are. Be above the false pride of others. When you have the Goddess/God in your heart, your pride is genuine in it's love. When you let ego motivate your actions, this is when you stop living with your heart, and EGO takes over. We then no longer live with the Goddess, but with our own ego. Ego, is the enemy of the heart. Thank you
With Dana's Love, Sylhara More >
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7 Sep 2002 @ 21:21, by finny. Violence, War
Against War September 08, 2002 By Neve Gordon
I am against the war, the (perpetual) war on terrorism as well as the war against Iraq. I am against empire, the control of nearly 40 percent of the world's resources secured by the deployment of air, naval, and ground forces in over 800 bases across the globe. And I am against deception; the claim that United States foreign policy is aimed at ensuring freedom, justice and democracy around the world, when in fact its overseas agenda is driven by corporate greed, power and domination. More >
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2 Sep 2002 @ 08:58, by craiglang. Violence, War
The events of 9/11 bring to mind a dream which I had four years ago. I didn't note the date but I think that it was approximately 9/11/98. I never considered it prophetic at the time, but after 9/11, my perspective changed. Could it have been prophecy? I wonder...
Still, rather than being predictive, I wonder if it's purpose could have been to tell us more about the lessons from 9/11. To me, the formemost lesson is that war is not the answer. The lesson of 9/11 is peace! More >
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2 Aug 2002 @ 11:35, by xtremdufas. Violence, War
IF INTERNATIONAL LAWS WERE ENACTED TO THE EFFECT THAT ALL POLITICIAN'S CHILDREN WERE THE FIRST TO BE PUT IN HARMS WAY IN THE EVENT OF WAR - THEN WE WOULD ALL SEE THE INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE BRAINSTORMING SOLUTIONS THAT WOULD BE DEVELOPED -INSTEAD OF HARM COMING TO THEIR LOVED ONES. More >
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29 Apr 2002 @ 19:21, by finny. Violence, War
ZNet Commentary Arms, Climate Change, And The Grand Media Deception by Dave Edwards [link]
In a recent Guardian article, Julian Borger reports a massive 11% increase in U.S. defence spending. It is estimated that by 2007 defence spending will be 20% higher than average cold war levels. While September 11 is cited as justification, the increase is actually dedicated to promoting cold war-style weapons systems useless in the "war against terrorism".
Paul Krugman of the New York Times writes, "The military build-up seems to have little to do with the actual threat, unless you think that al-Qaida's next move will be a frontal assault by several heavy armoured divisions." (Borger, 'Bush billions will revive cold war army', the Guardian, February 6, 2002)
So what does the build-up have to do with? According to Peter Beaumont and Ed Vulliamy of the Observer, it's a mystery:
"So why the need for more and better military power? The answer is that even the military analysts are baffled." (Beaumont and Vulliamy, 'Armed to the teeth', the Observer, 10 February 2002) More >
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10 Apr 2002 @ 19:44, by ming. Violence, War
I was just listening to an interview on the Charlie Rose show on public TV with Thomas Friedman who's a columnist for the New York Times and an expert and analyst concerning the Middle East. It is the first time for a long time I've heard somebody give such a knowledgable and balanced view. This man really knows what he is talking about, he is very good at making it clear, and he manages not to take sides. Read his latest column. You might need to register to read online content from New York Times. More >
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 3 Apr 2002 @ 17:33, by ming. Violence, War
It makes me sick to read about the travesties going on in the Israeli occupied areas in Palestine. Below is a report from an American student visiting Ramallah, plus some comments. It is from this site. Very depressing. Although, a somewhat positive news item from today, if you read a little further is:
"Today, between 5,000 and 6,000 people -- Israeli peace activists, Palestinians in Israel and Palestinian MK's in the Israeli Knesset -- marched to the Kalandia checkpoint, with several aims:
1. To ensure that urgently needed aid people here had collected - medicines and food - would enter Ramallah.
2. For the Palestinians, to try to enter Ramallah, breaking the military closure around the city and protesting against the curfew and occupation;
3. To protest America's open support for the clearly illegal occupation, and re-assault in the West Bank. " More >
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