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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsA Waroholic Wishes You Peace on Earth
By David Swanson
http://www.opednews.com/articles/A-Waroholic-Wishes-You-Pea-by-David-Swanson-Peace_Peace_Peace-Activism_Peace-Advocacy-Activism-151127-667.html
Imagine an alcoholic who managed every night to get ahold of and consume huge quantities of whiskey and who every morning swore that drinking whiskey had been his very last resort, he'd had no choice at all.
Easy to imagine, no doubt. An addict will always justify himself, how ever nonsensically it has to be done.
But imagine a world in which everyone believed him and solemnly said to each other "He really had no other choice. He truly had tried everything else."
Not so plausible, is it? Almost unimaginable, in fact. And yet:
<snip>
Hidden in the mystery of the ludicrous "last resort" claims, taken oh so seriously by commentators on war, may lie an explanation of current bigotry toward Muslims in the United States. Should Muslims in your neighborhood turn out to be decent people, perhaps Muslims far away are decent people with whom one might speak instead of dropping bombs on their children. Muslims must be hated here so as to justify killing them there as an unavoidable "last resort."
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One page article points out some painful truths. Well worth a thoughtful read.
http://www.opednews.com/articles/A-Waroholic-Wishes-You-Pea-by-David-Swanson-Peace_Peace_Peace-Activism_Peace-Advocacy-Activism-151127-667.html
JEB
(4,748 posts)hardly any interest.
gratuitous
(82,849 posts)War is the first resort here in the United States of America. Our official religion is the High Church of Redemptive Violence. We practice and believe in violence with a fervor that some snake-handler or speaker-in-tongues can only envy. Even when violence has failed for all to see, and the failure is undeniable, the priests and acolytes of Redemptive Violence will deny that any failure has occurred, except in the failure to apply enough violence.
When violence doesn't vanquish our enemies, it's because our elected officials didn't have enough faith in the power of violence. When violence makes a bad situation worse, it's because we failed violence. Violence can never fail; it will always triumph. Each and every victim of our violence deserved it or had it coming or should have known better. And Violence damn you if you dare call any of them innocent. If they were innocent, they wouldn't have been victims.