"To my mind to kill in war is not a whit better than to commit ordinary murder."
Albert Einstein, 1879-1955
***
Alan: I still believe -- barely -- that rare circumstances justify certain defensive wars.
That said, persistent pacifism may be the best way to transcend humankind's passion for waging wars
whose fundamental purpose is to secure the popularity of politicians who will "gladly lay down your life for their country."
whose fundamental purpose is to secure the popularity of politicians who will "gladly lay down your life for their country."
Smirk and Snarl's Whimsy War in Iraq is an egregious case in point.
Or consider Vladimir Putin's warmongering in Crimea/Ukraine.
In October, 2013, Putin's approval rating was the lowest in his 13 year kleptocracy.
Now, in mid-April, 2014, his approval rating is in excess of 80% (eighty percent).
Powerless people with "no lives of their own"
love the sound of pounding drums and supremacist oratory.
love the sound of pounding drums and supremacist oratory.
In the absence of "real lives," impotent people (often self-"castrated") fill the void with trumped-up drama whose plot line is indistinguishable from soap opera.
***
Canadian Prime Minister, Brian Mulroney, observed: "In politics, madame, you need two things: friends, but above all an enemy."
No comments:
Post a Comment