Acts of violence

Politics, our government, war, American involvement in foreign affairs… In the more recent past, all these topics have been somewhat intimidating for me and the discussions I’ve had about them were relatively limited, mostly for a lack of knowledge. But, as time progressed and my mind matured, the knowledge I’ve filtered and categorized in my head has increased allowing me to become more comfortable in my opinions and thoughts and more confident in my vocalizations about them.

First, I am extremely uncomfortable living under a regime that has consistently proven that the general welfare or their people lie at the bottom of a barrel that currently points in the direction of the Middle Eastern civilian population. I am dumbfounded that I live in a contradictory nation who’s government has initiated a “War on Terror” to prevent terrorist attacks on its soil by instituting and organizing a military to commit violent crimes in poverty stricken countries. It just doesn’t make sense: prevent attacks by attacking your enemy. I seriously doubt that the activation of our bombs, bullets and guns is going to generate peace.

While I listen to Jimmy guitar riff the National Anthem to shreds, this quote very appropriately comes to mind:

“Me and you must not pull on the ends of a rope which you have tied the knots of war, because the war that the two of us pull, the tighter the knot will be tied, and then it will be necessary to cut that knot and what that will mean is not for me to explain to you. I have participated in two wars and know that war ends when it has rolled through cities and villages everywhere so that death and destruction reign. If people do not display wisdom, they will clash like blind moles, and then mutual annihilation will commence.” Khrushchev (Leader of the Soviet Union 1953-1964) addressing the US during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Robert McNamara's 10 Lessons

1.The human race will not eliminate war in this century, but we can reduce the brutality of war--the level of killing--by adhering to the principles of a "Just War", in particular to the principle of "proportionality".

2. The indefinite combination of human fallibility and nuclear weapons will lead to the destruction of nations.

3. We are the most powerful nation in the world--economically, politically and militarily--and we are likely to remain so for decades ahead. But we are not omniscient.

4. Moral principles are often ambiguous guides to foreign policy and defense policy, but surely we can agree that we should establish as a major goal of U.S. foreign policy and, indeed, of foreign policy across the globe: the avoidance in this century of the carnage--160 million dead--caused by conflict in the 20th century.

5. We, the richest nation in the world, have failed in our responsibility to our own poor and to the disadvantaged across the world to help them advance their welfare in the most fundamental terms of nutrition, literacy, health, and employment.

6. Corporate executives must recognize there is no contradiction between a soft heart and a hard head. Of course, they have responsibilities to their employees, their customers and to society as a whole.

7. President Kennedy believed a primary responsibility of a president--indeed "the" primary responsibility of a president--is to keep the nation out of war, if at all possible.

8. War is a blunt instrument by which to settle disputes between or within nations, and economic sanctions are rarely effective. Therefore, we should build a system of jurisprudence based on the International Court--that the U.S. has refused to support--which would hold individuals responsible for crimes against humanity.

9. If we are to deal effectively with terrorists across the globe, we must develop a sense of empathy--I don't mean "sympathy" but rather "understanding" to counter their attacks on us and the Western World.

10. One of the greatest dangers we face today is the risk of mass destruction as a result of the breakdown of the Non-Proliferation Regime. We--the U.S. are contributing to that breakdown.

The United States must be careful with their actions and since the invasion of Iraq, I have not been proud to be an American.