There can be few people alive now that have not at some time seen the inevitable results of war. Some few of us will have had a very direct experience, most some only through documentary films or images on some other form of media.
The vast majority of us have no control over whether there continue to be wars or not, only a tiny proportion of us do. An incredibly small proportion of the human population decide these things.
This tiny proportion cannot possibly have been sheltered from each and every gruesome image that the rest of us have been exposed to, can they? That seems unlikely to the level of being ludicrous as a suggestion. They know what it looks like. Knowing the horror that war brings with it how on earth can they contemplate letting it happen over and over again?
Surely they are not all sociopaths or psychopaths. Or are they? If they are then we truly are in very serious trouble as a species. Don’t you think so?
Assuming however that they are not raving madmen and women without scruple, conscience, compassion or trace of integrity... why are wars still occurring, why are families grieving, children being raised without their fathers or mothers, nations devastated, regions fractured and blind hatred being tolerated as normal?
Have we not outgrown such behavior yet? Has our common knowledge of the horrors of two world wars and many others since not reached the point where we are revolted as an entire species and rise up to say “No more!” ?
It seems not. Many of us appear reduced to an apathetic acceptance based on feelings of powerlessness to do anything about it.
Of course the leaders of western nations will doubtless say that powerlessness comes from living in totalitarian states where there is no democracy. But those waging most major wars were those very leaders and the people did rise up at least once to say “No! Don’t do it!” but were totally ignored by the then leaders of the so-called “Free World”, George W. Bush and Anthony Blair. Where did the powerlessness lie at that time? In the so-called democratic West. Meanwhile of course those leaders or their successors, point to those who aligned with millions in western nations saying “No! Don’t do it!”, Russia and China saying they are the super aggressive danger to the world. Give me a break!
War is still very much with us.
After decimating Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Libya and assisting in the virtual annihilation of Yemen taking it back to the Stone Age... the western world is now waging hybrid warfare against those two nations who most prominently stood resolutely against war against the nations above, Russia and China. You could be forgiven for thinking the world has gone quite mad.
This is in fact World War Three, the final world war. It is not being fought using traditional methods of warfare. That doesn’t stop people dying though. It is estimated that Venezuela, ally of both Russia and China has lost an estimated forty thousand of its population due to the financial restrictions and sanctions laid upon it by a western world so full of its humanitarian “values”. Iran will have lost many thousands also due to the same reasons. Going back to Iraq, even before the attack and invasion which cost hundreds of thousands their lives, there were the pre-war sanctions that lasted years. The estimate is that up to half a million children died unnecessarily during that time as a result of the draconian sanctions regime.
Despite all we have seen of war and despite existing in a western world where all is meant to be sanitized and safe and all consciences honed to be ultra-caring, compassionate and desiring of human rights for all and repression of none... we live under governments that engage in war as one of the earliest options available. Look at the timeline.
Afghanistan - Iraq - Syria - Libya - Yemen.
Do you consider there was much consideration given to other ways to achieve betterment of peoples’ lives in general than this quick succession of wars leading to mass death, misery and destruction? It looks like very little thought went into the process. It verges on the words of some I saw who believed in the mentality they saw in their god of choice, that of Old Testament, “Kill ‘em all... let God sort ‘em out!” That this sort of mentality still exists after all humanity has been through in the last two or three generations should make you shudder.
Just below the surface of some of us is a killer instinct. Under the surface patina of respectability and designer suits of others is a cynical and deeply callous disregard for the consequences of their actions.
Where geopolitical ambitions based on nationalistic self-interest overwhelms all compassion you have war. war of one kind or another.
And that is the main reason why the world (or at least that miniscule percentage composed of our elites who generate them) is still not yet sick of war.
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