Memorial Day – 2018

Memorial Day – 2018

Ted Folkert

Memorial Day is a good day to question the causes and results of warfare, especially when we acknowledge the sacrifices of those who have served and particularly of those who paid the ultimate price.

What causes war? History tells us that many wars resulted from racism, ethnicity, religion, anti-Semitism, and tyrannical plunders. But, is war caused by a quest for power, a quest for territory, a quest for financial dominance, a conflict between domineering egos? Is it just a response to abusive actions of powerless grassroots activists? Is it actions of would-be tyrants or dictators seeking expansion of dictatorial power on the backs of powerless subjects and enormous wealth amassed on the backs of the poor? Or is it triggered by sabre rattling gone bad, challenging a leader’s image or political survival and forcing a demonstration of superiority?

And beyond the physical conflicts are those which seem to be festering due to sabre rattling of narcissistic dictators and narcissistic presidents, without common sense and compassion for the welfare of their people and the rights of others to protect the welfare of their people. Personality conflicts and misguided political beliefs creating precarious risks of catastrophic results for the safety and welfare of innocent people – an inexplicable display of power without provocation which simply necessitates additional expansion of war materials and weapons which consumes more of the planets finite resources and wastes financial resources that could provide beneficial necessities for the populous in terms of food, shelter, clothing, healthcare, education, and living conditions.

One might wonder if humans are any more civilized overall than wild animals. Wild animals seem to kill each other for food, fear, territory, and sex. Are humans overall much different? Which causes of wild animal killings do humans avoid? Good questions.

It must be less stressful to initiate warfare if you can send other people’s children there to do the fighting and experience devastating injury or loss of life.

Stokely Carmichael has been quoted as having said years ago when discussing the military draft: “It is like white people sending black people to make war on yellow people to protect land stolen from red people,” – an interesting analogy that may have more reality than we care to acknowledge.

Think about it!

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