Reflections on War and Peace

 In a few days is Memorial Day and for many families,  it is a time to remember their loved ones who died in War. No one wins in war, too many parents have lost their children, too many humans have killed each other without getting to know one  another.  As a mom of a boy , I been teaching Peace not through War but through reconciliation, through dialogue, through sharing the planet and trying at least trying to get to know our neighbors.

Memorial Day, a time to reconsider if joining the military has the objective of protecting and preserving life? The objective of giving all humans in the world their birth right to basic necessities; rather than benefiting only those in the armament industry.

Why do people really go to War? I have found some of my answers in the words of those who have written about the devastating damages of war.

In “Peace with Honor”, written by A.A. Milne in 1935. The author invites the leaders of the World to consider its citizens when making decisions of war. In it, Milne questions if two lives were a motive enough to loose 10,000,000 more plus a total of 37 million with casualties.  

In its book Milne opposes to War although he was mandated to join. He speaks to Europe and Great Britain about the possibilities of not engaging in further wars. Milne discusses the various reasons a country might go to war, which have little to do with considering the regular citizens of a country such, the artist, musicians, bread makers, shoe makers, the doctors, etc but rather more to do with the businesses that benefit from selling war.

No aggression and No Defense, is something that Milne suggest countries to do instead of war. When I think of it, I feel like in the daily basis, in our relationships at home and within the world; it makes sense to not be violent and to not react but to be open to dialogue.

I wonder often if the voices of the people who work for the country, who make a country such, are ever contempleted at all. Considering all the wars that at present are being fought in different regions.

Although many have protested against War World War I and II, Vietnam War and  Iraq war, still in America 54% of our taxed money goes to military while 6% goes towards education.

U.S. military is the most expensive lethal force in the world. The defense budget in 2015 totaled $598.5 billions and accounted for 54% of all federal spending. It is larger than the combined military spending of China, Russia, Germany, UK, Japan, France, Saudi Arabia, India, Germany, Italy and Brazil. 800 military bases around the world at an annual cost of 156 billions paid by taxpayers.

How do we expect to make educated decisions or Peaceful decisions if we invest more in a violent approach than in Education?

In war, we destroy the lives of people that we considered “collateral damage”. We destroy homes, farming, the economy and way of living that others have preserved as part of their own culture.

If we slow down enough, we will be able to hear from intellectuals like Giroux and his book “America at War with itself”.

From his book, we will learn about the growing acts of violent towards African people and towards the poor sides of the American society, we will learn what is the real purpose behind many decisions made for us without considering our opinions as citizens of a country.

As Giroux mentions, “Totalitarianism destroys everything that makes democracy, civil rights and openness possible. We have heard these narratives of authoritarianism existing elsewhere. We associate it with dictatorships in Latin America in the 70’s or Hitler’s Nazi Germany or Mussolini’s Fascist Italy”. But consider, aren’t we mimicking the very societies that we have condemned? “They glorified war soldiers, nationalism, militarism fallen warriors, racial cleansing, and a dogmatic allegiance to the homeland, and so we do in America.

It seems surreal and unacceptable that, the 16,000 richest families in America overpower 256,000,000 people when it comes to where to invest the money the government collect from taxes imposed on it citizens, don’t you agree? Who made them rich and powerful without our consent? Don’t we have a say in the most important decisions a country makes in the name of its citizens?

I strongly suggest the reading of the book “America at War with itself” and “Peace with Honour” among so many written about the necessity as a one world to stop fighting each other. 
These books will give us a deeper understanding of the consequences that War and violence are having in the world and in America.

Totalitarianism has never been the path to Peace, as we have seen through History. If we keep at this pace, “War will always generate a more violent and emotionally detached society”.

As a society we got to reconsider this wave of lacking of empathy for the suffering of others in the World who were invaded, destabilized and made refugees.

As Giroux explained, Bush and Blair’s invasion o f Iraq in 2003 led to the deaths of some 700,000 people in a country that had NO history of Jihadist. If a Nation continually bombs others, invades and occupies their land, appropriates their resources, harms their children, imprisons and humiliates their families and tears apart the fabric of the social order. It actually produces the very conditions in which violence continues to thrive. (6,000 American lives were lost in Iraq-Iran War plus 3 trillions from US treasure, killed thousands of civilians) 

It depends on us to be a Nation of humanitarians or authoritarians and I believe that the 99% of the population whom we have seen marching and protesting are in favor of a real democracy not a totalitarian government. 

If we, the taxpayers are mandated to support violent acts in which we do not believe, are we living a real democracy?

 Many of the decisions made by governments are not the unanimous decision of the Nation. We, the people should have louder voices and be considered for decisions made in our favor or against our will. We should deeply ponder about the effects of every wrong doing in other Nations in the world and the side effects those violent decisions and acts will produce.

How do we brake the cycle of violence? Giroux asks:

Eradicating the conditions that have created it. Producing a political settlement in Syria and stabilizing the Middle East, ending the Western support for the anti-democratic and dictatorial regimes through tough the Middle East and around the world. Stopping the funding and arming of ruthless dictators, make the countries from where refugees are fleeing free of violence.

As a mom and human being who cares about the world, I want to take this moment to re-consider the violent acts that human have been committing in the name of hate.

 In Orange County, I read last month  a mom lost his joyful, bright, dedicated 19 year old who was stubbed to death by an ex-classmate. The crime could have been an act of hate due to the boy being Jew and gay I read. The killer, a Christian boy. There is something really deep rooted wrong in our society and we must address it.

I keep hearing about shootings in schools, at governmental offices, in events, mass shootings against each other at home, in our neighborhoods, in school, an ultimately against other countries.

All this acts of aggression not in the name of Peace, but rather in the name of control and oppression.  Violence, hate, anger, retaliation, pride, power as we have seen through history will never be the path to Peace.

It is time to reconsider our righteousness and think in the children, of the world, the youth, our kids. 

I heard that there would be no safe havens anywhere in the world until the militaristic, impoverished and violent conditions that humiliate and oppress young people are addressed; so I want to address it.

                                                     ©KarlaGMundo2018