Tuesday, May 8, 2007

War: What is it good for?

Throughout the ages past, war has been used in many different ways. Blood feuds, conquest, territorial disputes, religion, terrorism, policing actions, and politics. But, no matter how you swing it, war, for whatever purpose or motive, is not a good thing.

Certainly one can argue that, if Hitler had not been stopped in the 1940's, he would have taken over the world. And so, we go to defend our country, our way of life, and the world from evil. That doesn't take away the brutality and corruption that can result from conflicts as large as these.

There are examples in our past of wars that were negative in nature. The Vietnam War, a fine example of political tensions causing the deaths of thousands of people. The Cuban Missile Crisis, where the hatred between two superpowers nearly caused a nuclear holocaust. The Crusades, where religion was used as an excuse to gain an influential piece of territory in Israel.

War is a tool. Just like the gun, the law, technology, and the vote, war can be used either for good or for evil. Whether it be rebellion against an oppressor as we saw in World War II, or the same scenario where one man desired power above all else.

Regardless of it's use, war brings devastation, deprivation, and death.

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World Peace

Monday, May 7, 2007

What is love?

Sometimes it's difficult to understand our feelings. Even more so to understand those of others.

I've recently, by circumstance, looked at relationships from my perspective, and the knowledge that I have. I think that it's a lot different looking in to a relationship from the outside than it is to be on the inside. You don't really know what to do, what to expect, and there aren't any set rules or guidelines for you to follow; no precedent. Because every pair of persons is different.

You ask them if you can buy them something, but they decline. Then they let you share what you bought with them. Confusing? Yes! Later, you think that something you share together may be unique, but in fact they share that with someone else. Perplexing? Definately. I didn't really know what all those guys on T.V. meant when they commented on how women were so fickle, and all the different signs about, does she like me, does she not.

I've been told that I could simply take the plunge. I'm getting two mixed signals from my heart. One tells me to lay my cards on the table. The other tells me to wait before I play my pair of aces.

My head hurts. I'm signing off.

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World Peace

Sunday, May 6, 2007

The Hitlers; and the Rebels

What do you think about tyranny? Is it completely evil? What about authoritarianism? What's the difference?

There are cases in which authority is needed, and when it works. In emotional situations, for example, authority can be quite useful, such as a battle or in an operating room. When the stakes are high in situations like those, the one person or group of people who know what to do must take charge. When this does not happen, chaos and anarchy result, spawning feelings and actions of a negative sort.

Democracy too, is important. Some would say more important. Others would say less. The democratic sets the precedent by a group of people coming to a consensus, after which they empower individuals with the authority to enforce that precedent. if a squad of soldiers was required to have a vote every time a new situation arose, there would be many more dead soldiers.

Balance between the extremes of totalitarianism and libertarianism is important. People must have rights and freedoms, but they must also have responsibilities and obligations. For example; a citizen has the right to make decisions for themselves, such as voting for an elected representative. They also have the responsibility not abuse their rights, such as choosing to commit a crime. Without balance between these, there can be no civilization, and no progress.

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World Peace