You know when the cost of war hit me the hardest (growing up in the 60s and 70s with Vietnam, assassinations and Kent State, mind you) was when we buried my father at Arlington Cemetery. Thousands and thousands of white crosses in every direction, with the average age being somewhere in the 20s. It just takes your breath away how the future of our country is dying in wars.
Lovely sentiment. Now tell Hamas, Putin, and all the other dictators. And yes, I know that even the US has been complicit in violence. That's what organizations like the UN, NATO and others exist - to try to stop wars or at least contain them.
The UN was a great idea, but had no real enforcement mechanism. It stopped nations like Russia from going to war -- until they wanted to go to war. Then, they were powerless.
The P5 in general, and their veto power in particular, seems destined to have crashed the effectiveness as a global peacekeeper, even if everything else worked.
On the other hand, outside conflict zones, the UN still coordinates and delivers an awful lot of humanitarian and development aid (46 and 29% of the budget, respectively).
As I have said previously, the US courts are proving to be as effective at stopping corruption as the French Maginot Line was at stopping the Germans. Trump seems to be able to bully his way though every felony. Spending tens of millions of dollars on lawyers gives access to a completely different legal system. Any other person would have been in jail months ago. In some countries he would have been executed -- which is what he wants to do to all his critics if he gets reelected.
Agree in part. Yeah, TFF*G should have been in jail, and Garland should have sicced Jack Smith on him a lot earlier. But TFF*G has been losing cases in court, including several appeals courts lately. Right now, I think the problem we face is that the courts are trying, as is the DOJ, but many areas of the country/society aren't. The GOP is all in on the whiner-in-chief, including those with some semblance of power, and the rabid voters among them are literally threatening people's lives and families. The few Rs with any balls really need to consolidate their money and strengths and actively, openly, oppose both the Party and Trump. Right now, they seem to be scattered voices fighting the tornado. They need to actually, actively consolidate and open their mouths loudly. Pick Cheney, Christie, Bloomberg, someone sane - which leaves out everyone in the current R "candidates".
Mills of the gods grind slowly but they grind exceeding fine. Fingers crossed. I don't think its good lawyering but the apparent awe of the Office of the President no matter who holds it -- and the fear of the armed MAGA mob. But yes he should have been handcuffed Jan 7 and the courts should be pushing these cases through asap instead of deferring to his nonsense.
I used to feel this way. I was active in the Beyond War movement (http://traubman.igc.org/bwarchive.htm) in the 1980s. I worked at an aerospace company (yeah, lifelong liberal Dem me - I was definitely a fish out of water) where I had a conversation with an engineering manager about the poster popular in those days that said "It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber." His response was yeah, that would be good, but we have enemies that want to hurt us.
Yes, because we have hurt them, I thought. That was also the explanation on the Left of 9/11 - revenge for all of our misdeeds in the Middle East. Same with explaining Hamas by citing all of Israel's misdeeds.
But since Trump, now I see the global conflict we are engaged in as the democratic liberal West vs the authoritarian Russia/Iran/China axis. Same with our national conflict.
That's why we are supporting Ukraine, a sovereign, liberal democracy. What will be the result if Ukraine loses to Russia? Almost everyone I read says Russia will be emboldened. They will invade more countries. I just don't see how we can just stop defending them.
Yes, sadly we have learned that we canтАЩt unilaterally declare peace. Ironically, the MAGA Party is ready to do that and turn the world over to Russia, China, and Iran.
Let's stop the wars! They accomplish nothing but death and more wars.
AMEN!!
You know when the cost of war hit me the hardest (growing up in the 60s and 70s with Vietnam, assassinations and Kent State, mind you) was when we buried my father at Arlington Cemetery. Thousands and thousands of white crosses in every direction, with the average age being somewhere in the 20s. It just takes your breath away how the future of our country is dying in wars.
"Where have all the flowers gone" is still true.
Lovely sentiment. Now tell Hamas, Putin, and all the other dictators. And yes, I know that even the US has been complicit in violence. That's what organizations like the UN, NATO and others exist - to try to stop wars or at least contain them.
The UN was a great idea, but had no real enforcement mechanism. It stopped nations like Russia from going to war -- until they wanted to go to war. Then, they were powerless.
The P5 in general, and their veto power in particular, seems destined to have crashed the effectiveness as a global peacekeeper, even if everything else worked.
On the other hand, outside conflict zones, the UN still coordinates and delivers an awful lot of humanitarian and development aid (46 and 29% of the budget, respectively).
They are the organization that gets tasked with trying to clean up the mess created by the wars they can't stop.
Lack of enforcement seems to be a problem in many areas - Supreme Court, Congress (thanks McConnell!), even in the Parties themselves.
As I have said previously, the US courts are proving to be as effective at stopping corruption as the French Maginot Line was at stopping the Germans. Trump seems to be able to bully his way though every felony. Spending tens of millions of dollars on lawyers gives access to a completely different legal system. Any other person would have been in jail months ago. In some countries he would have been executed -- which is what he wants to do to all his critics if he gets reelected.
Agree in part. Yeah, TFF*G should have been in jail, and Garland should have sicced Jack Smith on him a lot earlier. But TFF*G has been losing cases in court, including several appeals courts lately. Right now, I think the problem we face is that the courts are trying, as is the DOJ, but many areas of the country/society aren't. The GOP is all in on the whiner-in-chief, including those with some semblance of power, and the rabid voters among them are literally threatening people's lives and families. The few Rs with any balls really need to consolidate their money and strengths and actively, openly, oppose both the Party and Trump. Right now, they seem to be scattered voices fighting the tornado. They need to actually, actively consolidate and open their mouths loudly. Pick Cheney, Christie, Bloomberg, someone sane - which leaves out everyone in the current R "candidates".
Mills of the gods grind slowly but they grind exceeding fine. Fingers crossed. I don't think its good lawyering but the apparent awe of the Office of the President no matter who holds it -- and the fear of the armed MAGA mob. But yes he should have been handcuffed Jan 7 and the courts should be pushing these cases through asap instead of deferring to his nonsense.
I used to feel this way. I was active in the Beyond War movement (http://traubman.igc.org/bwarchive.htm) in the 1980s. I worked at an aerospace company (yeah, lifelong liberal Dem me - I was definitely a fish out of water) where I had a conversation with an engineering manager about the poster popular in those days that said "It will be a great day when our schools get all the money they need and the Air Force has to hold a bake sale to buy a bomber." His response was yeah, that would be good, but we have enemies that want to hurt us.
Yes, because we have hurt them, I thought. That was also the explanation on the Left of 9/11 - revenge for all of our misdeeds in the Middle East. Same with explaining Hamas by citing all of Israel's misdeeds.
But since Trump, now I see the global conflict we are engaged in as the democratic liberal West vs the authoritarian Russia/Iran/China axis. Same with our national conflict.
That's why we are supporting Ukraine, a sovereign, liberal democracy. What will be the result if Ukraine loses to Russia? Almost everyone I read says Russia will be emboldened. They will invade more countries. I just don't see how we can just stop defending them.
Yes, sadly we have learned that we canтАЩt unilaterally declare peace. Ironically, the MAGA Party is ready to do that and turn the world over to Russia, China, and Iran.
Yes, because they have what political psychologist Karen Stenner calls the authoritarian disposition, and those countries are led by dictators.
Per Edwin Starr and Eric Burdon:
War, huh, yeah
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, uhh
War, huh, yeah
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing
Say it again, y'all
War, huh (good God)
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, listen to me, oh
War, I despise
'Cause it means destruction of innocent lives
War means tears to thousands of mother's eyes
When their sons go off to fight
And lose their lives
I said, war, huh (good God, y'all)
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, just say it again
War (whoa), huh (oh Lord)
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, listen to me
It ain't nothing but a heart-breaker
(War) Friend only to The Undertaker
Oh, war it's an enemy to all mankind
The thought of war blows my mind
War has caused unrest
Within the younger generation
Induction then destruction
Who wants to die? Oh
War, huh (good God y'all)
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing
Say it, say it, say it
War (uh-huh), huh (yeah, huh)
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, listen to me
It ain't nothing but a heart-breaker
(War) It's got one friend that's The Undertaker
Oh, war, has shattered many a young man's dreams
Made him disabled, bitter and mean
Life is much too short and precious
To spend fighting wars each day
War can't give life
It can only take it away, oh
War, huh (good God y'all)
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, say it again
War (whoa), huh (oh Lord)
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, listen to me
It ain't nothing but a heart breaker
(War) Friend only to The Undertaker, woo
Peace, love and understanding, tell me
Is there no place for them today?
They say we must fight to keep our freedom
But Lord knows there's got to be a better way, oh
War, huh (God y'all)
What is it good for? You tell me (nothing)
Say it, say it, say it, say it
War (good God), huh (now, huh)
What is it good for?
Stand up and shout it (nothing)
I might still have that 45 somewhere!