Anyone who knows me would never accuse me of being a pacifist. I will go on testosterone infused rants, I pack a pistol most places I go, and if anyone dares to cross me by invading my house or threatening my loved ones, they do so at their own peril.
But I *AM* a pacifist.
I do not wish to harm anyone else, and I don't want to be bothered. But I will inflict egregious harm if the need arises. Leave me alone, I will leave you alone too. Live and let live. I served 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, I was prepared to fight, to harm others, or die myself. Fortunately, it did not come down to that level of self-sacrifice, but I did participate in campaigns... the first Gulf War, Kosovo, etc. I actually don't know how much blood is on my own hands. Yet no one despises war more than the warrior. The armchair generals & politicians are far too generous with pawns and the blood of others.
So this is Christmas.
I am reflecting.
(If you can watch this emotionless, you are a tougher sumbitch than yours truly)
I landed in Guam a few hours before the horrendous attacks of 9/11/01. It was supposed to be a 15 month tour in a tropical paradise, but I awakened to a changed world. I helped with the transit of a massive amount of troops and armament headed to Afghanistan in that post-apocalyptic world. I came back at the end of 2002, and then I got to participate in the build up to the 2003 Iraq war. I retired in 2004, just because it was time. I came into the USAF at the height of the Cold War, when things were black & white. Somehow the lines became blurry, and the shades merged into gray.
Back to the subject... We went into Afghanistan, we bombed the hell out of them, and then we bombed them some more. At some point, all we did was make the rubble bounce.
Now, I am not saying we should not have started it, for the Taliban government was giving Osama bin Laden safe asylum, and by most accounts they were not exactly a humanitarian form of government.
Yet we are still there, 13 years later. Why?
The countries of central Asia and the middle east do not have traditions of democracy, and no matter how much we cram it down their throats, all the copies of the Magna Carta you can muster will not make them eat, breathe, and sleep representative government.
Unlike WW II, when the country was committed to victory, we are now happy with mediocrity. We have become so efficient at war that the country does not feel it.
So this is Christmas, and what have you done?
War is over... if you want it.
"When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace." -- Jimi Hendrix
Just some semi-random thoughts.
Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year.
Let's hope 2014 brings us a little closer to "Peace on Earth."
Here are the lyrics to go with the above video, if you're inclined to listen to the words and understand with your heart.
So this is Christmas
And what have you done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear ones
The old and the young
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
For weak and for strong
For rich and the poor ones
The world is so wrong
And so happy Christmas
For black and for white
For yellow and red ones
Let's stop all the fight
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
And so this is Christmas
And what have we done
Another year over
And a new one just begun
And so Happy Christmas
We hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young
A very merry Christmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over over
If you want it
War is over
Now...
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