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Sunday, November 27, 2011

On outlawing war

Here's a thought: let's outlaw war. It's been thought of, down through history, yet to date, it hasn't held. The Romans, I believe, considered it, in their Senate, all those centuries ago. There's a terrific, brief article on doing just this right now at Alternet. It tells of the history in this country of pushing for it, back in 1928 with the Kellog-Briand pact in our own government. It had been pushed for by the people as these things usually have to be, and passed in our government. It's still on the books, for that matter. There is a new book out about it (When the World Outlawed War by David Swanson). I've thought for a long time that this is what President Obama needs to come out for. Coming from him--a Constitutional lawyer, and both the president of the United States AND the first black president of the nation--I think it could and would carry a lot of extra weight and extra strength. Given the way the world economies are going and the fact that we're all so intertwined, at least economically and ecologically, it makes so much sense. With our own national economy at least down drastically (the worst recession in 80 years, since the last, "Great Depression") and the European nations and economy imperiled and China's economy at least questionable, I think the beginning of President Obama's second term would be an excellent time for him to call on the leaders of all others nations to declare war as, hopefully illegal, if not just "not an option" so we don't fall into the same human trap we seem to repeatedly find ourselves in. That is, sending our young people off to kill each other, all because our economies fail. Now is the time. It seems like a brilliant, if obvious, thing to do and call for. Again and again, it seems far too many people assume the world is going to war soon, all because our economies are failing. Even with conventional weapons, war makes no sense and is just far too stupid, let alone destructive. When you consider some people and nations think the use of nuclear weapons are at least a viable option, if not also that they're a "good" option, it makes outlawing war internationally that much more logical, reasonable and sensible. As people on this planet, again, all intertwined in so many ways, it seems to make sense to make a pact, once and for all, for all our futures and all of humankind so we don't fall back on the one ignorant, destructive "option" that is war. Because it really isn't an option. Not anymore. Links: http://www.alternet.org/story/153153/when_the_world_outlawed_war%3A_an_interview_with_david_swanson/; http://davidswanson.org/outlawry; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellogg_briand_pact

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Laws or "making it illegal" does not stop what people will do. Self restraint and the absence of conflict or greed might. I do not expect this to happen anytime soon. Some people want to create conflict. They cannot leave other people alone. They want to dominate other people. Can you change the nature of humanity with laws?

Mo Rage said...

To an extent, I agree--we can't legislate our way to utopia.

That said, this kind of thing does raise awareness and makes the possibility of not lobbing missiles at each other that much more likely or, again, possible, that's all. It's a hope.