John Lennon: The Last Great Anti-War Activist

lukin2006

John Lennon: The Last Great Anti-War Activist

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-w-wh ... 48185.html

polaris_x

in many ways we were a smarter population then ...

lukin2006

polaris_x wrote:

in many ways we were a smarter population then ...

Right up until his death on December 8, 1980, at the hands of an assassin, Lennon remained true to the anti-war activism that had shaped much of his life. The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for the nation he came to call home. According to the latest report by the Institute for Economics and Peace, the U.S. spends $2.16 trillion annually on violence containment -- that is, anything related to inflicting, preventing or dealing with the consequences of violence. This includes everything from costs associated with national defense and law enforcement to prisons, counterterrorism and border control. That's a lot of money -- roughly one out of every seven dollars spent per year or $7,000 per American taxpayer annually -- to not only administer violence, war and killing but deal with the after-effects of them, as well.

Put another way, the amount we spend, 15 percent of the U.S. economy, to administer and contain violence annually equals the United Kingdom's entire economic output. That same money, if most of it were channeled into more productive avenues such as education and health care, would reduce unemployment by 13 percent.

One can only imagine what John Lennon would say about a world where more money is spent on feeding the war machine than on feeding the poor.

This last paragraph just amazed me...never realized the cost was that much 2.16 trillion. I agree in many ways much smarter. To my knowledge he never let politics cloud his vision in wanting world peace.

polaris_x

the military industrial complex has been playing the people like fools for decades ... forget the financial burdens, one should look at the amount of suffering and injustice perpetrated in the name of "democracy" ... but that's just asking for too much these days ...

lukin2006

polaris_x wrote:

the military industrial complex has been playing the people like fools for decades ... forget the financial burdens, one should look at the amount of suffering and injustice perpetrated in the name of "democracy" ... but that's just asking for too much these days ...

You're definitely right about that...

2.16 trillion is just an staggering number.

Go Beavers

John Lennon is the counter argument to anyone who says artists and musicians needs to shut up about politics.

whygohome

Go Beavers wrote:

John Lennon is the counter argument to anyone who says artists and musicians needs to shut up about politics.

musicismylife78

while john is a hero of mine, and no doubt about that, but i disagree that their arent antiwar activists in 2012. Jill Stein and Ron Paul both ran as antiwar candidates, but were completely shut out of the process. And certainly leading up to the war in iraq their was the most massive antiwar protests in human history. Iraq and the Afghanistan wars are more unpopular than Vietnam ever was. But I think thats the farce of it all. Everyone buys into the 1 buisness party with 2 right wings idealogy, and those of us who admire John and what he stood for, are left out in the cold. Thats a real shame.

And people seem completely blind to it. Obama's cabinet is largely the same people who voted for the wars and got us into the financial crisis in the first place. Its a complete joke

Jeanwah

whygohome wrote:

Go Beavers wrote:

John Lennon is the counter argument to anyone who says artists and musicians needs to shut up about politics.

brianlux

whygohome

brianlux wrote:

That's awesome.

One day my friend mentioned Marx when bashing Obama. I replied, "you don't know the difference between Karl and Groucho!!"

Zoso

Go Beavers wrote:

John Lennon is the counter argument to anyone who says artists and musicians needs to shut up about politics.

Byrnzie

Go Beavers wrote:

John Lennon is the counter argument to anyone who says artists and musicians needs to shut up about politics.

Newch91

Go Beavers wrote:

John Lennon is the counter argument to anyone who says artists and musicians needs to shut up about politics.

Perfect sentence for the Bruce thread on AMT.

Newch91

Had he lived, John would have been VERY active last decade and would probably continue today in his peace efforts. He would have been front and center during the days leading up to Iraq and all through Iraq. I'm sure Bush, Cheney, and their men would have tried to deport him (again).

lukin2006

Newch91 wrote:

Had he lived, John would have been VERY active last decade and would probably continue today in his peace efforts. He would have been front and center during the days leading up to Iraq and all through Iraq. I'm sure Bush, Cheney, and their men would have tried to deport him (again).

John wouldn't have stopped there ... When it came to peace and non violence John didn't care what political stripe you were ... at least that's how it seemed.

Newch91

lukin2006 wrote:

Newch91 wrote:

Had he lived, John would have been VERY active last decade and would probably continue today in his peace efforts. He would have been front and center during the days leading up to Iraq and all through Iraq. I'm sure Bush, Cheney, and their men would have tried to deport him (again).

John wouldn't have stopped there ... When it came to peace and non violence John didn't care what political stripe you were ... at least that's how it seemed.

Very true. Johnson in office: against the war. Nixon in office: against the war. Stayed consistent. I'm sure he would have stayed consistent with Reagan, Bush 1 and 2, Clinton, and Obama.