War is over, if you want it.

Infinity_Now

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0802-11.htm

Discuss.

Personally, I think Lennon's statement is about absolute courage and zero hypocrisy. To declare a nation intends no further war, is as sure and honorable a foriegn policy as any. Surely, that's the way to end war, to prevent it from the start... (a "punk" or Chuck Palahniuk fan might say, "I want to have your war aborted.")

I doubt any nation, terrorist or in any way otherwise competitive would ever have the sheer insanely aggressive attitude to attack a "peaceful," nation. After all, we're all fighting for peace - even the terrorists are fighting for it... tragically enough, fighting just isn't the right way to go about achieving our universally shared aims of war. Wars are started because governments feel threatened, threatened that they will be unable to sustain their sovereignty and autonomy - wars are not started when one government say's - "no matter what, we will not attack you." Ossama Bin Laden himself would probably never attack America again is he felt America wasn't a threat. Really, that's just common sense.

^That is, only if you remove yourself completely from the hype and fearful propaganda your military-industrial/overly aggresive culture enforces.

I think we can achieve peace through cultural modification to better conceptualize/realize this message - and with courage to accept that the "war torn" ways of jingoism and militarization of the past several hundred centuries are archaic and ready to be extinct.

If we ignore this chance for cease-fire, we may have left our last hope behind as the vitriol of those voracious for war in the Middle East lose their patience:

http://alternet.org/waroniraq/39717/

I mean, when the world's leading Islam-o-fascist leaders are calling for cease-fire - and at the same time calling our bluff about democracy and peace in the Middle East - it's time we step off the pedestal and walk straight into the promised land with a banner of peace and freedom held securely in our hands saying, we agree, "War is over, if you want it."

angelica

Infinity_Now wrote:

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0802-11.htm

Discuss.

Personally, I think Lennon's statement is about absolute courage and zero hypocrisy. To declare a nation intends no further war, is as sure and honorable a foriegn policy as any. Surely, that's the way to end war, to prevent it from the start... (a "punk" or Chuck Palahniuk fan might say, "I want to have your war aborted.")

I doubt any nation, terrorist or in any way otherwise competitive would ever have the sheer insanely aggressive attitude to attack a "peaceful," nation. After all, we're all fighting for peace - even the terrorists are fighting for it... tragically enough, fighting just isn't the right way to go about achieving our universally shared aims of war. Wars are started because governments feel threatened, threatened that they will be unable to sustain their sovereignty and autonomy - wars are not started when one government say's - "no matter what, we will not attack you." Ossama Bin Laden himself would probably never attack America again is he felt America wasn't a threat. Really, that's just common sense.

^That is, only if you remove yourself completely from the hype and fearful propaganda your military-industrial/overly aggresive culture enforces.

I think we can achieve peace through cultural modification to better conceptualize/realize this message - and with courage to accept that the "war torn" ways of jingoism and militarization of the past several hundred centuries are archaic and ready to be extinct.

If we ignore this chance for cease-fire, we may have left our last hope behind as the vitriol of those voracious for war in the Middle East lose their patience:

http://alternet.org/waroniraq/39717/

I mean, when the world's leading Islam-o-fascist leaders are calling for cease-fire - and at the same time calling our bluff about democracy and peace in the Middle East - it's time we step off the pedestal and walk straight into the promised land with a banner of peace and freedom held securely in our hands saying, we agree, "War is over, if you want it."

Thank you for your ideas. I agree that we can achieve peace by finding the courage and strength to support peace. And you hit the nail on the head: finding the courage will be our most amazing challenge yet. Finding the courage to rise above the fear programming will be an amazing feat for each of us individually. When we learn to manage our inner demons and stop cowering under and pandering to our fears, we'll come to recognise the archaic nature of the ways that no longer serve us--particularly when there are much more effective productive actions to take that show others we clearly choose peace over war. When we begin to consistently focus on resolving our problems, the true sense of actual empowerment will be recognised as being like no other. This compared to the sense of futility and powerlessness of being out-of-control in war. The time has come.

Bu$chlager

Infinity_Now wrote:

I doubt any nation, terrorist or in any way otherwise competitive would ever have the sheer insanely aggressive attitude to attack a "peaceful," nation. After all, we're all fighting for peace - even the terrorists are fighting for it...

You had me and then you lost me...

They want nothing of the sort.

- Dan

suffragette

It's that simple, yet that complex. You have to want it. No excuses, no terms. Demand peace.

Bu$chlager

It is simple. It's an unbeleivably simple solution to an unbeleivably complex issue (that being world peace.)

If everyone in the world thought along the lines of John Lennon, this might work. That will never happen, so a solution is going to have to be more complex.

- Dan

suffragette

It has to happen. Everyone laughed at Lennon. The young people have to demand peace. There was a young Lebanese girl and a young Jewish boy on CNN and they were talking about terms and concessions and the idea that there will never be peace in their time. Made me sad. If young people feel this way, then the world is done. Demand peace. Don't let your elders keep screwing things up.

angelica

suffragette wrote:

It's that simple, yet that complex. You have to want it. No excuses, no terms. Demand peace.

I agree. When we have excuses, terms and and general justifications, they are the mirror to our own inner blockages that keep us from knowing and being able to perpetuate true peace inside and out. The good news is we are the only ones supporting and perpetuating our own inner blockages, and therefore we are very powerful should we choose to let go the those inner blockages. It is such inner blockage that blinds us from seeing how simple and clear peace truly is. This blockage is the plank we have in our own eyes while we rail at the speck in our neighbour's eye. The key to fixing the speck in our neighbour's eye is in removing the plank in our own eye.