WASHINGTON - December 11 -
“Yesterday, our president mused about the inevitability of war, war’s instrumentality in the pursuit of peace and just wars. It is important for us to reflect on his words, because once we believe in the inevitability of war, war becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Once we are committed to war’s instrumentality in pursuit of peace, we begin the Orwellian journey to the semantic netherworld where War IS Peace, where the momentum of war overwhelms hopes for peace. And once we wrap doctrines perpetuating war in the arms of justice, we can easily legitimate the wholesale slaughter of innocents. The war against Iraq was based on lies. Wars in Afghanistan and Pakistan are based on flawed doctrines of counter-insurgency. War is often not just; sometimes it is just war. And our ability to rethink the terms of our existence, to explore the possibility of peace without war, may well determine whether we end war, or war ends us.”
Dennis Kucinich
*Photo taken by me.
14 Comments:
In the old days, 'War' was being fought against nations/countries who were our enemies.
In Afghanistan and in Pakistan, the governments are U.S. backed and democratically elected. So why are we still at 'War' with Afghanistan and Iraq?
Shouldn't it be called something else?
And why award a 'Peace' prize for a leader whose nation is at 'War'?
Obviously, I meant Afghanistan and Iraq. But wouldn't be surprised if the U.S. is in a 'War' with Pakistan too..
I agree.... It's truly Orwellian... :)
since this commentary is about an American presidents view, here is another American citizens view....a mad, mad world
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TeqmObTLT_U
I like what Kucinich has written here. Despite the fact that the Taliban are monsters our presence in Afghanistan is not going to bring peace to the country.
On a lighter note Kucinich's wife is a beauty! She was born and brought up only a coouple of miles from where I live!
Totally agree with the Congressman.
When are we going to stop justifying wars as an acceptable way of life, and send young people to kill or be killed.
I can only repeat what my brother said when he returned from fighting on the Normandy Beaches in WW2. "Its a just war, until you're face to face with a decent German guy, and you have to kill him if you want to survive and get rid of the madman who is leading his country. Then people will call you a hero!" It made him sick...
I don't know who the lady is. But that beautiful smile warmed my heart. Thank you, Nevin.:)
the world is truly Orwellian when the war monger (i.e. invader - a term I prefer)is awarded a peace prize.
We are completely at odds with honesty now.
XO
WWW
Lovely pic, Nevin. You are very talented.
The photo was taken 2 summers ago on an island called Buyukada in Turkey. I was walking around with my camera... I looked up and saw her... when I pointed the camera at her, she gave me a huge simile and then a wave afterwards.... I do not know who she is, but from a far she seems to have a big heart... :)
Wars bring out the monsters in all of us.... in times of war, it is hard to see such big smiles from random people... all one sees is sadness and pain...
But are the Talaban monsters, they have never laid a finger on me and mine, I wish I could say the same about them, but I cannot, as my tax coin has played a part in killing countless Talaban and tens of thousands of innocent Afghans and Iraqis. Does this give me any right to lecture them as to how they live?
The Talaban reflect the attitude of a good many Afghan's, should we kill them all bar two, one male one female and tell them to start again and try harder, make sure their offspring reflect our ever so civilised western bourgeois values, you know, like nuking two large Jap cities, or invading other lands on a pretext which was total lies.
What arrogant so and sos we are.
Taliban is just a tool...
yes Taliban is horrible towards women, yes Taliban is anti democratic and yes Taliban is feudal.... but Taliban was anti women, anti democratic and pro feudal when they were fighting the Russians or should I say the USSR.... why didn't we send troops then to help the Russians??? Because it was not in our interest...
It is not about saving the Afghan people... it is about resources and hegemony....
Nevin
Bingo, a full house.
I would support Kucinich, if he left the Democrats, and formed a labor party.
The Taliban are reactionary gangsters. They are not the only opposition to the US in Afghanistan. There are secular opponents as well.
Obama deserves the Nobel Prize. Hitler was nominated in 39 for it, and Kissinger received it.
"Obama deserves the Nobel Prize. Hitler was nominated in 39 for it, and Kissinger received it."
LOL!
Peace is never having to say you're sorry. War is always having to explain yourself. Politics is the seamless integration of liars (oops... I meant lawyers in Bostonese) having to defend War and Peace in the same sentence.
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