At times, I put myself in difficult situations. I consider myself well versed in current political affairs, and generally try to keep abreast of situations affecting the world. I have an odd aversion to punditry unless it is veiled in humor (daily show, colbert report) and read articles that have liberal slant, only because conservative voices are more incendiary and have a distinct lack of humor. To be honest, most of my news comes from the local NPR station. I listen to NPR about an hour and a half each day. I know, I know they’re liberal … whatever. Yes you can tell which ideas they espouse due to their questioning, but each show on NPR is slightly different so I can’t fault them all. It boils down to a philosphy by philosophy basis, where my own personal beliefs certainly don’t fit within the current molds of neo-con or liberal.

Of particular concern to me are the matters of war and religion. I can’t help but sorrow at the death and destruction caused by intangible dogma and irrelevant chest pounding. I understand that it’s a societal problem that leads to things like the current conflict in Lebanon, but around the perimeter there are people like me. Moderate people wanting to live a peaceful life. Sure their respective government/freedom fighter/terrorist/religious leader uses palatable fear to drive them to think the way they do in hopes of consolidating and extending their power, but I like to give them the benefit of the doubt and allow them the autonomy of thought. I’m not pro-Israel. I’m not pro-Lebanon/Palestine. I’m not pro-Iraq. I’m anti-war. However, I would rise up in a second to defend my own freedom. It doesn’t matter if its a foreign enemy or a local one, It is my hope that people can taste that and reach for it with the same fervor as the founding fathers of this country. In a free society my enemy is my equal, in a controlled society my enemy is the oppressive hand that binds me to it’s overreaching laws.

Maybe I am a bleeding heart now, but I would rather be harmed by an outside force than withheld and constrained by my own government. I do not understand the mentality of those who would automatically trust someone in government. They fear the undulating throng of people like them and aquiesce to the government, allowing them more and more control. This was the same mentaility that allowed Jim Crow laws to last so long. I’m more and more suprised that this hasn’t happened independently of our intervention in the Middle-east, but the contraints of zealotry impede the foundations of thought.

Death is an unknowable gateway. Lining our thoughts with hopes of glories impedes our understanding of the horrors of war. I find it odd that the line between dying for your beliefs and killing for your beliefs can be so easily crossed. I speak specifically of the religious conflict between Israel and the Middle-eastern islamic nations. What synapse fires that allows you to fire rockets between civilian homes and not expect the return fire to destroy those very homes. If it is a conscious decision, then what gives you the right to sacrifice the life of another for your cause.

I’m really just thinking our loud here, and I can’t guarantee any of this makes any sense to anyone but myself, but this was sparked by some recent discussion that had me wondering how many people believe that we should destroy the middle-east? Obviously being in Texas skews my perspective a little, but I can’t understand how easily people are convinced to hate people that are not like them. Perhaps I am the same way. The difference between me and those I disagree with is that I don’t think we’re “saving” anyone. Just as those who fire rockets between the homes of innocent people, we are making decisions for others we have no right to make. If our cultures do not mesh and our ideals and so different, then the best thing to do is let their culture evolve. If this means revolution in their respective countries then so be it. If sharing freedom means killing the unwilling, then I say we take our ball and go home.

Categories: BJ, BJ's Life, Philosophy etc
2 Comments »