Wishful Pacifism That Only Ushers In More War

We simply don’t have a say in every war

Image by DeSa81

Rainbows

I’ve been to more anti-war protests than I have to any other kind. They were the first protests I went to without my parents — high school students jumping on trains with flags and signs to express our discontentment with the ways of the world. I had a rainbow flag with ‘PEACE’ written on it. All that ‘NO WAR’ chanting made my throat coarse.

Being against war is the adequate train of thought for a rational human being. War is a source of pain and destruction, en-masse suffering and limitless regret. War tends to advance the goals of a minority while wreaking havoc for the majority. War may be beneficial for a couple of industries while disrupting every other economic sector. In short, there is a high probability that war is bad for you. You can bet on that safely.

How Stupid Do They Think We Are?

The wars I remember protesting against were particularly obnoxious and cruel because they happened far away but were still sold as necessary to enjoy the safe and plentiful lives we led or were about to lead (I was that young!). Those wars felt like your parents telling you that they had to go away for the weekend to beat up a toddler so you could have chocolate after dinner. It was a blatant lie, so obvious that you had to think twice when hearing it because you couldn’t believe they dared to tell it. ‘How stupid do they think we are?’, I remember thinking as a young teenager.

Of Cats And People

While I’ve tried hard to become better than my teenage self, I don’t think most people do. I have no doubt that you, dear reader, have also become a much more interesting and knowledgeable person in the past couple of decades, but look around and tell me if you think most people have. It’s a terrifying exercise. Admittedly, once we have to work for our food and accommodation, we become more aware of the fragility of our wellbeing. I believe it is this vulnerability that leads us to believe some of the nonsense some politicians throw at us. However, after a couple of minutes playing with the laser, even my cats get slightly bored: they know there is no reward behind that sneaky red pointer.