Wars are crazy.
Often we support one side and condemn another without knowing the full story. It's impossible to know the full story unless you're living it. Even then, you cannot live the cultural complexities and conflicts that have evolved over generations.
And from where does the "truth" come? We're mostly just trusting "sources" that we deem credible.
The answer seems simple: resolve things peacefully at all costs and don't kill people. But that's easy to say from a house with internet and running water and ample food and lots of luxuries. And truth be told, much of my "good fortune" is the result of wars won and lost over hundreds and thousands of years.
Regarding the word "terror", I think it does make a helpful distinction. It's not the same as a "resistance fighter". Intentionally targeting women and children and hospitals etc... that is terrorism (to me). The purpose and intent is to cause terror by committing acts so heinous that even among soldiers they're viewed as "war crimes". They're meant to scare people to the point of frenzy, destabilizing governments for political gain. Maybe those terrorists view their opposition as terrorists, fighting from a different perspective of desperation, but I think the term "terrorist" largely has a connotation with shared understanding.
It's sad to think we're in the 2000s and world leaders are still fighting wars like a game of Monopoly, trying to take over the world and bankrupt everyone else by all means necessary. There will undoubtedly always be "evil" in the world, but at some point in the next several hundreds of years, I hope our governments can decide to spend money on eliminating poverty rather than on bombs to eliminate people and progress.
Sadly, many of the worst wars are infused with religious purpose and take on a meaning with infinitely different (and often shallow) depth.
None of this speaks on the actual current conflict because I don't know enough about it to have an educated opinion. I just hope that good-hearted people stay safe. I'm not sure how this conflict gets resolved, but sadly my guess is that it won't within our lifetime.
Lastly, as an American, I'm sad to admit that I feel my opinion matters less in the global marketplace of political ideas because of the mess our country has made of itself in the past 8 years. Democracy is indeed a fragile experiment that we've been gifted and we've done a pitiful job of protecting it by failing to elect principled people into positions of power. We too can fall into turmoil if we don't foster and care for our government and its people.
Be grateful for everything you have and each morning you wake up another day!
Often we support one side and condemn another without knowing the full story. It's impossible to know the full story unless you're living it. Even then, you cannot live the cultural complexities and conflicts that have evolved over generations.
And from where does the "truth" come? We're mostly just trusting "sources" that we deem credible.
The answer seems simple: resolve things peacefully at all costs and don't kill people. But that's easy to say from a house with internet and running water and ample food and lots of luxuries. And truth be told, much of my "good fortune" is the result of wars won and lost over hundreds and thousands of years.
Regarding the word "terror", I think it does make a helpful distinction. It's not the same as a "resistance fighter". Intentionally targeting women and children and hospitals etc... that is terrorism (to me). The purpose and intent is to cause terror by committing acts so heinous that even among soldiers they're viewed as "war crimes". They're meant to scare people to the point of frenzy, destabilizing governments for political gain. Maybe those terrorists view their opposition as terrorists, fighting from a different perspective of desperation, but I think the term "terrorist" largely has a connotation with shared understanding.
It's sad to think we're in the 2000s and world leaders are still fighting wars like a game of Monopoly, trying to take over the world and bankrupt everyone else by all means necessary. There will undoubtedly always be "evil" in the world, but at some point in the next several hundreds of years, I hope our governments can decide to spend money on eliminating poverty rather than on bombs to eliminate people and progress.
Sadly, many of the worst wars are infused with religious purpose and take on a meaning with infinitely different (and often shallow) depth.
None of this speaks on the actual current conflict because I don't know enough about it to have an educated opinion. I just hope that good-hearted people stay safe. I'm not sure how this conflict gets resolved, but sadly my guess is that it won't within our lifetime.
Lastly, as an American, I'm sad to admit that I feel my opinion matters less in the global marketplace of political ideas because of the mess our country has made of itself in the past 8 years. Democracy is indeed a fragile experiment that we've been gifted and we've done a pitiful job of protecting it by failing to elect principled people into positions of power. We too can fall into turmoil if we don't foster and care for our government and its people.
Be grateful for everything you have and each morning you wake up another day!