War and Peace

I am rarely political, mostly because I assume that no one wants to hear my opinions, and that they wouldn't be useful in usual circumstances. However, I have been thinking of the war recently, and I have come up with an interesting insight. I read my brother's blog today for the first time in half a month, and he thought of the exact same thing, although in must deeper scope.

War is sometimes unavoidable and necessary. WWII was a crucial war for our country on both fronts. It was crucial for the world that this war happen. WWI was a senseless, moronic war, in a sense indirectly responsible for every major war since then. (Russia's devastation in WWI was certainly a crucial factor in the Communists seizing the power that they did.) War, more often than not, however is not a matter of national survival, but a matter of political manipulation and support of alliances. In an ideal democratic state, the goal of our founding fathers is one that should be adhered to: isolationism, and neutrality concerning international affairs.

It is amazing how ignorant Americans are to the political activities conducted in secret by our "open" and "democratic" government. We collude with and bribe other powers to bend to our desires, and we, just like the Soviet Union, conduct propaganda campaigns on a massive level. It is my belief that a government so masterful at conducting international affairs in such a manner can possibly be blindly trusted to be a benevolent giver of free, fair, and open democratic leadership at home.

War also sets in motion an economic disaster, as our debt accrues at a staggering rate. Last Halloween our debt topped $8 trillion. That money doesn't just come from nowhere.

Mostly, I believe that a healthy democratic nation requires civil liberties, a free press, and an adaptable government willing to serve the needs of the people, and alter itself as demanded by the voice of the people. In an arrogant, warring nation, these ideals become impossible.

In my brother's masterful report of this theme, he draws attention to the lessons we must learn from Ancient Greece and Rome. They, both beginning as democratic societies, through constant war and empire building, degraded into nations of imperialism, then despotism. Is the writing on the wall for us too? I am certainly not encouraged by the current administration, which strives to solidify its power, while silencing voices of dissent. The quality of US media sources leaves a lot to be desired as well.

To end this rant, my point is simply that a powerful central government, especially one which seeks to manipulate foreign matters, is likely going to be quite detrimental back home. Because of this, I am an advocate of a neutral military stance, and a reduced, libertarian government, giving powers to local regions, until an issue is large enough to require action at the state, then federal level. The constitution was designed with this in mind, the states retaining all rights not otherwise required by the federal government. This seems to be long forgotten, however.

My Brother's blog entry: http://charlesja.livejournal.com/12936.html