Sunday, July 30, 2006
Byron De Lear: What is a Peacekeeper to do?
Brian De Lear is running for Congress in CA. He wrote the piece hiding behind the "Read more!" link, so get clicking...
International news outlets are proclaiming that this is 'WWIII'
-- what's a peacemaker to do?
What strategies have been employed in the past to stop unhinged militarism?
When I ask myself these questions I immediately turn to the necessity for the political paradigm shift that the Green Party offers.
The Green Party holds nonviolence as a key component in crafting its vision for a more sustainable, peaceful and just world.
Unpacking the global system of war will mark a philosophical maturation for humanity.
In war, it is life that is the loser.
We must begin to discriminate towards life affirming ideologies made of living principles.
Governing through the lens of militarism denies the ability to see the full spectrum of diplomatic solutions.
Today's militant mindset utilizes an anesthetized lexicon of terminology that attempts to obfuscate the real human costs of war. The establishment at war reduces the lives lost by innocents and civilians into a euphemistic expression, "collateral damage".
Hiding war and masking death with diffuse language is not a survivable trend.
The unacceptable military operations being conducted by the US and Israel today in Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Palestine must be halted.
Escalation only breeds more escalation.
The Green Party offers a different approach towards bringing peace to the Middle East. A sense of peace and justice not confined to one's subjective perspective. A sense of peace and justice born from individual human rights, that does not value the safety or dignity of one nationality, one ethnicity or one religion over another.
When it comes to securing peace, the overweening nation state narrative has become obsolete.
The greatest vaunted "just wars" of the past were driven by common interests held by transnational coalitions. To see Congress muzzled and unable to provide any leadership in regard to the feckless malevolence being expressed by the US military's client state of Israel, is the result of these very same Republican and Democratic congressional members voting for the worst foreign policy conducted by our country in decades: the Iraqi War.
How could the Israeli military campaign throughout all of Lebanon be criticized by legislators who voted to affirm Bush's doctrine of pre-emption in order to illegally invade and occupy Iraq?
Even though Iraq has turned into a complete civil war, the politicians who paved the way continue to fund the madness and won't admit that they were wrong.
This is why to avoid self-contradiction they cannot condemn the gross violation of humanity occurring in Lebanon with close to a million Lebanese displaced and in less than two weeks hundreds of lives lost.
In war, nine decades ago, nine tenths of combat casualties were soldiers, military personal - now with the 21st centurian illusion of "surgical strikes" and "smart bombs" -- 90% of combat casualties are civilians.
There's nothing "smart" about bombs.
Our ancient warring tendencies encourage us to knee jerk after crises, shouting slogans with war flag unfurled, as those who march in lockstep are led by cartoonish Republican cheerleaders like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh, giddy with the notion that the apocalypse has arrived.
We as a nation should take pause and reflect on the path that lay before us.
Why effort towards a different way?
Because the way laid by corporatists and warmongers arrive at a destination of self-immolation.
Yes, it is a strategy to fight fire with fire, to meet force with force alone. But this strategy is one-sided and self-neutered as we crowd the arrows of war into both our Eagle's talons.
There is a way to look at the recent events in the Middle East from beyond the purview of nationality. There is a way to look at events in the Middle East with an ethical consideration that defines the mighty machines of war as ultimately being a threat to all.
There is a way to see the events in the Middle East from the point of view of a common inhabitant of one planet.
We all love our children. We all want safety.
There's nothing Christ-like about killing hundreds of thousands and creating millions of refugees; but this is what our leaders are telling us is the only way. I call on George Bush to turn the other cheek in global leadership and to stop contributing to the authorship of another lifetime burdened by war.
Over hyped-nationalism and an industrialized global system of war brought us 200 million dead in the 20th century. I'm sure if we put it to a vote of the people of the world to make warfare illegal as an enforceable reality - most would agree.
Where are the voices of reason and restraint when the world needs them the most?
Certainly there is an absence, a vacuum of wisdom echoing from our corridors of power today. That absence and missing leadership is something I'm fighting to be rid of.
My opponent, pro-war establishment Democrat Howard Berman exemplifies everything that's wrong about politics as usual. He breathes life into the murder and mayhem occurring in Iraq today by being the lone Californian, the lone Southland Democrat to vote GOP to block an exit plan. He made the front page headline with that overt departure - and in so doing put the 28th District's representation into crisis.
In May and June alone 6000 were killed in Iraq morally no American should stand by and watching from the sidelines be blind to this maelstrom of carnage.
We must act.
Come November 7th, we must elect legislators who will put an end to this tragedy and bring our troops home.
As we move forward into the 21st century and embrace a new found ability to actively reflect on our global community with ways and means never seen before, a great many people around the world are talking transformation and change.
It is imperative for America to take part in this change, and to help lead this Copernican shift fostering ethical stewardship, a harmonious relationship with our Mother Earth and making human rights, dignity and humanitarian ideals represent the primacy of good governance.
This is the transformation that an evolution in politics will bring about. The Ten Key Values of the Green Party act as the operative political and philosophical 'solution set.'
The Green Party Ten Key Values such as ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and nonviolence will secure and protect our future.
It is a contract with each other and our lives to come.
It is a promise to our children.
In your service,
Byron De Lear
Byron@DeLearforCongress.org
www.DeLearforCongress.org
Congressional Campaign in California's 28th District
International news outlets are proclaiming that this is 'WWIII'
-- what's a peacemaker to do?
What strategies have been employed in the past to stop unhinged militarism?
When I ask myself these questions I immediately turn to the necessity for the political paradigm shift that the Green Party offers.
The Green Party holds nonviolence as a key component in crafting its vision for a more sustainable, peaceful and just world.
Unpacking the global system of war will mark a philosophical maturation for humanity.
In war, it is life that is the loser.
We must begin to discriminate towards life affirming ideologies made of living principles.
Governing through the lens of militarism denies the ability to see the full spectrum of diplomatic solutions.
Today's militant mindset utilizes an anesthetized lexicon of terminology that attempts to obfuscate the real human costs of war. The establishment at war reduces the lives lost by innocents and civilians into a euphemistic expression, "collateral damage".
Hiding war and masking death with diffuse language is not a survivable trend.
The unacceptable military operations being conducted by the US and Israel today in Iraq, Lebanon, Afghanistan and Palestine must be halted.
Escalation only breeds more escalation.
The Green Party offers a different approach towards bringing peace to the Middle East. A sense of peace and justice not confined to one's subjective perspective. A sense of peace and justice born from individual human rights, that does not value the safety or dignity of one nationality, one ethnicity or one religion over another.
When it comes to securing peace, the overweening nation state narrative has become obsolete.
The greatest vaunted "just wars" of the past were driven by common interests held by transnational coalitions. To see Congress muzzled and unable to provide any leadership in regard to the feckless malevolence being expressed by the US military's client state of Israel, is the result of these very same Republican and Democratic congressional members voting for the worst foreign policy conducted by our country in decades: the Iraqi War.
How could the Israeli military campaign throughout all of Lebanon be criticized by legislators who voted to affirm Bush's doctrine of pre-emption in order to illegally invade and occupy Iraq?
Even though Iraq has turned into a complete civil war, the politicians who paved the way continue to fund the madness and won't admit that they were wrong.
This is why to avoid self-contradiction they cannot condemn the gross violation of humanity occurring in Lebanon with close to a million Lebanese displaced and in less than two weeks hundreds of lives lost.
In war, nine decades ago, nine tenths of combat casualties were soldiers, military personal - now with the 21st centurian illusion of "surgical strikes" and "smart bombs" -- 90% of combat casualties are civilians.
There's nothing "smart" about bombs.
Our ancient warring tendencies encourage us to knee jerk after crises, shouting slogans with war flag unfurled, as those who march in lockstep are led by cartoonish Republican cheerleaders like Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh, giddy with the notion that the apocalypse has arrived.
We as a nation should take pause and reflect on the path that lay before us.
Why effort towards a different way?
Because the way laid by corporatists and warmongers arrive at a destination of self-immolation.
Yes, it is a strategy to fight fire with fire, to meet force with force alone. But this strategy is one-sided and self-neutered as we crowd the arrows of war into both our Eagle's talons.
There is a way to look at the recent events in the Middle East from beyond the purview of nationality. There is a way to look at events in the Middle East with an ethical consideration that defines the mighty machines of war as ultimately being a threat to all.
There is a way to see the events in the Middle East from the point of view of a common inhabitant of one planet.
We all love our children. We all want safety.
There's nothing Christ-like about killing hundreds of thousands and creating millions of refugees; but this is what our leaders are telling us is the only way. I call on George Bush to turn the other cheek in global leadership and to stop contributing to the authorship of another lifetime burdened by war.
Over hyped-nationalism and an industrialized global system of war brought us 200 million dead in the 20th century. I'm sure if we put it to a vote of the people of the world to make warfare illegal as an enforceable reality - most would agree.
Where are the voices of reason and restraint when the world needs them the most?
Certainly there is an absence, a vacuum of wisdom echoing from our corridors of power today. That absence and missing leadership is something I'm fighting to be rid of.
My opponent, pro-war establishment Democrat Howard Berman exemplifies everything that's wrong about politics as usual. He breathes life into the murder and mayhem occurring in Iraq today by being the lone Californian, the lone Southland Democrat to vote GOP to block an exit plan. He made the front page headline with that overt departure - and in so doing put the 28th District's representation into crisis.
In May and June alone 6000 were killed in Iraq morally no American should stand by and watching from the sidelines be blind to this maelstrom of carnage.
We must act.
Come November 7th, we must elect legislators who will put an end to this tragedy and bring our troops home.
As we move forward into the 21st century and embrace a new found ability to actively reflect on our global community with ways and means never seen before, a great many people around the world are talking transformation and change.
It is imperative for America to take part in this change, and to help lead this Copernican shift fostering ethical stewardship, a harmonious relationship with our Mother Earth and making human rights, dignity and humanitarian ideals represent the primacy of good governance.
This is the transformation that an evolution in politics will bring about. The Ten Key Values of the Green Party act as the operative political and philosophical 'solution set.'
The Green Party Ten Key Values such as ecological wisdom, social justice, grassroots democracy and nonviolence will secure and protect our future.
It is a contract with each other and our lives to come.
It is a promise to our children.
In your service,
Byron De Lear
Byron@DeLearforCongress.org
www.DeLearforCongress.org
Congressional Campaign in California's 28th District
// posted by Gregg Jocoy @ 1:54 PM 
