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Allow assinine people to go to hell in their own way, GoldenMean.

Simplistic doesn't do this person's stance justice.  Terrorism can be part of war, but war in itself is not terrorism.  My biggest problem with this rolling billboard for the braindead is the "Think world peace, not global empire" sticker.  For one, you'll never see world peace -- too many idiots with egos and a guns.  Two:  where the hell has she been?  World domination has always been the game, from the Chinese dynasties, the Mongols, the Romans, the Moors, the Third Reich and countless others.  Then there's economics to throw into the mix.  Three:  We are the world's policeman, so to speak, and we have been and are the most dominant country, so diplomaticly, we also carry the most clout.  Through our economic and diplomatic prowess, we kinda, sorta rule the planet (somewhat).  Four:  we are human.  We are antagonistic.  We are territorial.  War is our nature, unfortunately.

Great post, by the way. 

posted by saul_relative on April 26, 2005 at 1:40 PM | link to this | reply

By the way, did anyone else see that statement issued on the news...

A week or so ago, some terrorist group in Iraq issued an absurd statement about democracy. I meant to post it in this blog, and tear it to shreds. Now I can't remember it word for word, but it went something like this:

The Americans want to give us democracy. Democracy is a Greek word that means every man for himself. Under democracy, everyone will do as he sees fit, and that brings chaos. Do not be fooled by the Americans.

This stupid terrorist group is describing anarchy, not democracy. Democracy means government by the majority of the people. We Americans know better than anyone else that democracy has its flaws. But democracy is only as flawed as the people themselves. It is a true reflection of the society it exists in. It can be a tyranny of the majority, or it can be the uplifting voice of the minority. It is what we make of it. What the hell does the Islamic terrorist know about democracy? All he wants to do is keep his country in the Dark Ages, kill people who do not agree with him, treat his wife like property, and have virgins to lust after in Heaven. To hell with him. The sooner we send him to his virgins in Heaven, the better.

posted by GoldenMean on January 2, 2005 at 10:10 PM | link to this | reply

Thanks for the good comments

food4thought-- I agree with your rhetorical disagreement. The terrorists are conducting their own terrorist brand of war. Terrorists cannot be negotiated with, unless you are willing to place your head on their chopping block and give them everything they want. The pacifists cannot talk to them, without risking their lives. So they try to get the other side (us) to stop fighting. It takes 2 to tango, they reason, so if we stop, the terrorists will stop. But it is plain to me that if we stop fighting and leave Iraq, the terrorists will claim a great victory and redouble their attacks to take over the government. It will be interesting to see what the terrorists do after the election, and they find themselves fighting a fully legitimized Iraqi government. On your other point, defining a pacifist as someone who would rather see peace than war, I do not agree. To me, peace and war are insignificant considerations. Freedom and justice are the imperatives, without them no one can have happiness or peace. I want freedom and justice for all; if that means war, then bring it on. Better sooner than later.

beezus-- yes I am projecting my interpretations into her bumper stickers, but she is driving around inviting such projections. I wanted to get out of my car and ask her to explain her outrageous stickers, but of course this would freak her out and she would probably call the police. Actually, I like your bumper sticker about patriotism, and I have no objection to Kerry-Edwards stickers. I even go out of my way to be courteous to such drivers, for they are probably stressed-out enough as it is ;-). But what is "White Stripes", some kind of rock band?

ExStud-- this simplistic bumper sticker is perhaps unworthy of serious discussion, but it was so damn irritating, along with the others, I had to come vent about it on Blogit. Perhaps it is time to fire up "The Golden Rule Needs Some Iron" blog again, and get back to some philosophy (or pseudo-philosophy, according to the ex-blogger Evangeline). I see that I have a strong ally in you, in my basic philosophical position, and I am grateful to you for that. You are forging ahead to make finer points about more sophisticated concerns, but I will keep the home fire burning, because there are always new folks checking in who may be uninformed. Also, alas, the basics are usually all I have time for.

Mysteria-- I guess it takes a woman to understand a woman. I am sure you are right that the feminine, mothering, nurturing outlook plays a large part in most pacifist thinking. I think Evangeline made a similar point, in her own irritating in-your-face fashion. This woman thinks she is doing her part to fight evils and right wrongs in the world. Why don't we give her the benefit of the doubt... perhaps she is doing more than just displaying a bumper sticker... I hope so. Whatever our convictions, let us proclaim them and preach them and practice them, rather than hide behind the band-aid bumper stickers.

posted by GoldenMean on January 2, 2005 at 9:27 PM | link to this | reply

GoldenMean

Ah yes, just as I suspected, a place to go when I want my neo-cortex stimulated.  As always, excellent points brought up by you and your contemporaries.  Like always, I feel I do not have enough information to affirm a position on this or many other curious posits that we face, but I love to participate with what you have going so often, I feel I must present my two cents. 

When I think of this woman and her stickers I am struck with a couple impressions.  I think foremost her motivations stem from her strong urges to "Do Something" about "This Inhumane Atrocity".  Being that she knows she really can't do anything meaningful, she sasiates this cry with a band-aide or a bumpersticker if you will.  And like magic, she is done.  She is finished.  She has done her part.  

Although it is miniature in nature, it is just enough to pacify that ancient nagging, that part in her mind, the mother in her perhaps, that instictively screams, "The Children!  Someone think about the Children!"   

Now she can get on to more important things like lunch.

posted by mysteria on January 2, 2005 at 12:18 PM | link to this | reply

The substance of your point is beyond reproach, but the proud displayer of simplistic, sweeping bumper stickers is too easy a target.  She is unworthy of your attention and she's not a good representative of the anti-war cause in the first place.  That is to say there are intelligent, sophisticated arguments against the assertive use of American power abroad that do not equate all soldiers with terrorists or condemn all military actions.   Damon Leigh comes to mind (supported the Persian Gulf War of 1991).  I still disagree with those arguments for the reasons you explained, though.  You make a very important point that I have echoed in my essays on the matter, that evil is inherently violent and can only be fought with force.  The same goes for evil regimes and evil people, evil defined by you as abusive and predatory.  They are inherently impervious to peaceful persuasion, so banning violence against them is tantamount to handing them victory, which hardly seems the choice of a person who loves peace. 

posted by Dyl_Pickle on January 1, 2005 at 8:20 PM | link to this | reply

my stickers say

Patriotism is thinking for yourself

Kerry-Edwards 2004

White Stripes

so maybe i'm promoting rocking out with ex presidental wannabies?

you read your own projections into her bumper stickers. my thoughts on this war, bush, and the election are more complicated than 'bad bad bush' and 'bad bad war'.

posted by beezus on January 1, 2005 at 7:34 PM | link to this | reply

I'm going to agree...

by disagreeing.  Please read carefully.  War IS Terror when you conduct it with no uniforms, hide among the civilian populations and attack  innocent civilians.   The Taliban and their ilk know they cannot take on the mightiest force in the world so they instead seek to inflict terror among their fellow citizens.  The trouble with Pacifists is: they don't want to talk to both sides.  I would consider myself a pacifist in that I would rather see peace than war.  Who wouldn't?  But I wouldn't call the downing of the WTC peace.  Since I cannot speak to the people blowing things up (including themselves) in the middle east, it isn't fair for me to criticize the U. S.  If you are truly a pacifist, if you truly want peace then you MUST talk to both sides, otherwise you're just pissing upwind.  The middle east has been a war zone for 2000 years so perhaps we were ill advised to think we could bring peace to the area.  Does that mean we shouldn't try?  Is it more humanitarian to let them blast each other to smithereens or to blast a few of them to try to stop it?  I truly don't know.   To try to untangle the situation in the middle east in the length of a bumper sticker is silly.  No matter what that sticker says.

posted by food4thought on January 1, 2005 at 7:16 PM | link to this | reply