General Discussion

Moostache

(11,350 posts)

54. War is the HUMAN normal...we simply refuse to evolve away from it.

Thu Sep 11, 2014, 12:04 PM

Sep 2014

We are a pathetic species on whole - capable of the sublime, mired in the ridiculous. There has NEVER been a truly time of "peace" in recorded history, and in fact nearly non-stop warfare has raged since the earliest recorded history.

If you simply start with the Greeks (or take the Egyptians if you wish...as an arbitrary starting point, because the same is true throughout history), civilization has been sustained by and supported warfare in general.

There is an unbroken chain of violence and wickedness that stretches from before Alexander the Great all the way to beyond George the Lesser. Invasions, civil wars, wars of independence, crusades, kings fighting against kings using the children of surfs to nations fighting against nations using the children of the poor and the economically destitute. Wars for "freedom" (War of Independence) and wars for slavery (US Civil War). Wars for revenge. Wars for oil. Wars on drugs. Wars for drugs. Lip service wars on poverty. Wars for diamonds. Wars for coffee, tea and cocoa. Wars for land. Wars for water. Wars as games. Star Wars. War footing. War drums. Marches to war.

Over and over and over and over again...

War IS humanity.
We are incapable of NOT having it going at all times.
If there were two humans left on the planet, they would fight and after killing the other, the winner would start looking askew at his own relflections.

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Highlight:

Meet the New War, Same as the Old War [View all] WilliamPitt Sep 2014 OP

k&r Puzzledtraveller Sep 2014 #1

K&R octoberlib Sep 2014 #2

K&R LiberalLoner Sep 2014 #3

It's deja vu all over again. -- Yogi Berra alterfurz Sep 2014 #4

Yes. Below is a vicious, murderous Nazi explaining how easy it is to get stupid people to go to war. Zorra Sep 2014 #5

Zorra, I agree, vicious cycles need to be broken. saidsimplesimon Sep 2014 #44

Great Quote. Thanks. NT hueymahl Sep 2014 #123

Weird cilla4progress Sep 2014 #128

To the Greatest Page. woo me with science Sep 2014 #6

... Enthusiast Sep 2014 #100

k/r marmar Sep 2014 #7

There seem to be a number of people for whom objection to wars of choice Maedhros Sep 2014 #86

"We can bomb the world to pieces But we can't bomb it into peace" suffragette Sep 2014 #8

Tell that to the Preace Prize Prez! blkmusclmachine Sep 2014 #106

This message was self-deleted by its author blkmusclmachine Sep 2014 #107

It seems we keep saying it, but those in power suffragette Sep 2014 #118

Sounds like William didn't get his pony Doctor_J Sep 2014 #9

that piece wrenched at my heart and made my stomach knot cali Sep 2014 #10

It's called "partnering" now CJCRANE Sep 2014 #11

The Revised Marketing Plan.... KoKo Sep 2014 #23

Hillary called them 'proxy wars', like in Libya where we actually did have 'boots' on the ground sabrina 1 Sep 2014 #29

I think it probably is possible CJCRANE Sep 2014 #36

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/110/hr400 woo me with science Sep 2014 #37

Didn't know about that. War should NEVER be profitable financially for anyone. I often wondered sabrina 1 Sep 2014 #72

If there was no profiteering, there would be no war. Cleita Sep 2014 #80

War = Death = Profit blkmusclmachine Sep 2014 #108

Probably both sides Doctor_J Sep 2014 #35

who will then turn into enemies that we can fight all over again! grahamhgreen Sep 2014 #96

We can't be honest and say we fucked up with Iraq ...but we're not going back to fix it. L0oniX Sep 2014 #12

This is nonsense.... Bigmack Sep 2014 #13

"If you want peace The Wizard Sep 2014 #43

Sadly, yes you do have to use the sacasm thingy... ReRe Sep 2014 #121

I think you ARE wrong. Laelth Sep 2014 #14

And Sadly, I think you are misguided hueymahl Sep 2014 #124

Thanks for the response. Bonus kick for your thread. n/t Laelth Sep 2014 #129

I'd point out that Shrubya was rightly castigated for doing nothing until after 9/11. riqster Sep 2014 #15

I don't see that Will is criticizing PBO for "not acting like Bush". cali Sep 2014 #18

Please find the word "Bush" in my article. WilliamPitt Sep 2014 #20

You advocate a similar course of action. The name is not required. riqster Sep 2014 #21

When was Bush castigated for NOT going to war before 9/11? sabrina 1 Sep 2014 #30

He was castigated for ignoring the threat and doing nothing. riqster Sep 2014 #39

Yes, and what does that have to do with THIS. There was NO NEED for bombs IF he had paid attention sabrina 1 Sep 2014 #53

American assets overseas are at risk. riqster Sep 2014 #58

American assets?? Exactly what right does America have to other people's stuff? sabrina 1 Sep 2014 #66

There was no need for bombs anyway. roody Sep 2014 #132

Of course he was criticized for not taking the threat seriously and rhett o rick Sep 2014 #55

The point is: action now can cut down on the overall amount of action required. riqster Sep 2014 #59

That's always the rationalization for preemptive war. nm rhett o rick Sep 2014 #61

Your logic is flawed humbled_opinion Sep 2014 #33

Incorrect. Read the 9/11 commission report. riqster Sep 2014 #40

Obama is NOT being criticized here for "not acting like Bush" Martin Eden Sep 2014 #75

In this case, ISIL did not threaten us til after we started bombing them. grahamhgreen Sep 2014 #98

and furthermore how can it possibly be the same treestar Sep 2014 #101

People are never satisfied with the President YoungDemCA Sep 2014 #105

This is basic. Bush didn't act on a specific threat. morningfog Sep 2014 #130

You wrote this before he spoke, come on, come clean snooper2 Sep 2014 #16

Thanks for a great post locks Sep 2014 #17

+1000 nt snappyturtle Sep 2014 #25

Post removed Post removed Sep 2014 #19

So now being against interventionist military misadventures is Obama Derangement Syndrome? marmar Sep 2014 #26

This message was self-deleted by its author MohRokTah Sep 2014 #27

When did you start reading anything he's posted? sabrina 1 Sep 2014 #34

I wish Rex Sep 2014 #91

Tom Toles thinks the same way n2doc Sep 2014 #22

Love that Toles! KoKo Sep 2014 #24

it's the shock doctrine on steroids yurbud Sep 2014 #46

K&R raouldukelives Sep 2014 #28

I hope we are wrong, but I fear we are not. Autumn Sep 2014 #31

War is the HUMAN normal...we simply refuse to evolve away from it. Moostache Sep 2014 #54

Very well crafted post. Feral Child Sep 2014 #56

sadly, you are correct! green917 Sep 2014 #71

War has been our normal for decades now, maybe even a half century. Rex Sep 2014 #94

You got that right Rex. America is the war nation. Autumn Sep 2014 #95

Not so new... ReRe Sep 2014 #122

President Obama needs to fire his entire team of saidsimplesimon Sep 2014 #32

"Our endless blessings bestow an enduring burden," Erich Bloodaxe BSN Sep 2014 #47

Right you are Nurse Erich, thank you, well said n/t saidsimplesimon Sep 2014 #62

And instead he should do........? jeff47 Sep 2014 #78

Perhaps we can do at least one thing... Oilwellian Sep 2014 #84

"fewer thousands die" ?? bvar22 Sep 2014 #88

He's been getting bad advice from somewhere. amandabeech Sep 2014 #109

You'd think that our military would occasionaly win one of these uneccesary wars. Tierra_y_Libertad Sep 2014 #38

Remember when a president from Texas The Wizard Sep 2014 #41

"Our endless blessings" if he worked as hard at doing an end run around Congress to restore this as yurbud Sep 2014 #42

If we think about this logically for a moment, and put emotions and politics aside, it seems world wide wally Sep 2014 #45

If bush used the anniversary of 9/11 to sell us another war, this place would be livid NightWatcher Sep 2014 #48

But a lot of us are livid about it this time too. totodeinhere Sep 2014 #65

Very lazy and superficial thinking. Saddam had not killed US citizens and was not threatening anyone stevenleser Sep 2014 #49

Perhaps you are missing the solutions to the problem as the blogger has clearly presented them? GusBob Sep 2014 #64

LMAO, yes. nt stevenleser Sep 2014 #68

+1 treestar Sep 2014 #102

K&R.... daleanime Sep 2014 #50

It is the old war, in fact, Obama admitted ISIL is al Qeada. grahamhgreen Sep 2014 #51

... littlemissmartypants Sep 2014 #52

K&R Feral Child Sep 2014 #57

We need to get over our PTSD from Bush, Junior's time. randome Sep 2014 #60

This would be a good time for our ally Israel to get on board BobbyBoring Sep 2014 #63

the best national security strategy is shireen Sep 2014 #67

That's one thing I really admire about John F. Kennedy Art_from_Ark Sep 2014 #112

K&R Paka Sep 2014 #69

It's like an alien invasion.. Docross Sep 2014 #70

The sky is falling, the sky is falling! hueymahl Sep 2014 #125

"...our responsibility to lead"? When was this decided then? The rest of us must have missed that. mr blur Sep 2014 #73

This is Insane Norm Guy Sep 2014 #74

Thank you Will. lark Sep 2014 #76

Did you do any research on 'smart bombs' ? delete_bush Sep 2014 #77

I did. WilliamPitt Sep 2014 #85

knr SammyWinstonJack Sep 2014 #79

Like water on a rock... kentuck Sep 2014 #81

Some odd things I'm seeing Ichingcarpenter Sep 2014 #82

Blood begets blood endlessly. JEB Sep 2014 #83

Just a little Elizabethan English grammar note: MineralMan Sep 2014 #87

Oopsy. Thanks for the correction. JEB Sep 2014 #116

I hope everyone reads this! Paper Roses Sep 2014 #89

We won't get fooled again! KamaAina Sep 2014 #90

K&R 99Forever Sep 2014 #92

K&R grntuscarora Sep 2014 #93

Regarding Obama's new war -- Most tremendously awful quote regarding life in modern times: truedelphi Sep 2014 #97

your consistent 1dogleft Sep 2014 #99

It's almost like George W. Bush never left. blkmusclmachine Sep 2014 #103

junior must be getting his jollies up big-time! indepat Sep 2014 #104

Can I get an AMEN?! marym625 Sep 2014 #110

yup nt cwydro Sep 2014 #111

K&R stage left Sep 2014 #113

Photo in OP...stark view of Obama Turning his Back on the Podium..and the Mikes...... KoKo Sep 2014 #114

I have your first book. raven mad Sep 2014 #115

We'll, so much for not doing stupid shit salib Sep 2014 #117

Our Motherland, Oceania, has joined forces with Eurasia to defeat Eastasia, victory shall be ours. whereisjustice Sep 2014 #119

America Fuck Yeah! Agony Sep 2014 #120

K&R ReRe Sep 2014 #126

I think Obama's full of shit on this. cilla4progress Sep 2014 #127

"Enjoy your new war, which is the old war. I'm sure it will all work out just fine." another_liberal Sep 2014 #131