[Fuusm-l] Watch Edwin Starr - ("War -What is it good for") + Lyrics HQ!!" on YouTube
Randall Kidder
randallkidder88 at gmail.com
Mon May 27 10:58:16 CDT 2024
https://youtu.be/ztZI2aLQ9Sw?si=H0QFKo2sNKRvA95_
Hi all. I apologize for the following. And if is inappropriate, or
untimely, I doubly apologize. The last thing I want to do is clutter up
your email, take up your time, or come across as unpatriotic or whatever.
Sometimes one just needs to unload a little bit and try to find which way
is one's way. Regardless of how much flak or censure one might receive. I'm
probably speaking out of turn. I certainly do not want to dampen anyone's
festivities or celebrations. This particular holiday, for me, is too
multi-dimensional to simply have a "Happy Memoral Day," even if accompanied
by a certain amount of poignancy.
*Memorial Day* Remembering *our* fallen who gave *their *lives
fighting for *our* freedom, (or what currently passes for freedom, but
that's a separate issue). The holiday has an interesting history going
back to the Civil War.
*"Happy* Memorial Day*" * I'm seeing and hearing that all over the
place. I confess, I could never quite get the "happy" part, but I am
highly *grateful
and thankful* for their sacrifices: just as, however, (and this is the crux
of my issue) - people in other countries are undoubtedly grateful and proud
of their own fallen sons, daughters, neighbors, fathers, mothers... I'm
just trying to put things in perspective so I can wrap my head around all
this and attempt to grasp the "big picture," whatever it is. Everybody is
doing right and their activities, whether defensive or offensive is
justifiable from their perspective. Everybody is right and everybody else
is not doing the same right they must be wrong and expendable. Maybe the
whole is greater than the sum of its parts, gestalt, or whatever. I dunno.
Another phrase I'm hearing a lot is "God Bless The U.S.A." Implying
fuggeddabout the rest of the world. Maybe not, but how about extending the
sentiment to "God [Goddess, Tao, The Universe, The Great 'Is,' Waldo, fill
in the blank...] Bless The Planet" So, anyway...
️etc.
etc. etc. etc. etc...
☮️ In the 225 years since c1800 C.E., more than 37 million (37
*MILLION)* combatants
worldwide have díed actively fighting in wars, everybody fighting, killing,
dying for "their cause:" Fighting for and defending what *they* believed
was right, ethical, proper; or sometimes being conscripted and not even
being 100% sure why they were being put in harm's way. (Remember Vietnam?)
This doesn't include millions of civilian deaths from bombings etc, nor
additional deaths from famine and pestilence directly caused by wartime
activities. The proportion of civilian casualties to military combatants in
conflicts has generally increased: in WWII civilian deaths outnumbered
combatant deaths between 2:1 and 3:2. And, let's ignore all the collateral
structural destruction. Or the loss of cultural artifacts simply because of
religious differences: for example, the iconoclastic destruction of
Buddhist and Shinto shrines by devout Christians and converts; or the
massive destruction of the Library of Alexandria. Cultural wars. Religious
wars. Political wars.
Sooo, how many are 37 million combatant deaths? That high a number is
beyond my puny brain's simple comprehension. But... say I were to spend 8
hours a day, 7 days a week going over every one of their dossiers and
thinking about each of those 37 million people for 5 seconds per person, it
would take me over 15 years. People. Human beings. Considering not enemies,
opposing causes, religiously or politically right or wrong, defensible or
indefensible or whatever. But simply compressing each killed person's
entire lifetime into a mere 5 seconds.
☸️☯️✝️☦️☪️☮️♂️
The world population has more than doubled since I was in grade school, so
I'm ignoring projections of what the world population would be now if it
weren't for all the deadly conflicts. There's an upside to war? This entire
matter does indeed get complicated.
Just sayin'... "War. What is it good for?"
Happy
Memorial Day
Ok. I'm finished. Hopefully in the sense of having completed a simple task
and not in the profound sense of "Oh man, now he's done for."
Sincerely - Randall Kidder
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