Topic: Is peace possible?

[74cb750]

Ok all you intellectuals....

Is it possible to actually achieve peace in the world,
defined in the context of non-warring nations/states

or are we destined to forever be at war with each other over
any/all, large/small diferences in race, color, creed?

Because the majority of people I have met are nice, peace loving,
and I am an optimist,

and have not triskaidekapobia I believe it is possible,
though not in my lifetime.

peace,
michel

 

[CaféElite]

When all the sheep are the same or all are dead....

[Greggo]

Never Ever Never.  Period. 

PS - I am a peace loving optimist.

[Frankenkit]

I guess I can already see that this thread, while well-meaning has the probability of turning into some politically based quagmire.  Still, I'll throw my thoughts in just because I apparently still don't know any better, and I've had maybe too much to drink.

I think that peace would be possible if people could evolve beyond the way we currently are.  As long as there is a desire for power, money, or resources, there will be a driving factor for unrest.  Whether it's larger, more well-endowed countries acting as 'police' of sorts in other nations or smaller nations fighting amongst themselves for power/money/resources, there will likely always be some sort of military action somewhere. 

Take John Lennon's song "Imagine".  I love the song, I love the ideal, but that's what it is, it's an ideal.  Do you think we'd ever see a world without religion, possessions, no nationalism, no greed, no hunger, etc etc?  Probably not, realistically.  To go on a more evolutionarily based argument, people are not so far from the warring chimp bands in the jungles of Africa, and as long as there is an 'us' there will be a 'them', and while our motivations may be very different, the psychology of our rivalries still seems similar.

I think the ideal of peace is a good thing to work for, that one can be the change they want to see.  I think if everyone tried, life could be more peaceful in much of the world.  Do I think 'Peace' as a utopian existence is possible?  Not the way we are now.

[BeSeeingYou]

Not with an unequal distribution of wealth and resources.

[faux fiddy]

[quote author=74cb750 link=topic=95956.msg1067716#msg1067716 date=1316491989

Is it possible to actually achieve peace in the world,
defined in the context of non-warring nations/states

or are we destined to forever be at war with each other over
any/all, large/small diferences in race, color, creed?

[/quote]

Short Answer: Yes!







Boeing will have to open Wichita plant back up, and start a third shift in Seattle.

[MoMo]

No... as long as there is evil and good there will be warring factions...Larry

[demon78]

Well Kit I've been around a long time and every time " there's peace some one has to #$%* around because we can't stand peace" and that's a half assed quote that was popular when I was in the RCAF decades ago I don't know, but it seems that we haven't grown up enough yet.
Bill the demon.

[74cb750]

Tree-fiddy,
your comment reminds me of when I was in high school and
we read "1984", double-speak.

There is an adage: knowledge = $,
and with the advent of the internet becoming more prevalent
thorughout the world knowledge speads quickly
therefore:
more knowledge should mean more informed decision making and
an evening of resources or
we will end up with a benevolent world-wide dictatorship.

Look at how many dictators keep losing power and in some
cases the :"people" actually look to better themselves instead of
asking for handouts and blaming the "other' guy.

Being an optimist I believe mankind Can overcome it 's shortcoming,
and eventually ignorance will be eliminated along with the disparity in
wealth, knowledge and the generation of fear to control local populations.

as always,
peace,
michel

[bikerbart]

if you want peace,prepare for war.

[Duke McDukiedook]

No, and I'm an optometrist. 

[bikerbart]

I said it before,I'll say it again,Man is a BAD animal.

[Terry in Australia]

Geez, with the US currently in financial meltdown, why the hell would you want peace?

If there was peace there'd be no need for the US' multi-billion dollar defence industry, and no need for one of the largest defence forces in the world, so there'd be massive unemployment, far less tax dollars going into the government's already empty coffers, no money for welfare for the peace-affected unemployed, and no new industry to provide employment for them.

America would have to default on it's trillion dollar loans from it's new best friends in China, so eventually China would have to "liberate" America from it's now non-functional government, and maintain a presence in the US to protect it's assets and interests.

China could then move some of it's industrial assets (and some of it's population, some with guns) to the US and kick start the ailing US manufacturing and agricultural industry, to create employment for the starving masses. Any work is better than no work, so at the end of the day, China's "liberation" would meet very little resistance, and within one or two decades, America would settle into a happy, peaceful nation of factory and collective farm workers.

Hmmnnnn, I guess peace is possible, if you don't mind adapting your lifestyle somewhat.      

[heffay]

World Peace? not a chance
Whirled Peas? absolutely







sorry, mediocre, at best   

[Retro Rocket]

World Peace? not a chance
Whirled Peas? absolutely







sorry, mediocre, at best   

 

[BobbyR]

I would imagine it is possible, but sadly very unlikely. I think the Presidents that have fought in a war were the least likely to get involved in war. George Bush I lost his crew in WWII and he saw what it looked like, he went in and he got out. His Son did not see a war, he did not see what a good days work looked like in a War.

[BeSeeingYou]

Terry is on to something.  Here in the U.S. we have an economy that depends on war.  Why else do our military and political leaders keep coming up with new enemies that we must be protected from.  Just off the top of my head I can come up with 11 conflicts/wars we have been involved in since WWII.  Best thing would be for people everywhere in the world to tell their leaders that "HELL NO WE WON'T GO" and refuse military service.  No standing armies no wars.

[Frankenkit]

War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.

[Duke McDukiedook]

Embrace teh suck, didn't Orwell say that too? 

[faux fiddy]

Tree-fiddy,
your comment reminds me of when I was in high school and
we read "1984", double-speak.

There is an adage: knowledge = $,
and with the advent of the internet becoming more prevalent
throughout the world knowledge speads quickly

as always,
peace,
michel

Yeah, and ALL that. Dad got pitched out of Boeing in Wichita in about '70. Robert "Strange" McNamara (DOD?/ cabinet member)  had a plan where the B-52 would be cancelled and phased out in 12 years. Kennedy or Johnson or whomever fell for the scheme of discontinuation of the best  bomber evar!

His ("Strange's") company (General Dynamics, I believe) had a POS plane that statistically beat the 52. He sold it to the Congress, successfully. Range, speed, payload, damn near everything better. B-52 would be phased out within a decade. Never mentioned the GD thing couldn't do all at once, could fly far but without bombs, could fly bombs without fuel and range..etc. A true piece of crap sold to the gov at our expense.  I think RSM died within the last year or so, a grand huckster selling crap to the gov at a multi billion dollar budget.

And the b52 still flies today, in use if necessary, prolly 45 years after production stopped.

[bikerbart]

When are we going to change the Defense dept to the Offense Dept.?

[Bob Wessner]

When are we going to change the Defense dept to the Offense Dept.?

Interestingly, it was once "The War Department" but some visionary felt getting funding would be easier with a more paletable and acceptable name such as "The Defense Department."  Sadly, it seems to have worked.

[Scott S]

Geez, with the US currently in financial meltdown, why the hell would you want peace?

If there was peace there'd be no need for the US' multi-billion dollar defence industry, and no need for one of the largest defence forces in the world, so there'd be massive unemployment, far less tax dollars going into the government's already empty coffers, no money for welfare for the peace-affected unemployed, and no new industry to provide employment for them.

America would have to default on it's trillion dollar loans from it's new best friends in China, so eventually China would have to "liberate" America from it's now non-functional government, and maintain a presence in the US to protect it's assets and interests.

China could then move some of it's industrial assets (and some of it's population, some with guns) to the US and kick start the ailing US manufacturing and agricultural industry, to create employment for the starving masses. Any work is better than no work, so at the end of the day, China's "liberation" would meet very little resistance, and within one or two decades, America would settle into a happy, peaceful nation of factory and collective farm workers.

Hmmnnnn, I guess peace is possible, if you don't mind adapting your lifestyle somewhat.      

 For some reason, after reading this post, this song comes to mind.

FEAR - Let's Have a War

[cb650]

No because some one wants to put pods on their bike "AND I DONT LIKE IT".
Sorry just a feeble attempt at a little humor.

[bikerbart]

Fear.Our old guitarist is in a band with Phylo Cramer the Guitarist and founder of Fear.I think they are called the fighting cocks.Now back to the subject at hand.There will never be peace as the ruling class of the world keeps us uneducated and just smart enough to run the machines to make those dollars flow,They(politicians and corporate leaders)have us all fooled into thinking we have 'freedom'or rights.They,own the media,So,they show us what they want,feed us horrible crap,Keep us fat and stupid so we dont question what is really going on,they have the money which means they have the power.The last thing our gubmint wants is intelligent citizens because only smart people can solve whats really going on.What happened to the young people and the anger,I'll tell you what happened the 3 screens,tv,internet,cellphone.