Vegetarians and Peace

[Huckleberry]

I think vegetarians should work to end war.

We should condemn all the war-mongers:

More Kids Droned By Obama Than By All Other Nobel Prize Winners

How Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton Contributed to Libya's Slavery Crisis | Black Agenda Report

“The Obama administration bombed Libya into oblivion while using racist and terrorist rebel groups to do their dirty deeds on the ground.”

blackagendareport.com

Jared Kushner, the Arms Deal, and Alleged Saudi War Crimes - Just Security

Jared Kushner played a leading role in orchestrating a $100 billion arms deal with the Saudi government, according to the New York Times. At the same time the Saudi air force has allegedly engaged in repeated war crimes in Yemen, including attacks on schools, hospitals, and a funeral home, on...

www.justsecurity.org

Opinion | Zelensky Wants a No-Fly Zone. NATO Is Right to Say No. (Published 2022)

A no-fly zone in Ukraine, meant to protect civilians, might fail to do so while escalating the war.

www.nytimes.com

On Russia's Invasion of Ukraine - Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)

The Democratic Socialists of America condemns Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and demands immediate diplomacy and de-escalation to resolve this crisis. We stand in solidarity with the working classes of Ukraine and Russia who will undoubtedly bear the brunt of this war, and with antiwar protestors...

www.dsausa.org

Some people think of vegetarians as self-absorbed eccentrics focused on trifling matters. If we ally with those opposing war we will gain credibility.

 

[Huckleberry]

Hollywood indulges in and glamorizes drug use which funds the brutal war in Mexico.

5 Television Shows that Glamorize Drug Use - USA Mobile Drug Testing

The way Hollywood portrays alcoholics and drug addicts is often one that glamorizes the lifestyle as one of excitement—with just a hint of danger.

usamdt.com

The Staggering Death Toll of Mexico's Drug War | FRONTLINE

In the last seven years, killings in Mexico have steadily, if quietly, outpaced the number of civilian deaths in Afghanistan and Iraq combined.

www.pbs.org

 

[Huckleberry]

War profiteering:

Are European arms fuelling wars and conflicts worldwide?

Where do European-made weapons end up? How are current conflicts worldwide impacted by the Defence industries of EU Member States? We take a look at the Defence sector and those opposed to its exports strategies. #UnreportedEurope

www.euronews.com

Israel's dirty trade in Africa: Diamonds, weapons and settlements

Israel is considered one of the most important countries that import rough diamonds, and the most prominent countries that export polished diamonds. Most of these diamonds come from African countries ...

www.middleeastmonitor.com

Army contract for Feinstein's husband / Blum is a director of firm that will get up to $600 million

The award to help with troop mobilization, weapons systems training and anti-terrorism...

www.sfgate.com

 

[Brian W]

Makes sense. If we value life, why shouldn't we value all life, not just the lives of animals? If we don't value life, why do we value the lives of animals?

 

[bEt]

i feel like war is usually mostly about resources. most modern leaders want their people/constituents to be satisfied and happy, to have plenty, because that reduces unrest, and reduces the leaders' chances of being replaced, by coup or by elections. So they send their military to force other countries to give them what will make life easier for the majority. The united states gov't forces other countries to give up oil and other resources for cheap, to keep all of us happy.

I think what i am trying to say is that prevention of war begins with conserving and making wiser use of resources. Which is actually part of why some of us (me anyway) choose veganism.

 

[bEt]

some would blame the military, but they are only hired by our leaders, and ultimately by us.

also, on a different note, animals suffer greatly in war. most animals don't even like artificial fire works. Real bombs? no one loves those.

 

[Second Summer]

This is a vast topic. And as is often the case with such topics, there are no simple answers. (Although I do agree that more careful use of resources is a very important contribution!)

There is a concept called a "just war". I'm unsure if I agree with it, but I certainly think there is such a thing as a just defence. And if you know your neighbour is preparing for and is hell-bent on attacking, destroying and annexing your country, then you are justified in taking measures to protect yourself, including building up a capable military and armaments industry.

But, it is well-known that the military-industrial complex can become a force of its own, and it's not always a good thing. On the one hand, it drives innovation (e.g. in the space race) and employs large numbers of people. On the the other hand it can get out of hand and it can actually contribute to starting wars, coups and unrest, usually in places far away.

 

[Huckleberry]

Zelensky is a danger to the whole world.

Zelensky accused of trying to start World War III over missile strike

"It's unlikely, in the minds of the trajectory, that it was fired from Russia," President Joe Biden said after reports that a "Russian-made" missile hit Poland.

www.newsweek.com

 

[Huckleberry]

Can we give Obama another Nobel prize?

The Nine Surges of Obama's War: How to Escalate in Afghanistan

What is being portrayed in the media as the surge is but a modest part of an ongoing expansion of the war effort. The media's focus on the president's speech as the crucial moment of decision has distorted what's actually underway.

www.huffpost.com

 

[Brian W]

@Huckleberry This is a philosophical thread about vegetarians and peace, not a free for all political thread. Neither of your posts have anything to do with vegetarianism.

 

[Sax]

I wish we lived in a world where ending war was a realistic goal, but we don't. There will always be leaders who see war as a way to secure their place in history. And others who don't want war but find themselves escalating towards it so as not to appear weak to their supporters. And other conflicts that can't be ignored or solved diplomatically...sometimes there can only be a winner and a loser, and any leader trying to do right by his country will want it to be on the winning side.

There are plenty of reforms that could minimize corruption and conflicts of interest in national security, which should obviously be pursued, but I don't think the causes of war have a political solution.

 

[Second Summer]

There are plenty of reforms that could minimize corruption and conflicts of interest in national security, which should obviously be pursued, but I don't think the causes of war have a political solution.

I wonder how we might view the situation in a 100 years or later, when climate change will have made Earth more hostile to life, and at the same time humans have also started to settle outside our home planet, again in places hostile to life. Will we start to value life more, value human life more? Will we transcend old identities around nationality, race and faith, and form a shared identity simply as humans - the most advanced life form and shepherds of life in a dark and hostile universe? Or, will the limited resources lead to a dystopian Mad Max-style world, with even more competition and conflict?