From: rhinoceros (rhinoceros@freemail.gr)
Date: Tue Aug 20 2002 - 05:28:31 MDT
[Jonathan Davies]
"Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a
farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to
come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people don't want
war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That
is understood. The problem is that whilst leaders of the country determine
the policy, in a democracy it is a difficult matter to drag the people
along. Without the people's consent and support, a war effort is doomed and
with it the leaders who manage it. Voice or no voice, the people cannot
always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is very difficult in
democratic nations. Getting a war going - even in self-defence - is next to
impossible. A people can be attacked with missiles and enemy Kamikazes can
strike their tallest buildings - yet some will refuse to believe they are
under attack. They prefer instead the soothing fairy tales of the peace
wishers and fantastical lies that their leaders have arranged the attacks on
themselves! The people don't want war, and will avoid it at almost any
cost - even annihilation. The belly up dog, finding himself comfortable and
imagining himself safe in his surrender, thinks his exposed belly will save
him from the lion's hunger." Herman Limbicus - 2002
[rhinoceros]
That sounds logical. I would add that watching an attack through the very same TV set that you watch things that happened "far away" contributes to a sense of unreal about the situation.
However, is this really what you see happening around you? Do you really see the proverbial farmer dismissing war? Do the polls tell a story of decline of the government's popularity as a result of engaging in war?
If not, that could possibly also be attributed to the same sense of unreal. If technology makes it possible that most people won't have to go to war, they can just say "I don't know the neighbor who goes to war, but we're gonna show them bastards one thing or two".
---- This message was posted by rhinoceros to the Virus 2002 board on Church of Virus BBS. <http://virus.lucifer.com/bbs/index.php?board=51;action=display;threadid=26194>
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.5 : Wed Sep 25 2002 - 13:28:54 MDT