The Peacefulness of War
Posted: Wednesday, September 29, 2010
by e
Dhammabucha Rocksprings Meditation
You're driving home and suddenly other drivers are speeding by, passing on the shoulder, going through red lights. And you know something bad has happened.
You hurry in and turn on the TV. Now you are sure that something's wrong. Without hearing a word, one glance at the newscasters face tells it all - she is scared to death.
And unexpectedly, you feel an inexplicable exuberance. Suddenly, all of your petty problems that you have been agonizing over all day, all month, all year, are gone. There is just this moment in time, an eerie silence, so pregnant with anticipation. So vital, so crucial, so alive. You are finally living for the first time in years, and in a strange way you become free. A sexual-like climax that sets your soul at rest.
" . . . sporadic reports and videos coming in from cell phones across Iran confirm mass casualties and damage with descriptions of nuclear type blasts with customary mushroom clouds. Israel has made no formal statement, but indications are that Israel has not only crippled Iran's nuclear capabilities, but has effectively destroyed the country. The President is scheduled to . . ."
With your eyes glued to the screen, you back into your chair. Your mind is blank. No thoughts. Only complete attention to the commentator. But her words somehow drift away. Everything is heightened, it's all so vivid; no spin, no hype. The mind somehow knows intuitively that this is it. And it's so exciting. You seem to be floating in a surreal ambiance that is almost imaginary.
It's three o'clock in the morning and you haven't eaten, still mesmerized, caught in the web of images on the screen.
"We have breaking news. Nuclear blasts have been reported in Israel. This has not been confirmed, however . . ."
You can feel the adrenalin coursing through your veins, the tickle in the pit of your stomach, as your mind becomes overwhelmed by the possibilities, and tries to cope with what is happening.
4:00 am.
"This just in - the first family and members of congress have reportedly left Washington and are on their way to an undisclosed location. We cannot confirm this but indications . . ."
Now the chills begin up and down your spine, the excitement that was so pleasurable just a few hours ago now begins turning to stark terror.
4:45 am.
"We have unconfirmed reports of ballistic missile launches in Kansas. Residents of Ellsworth say that a tremendous noise awakened them and they saw what was believed to be ICBMs lifting from the prairie. . . .May God help us all. . . . I'm sorry."
The commentator begins sobbing as a cameraman helps her off the set.
You try to call your mom, but all the lines are tied up. Your cat jumps in your lap. You stroke her head. You wait. The TV screen goes blank.
You look around at your things. The bookcase full of memories. The silly glass boot you bought in Arizona. The precious photos, framing a life that passed so swiftly.
You glance out the window. It's so quiet outside. Nothing moving.
A flash of light. Far away but as bright as the sun. So beautiful. The cat is now sleeping on your lap, purring. . . . It's so peaceful now.
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More commentsLet's hope this day never arrives e.Right David. I hope for that as well, and also write against anyone who I perceive to be a war monger. Thank you so much.Best.....e
Scary thoughts....makes one think thoughThanks Jill, that is always the intention of my articles - to ask people to please consider the consequences if we are not tuned in to what is happening in the world. If we fail to think of the consequences now, it will be too late when the war rhetoric gets out of control. If we all became informed of the truth instead of spin, it would be a different world because the majority of Americans are honest. Best......e
Thanks Eddie. The most descriptive word picture that I've read since "On the Beach" and you did it in a page instead of a book. Great work. Now if only some politicos would learn to read, we might have a chance to get through this potential armaggedon. Our president is the only leader that comes close to meeting your criteria and very few want to give him a chance. Keep praying and thanks again for some seriously good thoughts.Thank you so much Robert. I write these articles so that these things don't come true. Obama has my trust. He will both keep the country strong, and not waste its precious resources on egotistical battles. An intelligent president for a change who already ranks 15, ahead of Reagan, on presidential rankings by 132 non-biased presidential scholars, and where does Bush rank - in the bottom five.
You said this so incredibly well. The escalation of war is getting to the point this could be a reality in our lifetimes. Beautifully done and with a lot of heart.~ GraceWhat a kind comment Grace. We all, I believe, have a responsibility to do everything we can to stop the drumbeat of war, because once war psychology gets to a certain tipping point, there is a stampede toward blind violence. We saw that happen in Iraq when we were lied to about weapons of mass destruction, scaring us into a needless war. Best.......e
Take heed my friends! This may be the path mankind has chosen for himself. It doesn't happen by accident, it takes many blind eyes to achieve this result. Beautiful rendering of reality. Reminds me of the scared straight program.You see it too David. What stupidity and ignorance abounds? It's almost unbelievable, but then again, since humanity has not advanced one iota from the neolithic days regarding their emotions and drives, what else can we expect? Thank you my friend.Best.......e
"The silly glass boot you bought in Arizona" I love it. This makes me think of the movie/book Fight Club. Only when we have been in a fight (have our senses heightened) can we really examine what is of value to us. All the petty little things, including the glass boots from Arizona, become muted. While being in a fight might be a painful experience, it was somehow therapeutic afterward. This is what I get from the article... as horrible as war is, there is something to be said about looking at the bright light of the explosion... contemplating your precious moments, with a cat purring on your lap. Very well put E!Thanks for the article.Thanks Brom. Good analysis. I remember vividly playing college football at 220 lbs going up against guys 260 and up. I was fast and strong, but the experience was still "mind clearing" to say the least, like hitting brick walls all night and knowing the next hit might break your neck - but somehow not caring and playing that much harder. It's a strange thing that death is many times secondary to winning.Best .....e
Sir, I do not take it for peace of war. Do you think that if others can read and collect misunderstood. If you receive the love and write to protect human rights of others, he thought for the welfare of yours. When the war began, it is the cause of misunderstood words of warThank you for your comment. This is a reverse psychology piece and easily misunderstood even without the barrier of language. This is an anti-war article.
Best......e
Like you said Ray, so much time is wasted dwelling on our petty problems we don't stop to appreciate the beauty around us. The crisis we watch unfold in the news is always happening somewhere else to someone else, until it isn't. We should not take peace for granted, your article paints a grim but very real picture of how quickly things could change.You get it Brianna! Inattention breeds surprises, and this kind of a surprise will be deadly for all of us.Best.......eI always get you Ray. :)
Hi e.And that might just be how it happens. America meddles in the lives and politics of other countries. But despite all our foolishness, I don't think we want to end our existence in a blaze of light. And honestly, I don't think that America will be responsible for ending the world. Unfortunately, we really can not control what other nations might do and that is a thing that worries me from time to time. Not that we can't control them, but what they might do.Maybe I'm putting a rosy glow on my country, maybe not. Mainly, I would just be very sorry for all the innocent animals that would suffer as a result of mankind's stupidity. If we allow this to happen (and I know that I said we can not control other nations, but ...), then we deserve what we get.Here and I was having such a happy morning until I read this.Hugs, DianneThanks Dianne. If you want to stay submerged in a false sense of happiness and ignore what‘s going on all around you and in the world, there are plenty of writers on SearchWarp who will keep you entertained :). If, however, you want to help save all the animals (and us!), keep your ears open for those who indirectly beat the drums of war. Speak up against them. Look out for people who think war is a solution to a problem. With the incoming Republican congress there will be increased rhetoric about increasing (or at least not reducing) our military spending over what it currently is, which is TWENTY TIMES more than any other country. There will be a drumbeat to bomb Iran, very convincingly promoted which will take America’s minds off their economic problems. There will be a trade or currency war with China, as Republicans make China the enemy, instead of our economic problems all brought on by Bush. Because Republicans have no other solution to America's coming economic depression other than war because all they are good at is complaining and pointing fingers no solutions of their own. Republican egos cannot imagine a lowered standard of living for themselves even though since Reagan, Republicans have done everything they can to move Americas money away from safety nets for the poor and middle class to tax cuts for the wealthy and increased military spending. Wars don’t happed suddenly, there are always underlying circumstances that people should be aware of and fight back against, but are too busy doing whatever inane things they do to really pay attention. It’s a sad state of affairs here in America and why we remain so uninformed and gullible to things such as WMDs. Americans will deserve what “we" get if we fail to make our voices heard. America is never innocent. Pearl Harbor didn’t happen without American provocation:
“James J. Martin's essay re events to the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 is instructive and should lead the interested reader to further investigation. Martin details the American, British, and Dutch efforts to literally starve the Japanese in submission to efforts to get the Japanese out of China where the resources for Japanese industry were vital for Japanese survival. The ABCD (Americans, British, Chinese, and Dutch) placed economic embargoes on the Japanese which obviously caused the Japanese to look for other areas for resources and markets. Martin notes that U.S. authorities froze Japanese assets in July of 1941 to put further pressure on the Japanese. When the Japanese tried to negotiate between October and November of 1941 to avoid conflict, their reasonable suggestions were met with insult and threats. What readers should note is that the Americans had already broken the Japanese diplomatic code as early as 1937 and knew that the Japanese were planning to attack Pearl Harbor. Unfortunately, the commanders at Pearl Harbor received no word of this until after the last Japanese plane left after the attack. What is also not well known is that the Americans had already pledged to the British and Dutch to go to war with the Japanese before the Pearl Harbor attack. - amazon
In 1965, manufacturing in America accounted for 53 percent of the economy. By 1988 it only accounted for 39 percent, and in 2004, it accounted for just 9 percent. Regarding the effect of this labor shift on manufacturing, economist Richard Benson relates that whether you build a factory here or in China, the factory will be the same and the workers will have similar skills, but the main difference is that “the Chinese will work seven days a week for us$0.50 to us$1 an hour with no benefits for social security, health care, vacations, a pension or worker safety. … In America, the going wage would be 10 to 20 times higher including all benefits" (Benson’s Economic & Market Trends, op. cit.). It’s not hard to see why, in order to reduce costs, manufacturing businesses have been abandoning America in droves and fleeing to Asia.
This is the underlying problem, and the only peaceful solution is to let things develop as they must, which means as Americans we have to accept a lower standard of living, much lower, below the poverty level with very limited health care of social safety nets. And of course a military they must be reduced tremendously. I have no problem with this because of my spiritual training which doesn’t rely on externals. But I’m afraid that 99% of Americans would rather die than give up their lifestyles. And so we probably will.Golly e! Is there anything inherently wrong in having a happy morning? :) I am well chastised ... or at least that's how it feels. Still, I appreciate the effort you put into your response and your concern for me and my outlook.
I am sorry if I have missed something here.Is it part of your new book or is it an exercise in something?What was the point of it?OwenEconomic, political and religious war is stupid.
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