If the goal is peace, how does fighting war achieve it?

THuNDER BAY – Editorial – We, as the human race, seem determined to fight each other to whatever foolish ends. We have fought in the last 100 years the “War to End War” – World War One, then twenty years later World War Two. Human beings are in sadly constant fights that don’t end the issues that cause war.

Looking at our history – there is not a time when warfare, killing, and strife have not been ongoing in some part of our globe.

Countless millions of people have died in military campaigns. Millions of innocent people have been murdered in concentration camps, death camps, bombing raids, and as what is now called “Collateral Damage”.

If we put as much energy, effort and money behind fighting poverty, hunger, racism, and hate we would be so much further ahead.

We are all residents of this relatively small planet. While we all have differences, at our core we are human beings. We are, as a friend often says, “All brothers and sisters under the stars”.

Coming off of Remembrance Day, one can only look at how few of the veterans of World War Two and Korea are left. While their struggles should not be thought of as in vain, the longevity of the end of wars might be seen as governments failing to secure the peace that brave men and women fought so hard to achieve.

The most recent attacks in Paris, in Beirut, and around the globe are clear demonstrations that many of the world’s leaders simply don’t have the foresight or ability to see past the immediate to realize all that is happening is we are sowing a garden of hate.

When that hate erupts in violence, we all seem so shocked and distressed.

Sadly, we should not.

Terrorism isn’t born out of peace, it is born out of strife.

President Obama and British Prime Minister Cameron are pretty clear on what they envision as a solution.

President Obama said, “The French people have stood shoulder to shoulder with the United States time and again. And we want to be very clear that we stand together with them in the fight against terrorism and extremism.

“Paris itself represents the timeless values of human progress. Those who think that they can terrorize the people of France or the values that they stand for are wrong. The American people draw strength from the French people’s commitment to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness. We are reminded in this time of tragedy that the bonds of liberté and égalité and fraternité are not only values that the French people care so deeply about, but they are values that we share. And those values are going to endure far beyond any act of terrorism or the hateful vision of those who perpetrated the crimes this evening.

“We’re going to do whatever it takes to work with the French people and with nations around the world to bring these terrorists to justice, and to go after any terrorist networks that go after our people.”

Cameron states, “We will redouble our efforts to wipe out this poisonous extremist ideology and, together with the French and our allies around the world, stand up for all we believe in.”

In other words, the path forward to solve violence will be more violence.

In Canada, newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau came under attack from some in his swift moves to take Canada out of the air strikes in Syria and Iraq against the Islamic State forces.

Trudeau was attacked by some of his political opponents for suggesting more humanitarian ideas might help.

Maybe after this latest attack – a harvest of hate – from the anger of the Islamic State we might start to realize that by following the same path, the same approach isn’t achieving the goals that humanity should be achieving.

It might take real courage to put away the weapons and start seeking solutions that don’t need explosions.

One wonders which of our world leaders might have that kind of courage?

Any? For the sake of the human race we should be hoping that at least one leader has that kind of courage.

James Murray