Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Voltaire – WAR


I am thinking about this day, this moment, when wars and rumors and rumors of wars are a fever pitch, and whether south of us or east, the conditions seem likely that a large scale war is imminent. On this subject, this great tragedy of/for humanity, is another subject of Voltaire, his words, opinions. He writes:  
It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets.
Yes, war is large scale, mass murder; not just of human life but also of the meaning and matter of words (so-called "news"), reports and the other sorted media used to condition a society for/to war—the make them believe it is right, if just necessary and even justified. 
He writes more:
Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.
How true, this statement; for how else will considerate, law-abiding citizens support and even engage in war but convinced and certain that they are on "the right side".  Yes, the war, impending or in process, must be right, righteous and justified. 

At best, the reservations and regrets (or war) are held only after the event(s), conflict and carnage, when the smoke clears and they who remain standing (may) regain their wits long enough to take a sobering and somber view and to then possibly admit, if just to themselves,
“This was (is) not right.”
Can such a sobering and somber view lend more; some wisdom that reaffirms the futility of war, the false and fraudulent words of those who benefit from war while many suffer and sacrifice? Since Voltaire declares,
There are truths which are not for all men, nor for all times, 
Should one accept words, news and reports, truth or not, then they either simply do not care—or have no skin in the game—or prefer to be led as slaves to a maniacal master.  

No comments:

Post a Comment