Peace Pipe Dream

Peace on earth.

Doesn’t that seem like such a noble aspiration? The entire planet living in harmony and in cooperation with each other. Countries able to focus their resources on growth and development and bettering the lives of their citizens instead of having to utilize resources in the pursuit of weapons and military might.

This past week when Israel assassinated the founder of Hamas, I was rather amused by the responses of different world leaders. Almost every single quote I heard somehow referred to how the actions of Israel were almost certain to derail the fragile efforts for peace in the region. The fact that Israel came out a day or two later and publicly stated that they are targeting all leaders that they perceive as leading terrorist attacks was just one more nail in the coffin of a “peace process” that is like a stillborn baby: dead on arrival.

The reason that the statements of world leaders amused me is because I think it’s retarded for anyone to think that there is ever going to be “peace on earth.” Especially in the Middle East.

Humanity has proved over the past 7,000 years or so that as a race, we are incapable of living peacefully together. In fact, much of the general history that is taught in schools revolves around wars and acts of violence. American history begins with the Revolutionary War, then the next “major” event is often the Civil War (although sometimes they throw in some lesser conflicts, or the fact that people were exploring and settling in the west), then there is World War I, then World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam, the Cold War, Gulf War I, and soon-to-be Gulf War II.

Yet people still try and work for peace.

The United Nations is an organization whose goal and purpose is to attempt to promote peace in the world. Yet they can only use diplomatic means when all nations involved are willing to subject themselves to the wishes of the UN. If nations or groups refuse to recognize the authority of the UN, what happens? They send in “peacekeepers.” They send in soldiers in an attempt to win the conflict and thus enforce their rule that way.

One thing I’ve noticed about peace is how it is easy for nations with many commonalities to maintain relations without hostilities. I’m not talking just about the shared things that make people humans, but their values and traditions and ways of life.

Take America and Britain for example. We actually rebelled against England in our fight for independence, yet relatively soon after we had already reestablished trade relations and foreign relations with them. Americans have a great deal in common with most of Europe, North America, and Australia, as well as some Asian, South American, and African countries.

Yet when it comes to some countries in Africa or the Mid East, we have very different traditions and values and ways of life, as well as differences in main religions (religion can be quite the hot button). Thus it is more difficult for us to have peaceful relations with countries and groups like that.

Personally, I think that the whole “peace processes” tend to drag conflicts out longer than they would if people just duked it out and got it over with. In Israel, there has been fighting going on almost daily since they started “peace talks” and yet no fruit has been produced by those talks. Granted, the fighting isn’t as intense as an all-out war, but it’s just stalling to try to buy time for something that will never happen.

I fail to see what is so noble about trying to fight for a lost cause. Is it just so people can point afterwards when they fail and somehow console themselves and think “At least I tried…” Where’s the consolation in trying and failing?

World peace is a dream. It is a dream that has been dreamt by people for centuries and a dream that has eluded mankind for just as long.

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“Soldier boy, made of clay
Now an empty shell
Twenty-one, only son
His body served us well
Bred to kill, not to care
Do just as we say
Finished here, greetings Death
He’s yours to take away
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Back to the front
You will do what I say, when I say
Back to the front
You will die when I say, You must die
Back to the front
You coward
You servant
You blindman.”
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Metallica