War - an essential part of being
Being an amateur philosopher (thanks for messing that up, career guidance counsellor), I watched a movie called A Pervert's Guide To Ideology. Slavoj Zizek took us through a plethora of Hollywood movies to illustrate and explain what ideology really means and how it translates through cinema.
This gots me thinkin'. Perverting not only ideology, but everything from the physical to the metaphysical is the true purpose of philosophy. It is there to challenge and change a school of thought by going against the paradigm.
Why stop at ideology, we should be perverting politics, existentialism, nihilism, god, relationships, society, psychology, and philosophy itself. No stone should be left unturned.
So, in the current hideous and heinous climate. And on the day of the Great War's centenary, I'm starting with just that. War.
Israel v Palestine
This war has been waging since the creation of Israel in 1948 until this very day. While the British handed over Palestinian land to the persecuted Jews of Europe, they have gone from strength to strength while the Palestinians have been oppressed, marginalised and ousted from their own land.
The latest attack on Gaza has been horrific. Today, the Palestinian death toll is around 1500 mark, mostly civilians. Compared to the 66 dead Israelis, 63 of which are soldiers.
The Israeli propaganda machine has been in over-drive blaming Hamas for its continued shelling of a poverty riddled and unarmed area. They tell us that Hamas have been stockpiling missiles. How very dare they build an arsenal when their oppressors have nuclear capability. A country with arms doesn't make them dangerous. A country with arms who are being persecuted by a country with one of the largest armies, full body armour, up-to-date and powerful weapons, makes them afraid and therefore, aggressive.
Not only does the Israeli media machine point the finger of blame firmly at Hamas with the strap-line 'well, we did warn you', but they seem to have no basis for their rhetoric. This makes their argument all the more fallible.
When I was travelling in Laos, I met up with a group of Israeli youths. One of them proclaimed that the world hates them because 'they know stuff'. Right, the rest of the world is stupid and ignorant, but Israel 'knows stuff'. This is the sort of non-statement that is the backbone of their PR. And for people that 'know stuff', they seem to have forgotten that this is the information age.
All the info in the world is available at our fingertips. From the cables via WikiLeaks to Al-Jazeera online. From your average Joe's Twitter account to smartphones complete with photo and video capability. You can't start a war in private any more. You can't feed people bullshit statements that are empty and expect the population to be on your side. And you certainly can't pull the wool over a media savvy 8 billion people.
Yet we've seen 'bomb shelter selfies' and 'I love IDF' fan pages are the new craze in Israel. This also doesn't warm them to a population appalled by what's happening on an open and global forum like the internet. Making light of a grave situation. A race of people are being persecuted for their differences in their own country, while others rejoice. Sound familiar, Israel? Wonder what legal terrorist Benjamin Netenyahu would make of tourists taking 'gas chamber selfies' when they vist Auschwitz or I love Hitler fan pages? No doubt, this and the platforms that host them will be held to account as anti-Semites. One rule for one, a different rule for others.
The Jews have been a persecuted race since Biblical times. We've all watching Charlton Heston's Moses lead the Israelites out of bondage. We've had WWII rammed down our throats from school and movie classics like Sophie's Choice and Schindler's List have bought these horrors to life. The Jews were chased out of Russia and banished from the UK. You'd think out of anyone in the world, they would know what it's like to be oppressed, having felt the heavy hand of tyranny firsthand throughout the whole of history. Yet, they are now being tyrannical in a David and Goliath conflict that leave the world's superpowers helpless due to the Jewish stranglehold on businesses and the economy.
War is no longer fair. It belongs to those with power and money. Warfare is no longer executed with the brilliant strategy like Pearl Habour, no longer fought in a field like Alexander The Great, no longer fought by reaching out to the many like Chairman Mao and no longer about superior military training like Genghis Khan. The aforementioned had very high death tolls (Mao and Khan racked up a body count of circa 80 million), but it was not clandestine. They did not use secret tit-for-tat methods in basements of conglomerate's buildings to line all their ducks in a row.
In Plato's Politics, he talk about how government should be the few serving the many. The 'first world' governments have lost sight of this. Leaders like Tony Blair, a modern day mercenary to glory-hunting Dubya Bush. It was the few serving themselves. The many never come into it. Not even our opinion counted.
The real cost to the many is their home, their family and their life. Especially those with nothing, who fight with everything for equality, freedom and justice. And yet those with everything, take that away with ease.
UKIP and the Eurozone
I'm just going to say it. I'm a euro-sceptic. This doesn't make me racist - my entire family are Greek Cypriot and immigrants. I think this UK's multiculturalism is what puts the great in Great Britain. It means that I'm bought into centralised, imperial non-democratic rule.
The ruler of the EU isn't democratically elected by the citizens of Europe. He/she is nominated and parliament then vote them into office. Then different European countries take turn to lead. In the UK's case, the people in charge of voting these people into power represent the BNP and UKIP. Although I'm inclined to think this is a protest vote and a clever way to derail the EU from within, it probably isn't.
For a world that has been twice embroiled in war to fight against tyranny and national pride, I find it laughable that we're now entrusting everything to unelected powers in Brussels. The organisation that has enslaved the Mediterranean for ever because, let's face it, Germany is still hell-bent on empire. The failed with military action, so a solid economic model has given them the basis to do it with money and power.
Greece will never get out the quagmire of debt its found itself in. And with a complete veto by Angela Merkel to leave the Eurozone, they will never be economically competitive enough to rebuild an ecnonomy. Austrity measure will continue to hit the poor and the hardest and civil unrest will mar everyday life. This was inevitable, how can countries with weak economies like Greece, Spain and Portugal possibly keep up wth interest rates, high currency exchange rates, tax dictated by an economic superpower like Germany.
This makes me very anti-Europe. I will not be ruled by a power I didn't elect. I will never forgive an institution that puts its agenda ahead of the good of the people. And I resent that millions died fighting against imperialism only for us to be living under a similar dictatorship 50 years later.
Scotland
Our cousins across the border hit the polling stations next month to vote for Scottish independence. I've heard pitiful arguments from both sides, mainly on the BBC's Question Time. The lead singer of Deacon Blue was of the opinion that Scotland should be independent. I'm not sure why I should believe a double-denim wisdom who sang about pale girls in blue rooms (a nod to the Scottish flag, perhaps?) but he made no sense.
Scotland seems to think it has an answer to an unfair capitalist system, where the working poor of 7 million people rely on food banks while bankers get millions in bonuses. They're right, there is a gulf of difference between rich and poor. It's the staple to all good Tory manifestos. But this isn't unique to the UK. It's happening all over the world. Isn't that what the riots are about in Brazil and Occupy, they wouldn't be an international movement if the problem was unique to the UK.
Scotland needs to wake up and smell the Iron-Bru. The world's superpowers want the world like this and Scotland sure as hell ain't gonna change it.
Strength of women
The atrocities in Gaza has proved one thing. And one thing only.
It may be the men who have the guns, but it's the women who are the warriors.
Bravery isn't wearing head-to-toe protective gear while sitting in metal tanks and hiding behind AK47s. Bravery isn't shelling towns only to walk away without facing any consequences.
Bravery is living everyday in fear of your children's lives, protecting and shielding them from the bloodshed while protecting your home. Bravery is surviving as utilities are cut off, food becomes scarce, public services close down and disease becomes prevalent. Bravery is reassuring children, helping strangers and protecting the disadvantaged while bombs fall. Bravery is facing gun-wielding enemies. Bravery is burying people daily. Bravery is keeping calm and carrying on as your lives are torn apart by fear and brutality.
The Victoria Cross shouldn't be pinned on soldiers, it should be pinned on the women in war.
First published 04/08/2014
Yet we've seen 'bomb shelter selfies' and 'I love IDF' fan pages are the new craze in Israel. This also doesn't warm them to a population appalled by what's happening on an open and global forum like the internet. Making light of a grave situation. A race of people are being persecuted for their differences in their own country, while others rejoice. Sound familiar, Israel? Wonder what legal terrorist Benjamin Netenyahu would make of tourists taking 'gas chamber selfies' when they vist Auschwitz or I love Hitler fan pages? No doubt, this and the platforms that host them will be held to account as anti-Semites. One rule for one, a different rule for others.
The Jews have been a persecuted race since Biblical times. We've all watching Charlton Heston's Moses lead the Israelites out of bondage. We've had WWII rammed down our throats from school and movie classics like Sophie's Choice and Schindler's List have bought these horrors to life. The Jews were chased out of Russia and banished from the UK. You'd think out of anyone in the world, they would know what it's like to be oppressed, having felt the heavy hand of tyranny firsthand throughout the whole of history. Yet, they are now being tyrannical in a David and Goliath conflict that leave the world's superpowers helpless due to the Jewish stranglehold on businesses and the economy.
War is no longer fair. It belongs to those with power and money. Warfare is no longer executed with the brilliant strategy like Pearl Habour, no longer fought in a field like Alexander The Great, no longer fought by reaching out to the many like Chairman Mao and no longer about superior military training like Genghis Khan. The aforementioned had very high death tolls (Mao and Khan racked up a body count of circa 80 million), but it was not clandestine. They did not use secret tit-for-tat methods in basements of conglomerate's buildings to line all their ducks in a row.
In Plato's Politics, he talk about how government should be the few serving the many. The 'first world' governments have lost sight of this. Leaders like Tony Blair, a modern day mercenary to glory-hunting Dubya Bush. It was the few serving themselves. The many never come into it. Not even our opinion counted.
The real cost to the many is their home, their family and their life. Especially those with nothing, who fight with everything for equality, freedom and justice. And yet those with everything, take that away with ease.
UKIP and the Eurozone
I'm just going to say it. I'm a euro-sceptic. This doesn't make me racist - my entire family are Greek Cypriot and immigrants. I think this UK's multiculturalism is what puts the great in Great Britain. It means that I'm bought into centralised, imperial non-democratic rule.
The ruler of the EU isn't democratically elected by the citizens of Europe. He/she is nominated and parliament then vote them into office. Then different European countries take turn to lead. In the UK's case, the people in charge of voting these people into power represent the BNP and UKIP. Although I'm inclined to think this is a protest vote and a clever way to derail the EU from within, it probably isn't.
For a world that has been twice embroiled in war to fight against tyranny and national pride, I find it laughable that we're now entrusting everything to unelected powers in Brussels. The organisation that has enslaved the Mediterranean for ever because, let's face it, Germany is still hell-bent on empire. The failed with military action, so a solid economic model has given them the basis to do it with money and power.
Greece will never get out the quagmire of debt its found itself in. And with a complete veto by Angela Merkel to leave the Eurozone, they will never be economically competitive enough to rebuild an ecnonomy. Austrity measure will continue to hit the poor and the hardest and civil unrest will mar everyday life. This was inevitable, how can countries with weak economies like Greece, Spain and Portugal possibly keep up wth interest rates, high currency exchange rates, tax dictated by an economic superpower like Germany.
This makes me very anti-Europe. I will not be ruled by a power I didn't elect. I will never forgive an institution that puts its agenda ahead of the good of the people. And I resent that millions died fighting against imperialism only for us to be living under a similar dictatorship 50 years later.
Scotland
Our cousins across the border hit the polling stations next month to vote for Scottish independence. I've heard pitiful arguments from both sides, mainly on the BBC's Question Time. The lead singer of Deacon Blue was of the opinion that Scotland should be independent. I'm not sure why I should believe a double-denim wisdom who sang about pale girls in blue rooms (a nod to the Scottish flag, perhaps?) but he made no sense.
Scotland seems to think it has an answer to an unfair capitalist system, where the working poor of 7 million people rely on food banks while bankers get millions in bonuses. They're right, there is a gulf of difference between rich and poor. It's the staple to all good Tory manifestos. But this isn't unique to the UK. It's happening all over the world. Isn't that what the riots are about in Brazil and Occupy, they wouldn't be an international movement if the problem was unique to the UK.
Scotland needs to wake up and smell the Iron-Bru. The world's superpowers want the world like this and Scotland sure as hell ain't gonna change it.
Strength of women
The atrocities in Gaza has proved one thing. And one thing only.
It may be the men who have the guns, but it's the women who are the warriors.
Bravery isn't wearing head-to-toe protective gear while sitting in metal tanks and hiding behind AK47s. Bravery isn't shelling towns only to walk away without facing any consequences.
Bravery is living everyday in fear of your children's lives, protecting and shielding them from the bloodshed while protecting your home. Bravery is surviving as utilities are cut off, food becomes scarce, public services close down and disease becomes prevalent. Bravery is reassuring children, helping strangers and protecting the disadvantaged while bombs fall. Bravery is facing gun-wielding enemies. Bravery is burying people daily. Bravery is keeping calm and carrying on as your lives are torn apart by fear and brutality.
The Victoria Cross shouldn't be pinned on soldiers, it should be pinned on the women in war.
First published 04/08/2014
Comments
Post a Comment