War Talks

In surfing my regular blogs this morning I found a number that touched on the topic of war (and peace) that stimulated my thinking.

Rachel painstakingly collated all the different Peace demonstrations around the world over the weekend. I was astonished by the mass of people that got out there on the streets to make their point! Wow. It gave me some hope.

Signposts headed me in the direction of this article in the Age which reports our Prime Ministers response to the hundreds of thousands that hit the streets in our country. He doesn't believe that such demonstrations give an indication of what public opinion is.

He says, "What I'm doing here is what I think is right for Australia." This may be the case - but what is you are wrong Mr Howard? What if the 200,000 people that showed up in Melbourne last Friday night (despite it being Valentines Day) are more in touch with what is right or wrong?

Martin Roth who supports American action to remove Saddam writes about what he calls "a kind of American triumphalism, a sense that America is arrogantly asserting its right to do what it pleases, anywhere in the world."

Later he writes, "But some of President Bush’s statements – like his claim that America is “the greatest nation, the most decent nation, the most compassionate nation on the face of this earth” - display a hardness, an unloving quality, even when, as happens, God’s name is being invoked. It all sounds too – how can I put this? – too Old Testament."

And then further on, "But the message of Jesus involves much more. Humility, for example. And repentance. My friends, not to mention myself and – I suspect – many, many others around the world would be encouraged were we to see America humbly repent: for its past arming of Saddam Hussein; for its profligate use of oil; for paying billions of dollars to Israel as that country expanded its settlements; for unyielding support of despots in the Middle East and elsewhere."

Whilst Martin comes to a different end point to me (a blessing for George Bush and his troops as they enter into this war) I find his comments insightful.