I have been thinking about this problem ever since John Edwards said he rejected the all-consuming Bush War on Terror. I thought I might go one better considering Mr. Edwards lack of clarity.
I remember a great quote by William James.
The martial arts is the moral equilvalent of war.
Mr. James is talking about a warrior's discipline that makes war less likely. No one hates war more than the men who must fight it. The problem is the more we distance ourselves for the outcome of war, the more indifferent we become to the suffering of war. The closer we are the more we feel our humanity slips away into madness.
Totalistic warfare is by no means moral but humanity needs the discipline handle conflicts with the least violence possible. The greatest warrior is the man who can settle his differences without fighting. And so it is with great nations. When conflicts arise nations should settle matters with least amount energy, time and blood necessary. In Iraq and the War on Terror, we have tossed gasoline on the fire and create an atmosphere of systemic violence and injustice.
Both America’s democracy and Islam’s faith must find a moral path to better outcome. Neither can survive bathed in blood.
The hardest thing in life is knowning the difference between right and wrong but once you know what the thing right is it hard not to do the right thing- T Roosevelt
What people love and fear are tells a lot about who they what they are. Shed your fear, you will not fear the loss of face, power or influence. You will be an ultimate warrior capable of the most moral of acts.
No candidate has shown me they are without fear of doing the right thing or deal with America's No Win Situation in Iraq.
This political race is moral act of war for me because I have say in how MY COUNTRY FIGHTS IT WARS!!! Because I love my country and fear the direction America has choosen. I am no general but I am also no martial fool either.
Lives change when you see violence at point blank range. I know that more than most people should.