Why are some topics never protested, muchless discussed? Would it not make sense to unite and try to stop oppressive governments, sectarian violence, ethnic cleansing, displacement, and genocide? What seems to happen is these problems are overlooked until the problem becomes so big that military action is used to try to control the violence. Let me provide an example of Afghanistan. People protest military action in Afghanistan. Since the 2001 invasion, the coalition has contructed schools and created a government with an education system that has increased the number of children able to attend school (including girls who were banned from education under the Taliban) five fold. This is quite an accomplishment. Now, in the past year and a half, the Taliban have burned down 183 schools. They have murdered 61 teachers and students. This happened in the past 18 months. The violence brought by insurgents has caused the closing of nearly 400 schools. This same thing is happening in Iraq, but on a much larger scale. It is not only schools that are being attacked, but hospitals as well. Doctors and nurses are targeted. People protest the action that is trying to stop the violence, they are protesting the people that are trying to stop the violence. Does this make sense? Would it not make sense to protest the violence that is causing the violence? Protest the source of the problem? It is admirable that people are willing to spend their own time and energy to try and make a change for the better. Could this energy be better utilized if spent in a different manner? If half the energy that was spent protesting military action in Afghanistan was spent on collecting food, clothing, and toys for children in Afghanistan, perhaps the strength of the will of the people would sqaush the insurgency, and in itself, stop the military action.
Amerika is a conformist, competitive, consumer driven society breeding breeders. By trying to stop it we perpetuate it...we feed the military and NOT the children! The ultimate protest is to be who we are...Be Here Now! ...and if we can glimpse the underlying wholeness of nature and feel the harmonic resonance in our collective heart beat then we know revelation...the nature in human nature is Mother Nature and the mother of nature is the garden. We are all children of this earth and NOW is the time to celebrate this wondrous earth…together!
Ya'll two both make real good points, but I guess the best reason to protest is because those in power have never gived a flip about humanitarian concerns. If any good comes out of Iraq or Afghanistan it is purely coincidental, the only reason for our military actions is power. Granted we do spend alot on things like schools, water, and rebuilding what we destroy but this is all just for show. No President has ever cared about the people in a nation we invade, just about whatever objective the wars accomplish. A good example, this Iraq war will cost around 500 billion, there are 26 million Iraqis, that means roughly 19,000$ for every Iraqi citizen. I have a hunch the violence there would not be so bad if we paid every Iraqi that and told them to kick Saddam out of power. Wow I really wandered off topic, any way the point is don't trust the government.
I thought we had ousted the Taliban. What mistakes were made that have allowed them to regain power over the region? We turned our backs on the battle in Afghanistan, to fight the war in Iraq. Now we have escalating unrest in both countries. Sounds like bad planning to me. Turn's idea was a good one, and I thought that's what we were going to promote after the first gulf war, but instead we were content to confine Iraq and impose sanctions. We didn't build any confidence in the Iraqi people. We allowed their weakest to be hit the hardest by the sanctions. In Afghanistan this is how things have been going. I recommend you read the entire article: And I have a personal interest in Afghanistan. I have two young cousins deployed there right now. But I can't support how it's being managed. And if this administration cares so little that it is allowing it to sink into chaos again, then I can not support the US effort there.
