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The Long Road to War, a recent documentary about ww1 opened my eyes regarding geopolitics. The gist is that conflict was bound to happen, the spark that started

by dsego 2y ago

The Long Road to War, a recent documentary about ww1 opened my eyes regarding geopolitics. The gist is that conflict was bound to happen, the spark that started was just the first domino to fall to set everything in motion. The way the leaders and top level brass think is in terms of opportunity. Country x is weaker now, they will be superior in 10-15 years, let's attack now while we have an advantage. Or in the opposite case, lets wait until we build canals, railroads, weapons and so on. The reasons for war can be fabricated with a false flag operation or expedited with provocations. Also in the meantime countries can keep smaller war zones active, this is to ensure the readiness of troops, they can have direct battlefield experience and know-how. We always have to contend with the lowest common denominator. Maybe there is a certain percentage of progressive compassionate people that are interested in everyone's prosperity, but the rest are easily swayed and mobilized, so when the shit hits the fans we are all forced to choose sides and fight to survive. Another issue is that there always comes an easily impressionable generation that hasn't seen war and is eager and ready to go and fight for national ideals and reclaim those mythical glory days.

MrMcCall 2y ago
All of what you say is true, but the overarching fact remains that all those problems are caused by selfish justification of one party's benefit at the expense of others. While a good people must prepare for war when their neighbor demonstrates oppressive intentions, the overall state of the world is one of competition over cooperation, selfishness or selflessness, greedy hoarding over generous sharing, and callous disregard over empathetic compassion. And, yes, the unfortunate fact is that compassionate, awakened-to-a-better-way-is-possible folks are thin on the ground, indeed. As with all things human, we each have the choice to learn how to be better, and the power to do it. It is our human potential, so sadly denied as even possible by the vast majority, to our collective misery.

by dsego 2y ago

MrMcCall 2y ago

All of what you say is true, but the overarching fact remains that all those problems are caused by selfish justification of one party's benefit at the expense of others. While a good people must prepare for war when their neighbor demonstrates oppressive intentions, the overall state of the world is one of competition over cooperation, selfishness or selflessness, greedy hoarding over generous sharing, and callous disregard over empathetic compassion. And, yes, the unfortunate fact is that compassionate, awakened-to-a-better-way-is-possible folks are thin on the ground, indeed. As with all things human, we each have the choice to learn how to be better, and the power to do it. It is our human potential, so sadly denied as even possible by the vast majority, to our collective misery.