Friday, May 01, 2015

I want a cult of life

I think the over 400 assassinations carried out by the CIA during Obama's Presidency is unaccountable, irresponsible, and dangerous to our country.  What have we gained from this?  How does assassinating tribal leaders, who are undoubtedly despicable, help keep us safe at home?  I am not heartless, and I would disarm these crude, hateful people in a heartbeat.  Let's invent a giant magnet that will carry all the stupid lethal weapons out of the middle east, Pakistan, Afghanistan and North Korea.  Then the people will have a chance.

Hillary Clinton argued to arm the Syrian rebels.  She voted for the Iraq war.  She seems reticent to start a war with Iran, but I've seen her turn her back on war protestors.  She's a hawk.

Bernie Sanders is running now, he's a force of truth and after hearing him speak today I have confidence that he would be an excellent Commander in Chief.  I would like to hear how he would deal with ISIL.  

One thing I know we should do about ISIL, is to make kids realize life in the Western world is actually better than in a freaking violent theocracy.  

We need to excite teenagers about the possibility of a future that they will fit into; whether it's work, or creativity, or sports, or growing a family.  We need to understand the challenges youth face and participate in our communities to help them learn the value of work and community.

Fantasies about ISIL can become exciting to lonely young people because they think ISIL has a black and white plan, and system of rules that suggests there is a place for everyone: fighter and wife. Nevermind constant death and widowhood, too, because ISIL sells death as a "win," too.  They promote the fantasy of eternal life as a replacement for civilization on earth, which makes it a cult of death.

We need to create a cult of life, hope and attainable dreams.

Instead, Shields and Brooks and the PBS News Hour below suggest that ISIL is successfully using our faceless, unaccountable war drones as a recruiting tool.  Stop weaponized drones, ban them, worldwide. Stop assassinations.  Start using Court Rooms to create a system of justice again.







1 comment:

Commander Zaius said...

We need to create a cult of life, hope and attainable dreams.

Oh I agree completely! But the problem as to how accomplish that goal is complex. First, is that the Elites don't want any problem solved. They sit high atop their amassed wealth and are more than willing to oppose anything that might challenge their authority. You may have seen it already but I recommend the documentary "Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream."

Secondly, and this is even worse, there is no desire among the masses to crawl and fight their way out of the hole we have dug for ourselves. Yes, exceptions exist but they are few and the blaring noise of an Orwell-like culture designed to distract and divide is too loud.

Change will come, but the circumstances will probably be so severe that many innocent people will suffer. I'm thinking disastrous climate change that essentially ends our consumerist way of life.