What A Wonderful World
I sometimes wonder what it's like for those born after about 1985, who cannot remember what life was like before the War On Terror (imagine going through high school without being able to call in a fake bomb threat on the morning of an exam!)* Have the grown up knowing enormous fear, or do they not pay attention to world events at all?
North Korea has launched at least seven missiles (so far). The North Koreans haven't said why they've conducted these tests, but I think it's for the same reason that 19 year old guys drive their cars at 150km/h: they have their toys and want to see just what they can do. John Howard has condemned the launches as "provocative". I really don't think Pyongyang's top brass take Howard's advice into consideration before they make a move...so you see Johnny, this is how it feels when people don't listen to you!
~~~~~
Also, anti-war activist Cindy Sheehan, Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon (though apparently not her partner Tim Robbins) and others have started a hunger strike to protest the war in Iraq. All very noble, though the old cynic in me cannot believe it will possibly achieve anything. Actually, it's not as noble as it sounds at first...most of the "big names" are participating in a "rolling" hunger strike, whereby they fast for 24 hours then hand over to a comrade. But even those who are participating fully (including Sheehan) are unlikely to starve to death - the strike is scheduled to end on September 21, international peace day. Now, if they really wanted to do some good, they could help people who may well actually starve to death, but donating the money for the food they won't be eating towards the relief efforts for the 11 million plus people the UN says are in imminent danger of starvation in the Horn Of Africa.
~~~~~
As you will have gathered by now, I have no solutions to any of these or the other problems facing the world. If you do, please leave your ideas in the comments; I'll be sure to include them in my next letter to the editor of my local newspaper.
*I never did this. It is a joke.
I don't have any answers either, but I thought I'd share a rowdy Amen, sista! from an American. Love your blog.
ReplyDeleteThanks! :)
ReplyDeleteYou Tell 'Em! I agree with all of your post, but don't agree with Dubya (he's an ass)
ReplyDeleteOH, BlogMad hit
I grew up during another "war on terror" when bombs were going off left right and centre in Britain during the 70s. It seems that if you ignore "them" for long enough, they go away, or become MPs. Not sure which is worse.
ReplyDeleteit's not a joke, it happened to me! =S
ReplyDeleteNo one has the answers, save God. I was born in '86 so I don't know what you're talking about.
ReplyDeleteJunebugg - Dubya looks even worse from here!
ReplyDeleteJohn Smith - MPs are worse, I think...
Kitekat - When?
Leon - I think if God created people who cause these problems, surely He creates people who could solve them?
It looks like a few of the Hollywood 'Stars' have been on hunger strikes before this even started ((Nicole Ritchie etc)) :P
ReplyDeleteThere is no war on terror, you can't'have a war against an abstract notion like fear. It's a war on liberty, rights and democracy. In the name of "terror" you will be reduced to either with us or against us. And in the name of "anti-terrorism" they will take away everything that is good about our society, every hard won right from the Magna Carta through to the univeral vote. Habeus Corpus, freedom of speech, and the rights of the individual. It took us 2000 years to develop those rights, don't let these jokers take them away in the name of "national security".
ReplyDelete