The Doomsday Clock was set at 89 seconds before midnight in January 2025. Human civilization is facing great disruptions and great peril. It is decision time for us humans.
You seem to equate violence with the current wars, which is a bit misleading. Violence needs ot be defined and in some cases, some types of actions that some classify as violence can work – such as sabotage against the equipment of those who wish to directly destroy nature.
Human beings will never cooperate to save nature. They are locked in a giant series of repeated prisoner's dilemma/arms race situations that go far beyond the relatively petty nature of war. If there is war, there will be some destruction, but if there is peace, there is still continued crushing of the environment because the establishment classifies as "peaceful" things such as land destruction for developers and the cutting down of rainforests.
Human war is relatively irrelevant when it comes to the destruction of nature. And human beings do cooperate, but only to further the development of technology, which is because human beings in a mass can only operate to further their own short-term self interest.
Even if there were not one more war nor one more killing, the very act of technological development is the true violence, and much more violent that the wars of the Middle East and Russia. The true danger is not the obvious violence of such wars but the normalization of the violence against nature that we have collectively classified as peaceful. Stopping that with force is classified by violence as some but in my opinion, if force is used against the system to stop the destruction of nature, it is not violence at all but the most peaceful act I can imagine.
Spreading a doctrine of pure peace without qualification might sound good on the surface but it also supports the relative moral values of the system to never harm the system and that is a very bad thing.
My focus is on wars and in particular the potential of nuclear wars. If we could, say, rid the Earth of nuclear weapons, it would be helpful. and beneficial. You also do know, I am sure, of the deleterious environnental effects of wars, which destroy Nature; these have been well documented.
As for peace, greater minds than mine have advocated for such an idea. We have not reached that point in our evolution as humans. So, we can't yet fully know the outcome, but I would say that the absence of war would be a good place for us to be.
I understand that, Perry, but your fist two paragraphs paint a very different picture that is certainly not restricted to wars. Of course, I don't like war myself, but neither do I blindly accept that a completely war-free society will be any better when it comes to protecting nature. Of course, people want peace, because that implies greater security and economic prosperity. But certainly, those greater minds as you keep citing them are, for the most part, concerned with again short-term gains in terms of what peace can do for them. Or else, they are just categorical pacifists, which seems to be a convenient mental retreat for intellectuals who can't fathom that the industrial society is itself war on nature.
Perry, I really appreciate the moral truths that you speak to here and am interested in the full length videos that you've included. Thank you for being a moral voice of reason and love.
Priorities. 2000+ years of war and 200 years of peace. Slaps on the face do not turn the cheek. Retaliation is expected. War is glorified. Take land, national pride, exterminate from face of Earth those you use as scapegoats. For what? Some persons to be King of the hill? Children know. They played the games. What goes up, comes down. Graves, dead men tell no lies. AGI is programable. But will follow the same program. Kill or be killed. Eat or be eaten. Microbes and cancer will win out. The latter is not even alive and yet consumes it host, yet does not die. War is similar. As humans a shift in priorities is necessary to survival. Gravestone markers show and tell. So far we just put wreaths on the dead, honor the fallen. Year after year, more accumulate.
"War is glorified." A good part of the reason that young men (chiefly) go off to war. Yes, the wreath laying, flag ceremony and 21-gun salute along with "thank you for your service" (empty words) are all cold comfort for the widows and children. Humans need to put war behind us, and spend our resources on diseases that can harm us, including those unseen viruses.
The War Industry is a $trillion dollar industry, with 'black budgets' and more. One can make a case that almost every war (especially involving Western powers) is carefully engineered over the proceeding years/decades - certainly the case with WW1 & 2 - and prolonged for profit (esp WW1).
The 'Flanders fields' poem should be part of every school curriculum, along with Wilfrid Owen's 'Dulce et Decorum Est'.
I would like to add to your comment of required reading. Every school boy and girl of a certain age ought to have as required reading, All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque.
The sad truth about any arms race is that always the ones at the top remain untouched and the ones at the bottom perish. Thanks for mentioning the recent Israel-Iran war, Perry. As an ordinary person who's lived so far three decades in Iran (I'll be 34 this November, but anyway), i experienced very high levels of fury, anxiety and depression during this 12 days of war that i wish i never have to experience again.
Yes, Negar, I hope you and humanity does not have to experience the horror and foolishness of war. One day, we humans might collectively see and apprehend that there is nothing good in war. Nothing.
You seem to equate violence with the current wars, which is a bit misleading. Violence needs ot be defined and in some cases, some types of actions that some classify as violence can work – such as sabotage against the equipment of those who wish to directly destroy nature.
Human beings will never cooperate to save nature. They are locked in a giant series of repeated prisoner's dilemma/arms race situations that go far beyond the relatively petty nature of war. If there is war, there will be some destruction, but if there is peace, there is still continued crushing of the environment because the establishment classifies as "peaceful" things such as land destruction for developers and the cutting down of rainforests.
Human war is relatively irrelevant when it comes to the destruction of nature. And human beings do cooperate, but only to further the development of technology, which is because human beings in a mass can only operate to further their own short-term self interest.
Even if there were not one more war nor one more killing, the very act of technological development is the true violence, and much more violent that the wars of the Middle East and Russia. The true danger is not the obvious violence of such wars but the normalization of the violence against nature that we have collectively classified as peaceful. Stopping that with force is classified by violence as some but in my opinion, if force is used against the system to stop the destruction of nature, it is not violence at all but the most peaceful act I can imagine.
Spreading a doctrine of pure peace without qualification might sound good on the surface but it also supports the relative moral values of the system to never harm the system and that is a very bad thing.
Jason,
My focus is on wars and in particular the potential of nuclear wars. If we could, say, rid the Earth of nuclear weapons, it would be helpful. and beneficial. You also do know, I am sure, of the deleterious environnental effects of wars, which destroy Nature; these have been well documented.
As for peace, greater minds than mine have advocated for such an idea. We have not reached that point in our evolution as humans. So, we can't yet fully know the outcome, but I would say that the absence of war would be a good place for us to be.
I understand that, Perry, but your fist two paragraphs paint a very different picture that is certainly not restricted to wars. Of course, I don't like war myself, but neither do I blindly accept that a completely war-free society will be any better when it comes to protecting nature. Of course, people want peace, because that implies greater security and economic prosperity. But certainly, those greater minds as you keep citing them are, for the most part, concerned with again short-term gains in terms of what peace can do for them. Or else, they are just categorical pacifists, which seems to be a convenient mental retreat for intellectuals who can't fathom that the industrial society is itself war on nature.
Thanks for this comprehensive and well written post, Perry, that addresses one of the most important issues of our time.
You’re welcome Diana.
Perry, I really appreciate the moral truths that you speak to here and am interested in the full length videos that you've included. Thank you for being a moral voice of reason and love.
I appreciate your comment, Heidi. Thank you, 🐦🦜🕊
Perry,
Thank you for posting the poem, In Flanders Fields.
I will be posting abstract art soon, and it will be included.
Joel
Look forward to seeing it, Joel.
Priorities. 2000+ years of war and 200 years of peace. Slaps on the face do not turn the cheek. Retaliation is expected. War is glorified. Take land, national pride, exterminate from face of Earth those you use as scapegoats. For what? Some persons to be King of the hill? Children know. They played the games. What goes up, comes down. Graves, dead men tell no lies. AGI is programable. But will follow the same program. Kill or be killed. Eat or be eaten. Microbes and cancer will win out. The latter is not even alive and yet consumes it host, yet does not die. War is similar. As humans a shift in priorities is necessary to survival. Gravestone markers show and tell. So far we just put wreaths on the dead, honor the fallen. Year after year, more accumulate.
"War is glorified." A good part of the reason that young men (chiefly) go off to war. Yes, the wreath laying, flag ceremony and 21-gun salute along with "thank you for your service" (empty words) are all cold comfort for the widows and children. Humans need to put war behind us, and spend our resources on diseases that can harm us, including those unseen viruses.
The War Industry is a $trillion dollar industry, with 'black budgets' and more. One can make a case that almost every war (especially involving Western powers) is carefully engineered over the proceeding years/decades - certainly the case with WW1 & 2 - and prolonged for profit (esp WW1).
The 'Flanders fields' poem should be part of every school curriculum, along with Wilfrid Owen's 'Dulce et Decorum Est'.
I would like to add to your comment of required reading. Every school boy and girl of a certain age ought to have as required reading, All Quiet on the Western Front, by Erich Maria Remarque.
I agree with that.
Agree all around, Joshua.
Thank you for restacking, Kim.
The sad truth about any arms race is that always the ones at the top remain untouched and the ones at the bottom perish. Thanks for mentioning the recent Israel-Iran war, Perry. As an ordinary person who's lived so far three decades in Iran (I'll be 34 this November, but anyway), i experienced very high levels of fury, anxiety and depression during this 12 days of war that i wish i never have to experience again.
Yes, Negar, I hope you and humanity does not have to experience the horror and foolishness of war. One day, we humans might collectively see and apprehend that there is nothing good in war. Nothing.
Yes, let's hope that day comes within our lifetimes.