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do no harm
Mar. 27th, 2005 07:08 amHumans are wonderful, delightful creatures. We learn and create in so many extraordinary ways.
But we also have a dark side, and this must be forever guarded against.
A warhead is fired which splits into many, many smaller bomblets. Over a wide area, the small bomblets hit the ground and each spring up into the air. At a height of about 5 feet 4 inches (I can't remember if that was the exact height) they each explode out sideways, blanketing the area in high velocity small glass marbles. Why glass marbles? Because they are almost impossible for surgeons to find and remove. Why the particular height? That was calculated to the the average head height of Vietnamese people. Yes, this weapon was used by the world's most technologically powerful country against a country of peasants. The forces of truth, justice, and the American way were unleashed in the most evil capacity imaginable as an unnecessary war which was used as a live laboratory for testing new killing toys on real people. Kissinger and Nixon were not just vainglorious self-seeking liars. They were also war criminals. And all those who helped were either dupes or criminal too.
A tiny country puts up with violent, bloody persecution over a long period, pleading to the world to step in and help. Nothing happens until somebody realises that untold riches lie within the tiny country's borders. Then a large, wealthy neighbor leads the charge and acts sooo magnanimous as the little country's savior. The big, wealthy one then breaks international law to cheat the little one out of most of its riches. The little country is, of course East Timor, and the bigger one, Australia. The riches are offshore oil reserves. The Australian prime minister, John Howard, and a cabinet of crooks and thieves stole from their weaker friends. How treacherous is that? None of us here get off lightly though. All who took part in this reprehensible charade are either criminal or dupes. And if we simply sit quietly and look the other way when we know what happened then we are criminal too.
I say this, not to wallow in our sins. I actually think we are a pretty magnificent species. But we do have some glaring flaws. We need to relinquish such dangerous comforts as believing that we are the goodies and can do no wrong; that we can trust to god; that we are on the side of right. With our increasing capability to do good comes an increasing power to do bad. It doesn't matter who we are. We have to be careful that we don't destroy those around us. We have to be forever on our guard against those who will appeal to our vanity or our fears and exhort us to do great evil. We can't afford it. We are too powerful and the world is too small. When we hit out at perceived enemies they will now often be ourselves or our own children.
But we also have a dark side, and this must be forever guarded against.
A warhead is fired which splits into many, many smaller bomblets. Over a wide area, the small bomblets hit the ground and each spring up into the air. At a height of about 5 feet 4 inches (I can't remember if that was the exact height) they each explode out sideways, blanketing the area in high velocity small glass marbles. Why glass marbles? Because they are almost impossible for surgeons to find and remove. Why the particular height? That was calculated to the the average head height of Vietnamese people. Yes, this weapon was used by the world's most technologically powerful country against a country of peasants. The forces of truth, justice, and the American way were unleashed in the most evil capacity imaginable as an unnecessary war which was used as a live laboratory for testing new killing toys on real people. Kissinger and Nixon were not just vainglorious self-seeking liars. They were also war criminals. And all those who helped were either dupes or criminal too.
A tiny country puts up with violent, bloody persecution over a long period, pleading to the world to step in and help. Nothing happens until somebody realises that untold riches lie within the tiny country's borders. Then a large, wealthy neighbor leads the charge and acts sooo magnanimous as the little country's savior. The big, wealthy one then breaks international law to cheat the little one out of most of its riches. The little country is, of course East Timor, and the bigger one, Australia. The riches are offshore oil reserves. The Australian prime minister, John Howard, and a cabinet of crooks and thieves stole from their weaker friends. How treacherous is that? None of us here get off lightly though. All who took part in this reprehensible charade are either criminal or dupes. And if we simply sit quietly and look the other way when we know what happened then we are criminal too.
I say this, not to wallow in our sins. I actually think we are a pretty magnificent species. But we do have some glaring flaws. We need to relinquish such dangerous comforts as believing that we are the goodies and can do no wrong; that we can trust to god; that we are on the side of right. With our increasing capability to do good comes an increasing power to do bad. It doesn't matter who we are. We have to be careful that we don't destroy those around us. We have to be forever on our guard against those who will appeal to our vanity or our fears and exhort us to do great evil. We can't afford it. We are too powerful and the world is too small. When we hit out at perceived enemies they will now often be ourselves or our own children.