The Inviolable War and it's Sacrilegious Foes

I found this rather “foggy” but approachable piece, titled “Anti-war Groups Launch ‘March of the Dead’ Protests," in a news blog by Mr. Donald Douglas. It was posted in American Power, a neo-conservative news and blog site, on October 5th of this year. Mr. Douglas utilizes his big boy words like “anarcho-communist” and “socialism” to degrade the anti-war protesters that marched on “the White House” on the “8th anniversary of the invasion of Afghanistan.” Rather they marched on it or in front of it has yet to be properly recorded by the neo-conservatives of today’s sophisticated society. I apologize, allow me to re-direct you back to the purpose of this sumptuous blog; In short, a bunch of people from several peace organizations protested against Guantanamo, Bagram, and the “war” in Afghanistan on Monday, the 5th of October. Sixty-one of them were arrested because they protested for the prisoners of this war to be released and for the war to stop. I personally think that there are more constructive routes to pursue other than protesting. Contrarily, I applaud people who attempt something to influence our society in the attempted direction of peace. In America, (and as a living being, if you ask me) it is our inexorable right to speak up about what we believe in.
It was only a few short weeks ago that thousands of conservatives gathered together to protest the bill (still in a neonate stage) for healthcare reformation. Some of the protesters who attended bore signs of hatred and racism which apparently were acceptable to the others present at the rally. I wonder; how long into the day did these angry protesters exercise their right to appear racist and unreasonable until a fellow conservative turned to them to say “dude, the swastika…so not cool.” Does anyone know how many of the people at this, mostly, conservative rally were arrested? I ask with sincerity as I have found only conflicting information.
Mr. Douglas describes the protest in extended detail when he refers to the people as “modern day Leninists” and “neo-communists.” I suppose some of them might be offended by these comments; however, others might be flattered by the suggestion of such a label. Our system is so old and fractured that many of us get little, if anything, from it. What is wrong with pondering other options? Why are we so quick to assume that those who seek a change in the system do not love their country? What if they love it more than those who are unwilling to budge? I have heard from a couple people from socialist countries who declare socialism is working out rather well and that the system here, in their opinion, is way behind. I cannot speak further about socialism as I lack the credentials, but I do feel that the poor in America are just getting poorer and most of the rich…well, you know the saying…are becoming greedier and less compassionate.
My partner is a sustainable designer who is currently working on a house for two people. The house is 3,500 square feet, including two toilets and two showers in their main bathroom, as well as a bathroom specifically for washing the dogs. It has very little ability to actually become a “green” house with all the material and space being used. My partner is in pain every time she looks at the blueprints, and considers in those moments changing her career once she can afford to do so. While Mr. X and Mrs. X. are pre-occupied with creating their ostentatious dream house, people from Katrina are homeless and running out of support from the government and the general population of society. Poor women, without a family and with no ability to support a child seeded by a rapist, are watching their rights being tossed around by society’s elite. To choose a healthy future for themselves (body, mind and emotions) is not really their choice anymore. And this dude wants to bash some people who just want some !@#%*$! peace! Our focus should be directed towards building a safer, more peaceful and inclusive way to live. Instead, we put our money and our rage towards physically and verbally violent outbursts (often against our own neighbors) which only perpetuates this very power-hungry, non-sustainable way of existing.
On that note, I will give Douglas’s pontificating paragraphs a tid-bit of credit. It is, in my opinion, not the most productive way to exercise one’s rights by dressing up and displaying strongly opinionated signs and performances. A person is bound to cross another’s political “line” using this method of expression. Although, I cannot dismiss the idea that “following orders” might not be a valid “excuse” for the Nazi’s who were present at Nuremburg. I do not have enough background information to extend anymore knowledge on this subject to my readers. But, you know what they say when you are in a war; “It’s either kill or be killed,” either by the enemy or by your own higher-ranking officers. That’s why I feel that people should try to avoid joining a military force in the first place, if they can. Too much energy and resource is spent in the endeavor of war. We need to balance it out with some amount of peace.
I found Mr. Douglas’s commentary to be whimsically hypocritical and very narrow-minded. His writing style and views are clearly intended for the right-leaning extremists of society. Again, another politically opinionated individual functioning from fear and driven by the anger germinated within that fear. I could find little credibility on this man, except that it is his blog and someone has created an opposing blog called American Nihilist in retaliation of Douglas’s blog. I found this commentary equally entertaining with quite a bit of dirty language in here, too, just of a different sort. In some ways this blog is less dirty than Mr. D’s, but you need to dig deep (and I mean DEEP) into the “pool of moral scruples” within yourself to get past the obscenity of it. That previous suggestion should be a dare.
Back to Mr. Douglas; his foundation of fact is as hollow and non-compelling as his labeling skills. He seems to box anyone who desires peace as a socialist, communist, neo-communist or anarchist. As a side note, I felt the blight of his spelling and grammar errors to be “giggle” worthy. Of course, the most laughable part of the piece is the very last sentence when he states that he’ll “take these nihilists more seriously when they start burning Obama in effigy.” I took it upon myself to look up the definition of an effigy;
“effigy: n., pl. –gies.- a statue or other image; often a crude representation (for hanging or burning) of a despised person” (Webster’s New World Dictionary, 1995 p139).
Hmmmm, I sense some violent extremism here. But, please, breathe in my opinion with skepticism. After all, I am gay and some would say that my “un-natural, peace-loving” self is in league with “the Anti-Christ.” Oh, and I don’t shave either. Does this make me a smelly, pot-smoking slacker? I will let you decide and then the rest of the country can vote on it on my–unequal–behalf.