World War III
Until two weeks ago I had never heard any rhetoric about World War III. Then I read a news article that said Newt Gingrich urged the U.S. to see “the war on terrorism” as World War III and to fight it in the same way we did World War II. In these past two weeks I have heard people use this rhetoric several times in different places. In fact some wondered aloud if we are in WW IV — the 3rd war, I guess, being the Cold War.
One sign of a “fascist state” is a government that calls for perpetual warfare. I wonder if we are already there. Since WWII the U.S. economy has become dependent on supplying the equipment necessary for war, including missiles, bombs, fighter jets, and even nuclear and biological and chemical weapons. We not only produce them for our military, but we are the world’s largest supplier of military arms to other nations.
While the whole world is calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, the U.S. government is speeding up its next order for the bombs and missiles needed by Israel to continue its offensive against Lebanon. Hezbollah, in Lebanon, continues to get its arms from Syria and Iran. The rhetoric of the Bush administration claims that those countries must stop supplying arms to Hezbollah, but is silent on the U.S. supplying arms to Israel.
When will the world learn that no one is safe until all are safe? When will the world learn that violence only begets more violence? When will we learn that peace never comes through war? What “peace” the world knew after WWII came, not because of the war, but because of the economic rebuilding we helped sponsor in the nations the war had destroyed. Another world war will not bring greater peace to our world, but sharing of our financial resources to strengthen the nations we are most concerned about would. When will we learn that what most of us teach our young children is good for nations as well — share what you have, be kind to each other, play nice, help someone in trouble, don’t hit, treat them the way you want to be treated?
