So, it is Syria now, is it? We haven’t made any headway in our other wars, the wars on drugs, on obesity, on women, on Wall Street, on the Big Gulp? We have to focus our warring on yet another regime and all its regimey type behavior? Regime just sounds ominous, doesn’t it? We’d never expect to hear of an organization called the Peace Regime. No, regime is reserved for manipulation, domination, and flatulence. Yes, The Farting Control Freak Regime, that sounds about right. Generations from now will remember the Bloated Badass Brigade that ended the pissing contest between two regimes on some hill or in some valley. A monument will be erected and mothers will tell their children of the day the battle between the penises ended with one loud, gassy blast.
What if, just for one minute, leaders (I use that term loosely) leaders everywhere stopped to consider what all of this posturing does to people? People, who for no other reason than they are geographically disadvantaged enough to be in the line of fire, would otherwise be peaceful. AND what if all of the good intentioned people of the world who are overwhelmed by the circumstances of their lives, by being unemployed, drowning in debt, outraged over the corruption they see and feel powerless against the violence that is erupting all around them, what if they focused on a single goal? But what goal? Ending poverty? Ending addiction? Ending loneliness? Ending isolation? Ending violence? Ending Greed?
The list of things that need ending is endless.
What if instead of becoming overwhelmed with good intentions to end something the good intentioned people of the world actually start something? Start practicing non-aggression with themselves, start talking to their neighbors, start working together for safer schools, safer streets, start an effort to make a difference in the life of a child, a senior, a stranger? Imagine the effect of a Peace Regime. Violence Ended, film at eleven.
You bring the popcorn; I’ll bring the Big Gulp. YES!
Honie Briggs 
I am weary of the posturing. I am weary of war. I am weary of the war machine and the economy of war. I saw Willam Ury’s TED talk previously, I wish our psuedo learders would pay more attention to our thinkers and less attention to chest beating, posturing and blovalating.
It makes a body weary, doesn’t it?
Some great ideas in that Ted Talk but but it just seems like such a long distance between taking those small steps and dropping chemical weapons on your own people in Syria.
Asking the right questions may bring us closer to an answer of how such atrocities can be allowed to occur in the first place. Are there no people standing around when these decisions are made who say, “Hey something is terribly wrong. Why are we allowing this to happen?
It may be improperly attributed, as many famous quotes seem to be, but I think Einstein is quoted as saying, “If at first the idea is not absurd, then there is no hope for it.”
It may sound absurd to think that something as simple as taking a walk or even asking a question could prevent war, but isn’t it worth a shot?
I like that quote.
I do NOT want to get involved in another war. They’re never the answer (or haven’t been since Rosie the Riveter was all the rage, anyway). I agree with you: let’s END wars and START focusing on human kindness and good deeds.
I know you are speaking in earnest, Mr. Petruska. The economy of war is serious business. Too bad not even a going out of business sale would do us any good.
I honestly don’t know how I feel about Syria. I think the use of chemical weapons is terrible. But is it something we should be involved in? Again? Remember what happened in Iraq? I just don’t know. Will firing missiles at these people help anything? I think not. There has to be a better way.
You are right, there has to be a better way. If you have time to watch William Ury’s TED talk at the end this post, I think it shows us a step in the right direction.