I don’t usually publish the writing of others. The following piece was submitted to me by Robert Billyard, a covid survivor I wrote about Aug. 23, 2020. He’s a longtime friend and an ardent campaigner for causes he deems worthy. It’s a thought provoking article. I’m including it because Robert is a valued friend. A.M.
New Times, New Wars by Robert Billyard
Peace movements must be relevant and specific to our times.
I fail to understand why we are focusing on the world wars of the 20th century when we should be focusing on the imminent dangers of war in the 21st century.
We are presently in the second cold war. A major confrontation looms large between China and the USA. The USA holds the world hostage to its bullying confrontational militarism that is a persistent threat and blocks any hope of world peace and harmony among nations. The US ignores international law and walks away from treaties with reckless abandon. It is willing to wage endless warfare and endless bullying to achieve its stated purpose of global domination.
War in the 21st century has become more complex, more hybrid and more covert – and in too many ways easily hidden from public view, aided and abetted by a mainstream media that is both propagandist and complicit in modern warfare.
We have awarded the war mongers tremendous power and control over our lives, and they have shown tremendous guile and megalomania in maintaining this control. We allow them to kill and connive in a shadow world sequestered from public and media scrutiny.
We must also acknowledge that in modern times the immorality of war has sunken to new lows. Gone are the pious high minded resolutions born of the Nuremberg trials after WW II. Now, there is a wanton disregard for civilian casualties (“collateral damage”). War is more and more by remote control where killing becomes more indiscriminate drone warfare. There is the lingering suspicion that the Coronavirus is actually a biological warfare agent. Now war criminals walk the street and slide into comfortable retirements.
Leadership today is too often based on deceit and duplicity. Where governments have their sovereignty and mandates usurped by vested interests and the veiled power that colonize them. Deceit, duplicity and secrecy become their essential survival skills. Scandals, as exercises in incompetence, reveal for us the real workings of government.
The peace movement is endowed with the most powerful weapon there is – the truth. And it must start using this weapon effectively. It must start going after politicians who monger war and pander to it. It must go after NATO and show it for what it is -a weapons cartel and extortion ring in service to a rogue super power.
The peace movement should be in solidarity with the plight of Julian Assange for his torture and persecution is a travesty of justice and a fundamental attack on the freedom of the press. It is a further indictment of the media and journalism just how little support he has received from colleagues so willing to remain silent in this blatant attempt to silence the truth.
As the world becomes more integrated, change, trends and tyrannies jump national borders with the greatest of ease. A tyranny very obvious to the so called west is what can be termed elite betrayal. Governments in the west become more self-serving, secretive and duplicitous. True democracy becomes a luxury no longer affordable and in too many ways government’s true loyalty is to the corporate and economic elites that control them. Governments have become contemptuous of the populations they are elected to serve.
Their service to war and militarism is unconditional. We fight the empire’s wars, buy unneeded and over priced weaponry and support the endless profiteering of corporate parasitism.
When was the last time you heard a politician make a convincing pitch for peace in our times? They are all on the bandwagon of war, war and more war as they serve their warmongering masters.
The peace movement must get with the times, start naming names, being specific, relevant, forceful, and most importantly speak the truth and insist on it. In other words, the present status quo must be challenged in convincing terms.