Which in my view is a good thing. Imagine a world where everyone thought the same and there was never any difference of opinion. Progress would cease and a state of general inertia would exist.
It is my view that common ground can be found in ideas from disparate people even if not all of the ideas are acceptable. I have recently seen this post http://jasonalanwriter.wordpress.com/2012/07/27/i-have-the-solution/ whilst I cannot accept of endorse gangs of state sponsored assasins, which is where this post starts, it does seem to me that to reduce Military spending and use the savings for job creation and social spending would be wonderful. Perhaps the ‘Defence’ spending should be just that. Remove the offensive portion of spending and just have defensive capability.
This will never work because Posh Dave and his mates will lose money and sleep worrying about the ‘reds under the beds’ or whatever group they choose to be afraid of today. I have found comfort and solace even among ‘enemies’ or former foes. In the UK the Sun berates the Germans appearing to believe that the Germans are still, along with Russia and homosexuals, the enemy incapable of good and are in every regard, evil. Back in the ’70’s I lived in Germany, travelling over a large area of that great country courtesy of HM armed forces. My experiences were universally positive. My observation, for what it’s worth is that the ‘Hun’ is so similar to your average Brit that the only difference is the way we speak.
It’s the same with the Irish, I served there, it was unpleasant. The people were, in large part, no different to you dear reader, or I. Fear, certainly, was prevalent. I did however speak to both Catholic and Protestant. Each would have chartachters who wanted to kill me, but equally and more importantly, each community had good people trying to live life respectably, educate their children and to stop the bloody violence.
No nation on earth is ‘bad’, just as no nation is ‘good’. Nations are made up of individuals. Individuals have free will. I do not believe that any government should try to impose its will on any other government / people. Indeed, looking at the shambles in the UK I don’t think governments are qualified to tell their own people what to do. As for sending squads of hooded men, highly trained, into different nations to kill leaders with whom the base country disagrees sounds a bit like 1984. Friends and enemies changing with each election and history being rewritten.
I do not agree with Mugabe, the man appears, from our news, to be evil. But there is the problem. How independent and neutral is the media? Probably not at all. Murdoch’s empire certainly isn’t
There is a series of video from a group called The Urban Farming Guys, social change in action well worth a look and giving support. Think local impact .. flobal to mis quote the green movement.
http://www.youtube.com/user/theurbanfarmingguys?feature=results_main
Enough of the rant already, it’s too hot.