Not For the Reasons You Think

When people talk about war, they usually only speak of the horror of war. While the horror should always remind us, the startings of war and the reasons for joining should interest us more. Why? So that we may avoid it, or at least realize when prevention has failed and when war has prevailed.

Someone once said war was pointless. That would be a false, war is not pointless. Horrible, terrible, horrific, and such other adjectives could be used, but not pointless. There is always a reason for war, whether it be greed, hatred, difference of beliefs, whatever it be, war is not pointless. There is always a reason.

With war, it is not born in times of war, but rather in times of peace. Meaning that, where peace failed, war tried to fix. For those who talk about hating war, they only try to stop wars when they happen instead of trying to stop the fruits of war from being seeded.

One doesn’t hate wars, and you shouldn’t hate war either. Rather one hates what happens in war. The difference? If you hate war, what happens when you war on behalf of those who cannot defend themselves? Or, what if you war because someone else has imposed it on you?

Hating and despising war is pointless. As war comes not necessarily on what we do, but sometimes on the actions of others. Yes, we can stop war when it comes at our door, but that is a different word: Massacre.

War happens when two sides fight each other. Yes, people die. Massacre on the other hand, happens when one side fights and the other side is just killed. With war, there is a chance of people living compared to a massacre. However, if you choose massacre, you avoid war.

Admittedly, war is avoidable in every situation, but at what cost? War, is a problem. However, war is better than giving into enslavement. Take for instance, the weak prime minster of Britain before World War II. He gave into what Hitler wanted, destroyed a country, and in the end, still got into a war.

People regard war as evil. However, you could let a whole country be butchered and do nothing. Is that evil? Depends, you would avoid war, right?

Despite all this talk of war, make no mistake war is horrible. You could be in it and kill a country’s best Father of the year and it could be perfectly right and wrong. Right because that death could help stop an evil nation. Wrong, because you just killed a country's best Father of the year.

War is never delightful, but there are worse things than fighting. Sometimes, fighting is the only thing you can do, and sometimes the only thing you should do, when it comes is to stand against evil.

So is there a point to war, not always, but sometimes there is beyond greed and evilness. There are a lot to wars. Sometimes it is better to remember not the horror, but instead how they started and how we joined them. For if we remember how we started a war, maybe our children can prevent a war where we only tried to stop it.

A False Science

Science has been wrong before and it will be wrong again. Science is based on its mistakes. In a way that is perfectly fine, and healthy, learning from one’s mistakes helps you not repeat them. However, if science is about making mistakes, why do people have such religious faith in a system that is wrong on a regular bases?

Science is probably the greatest boon to humanity. It’s given humanity a chance to better it’s self. Socially, technologically, medically, and historically. Despite that, it still has it’s limitations.

Such limitations could look like how scientist can’t even seem to decide even after decades, if the protein in eggs is good or if the fat is bad.

It’s interesting that although science is about studying and observing things, people have made a religion about it. In the attempt to prove that they are different from religion or smarter than others they have inadvertently become what they feared. They have traded one religion for another.

The only difference is that their priest wear white lab coats and their god is one of knowledge. While sounding dramatic, it can only be described as that. Even though science has been proven time and time again to go around fumbling, people still believe it. When a scientist say on the news this is “safe”, people believe and follow it blindly. Not because of knowledge, but rather of belief or faith.

This belief without testing is dangerous, especially so as in the past like any other religion, so to speak, science has a cruel past, and often in the name of science atrocities have been committed. Furthermore, another problem with science is that it doesn't seem to realize that the old methods, although not fully explainable because scientist are playing catch up, work just fine.

With these ideals, besides being very unsound, are making science lose one of it's greatest qualities: the ability to realize it’s mistakes, and change from it’s ways.

Often it is all to easy to change what science held dear in testing into a mere religion that dresses their priest in white jackets and textbooks for their holy script. A few studies or journal articles do not mean absolute truth. It is to easy to find facts or studies that may correspond with what you want to prove. Science can always prove what you want it to prove. With science it can never have all the answers to the universe. With science, their can be major mistakes, as observation doesn’t always lead to success.

Science will never provide the answers. The best it can do, ever is show the most likely, reasonable, explanation. Scientist, have been fooled many times, by man and nature alike. While in general they create new ways to make sure, that they are right, there is always a chance something may be wrong. Many times they say the words, “most likely” “studies have shown” or “leaning towards”. Science is great, but it has very big limitations, and we live in a very big world. Does that mean science is wrong? No, but it’s not always going to get it right.

So if you follow the “great god of science” don’t blindly believe in it, be a true scientist and observe, look and see. Test everything and don’t just trust those who claim to be something, less you follow a false science.

For What It’s Worth, I’m Innocent

There is nothing more horrific than being held guilty when you are innocent. A judge once said he would rather a hundred guilty men walk than one innocent man be executed for a crime that he did not commit. History speaks a lot about the innocent being held guilty. While some crimes don’t seem so dreadful to be held guilty, there are others so terrible to be ever thought guilty of.

Napoleon Bonaparte is known for many things: A conqueror, historical figure, a lover, a military genius, a character in ABBA’s famous Waterloo, and so on. However, what is not as well known is his laws. These laws were called the Napoleonic Code, a brilliant set of laws that is the foundation of many European and other countries rules. One of the most important laws in his code would be how he changed the concept of guilty until proven innocent. Instead, turning it to the now well used innocent until proven guilty.

This thinking changed the whole way the law treated people who they believed to be a suspect of a crime. This ideal is so fundamental and important, that we can believe that when people have a shadow of a doubt that we may be guilty, the law will not believe so. It means that we can truly believe in justice in court.

The sad part about this though, while society still honors Napoleon’s memory or his excellent idea, we don’t at the same time. We don’t, because of what people believe. This is mainly due to the media's fault. Nevertheless, while it is the media's fault, it is our choice to believe in them, and not anybody else's decision.

When someone is charged or investigated, often we believe them guilty. The saddest thing is that even if people are proven later innocent, people still have the lingering belief that they might have been guilty. Worst still, people sometimes never hear that they were proven innocent.

The fact is, even though a court held them innocent, society still find them guilty. Ultimately meaning, they might as well be guilty because the way society is going to treat them for the rest of their lives.

This is really troubling, especially if people are innocent, but especially more so if you were accused of murdering someone. However, it could be wore still. For example, if you were accused of molesting a child; people would jump on you. Furthermore, since people hate pedophiles, and rightly so, instantly one might be branded for life, even if they were innocent.

Take for instance, the singer Cliff Richard. He was accused of molesting a boy or boys. He was innocent. However, his name was dragged through the dirt. He was innocent, scarred by the ordeal and some might still believe he is guilty, even though he was just being investigated.

It’s not that the law should not hunt those they believe to be guilty, but it should taken into account that people react to accusations as good as guilt. The law shouldn’t stop, but either it has to find a better way to check things or society changes.

The problem is that both these are just about impossible to change. Or if not, they both take time. Nevertheless, it’s time that we realize, innocent until proven guilty. No matter what things looks like it is never guilty until proven innocent. Otherwise, we might as well be judge jury and executioner, because our thoughts, and our voice, can condemn just as easily as those who do actual law. It is time that we realize mob justice is not justice at all.

Crabby Ideals

The way to turn our economy around is not by making rich people poorer, it's by making poor people richer. ~ Marco Rubio

If you have children you wish them to be rich, happy, and successful. If you don’t have kids, you hope that you will be rich, successful, and happy. If you have both, you wish both those things. In fact, this ideal is called the American Dream. However, when people attain that goal, those who have that same wish, start muttering privileged and upper class.

It’s easy and understandable to be envious of those who have things that we don’t have. However, it’s not appropriate or in any way to wish them evil because we do not have what they have.

It just seems ridiculous how we all wish to be rich in life, but in the mean time we hate those that have reached that plain. It feels like we should be cheering those who have good fortune, because one day we’ll all be cheering that we all have a better life.

Sure, it makes sense if those who have reached the top treat others like dogs. However, not everyone is like that. Just because someone’s ancestor worked real hard does not make them snobs or people who look down on others.

The only reason when we can complain is when rich people have come by that way through illegal activities, and even then it would be up to the authorities, or to you until you have told them.

There’s too much of this whole crab mentality. People are still people rich or poor. Furthermore, people seem to expect the rich to act in a certain way and give their money away to charity. An expectation that is not put on the poor. 

If you have a million dollar you don't have to give it away, just as, if you have five dollars you don't have to give it away. It's your money. Yes, giving away money it’s something nice to do, but being rich doesn’t mean you have to give it away. Rather helping our fellow beings is something that the poor and the rich should do, and not exclusively to the rich because of what they earn.

 

Whether poor or rich, what does it matter? Being poor is not a pleasant experience, being rich is much, much superior. When we are all rich that’ll be a great day, but in the mean time we shouldn’t criticize those who are rich. Otherwise, we will only be criticizing ourselves because we hope to be rich and successful one day.

One For Many

There is an old dilemma that pervades the writing culture of modern societies' books. The ideal is that it’s wrong to stop the bad guy, even unto death. The belief that it is better for the bad guy to stop, end innocents instead of stopping the villain.

Although books are just books, there is a saying that what we read is what we become. The point of the saying is not that we necessarily become what we read, but we will inadvertently take on some of the qualities of the books we read. It’s point of views will and can change us.

While seemingly harmless, if we believe that letting innocents die is okay when we could do something; one shakes their head. The sad fact is that people might not be able to see this. In fact, people might justify their actions, and saying killing is wrong. But the irony is, by choosing to do nothing, they helped kill someone. Making them more of accomplices to the crime, because by doing nothing, someone died. Choosing one over the many, so that one could kill the many.

For example the murder of Kitty Genovese which some claim as myth. However, for the point of example, it shows perfectly the by stander affect. With Kitty Genovese, one man murdered her. However, the rest of the street helped. They did nothing. She banged from door to door, pleading for help. All to no avail. People let her die.

Fact is, by doing nothing they let her be murdered. By refusing to take action they took action. Action that helped her murderer end her.

In the same manner, by fictional characters refusing to stop the bad guy to save innocents they are helping kill innocents. By not ending someone who wishes to end others they are responsible for their deaths. Knowing that someone will escape to hurt others and not choosing to stop them when they know that nothing will hold this villain they are choosing to kill. They are choosing to kill not the one person responsible for everything, but those who are innocent.

While one may have been talking about a fictional problem and fictional ideal, this ideas bleed into people’s head. Yes they are fiction, and prisons in general keep dangerous people and moral dilemmas are never really a dilemma but just closed mind thinking. However, it’s important to note that villains need to be stopped whether it be through death or change.

Life is precious, so much so that others must change or be gone if they are to affect many others. It’s not so much so that killing is the way, but rather that, stopping the bad guy is important. Furthermore, there are many ways to stop a bad guy, killing is just the laziest. Nevertheless, whatever happens, taking action is important, and even if it seems that we don’t choose, by choosing to do nothing we are choosing in fact.

Of All These Liars, You Might Just Be The Greatest

Feelings, they might just be the greatest liars of all time. To be honest, they flat out lie in some situations. Have you heard of rose tinted glasses? Lying, feelings are liars. To see reality through feelings, is to see a lie.

You can’t trust  feelings, and when one says that, it doesn't count gut feelings or other such feelings of intuition. However, they can be wrong to. Nevertheless, one digresses, with feelings of happiness, sadness, doubt, and all those other such things they can be out right wrong.

 

When feelings come around, they don’t necessarily tell a true story, they distort your view of life. Have you ever done a test and you felt that you had failed when actually you passed with flying colors? The truth is, feelings, don’t tell the truth. They tell you accurately how you feel, but not how others feel or interpenetrate reality correctly.

 

While that might see obvious, in essence, things could be going marvelously in your life, but if your feeling are telling you everything is rubbish you will only see rubbish. You could be literally be surrounded by excellent people and amazing situations, but if you're feeling like garbage, that's how you will see things.

Feelings are wonderful and they should never really be stifled, but they have a place. A place that is not in your eye sockets. Feelings are wonderful, but you must not fully trust them if you are to look for your best interest.

To best describe emotions would be to compare them to a child. You wouldn’t ask a child to drive you anywhere. Nor would you trust a child’s opinion on everything. There is nothing wrong with the child, but the thing is, the child is just a child. So in the same manner, feelings are feelings, they have their limitations besides being wonderful.

The sad part is that people trust their feelings so much, to such extent that they let their feelings guide their lifestyles, their choices, and their relationships. Feelings were never intended to be that. Feelings were meant to spice things, not run over everything.

It's understandable why we have emotions. However, we need to at certain times pull back from our emotions, and logically look at situations. By this way, we will be able to see beyond our emotions that often cloud our judgement. Enabling us to avoid reacting in ways that will make us regret because we were not able to see things clearly.

Emotions are what they are and not what they are. In situations, we need to pull back from what we are feeling. Just because we feel like something all the time does not mean that it is for us. If someone has depression and they think that is life, they would be wrong. Feelings don’t paint reality, and feelings are just feelings and not something that we are to be, but something we just feel. 

An Optimal View of Optimism

Something that can be quite hard to get around is the optimistic view on life. The idea of hoping that things will, cross fingers, turn out just fine. However, while it might not seem to be a realistic or smart outlook. There is good common sense behind it.

Optimism, its the ability to look at a situation, and believe that things can work out right. While that might sound daft, if you get true optimism, averse to mere hoping, that something will happen. You realize, optimism is more than a mere matter of structuring of your thoughts, but your whole body. It affects, not just your mindset, but by creating a reality so to speak where there wasn’t one before.

When you are optimistic, you are looking for the good. This ability when used actively changes the reality of the situation, by looking for any chance to escape to a better reality. It’s a bit like Macgyver (For those too young, he was blonde hair Houdini) if he just chose to sit around, firstly, no one would want to watch him, and secondly he wouldn’t be able to escape. By thinking actively and taking on the view that he can get out, he is able to change the reality that he is locked up or trapped

It’s not that optimism, is saying pretty please to fate, and hoping for the best, but it’s actually when you put yourself out there, you release an “energy” so to speak that enables you to get out of your predicament.

While that might sound all fairy airy, it can be best explained by this. When you feel down or don’t think things are working right, you usually look down, or rub your face. However, when you're optimistic, your staying positive, you have hope, your looking upwards. Constantly looking for any small chance or opportunity that can be exploited. 

This means that you’re able to spot an opportunity because your not looking down but instead actively looking around for a chance. By doing this, you're having feelings that you project to others and your body language, so that you are able to snap up opportunity. 

Optimism, will only be able to fully function if you fully throw yourself into your problem. When you're double minded, your energies will be divided between trying to be optimistic and preparing for plan B. You can believe in optimism or understand it, but either way, it can only be best used when you're actively using it. Optimism has a lot to do with the mind, and as the old saying goes, if you put your mind to it, you can do anything. So in the same manner, you can, if you stay optimistic.

What Works

Comparing people is stupid. When you do it with a large group of people, it’s probably even more stupid. Comparing is highly inaccurate, even on a good day with just two people. So when comparing to the size of a nation, you can just imagine how stupid, or inaccurate it’s going to be.

If you step into a room filled with random people, you will find that they are all different. Some believe this, some are from different races, some are different gender, and lastly, what helps them succeed or fail in life will be totally different.

 Just think of it, that is only a room filled with a small amount of people, can you imagine a country of people? The thing is, people are so diverse. To compare people would be foolish as they are different, let alone a whole nation.

What works for another person won’t necessarily work for you. What works for another country won’t necessarily work for another country. Everyone is different. People have great expectations and they have hope that if they do the things that another country did, they will be able to copy that success. 

However, since culture, people and other such things are so different. You cannot compare or believe that just because a country had success doing a certain action, that you will be able to do the same.

It's a bit like dietary plans. Have you seen dietary plans and weight loss coaches? They all say different things. However, they all claim success. They are either great liars or different methods for different people lead to success.

In a way, it’s not that people are different, but rather the problems a country is facing is the thing that makes comparing foolish. It would be like comparing someone burning to death to someone freezing to death. Yes, they both are dying, but the cure for each one is very different. One needs less of something and another needs more of something.

Countries cannot be compared to each other unless it’s used in a very general manner. When it comes down the line. Yes, we are all humans so things should be quite simple. However, we are all very different. What worked for another country cannot be compared to another. It’s unjust and unrealistic, because Foreign cures are for foreign problems and home cures are for home problems.