Surely, it can’t be just me who is increasing getting desensitised (I’d say alarmed but think we’re past that point of ‘concern‘) to the constant flow of news and images – primarily about death and destruction, near and far. At home and abroad. Natural and man-made or human inspired.
If your ‘danger radar’ is just now alerting you to the potential dangers that currently exist then I’d suggest that you have a chat with your neighbourhood ‘friendly survivalist nut-job’ to pry you out of your apparent stupor.
I’m not advocating for or against the ‘tin-foil wearing’ crowd. I’m more of the phaser on stun mentality. But sensitivity to the sun does make it necessary to to use sunscreen (though I do wonder at times when considering the UV blocker levels – why not just keep your clothes on, the skin covered and stay out of the sun as much as is feasibly possible?
We all have our blindspots
I just glanced at the latest news on tv and, if itwasn’t about Trump and Clinton, The Republicans vs the Democrats, the Yahoos vs the Experts and representatives of the Intelligensia (and I’m in Canada!).
Sure there were clips about the nephew of Rob Ford – Former Mayor of Toronto (and infamous for certain public and private predilictions). Even Justin Trudeau appears to be currently off the media’s radar screens.
The U.S has Trump. Toronto had Ford
But I don’t want to dwell on the current state of internal politics in Canada or the U.S. It appears that we, as citizens, both deserve the poxes that that we have imposed upon ourselves. ISIS and The Global State of Terrorism
I’ve grown up through times when the word Civilisation, past present or future encompassed notions that envisioned advanced stages of human social development, organisation and cultural distinctions.
A time when the advancement of Human civilisations culminated in a document such as the Rules of War. The Geneva Convention. Not-with-standing the equally astute strategic military observations recorded by Sun Tsu in the conduct of warfare (The Art of War).
Regardless of where you stand in relation to any of the views espoused by the brilliant minds of the past, it cannot be denied that essential to (past or current) civil society are our notions of civil behaviour. There is civility. There are rules of behaviour and conduct in the execution of the act of war. That is, there can be referees.
Love thy neighbour. There’s a rule. Do unto others, is another. Turn the other cheek. The Golden Rule: … Love for your brother what youd love for yourself.
One doesn’t need a translator when someone is showing you ‘the love’. It’s the hate and anger and rage and violence that bring the action of others into question. Walls are not built or erected when there is a sense of trust or commonality of values and beliefs among individual, groups, tribes, communities, nations or states.
Questions such as, which of the current crop of humanity will be judged as being either progressive or regressive against a siding scale of what is (apparent to any civilised human being) civil and acceptable behaviour and action with regard to the broader question of the human condition.
ISIL and all existing terror groups or organisations are a malignant blight on civilisation and (what I’ll call) ‘common human decency’.
The Barbarians are at the gates
But, did they ever leave? Did any of them ever sign on to (or publicly acknowledge acceptance of) the notions and principles that have come to be enshrined in International Laws, Constitutions, Treaties, Agreements, Rights, Duties, Obligations and Guiding Princples that provide structure to international organisations and institutions (U.N, NATO) that modern nation states try to hew to within the International Community of nations?
Today, yet again, another mad man or outright maniac slit the throat of an 84 years priest (man of the cloth). In the sanctuary of the church itself.
The news media, politicians and headlines scream … Another Terrorist Act …..
This will soon be followed by more condemnations, condolences and offers of political and public expressions of support and solidarity against the barbaric and wanton acts of violence against innocent civilians. The beat goes on. Weariness continues to seep in and empathy get depleted and diluted when stacked against the constant barrage of ‘senseless’ acts of savagery.
Emotional burn out
It’s not that there’s some centrally organised collective or select group of individuals (like the mass media) who are deliberately working to desensitive its readership or viewership against the horrific pain and suffering that individuals and groups daily undergo at the hands of elected and unelected political groups and organisations. Mad men, despots, tyrants, butchers and meglomaniciacs, one and all!
I don’t need the media, the experts or the politicians to tell me what Terrorism is or is not. Root causes are not my current concerns. Safety and security of my person, friends, family and neighbours are what concern me. We know the end results of unrestrained, unimpeded random, wanton and senseless barbaric acts of a few thousand among billions can do.
The question now is, what is going to be done to eradicate the scourges from the face of the earth?
Article 54 of Protocol I (the 1977 Geneva Conventions) deals with prohibitions against the Scorched Earth policy as a military strategy. Of course, the countries and militaries that pay heed to international conventions on the conduct of civilise warfare are primarily signatory countries with stable governments and political institutions. Unsurprisingly, ISIS, Al-Qaeda, the Taliban and other terrorist groups don’t subscribe to such niceties. Fair fights (or playing by Marquess of Queensberry rules) are for boy scouts.
Villify Saddam Hussein, Muammar Gaddafi or Bashar al-Assad for the horrid and deplorable actions that they have engaged in (especially against their own citizens) during their ‘stewardship’ of the countries and it will be well deserved.
What cannot be denied, however, is that – monsters that they are or were – they certainly had a damn good grasp of the dangers that the other monsters that they were keeping at bay posed to the world at large. Monsters and abominations that have now been set loose in the world and on civilisation.
And when it comes to terrorists and terrorism, it should matter not one whit whether they cloak themselves in christian or islamic garbs. Whether it’s the work of a ‘lone wolf’ nut-case or fully funded and organised group, the insanity has to be stopped. If that means utilising lethal force against the leadership, promoters and participants then so be it.
I have no sympathy for individuals or organisations that clamour for name recognition and publicity. To further their demented cause they fall over themselves in their haste to claim responsibility for any and all despicable acts of terror reported around the world. The killing of an 84 year French priest in his church. The suicide bombing of mourners at a funeral or harried shoppers at a market or passengers on a bus or train. The killing of concert-goers at a music hall. Diners and revellers at a restaurant.
IEnough is Enough!
And yes, I’ll dance when those insane barbarians are dispatched to the hell that they deserve!
Meep-Meep!
28/08/2021 08:39:49 -0500