AUDREY'S MISSILES A newsletter dedicated to the peaceful reform of the United States government. THE ROOTS OF WAR "Murder is a crime and ought to be punished, except when it is done in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets." War suspends the rules of human decency, and so it is that decent men and women have sought the causes of war in the hope that this part of the culture of mankind could be eliminated. Franklin Roosevelt had this dream as did his counterpart in England, Winston Churchill. And, as we all know, their dream came into being in San Francisco not long after the close of World War II. The United Nations was supposed to end all war, but it is painfully evident that has not happened. If anything, the number and intensity of human conflicts around the globe has increased in spite of the efforts of the UN. To go back in time to WWI, the Balkans were the cradle of that war. On June 28, 1914, Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Serbia and his wife were riding through Sarajevo and were killed by an agent of the Black Hand. The story is involved, but suffice to say that one month later Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia and WWI had begun. This illustrates the domino theory, with nations entering the fray and taking sides in what is initially a small, confined conflict. There is the theory that wars are caused by aggressors. Those among us who remember WWII will say that Hitler was an aggressor who should have been stopped when he marched into Austria and Czechoslovakia. No, Neville Chamberlain, then Prime Minister of England, waited too long and tried to appease him. It was not until Hitler invaded Poland that England declared war. By that time Hitler had a good part of Europe under his thumb and was in position to roll through France. So the Clinton argument goes that it would have been much easier and cheaper to stop Hitler before he gained so much territory. Clinton's blundering foreign policy notwithstanding, there is some merit to the aggressor argument. All kinds of reasons for war have been advanced. Population pressure may be a factor in some wars. Armed conflicts do thin out the population and transfer problems elsewhere via refugee movement. Then there is the theory that wars are begun by nations when they have a large number of men of military age among their people, (this one goes back to the Crusades when the young men - knights - roamed the countryside causing trouble) and the theory that wars are started by those leaders who wish to draw public attention from domestic problems. (The "wag the dog" theory.) It looks as if the makers of munitions and other weapons of war have had a hand in starting some conflicts. The trade in illegal drugs has caused wars (The Opium War). World government advocates blame nationalism and cite the one thousand years of peace at the height of the power of the Roman Empire, but the situations then and now are not at all parallel. Greed, a pure and simple desire to possess the property of another, can be a cause. Nationalism has been blamed, but in recent times nationalism has been a only tool employed by political leaders to whip up sentiment for war among their own people. Religious and ethnic differences fall into the same category. Some will say that war is such a deep-seated part of human nature that no system will eliminate the problem. There are a myriad of reasons, and combinations thereof, from which to choose. READ THIS NEWSLETTER AND THEN GIVE IT TO A FRIEND. No copyright on the content of AUDREY'S MISSILES is claimed since it is our hope that the information in this newsletter will be copied and distributed widely. Topics covered are those which are not adequately treated on TV or in the press. If you live in the 209 calling area end a request to 209 847-7588 for a free fax subscription. E-mail is free anywhere. Paid subscriptions are not accepted. If you have difficulty getting on the list write [EMAIL PROTECTED] ========================================================================== [EMAIL PROTECTED] is an moderated maillist about government reform. To join or leave send e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] TO: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: -------------------------------------- (un)subscribe audreys-missiles Visit http://www.uwsa.com Support UWSA.COM at http://www.uwsa.com/UWSACOMintro.html
