Pulling back, but still at war
The time I spent in Iraq with U.S. military forces afforded an opportunity for me to reflect and meditate on my role in this world. Somehow, I have always felt there was a greater purpose for my life than I have yet realized. I knew I was here to do something important, but in each direction I headed I felt I had come to a point where I no longer quite belonged.
I have been many things in this lifetime. I have been a student, mason’s apprentice, cook, mail clerk, security guard, deputy sheriff, and sailor, just to name a few. None of these roles quite fit me. I realize now that they weren’t meant to.
Until recently, I was still actively involved with the Navy. About a week or two ago, I severed most of the tie. I’ve decided to put the Navy on the backburner, and I’m going to spend more time getting my personal life in order and turning my warrior ethos toward peaceful goals.
We are at war. I recently thought of war as being “us” against “them,” or the United States and the free world against extremists and those who would like to see us fail. I know now that the war we are fighting is one of the haves versus the have-nots.
People and nations struggle for what little they have. As their wealth and power increases, they are inclined to take measures to preserve those tangible assets. From a short-term perspective, it might make sense to hang onto what you have, believing that you worked hard for it and wanting to keep it safe from others. From a short-term perspective, we are inclined to hang tightly onto our patch of land, our ounce of gold, even our sword so that we may protect them, often to the exclusion of others who have nothing to protect but their own lives.
We live in a global community. I realize that even my own country is short-sighted in its actions, driven by popular opinion to get quick results, the United States works to preserve its interests abroad by “getting in, getting the job done and getting out.” Current events in Iraq are a good illustration of how this happens: the Bush administration is under tremendous pressure to produce results and get our troops out as quickly as possible.
But what the United States and most other nations are missing is the fact that the have-nots of this world cannot be excluded from our wealth. Ignoring the plight of those in need only fosters the kind of sentiment that breeds al Qaeda-like hatred of any person or nation holding power to the exclusion of someone who does not. It is not enough to attack extremists wherever they might be hiding. Doing so only demonstrates our collective short-sightedness.
We live in a global community, and we must embrace the citizens of other nations as if they were our neighbors. No, because they are our neighbors and are every bit as important as anyone else on this Earth. We must fight poverty and sickness everywhere, we must be willing to sacrifice some of our wealth so that others do not have to suffer so. It isn’t enough to do this only for neighbors and nations most able to support our personal or national interests; we must help in the far reaches of Africa, in the Middle East, in the Far East, in Eastern Europe and every place where people need our help. If we do this out of compassion and love, we cannot lose; if we approach the rest of the world as a problem do be dealt with, we cannot win.
I have pulled back from the military while the war is still raging, but I have only begun to fight.
I have been many things in this lifetime. I have been a student, mason’s apprentice, cook, mail clerk, security guard, deputy sheriff, and sailor, just to name a few. None of these roles quite fit me. I realize now that they weren’t meant to.
Until recently, I was still actively involved with the Navy. About a week or two ago, I severed most of the tie. I’ve decided to put the Navy on the backburner, and I’m going to spend more time getting my personal life in order and turning my warrior ethos toward peaceful goals.
We are at war. I recently thought of war as being “us” against “them,” or the United States and the free world against extremists and those who would like to see us fail. I know now that the war we are fighting is one of the haves versus the have-nots.
People and nations struggle for what little they have. As their wealth and power increases, they are inclined to take measures to preserve those tangible assets. From a short-term perspective, it might make sense to hang onto what you have, believing that you worked hard for it and wanting to keep it safe from others. From a short-term perspective, we are inclined to hang tightly onto our patch of land, our ounce of gold, even our sword so that we may protect them, often to the exclusion of others who have nothing to protect but their own lives.
We live in a global community. I realize that even my own country is short-sighted in its actions, driven by popular opinion to get quick results, the United States works to preserve its interests abroad by “getting in, getting the job done and getting out.” Current events in Iraq are a good illustration of how this happens: the Bush administration is under tremendous pressure to produce results and get our troops out as quickly as possible.
But what the United States and most other nations are missing is the fact that the have-nots of this world cannot be excluded from our wealth. Ignoring the plight of those in need only fosters the kind of sentiment that breeds al Qaeda-like hatred of any person or nation holding power to the exclusion of someone who does not. It is not enough to attack extremists wherever they might be hiding. Doing so only demonstrates our collective short-sightedness.
We live in a global community, and we must embrace the citizens of other nations as if they were our neighbors. No, because they are our neighbors and are every bit as important as anyone else on this Earth. We must fight poverty and sickness everywhere, we must be willing to sacrifice some of our wealth so that others do not have to suffer so. It isn’t enough to do this only for neighbors and nations most able to support our personal or national interests; we must help in the far reaches of Africa, in the Middle East, in the Far East, in Eastern Europe and every place where people need our help. If we do this out of compassion and love, we cannot lose; if we approach the rest of the world as a problem do be dealt with, we cannot win.
I have pulled back from the military while the war is still raging, but I have only begun to fight.
posted by Louis at 5:00 AM
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