A Place to Question the Price of War

Fact:  World War I began in July 1914 and ended in November 1918, leaving 17 million dead and approximately 20 million wounded.

According to military historian Gary Sheffield, the First World War began for two fundamental reasons: "First, decision-makers in Berlin and Vienna chose to pursue a course that they hoped would bring about significant political advantages even if it brought about general war. Second, the governments in the entente states rose to the challenge."

Sheffield adds: "At best, Germany and Austria-Hungary launched a reckless gamble that went badly wrong. At worst, 1914 saw a premeditated war of aggression and conquest, a conflict that proved to be far removed from the swift and decisive venture that some had envisaged".

            http://www.theweek.co.uk/59782/how-did-the-first-world-war-start

Let’s jump a century forward and examine a pending crisis in Syria.

We witness video of children foaming at the mouth from a chemical attack by a dictator gassing his own people and we receive reports of over 40 deaths and many others permanently damaged by the attack. Atrocious!

But beware!  Let us learn from history.

The current situation in Syria has created a powder keg where

Assad, Putin, and Ruhani are sparring with Trump, Netanyahu, Bolton, May, and Macron.  Instead of pouring gas onto a smoking ember, the US leadership should be advocating against more “fire power”. 

Trump has tweeted, "Russia vows to shoot down any and all missiles fired at Syria. Get ready Russia, because they will be coming, nice and new and “smart!” You shouldn’t be partners with a Gas Killing Animal who kills his people and enjoys it!

3:57 AM - 11 Apr 2018

WAIT!!!  Why not secretly take out the perpetrator?  Assad is obviously an immoral dictator.  Can a coalition of secular humanists not be brought together to solve this problem before Armageddon erupts?

Let’s learn from history.

July 1914

I

All month a smell of burning, of dry peat
smouldering in the bogs.
Even the birds have stopped singing,
the aspen does not tremble.

The god of wrath glares in the sky,
the fields have been parched since Easter.
A one-legged pilgrim stood in the yard
with his mouth full of prophecies:

“Beware of terrible times… the earth
opening for a crowd of corpses.
Expect famine, earthquakes, plagues,
and heavens darkened by eclipses.

“But our land will not be divided
by the enemy at his pleasure:
the Mother-of-God will spread
a white shroud over these great sorrows.”

…

an excerpt from July 1914  by Anna Akhmatova, 1889-1996

CPW