Since my return from Vietnam in 1970 I have been antiwar….after witnessing the brutality, devastation and death I made my choice to not support war and I have been unapologetic since those early days of my youth.
When I returned I joined the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW)…..and to this day I feel the country owes us a debt of gratitude…..
Veterans have and continue to play, an important role in instigating social and political change in this country. One such group of veterans is the Vietnam Veterans Against the War, or VVAW: a movement of military veteran activist who, while struggling to heal from the psychological, emotional, and moral injuries of war, demanded through protests and demonstrations that our leaders fulfill their obligation to help veterans address their physical and mental health challenges, find alternative resolutions to conflict, and to bring an immediate end to the war in Southeast Asia.
Soldiers coming home from war joined VVAW members in speaking out through their poetry, short stories, novels, memoirs, and testimony to Congress and the American people about their experiences in war and afterward. Their intention was to educate the public about the horrific battlefield conditions they experienced while fighting America’s war in Vietnam, the nightmarish atrocities against innocent civilians that in many cases they may have committed, and the lack of care and horrendous conditions they suffered at Veterans Administration (VA) hospitals upon their return home.
This Nation Owes a Debt to the Vietnam Veterans Against the War
Fast forward to today….
I have not seen the need for the US to involve itself in the wars of the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan and all those minor incursions to include Ukraine of today.
Because of my antiwar stance I have received a lot of grief and chastisement for my opposition….everything from it is human nature to save the world for democracy and defense of the country…..yada yada.
None of which I will agree to at any point.
Many pro-war people see us antiwar activists as somehow anti-American and/or anti-democratic…..this is just plain wrong. I have been told this on several occasions….at least these psuedo-patriots have not used the old say, ‘America love it or leave it’ that was their favorite back in the day when they had no answer for the questions asked.
The media which is mostly owned by the M-IC has lead the charge to sideline any dissent….with little to no coverage when there is a mass protest against the US involvement in these wars of adventure.
Most people get their confused and false ideas from the media and the lack of quality information and when that info is available if it does not conform to what has been instilled in the minds they lash out with idiotic reason why antiwar is not in the country’s interest.
With the Ukraine thing antiwar disclaimers, I have done so on numerous occasions, as to let the reader know that they are not pro-Putin…but these disclaimers are unnecessary…..
Over the last seventeen months, it’s become customary for those who disagree with US foreign policy on the Ukraine war to preface every objection to that policy with at least one, possibly two, disclaimers.
Disclaimer #1: The Russian invasion, they’ll concede, was “unprovoked.”
Optional Disclaimer #2: The Russian invasion, they’ll say, was “unjustified.”
I understand the impulse. They’re trying to preemptively communicate that they are “anti-war” or “anti-intervention” without being mistaken for horror of horrors, “pro-Russia.”
But those disclaimers are neither necessary nor wise.
The Russian invasion was not “unprovoked.”
For one thing, to “provoke” is, per Merriam-Webster, “to incite to anger” or to “arouse to a feeling or action.” Who decides whether Party A has been “incited” or “aroused” by Party B? Party A.
For another, Ukraine, NATO, and the US had been put on notice for quite some time (at least eight years, and actually more like 20) that Russia considered their actions provocative … and chose to continue down the same route rather than backing off or negotiating an amicable solution. The provocations were, in other words, both ongoing and intentional, not just occasional accidents.
To say that an action is “provoked,” though, is not the same thing as saying that the action is “justified.”
You might “incite me to anger” by singing loudly every time you walk past my house, but that doesn’t mean I’m justified in getting out my 12-gauge and sending you to your grave. Cutting me off in traffic may justify a honk of the horn and a selected obscenity or two. It doesn’t justify following you home and burning your house down.
Opposing War: No Disclaimers Required
I will forever remain antiwar….if that is too difficult for mental midgets to grasp then it is on them…..for it is not my problem.
I have taken my stance and shall remain firmly rooted in antiwar….
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”
In Saner Thought 
There are always people who cannot think out of the box who remain “Firmly Rooted” in the things in which they believe whether those things be right, wrong or indifferent. Q-Anon is one such group and the radical crazies in the right wing freedom cock-us are some more….but as to whether anti-war stances are bad or not, let me offer this:
Some situations may necessitate war: Some believe that there are situations where using military force is the only way to stop threats like genocide, aggression, or oppression. In these cases, opposing war could be perceived as morally wrong.
Naivete about potential consequences of inaction: Critics argue that absolute anti-war positions can be naive about the potential consequences of inaction, such as emboldening aggressors or allowing human rights abuses to continue.
Lack of nuanced understanding of conflict: Some point out that simplifying complex conflicts into “good vs. evil” narratives can hinder finding diplomatic solutions and understanding the root causes of war.
Ultimately, whether or not being anti-war is “bad” depends on the specific context, the underlying reasons for the opposition, and the available alternatives. It’s important to avoid oversimplification and engage in informed dialogue about the complex issues surrounding war and peace.
People who think us antiwar people are naive have never seen war close-up and personal….chuq
Anti-War has its place in the moral realm of things but it is totally outgunned by basal human nature and is, therefore, impotent. But the ideal of anti-war is exponentially decent, caring and kind. Anti-war is like the small voice crying in the wilderness, proclaiming the warning that recompense is just around the corner…. the corner that never quite ever materializes, but “Might” appear….someday. Anti-war is, in some respects like Christianity preaching to the atheists.
I disagree….the population is indoctrinated into the war is good category….the voices were loud before and they will return as soon as people get off their fat asses and learn to think for themselves. chuq
Your disagreement is noted and I appreciate you sharing it. Now illustrate for me please, evidence that anti-war activity has ever achieved the goals it sets for itself and I will re-assess my attitudes toward it.
Basically the 1970s…..but we were commies back then so I guess that does not count. chuq
Let’s get real for a minute —Ultimately, the relationship between American anti-war movements and war prevention is nuanced and multifaceted. While definitively attributing the prevention of a specific war solely to an anti-war movement is often difficult, these movements undoubtedly can often play a significant role in shaping public discourse, influencing policy decisions, and promoting peace as a desirable alternative to conflict. But there is a caveat —when you have a war-driven administration responding to the pressures of war profiteering, the public discourse usually is totally ignored and the meat grinder goes on.
And that is why it is needed more today than yesterday…..they indoctrinate the public to accept the definitions they give them and they, the public, suck it up unquestioning….well that is not me and will never be me. chuq
Why ask questions when there is no real source of accurate answers?
To stop asking questions is to give up and take whatever comes….that worked well for the German people. chuq
It also seems to be working well for the American people too…and they will discover the results of this laziness once Trump is back in the Oval.
But will they truly learn from this? chuq
History tells me that the American People never learn from anything…look how many of them have already accepted and believed the whitewashing the right wing ass wads have been doing to convince everyone that January 6th was nothing more than a peaceful protest –Americans do not learn anything ever….what they CAN do really well is read the numbers on their paychecks —
And throw a credit card at everything…..chuq
I love my credit cards and i throw them at everything too.
I gave them up 30 years ago and never regretted a moment. chuq
I feel that every decent human being should be anti-war as a first option every time. As far as I can tell, most wars have never solved anything other than to expand empires and make industrialists rich. If a war can be deemed ‘necessary’ (to a large extent, WW2) it should be undertaken with regret and sorrow, not pride.
Best wishes, Pete.
Well said Pete….thanx. chuq
I lived through the Second World War and I gotta tell you that it was fought with a great amount of hatred for the enemy and greater pride in kicking the enemy’s ass. And from my point of view, that is how all wars should be fought. (I developed that attitude in my military basic training, by the way.)
And oh by the way…. the second world war was fought to keep us all from living under the rule of Hitler or Tojo — too bad that the people who supplied the weapons and munitions and so forth made a little money in the act of saving our asses.
My dad was a regular soldier from 1936-1947. He knew the war against Hitler (and Japan) had to be fought, but he was far from happy or proud about it. His overriding emotion when it was all over was relief at surviving, and sadness and regret about the fellow soldiers (and friends and family in the bombing of London) who had been killed.
But then we have all these veterans who have been to war coming home and telling the world how proud they are to have served …victory does have its joyous element.
Terrific point
Thanx John…..hope you are having a good week. chuq