Originally posted by Great Big SteesI think history is most useful for advising us as to what we should NOT do. At least that's how I see it. But history doesn't provide much of a roadmap for the future, except to tell us where a few potholes may be.
But doesn't history make us think we know what or who we might become?
There's an old saying - "Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it." Or something close to that. That saying certainly carries some weight.
1 edit
Originally posted by Great Big SteesYes, it has its good points e.g. we know
But doesn't history make us think we know what or who we might become?
how many people have suffered from
disease and famine and we can address
this for the future.
But it also has its bad points, we know
that if we do not bear arms, our rivals may
first and they may attack us first. etc..
The solution for peace is frighteningly
simple. Renounce violence, do not fight.
But it needs to take place on a global
scale. History tells us that we shouldn't
drop our guard and risk being destroyed
by our neighbours. But it also creates
prejudice and spurs violence.
Having read history we then believe our
neighbours to be our enemies without
even having met them. We bear arms
for an invasion that has not happened.
Do you remember that scene at the end
of 'Reservoir dogs' when they're all facing
each other off with guns?
This is a great example of what happens
when we lose ourselves in history.
They're all stood there, aiming their guns
at each others heads. At any time they
could have all put their guns away and
walked away. None of them needed to die.
What happened though?
they all blew each others brains out.
And this craziness will continue to go on
on a global scale unless one of three things
happen.
1) We wipe out enough of the population of
the planet so that we are all so shocked at
what we did to ourselves that we don't do it
again for about another 100 years.
2) Jesus arrives and saves our worthless
asses.
3) The people of each country embrace communication
and take it upon themselves to denounce violence
and refuse to go to war.
I have put them in the order of likelihood for convenient
reference.
Originally posted by ivanhoeYou're comparing Iraq and WWII? Oh good grief Ivanhoe. Come on man.
There are masses of people who never learned anything from the second world war. The "Let's Retreat, Then The Problem Will Go Away" advocates prove this time and time again.
Hitler built an enormous Army and invaded other countries with it. He sacked 3/4's of Europe with the damn thing!
Now if the US had invaded Germany in 1939, overthrown Hitler and the Nazis, kept US forces there to occupy the country, and then had the German troops retaliated, you could make some sort of comparison to Iraq. But that didn't happen.
- Joined
- 14 Mar 04
- Moves
- 213509
I agree WIB we most certainly have to learn from the past but why is it that "we" don't?Is it ego (I'm better than that)?Or is it hey I learned what mistakes were made and have allowed for them they won't happen again?'Cause it never seems to work does it.America's just getting back into an even worse situation than they were in in Viet Nam.Politicians are,I'll be gentle here,"nearsited".
Originally posted by Great Big SteesBecause politicians care mostly about the short term future (their political term).
Any thoughts out there?
Because new generations of people come and go, whilst persistent critics are dismissed as being raving. The opportuity to learn is lost.
Because violence is seen as a solution. Why do we call our military "Defense" ?
Because the media hypes up the present
Originally posted by Great Big SteesI think you answered your own question quite nicely. 🙂 Well done.
I agree WIB we most certainly have to learn from the past but why is it that "we" don't?Is it ego (I'm better than that)?Or is it hey I learned what mistakes were made and have allowed for them they won't happen again?'Cause it never seems to work does it.America's just getting back into an even worse situation than they were in in Viet Nam.Politicians are,I'll be gentle here,"nearsited".
Originally posted by STANGSTANG I have to say that you have finally posted something I agree with. And you even did it without shouting at me.
Because politicians care mostly about the short term future (their political term).
Because new generations of people come and go, whilst persistent critics are dismissed as being raving. The opportuity to learn is lost.
Because violence is seen as a solution. Why do we call our military "Defense" ?
Because the media hypes up the present
1 edit
Originally posted by wibNah, I'm not comparing Iraq with WWII ....... I'm comparing the War on Terror with World War II. Iraq is just one front in the War on Terror, although an important one.
You're comparing Iraq and WWII? Oh good grief Ivanhoe. Come on man.
Hitler built an enormous Army and invaded other countries with it. He sacked 3/4's of Europe with the damn thing!
Now if the US had invaded Germany in 1939, ov ...[text shortened]... make some sort of comparison to Iraq. But that didn't happen.
Originally posted by ivanhoeAs individuals we do learn from history, if you get a speeding ticket you tend to drive past that spot a bit slower in future.
There are masses of people who never learned anything from the second world war. The "Let's Retreat, Then The Problem Will Go Away" advocates prove this time and time again.
Politically, the situation is never the same so lessons fronm history are never fully relevant.
- Joined
- 14 Mar 04
- Moves
- 213509
Politically I think in a lot of instances the situations are very similar and there's where I don't understand how "people" can fall into the same pitfalls.The situation in Iraq has a lot of similarity to that of Viet Nam(if you get past the oil issue or weapons of mass destruction)...they aren't "Democratic" and thus must be wrong.Any thinking person(one would think) knows that you can't beat this kind of "inserection" by conventional means actually it's probably an unattainable situation for the west and in the end I think the result will be the same as what happened in Viet Nam.Why do we think that what we have is right for everyone?