Mourn the victims... but don't turn one tragedy into a global catastrophe

[CJCRANE]

One thing we should have learned in the past 100 years is that war is hell. We might also have noticed that, once begun, war is hard to stop and often takes shocking turns.

So those who began the current war in Ukraine – the direct cause of the frightful murder of so many innocents on Flight MH17 on Thursday – really have no excuse.

There is no doubt about who they were. In any war, the aggressor is the one who makes the first move into neutral or disputed territory.

---

So, let us just mourn the dead and comfort the bereaved, and regret human folly and the wickedness of war. Let us not allow this miserable event to be fanned into a new war. That is what we did almost 100 years ago, and it is about time we learned something from that.

Full article: Daily Mail UK

Yes, I know it's the Daily Mail, but it's an interesting antiwar article.

[geek tragedy]

1. Anti-EU screed by a wingnut who tries to

exploit this tragedy to advance his rightwing agenda.

Peter Hitchens is the best you can do? Really?

[CJCRANE]

2. His agenda is antiwar in this case. The EU is only mentioned in one line.

[geek tragedy]

3. Bullshit. It's rightwing propaganda.

There is no doubt about who they were. In any war, the aggressor is the one who makes the first move into neutral or disputed territory.


And that aggressor was the European Union, which rivals China as the world’s most expansionist power, swallowing countries the way performing seals swallow fish (16 gulped down since 1995).

Ignoring repeated and increasingly urgent warnings from Moscow, the EU – backed by the USA – sought to bring Ukraine into its orbit. It did so through violence and illegality, an armed mob and the overthrow of an elected president.

Not a coincidence that one of DU's "least likely to criticize Putin" crowd posted this rightwing bilge here.

[CJCRANE]

4. I'm not part of any crowd. I'm not sure why you're throwing these accusations.

If you disagree with the article that's fine.

[geek tragedy]

5. Gee, I'm glad to hear it's fine to disagree with the

pro-fascist extreme rightwingers like Peter effing Hitchens--public booster of the UKIP.

You really thought you could peddle that rightwing trash article as 'anti-war?'

[CJCRANE]

6. I posted an article that is against war. That's it. Comments are welcome.

I might disagree with the comments and the commenters might disagree with the article or my comments.

That's how freedom of speech operates.

[geek tragedy]

8. About two sentences were anti- war

This was my favorite part of Hitchens's screed, and by favorites I mean worst:

Female politicians won't help real women

Why do people think that women in politics will help ordinary women lead better lives? Political females are almost all ambitious careerists who have decided, of their own free will, to work outside the home and spurn the task of raising.

[CJCRANE]

10. That's a different article on a different subject. I disagree with that article.

I agree with some of the points in the first article about war.

[JackRiddler]

12. Too subtle.

Binary choices only. All or nothing. With us or against us. Which is it?!

[JackRiddler]

7. A vote for war, what a surprise.

A fascist is anyone who disagrees with your aggressive neo-con rhetoric on behalf of the new Cold War, apparently.

[RobertEarl]

9. I too... surprised... not

We have to remember that war supporters just love to support any war. So they will do or say anything, slam anyone, just to get their war on.

If they think they can get away with it they'll soon be telling us so-and-so has WMD.

[JackRiddler]

11. Oh. My. God. Russia HAS WMD!

And a history of rulers killing their own people! It's true!!! 45 minutes to mushroom cloud! The only way separatists could have launched BuKs (captured from the Ukrainian military) was if Putin personally operated the controls while intentionally targeting a passenger plane, simply because he's evil! If Putin bad, Curveball - erm, Yatsenyuk - good! These people are crazy fascists! No Appeasement! Stop Hitler! Attack, attack!!!

It's not true, by the way, that they support any war. They support any war served up by their own team. And it's always for Peace. Or Democracy. Or Security. Or other good things.

[RobertEarl]

14. I stand corrected

They do only support wars their team tells them to support.

But the truth also is, imo, they stand ready and willing, like true republican patriots to jump right in with their chickenhawking cackles at any sign of the 'bad' guys stirrings.

And most, if not all, seem to be pretty much in favor of having enough nuclear weapons to blow the earth to smithereens more than 100 times..

[delrem]

13. On the other hand, any American who "looks forward, not back",

can afford to be sanctimonious to the point of nausea.
Can afford to be totally self-righteous in calling for war against Emmanuel Goldstein and the enemies of purity, whoever they happen to be today.

It must be so totally cool to be an American.