Comments on: Why I Can’t Wait Until 2020 http://nomediakings.org/writing/why_i_cant_wait_until_2020.html There's more than one way to play the publishing game. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 07:16:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: ola http://nomediakings.org/writing/why_i_cant_wait_until_2020.html#comment-28373 ola Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:14:17 +0000 http://nomediakings.org/?p=639#comment-28373 I understood the poppy as a symbol for peace and regret for many years. I don't think the symbols need to change, it's how the meanings are defined and who gets the power to do that. I liked reading this post. I understood the poppy as a symbol for peace and regret for many years. I don’t think the symbols need to change, it’s how the meanings are defined and who gets the power to do that. I liked reading this post.

]]> By: Tom http://nomediakings.org/writing/why_i_cant_wait_until_2020.html#comment-26265 Tom Sun, 24 May 2009 04:44:59 +0000 http://nomediakings.org/?p=639#comment-26265 I don't really know how to respond to this, yet I feel like I must say something. I don't know a REAL combat vet that thinks war is glorious, glamorous, or even particularly patriotic. It is horror stacked on top of horror until the edges of the accrued events overlap and become a bitter blur in the memories of the survivors. No survivor celebrates war. Only morons celebrate war. I think the survivors deserve the recognition and thanks from the country they served, but that does not imply war should be celebrated in any way. War is an abhorrence. I don’t really know how to respond to this, yet I feel like I must say something. I don’t know a REAL combat vet that thinks war is glorious, glamorous, or even particularly patriotic. It is horror stacked on top of horror until the edges of the accrued events overlap and become a bitter blur in the memories of the survivors. No survivor celebrates war. Only morons celebrate war. I think the survivors deserve the recognition and thanks from the country they served, but that does not imply war should be celebrated in any way. War is an abhorrence.

]]> By: John Lincoln http://nomediakings.org/writing/why_i_cant_wait_until_2020.html#comment-23633 John Lincoln Sun, 23 Nov 2008 06:49:30 +0000 http://nomediakings.org/?p=639#comment-23633 That was an interesting post, Jim. In my opinion, the problem is that we have different coloured passports. I have long believed that the only answer to world peace, global warming, etc. lies is making the world into one country. Canada, America, China etc, must cease to exist. They must become regions or provinces. The soldiers from all mations must disband and form new brigades under the direct control of the United Nations. They must become international brigades, a kind of multi-national police force who should enforce a world constitution. They would ensure that the resources of the world are harvested by the UN and distributed equally to all people, that environmental laws were upheld, that no ethnic clensing / genocides took place and so on. I believe that internationalizing power is also the only true solution to environmental problems such as global warming. As we see with the current problems with the Kyoto ratification process, the logic of Bush/Harper and others is "why should my country take action while others do not?" As a result, no action is taken. I believe that we are on the brink of disaster. We need to internationalize, and as citizenss of the world, we need to choose an international government that would act in the true best long term interests of humankind. That is my 0.02. JL. That was an interesting post, Jim.

In my opinion, the problem is that we have different coloured passports. I have long believed that the only answer to world peace, global warming, etc. lies is making the world into one country. Canada, America, China etc, must cease to exist. They must become regions or provinces. The soldiers from all mations must disband and form new brigades under the direct control of the United Nations. They must become international brigades, a kind of multi-national police force who should enforce a world constitution. They would ensure that the resources of the world are harvested by the UN and distributed equally to all people, that environmental laws were upheld, that no ethnic clensing / genocides took place and so on.

I believe that internationalizing power is also the only true solution to environmental problems such as global warming. As we see with the current problems with the Kyoto ratification process, the logic of Bush/Harper and others is “why should my country take action while others do not?” As a result, no action is taken. I believe that we are on the brink of disaster. We need to internationalize, and as citizenss of the world, we need to choose an international government that would act in the true best long term interests of humankind.

That is my 0.02.

JL.

]]> By: Jim Munroe http://nomediakings.org/writing/why_i_cant_wait_until_2020.html#comment-23556 Jim Munroe Mon, 17 Nov 2008 04:49:16 +0000 http://nomediakings.org/?p=639#comment-23556 Thanks for your perspectives, everyone. It's heartening to me that this issue can be broached in a civil way. Thanks for your perspectives, everyone. It’s heartening to me that this issue can be broached in a civil way.

]]> By: Dave Fingrut http://nomediakings.org/writing/why_i_cant_wait_until_2020.html#comment-23542 Dave Fingrut Thu, 13 Nov 2008 04:19:51 +0000 http://nomediakings.org/?p=639#comment-23542 Jim - You may find 'Blood Sacrifice and the Nation: Totem Rituals and the American Flag'- linked in the website section above - to be of interest. The book focuses on U.S. practice and the symbolism of its particular rites (Memorial Day, Flag Day, 4th of July, etc.) which are much more nationalistic than what occurs in Toronto, but the book's anthropological analysis can just as well apply to Canada's British-based rituals. Jim -

You may find ‘Blood Sacrifice and the Nation: Totem Rituals and the American Flag’- linked in the website section above – to be of interest.

The book focuses on U.S. practice and the symbolism of its particular rites (Memorial Day, Flag Day, 4th of July, etc.) which are much more nationalistic than what occurs in Toronto, but the book’s anthropological analysis can just as well apply to Canada’s British-based rituals.

]]> By: Strange Places » re me mb er? http://nomediakings.org/writing/why_i_cant_wait_until_2020.html#comment-23538 Strange Places » re me mb er? Wed, 12 Nov 2008 05:50:17 +0000 http://nomediakings.org/?p=639#comment-23538 [...] I feel so ambivalent on this day. This strange duality. I completely understand the sentiments expressed on the No Media Kings website. And I like the symbolism of poppies as reminding of flanders fields, as red bullet holes, and poppies as part of the drug wars. I was also taken by the line: Poppies induce forgetfulness, after all. [...] [...] I feel so ambivalent on this day. This strange duality. I completely understand the sentiments expressed on the No Media Kings website. And I like the symbolism of poppies as reminding of flanders fields, as red bullet holes, and poppies as part of the drug wars. I was also taken by the line: Poppies induce forgetfulness, after all. [...]

]]> By: Steve Denheyer http://nomediakings.org/writing/why_i_cant_wait_until_2020.html#comment-23536 Steve Denheyer Wed, 12 Nov 2008 01:35:19 +0000 http://nomediakings.org/?p=639#comment-23536 We don't need 120 seconds of silence once a year to keep the idea of soldiering alive - soldiers will be necessary as long as there are states. Even after all the veterans of WWII are dead and gone, there will still be veterans of the Korean War, and the current Afghanistan conflict, who will be every bit as deserving of our respect and gratitude. And, of course, the point isn't just to honour the living, but also the dead. Debating the justness or necessity of a given war is crucial to a functioning liberal democracy, of course, but Rememberance Day isn't the time. It's about the people, not the politics. We don’t need 120 seconds of silence once a year to keep the idea of soldiering alive – soldiers will be necessary as long as there are states. Even after all the veterans of WWII are dead and gone, there will still be veterans of the Korean War, and the current Afghanistan conflict, who will be every bit as deserving of our respect and gratitude.

And, of course, the point isn’t just to honour the living, but also the dead.

Debating the justness or necessity of a given war is crucial to a functioning liberal democracy, of course, but Rememberance Day isn’t the time. It’s about the people, not the politics.

]]> By: Bill Genereux http://nomediakings.org/writing/why_i_cant_wait_until_2020.html#comment-23535 Bill Genereux Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:58:13 +0000 http://nomediakings.org/?p=639#comment-23535 Talk with any veteran who has survived combat duty and they will agree with you that war should be abolished. But until everyone is in agreement with the idea, we will always have those in power who see an opportunity to gain an advantage by waging war. Personally, I'm not prepared to ask the troops to stand down until I'm sure there is no enemy who would do us harm. But your point is well taken and your imagery is poignant. Thanks. Talk with any veteran who has survived combat duty and they will agree with you that war should be abolished. But until everyone is in agreement with the idea, we will always have those in power who see an opportunity to gain an advantage by waging war. Personally, I’m not prepared to ask the troops to stand down until I’m sure there is no enemy who would do us harm.

But your point is well taken and your imagery is poignant. Thanks.

]]> By: Links for 11th November 2008 | Velcro City Tourist Board http://nomediakings.org/writing/why_i_cant_wait_until_2020.html#comment-23534 Links for 11th November 2008 | Velcro City Tourist Board Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:01:41 +0000 http://nomediakings.org/?p=639#comment-23534 [...] Why I Can’t Wait Until 2020 [...] [...] Why I Can’t Wait Until 2020 [...]

]]> By: Heather http://nomediakings.org/writing/why_i_cant_wait_until_2020.html#comment-23533 Heather Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:02:34 +0000 http://nomediakings.org/?p=639#comment-23533 Great post, I have shared those feelings. My partner is a veteran of the South African war in Angola - he was sent at the age of 16 to scrape burned bodies off the ground and ended up shot in the back by someone on his own side, out of his head on speed (supplied by the S.A. government). Nothing glorious about that. Great post, I have shared those feelings. My partner is a veteran of the South African war in Angola – he was sent at the age of 16 to scrape burned bodies off the ground and ended up shot in the back by someone on his own side, out of his head on speed (supplied by the S.A. government). Nothing glorious about that.

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