Is world peace possible?

[Satcomer]

Think about basic human emotions then apply that to national issues. Humans will always be jealous, have envy, anger and host of other basic human emotions. It seems to be human nature.

[Cat]

Take survival instinct, take some limited resources, mix well and stir it up: voilá, war.

If civilization taught us anything, it is that through cooperation we can use the world's resources more efficiently, by redistribution, division of labour, etc.

When will nations see war is not the answer, but just a not-so-subtle form of resource-distruction? We don't even neede to go down the road of empathy, pity, friendship of people ... if anything, helping each other out has always proven profitable! There was plenty to construct in Iraq even before the IIGW. Why not exetend a helping hand instead of a fist? All the profit that is being made now could have been made before ...

In the face of a war, just like in the US, people rally behind their leaders, for security and protection. If you take away the menace, what do you think will happen? If america had said, come on, let's lift those sanctions and had spent the money it has poured into the war machine in social projects, food, medicine, etc. what do you think the Iraqi people would have said then? Now the US troops come as killers and destroyed the infrastructure and organization. They will ahve to build it up from the ashes. Why not try to reform the existing structures? If you had gone to Iraq with dollars instead of bombs and had demanded fair elections through a year long diplomatic effort, what do you think people would have chosen? Now the US came with threats of hell, not with promises of paradise, and now they want them out! Well, surprise surprise ...

World peace is possible once nations understand their own obsoleteness.

[Androo]

Originally posted by Androo

I said that.

I said that too.

[toast]

Androo, quit coccaine.

[Ricky]

Originally posted by Androo

I said that too.

Aaaaaaaannd... shut up.

[serpicolugnut]

Is world peace possible?

No. Unless of course you define peace as living in fear and under the oppression of another force.

The burden of freedom demands that the free have a responsibility to confront evil when necessary. There is evil in the world, no matter what the people who live in the world wrapped in grey believe.

fryke would have you believe that the world lives in fear of the USA and that we're the tyrants. I'd like to remind my swiss friend that a mostly free Europe exists today only because brave men from the US fought for freedom there during WWII, and protected it during the Cold War from the USSR.

Sure, a good bit of the world resents the US, but if 'zi Germans came rolling in to Switzerland, whos help do you think they would be begging for?

Not the UN, that's for sure...

[ksv]

You have to dig deeper, serpicolugnut. The nazi Germans were strong because of their strict fascist military organisation and brainwashing methods - much the same as you can find in the US army or any other aggresive power (N. Korea, Iraq prior to 91, the list goes on). These elements would have to be removed to ever reach world peace.
And you don't need to drag your American patriotism and feelings for the army in here - the only peace soliders have ever created is death.

Did you read toast's analysis?

[habilis]

ksv: You might not want him to bring his American patriotism in here, but realistically speaking, I don't know of a better, more tolerant societal model in the world. Nothin's perfect, not even Communism or Socialism, but until we see a better model for success you can expect Amercan patriotism/Nationalism to be alive and well far into the future.