We as humanity forget something. We forget that our enemies, our friends, ourselves, everyone around us, is human. No one, including yourself, is anything more than human. You are not special. Your enemies are not less than human. They are just the same as you. Neither of you hold the absolute truth.

Now, I must ask: Why has the call for peace gone unheeded? Why can we not hold each other as equals, and stop the senseless fighting?

Because whenever someone sees a call for peace, they become scared. That's right. We are scared of peace. The sheer idea of it is mind boggling. Instinctually, if we aren't attacking, we're defending. The idea of not attacking...nor defending...seems impossible. We can't concieve that the other side can understand this, even though the 'other side' is made up of human beings, the same as you and I.

It isn't hard to convince people to believe that peace is good; the trouble is getting people to not be afraid of peace. Why fight, when you can love?

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Sever the line to the guilty past
To the ones who brought us nothing
Spoke of futures brave and proud
And brought only hate and war.
Lined the roads with hollow praise
Marked the land with paper statues
Shadows fell on their futile ways
And then there was nothing more

One quick question, before I join in the discussion, and I promise I will tie it in to your topic. My comments are dependent on your answer:

Do you believe in evolution?

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If common sense were common, we would all have it (including me).

There's not much money to be made by love. War on the other hand makes billionaires.

Perhaps those who see fighting as a necessity, or a necessary evil if you want, are those who do not forget that "that our enemies, our friends, ourselves, everyone around us, is human".

Fear of peace, if such a thing exists, is only a product of war. It's not a cause for war.

Touching, and hopeful, Chang Wufei, but what proof is there that humans have forgot anything or that we are afraid of peace? Certainly, the "enemy" is usually cast in a less-than-human light by leaders and speech-writers, but I don't think humanity as a group agrees with such rhetoric. Also, a vast number of humans seem to love peace, and I think it would be insulting to tell citizens of war-torn countries that they are afraid of it. But perhaps this was directed at a more specific audience...?

Also, there is a simple answer to your last question: because some people love to fight.

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No man is an island...
Each man's death diminishes me,
Because I am involved in Mankind.
And therefore, never send to know
For whom the bell tolls;
It tolls for thee.
—John Donne

Personally, I think it is because we are human that we cannot have peace. Since the days we were kicked out of trhe trees by our stronger cousins, to become the brainy plains apes we are now, we have been fighting over resources that may or may not be scarce. It's hardwired into our nature, and I do not think that ten thousand years of civilization hasa bred this trait out of us.

All it takes is a little hardship to make a pacifist run up the jolly roger and start raiding. It's in our nature, and some of us know this and accomodate for it.

And if the hardship doesn't make the pacifist run up the jolly roger, then natural selection is at work.

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If common sense were common, we would all have it (including me).

I don't see why my position should have any effect on what it is that you have to say.

__________________
Sever the line to the guilty past
To the ones who brought us nothing
Spoke of futures brave and proud
And brought only hate and war.
Lined the roads with hollow praise
Marked the land with paper statues
Shadows fell on their futile ways
And then there was nothing more

So what you're saying is: there's nothing wrong with reaching for peace, but it remains a question of whether or not we're ready for it? Could we sustain it? Why do we not have more pacifistic nations? Right now, we've got the Swiss. And that's about it.

__________________
Sever the line to the guilty past
To the ones who brought us nothing
Spoke of futures brave and proud
And brought only hate and war.
Lined the roads with hollow praise
Marked the land with paper statues
Shadows fell on their futile ways
And then there was nothing more

True enough that humanity does not believe everything they hear. But they are influenced by it to some degree. And while we on an individual level love peace...why do we go to war? If we don't believe the rhetoric, why would we shoot another living human being?

There was a world war one movie that was very graphic for the time. (1930's, I think). It covered a lot about the war, including shell shock and soldiers asking why they fought. One of them asked: Why must we be fighting? I'm just scared to be here. And I bet the poor Tommy (that's slang for British person) is just as scared as I am. But I've never met a Tommy before. I don't hate them, and I don't think he's ever met a German before, so he probably doesn't hate me. Why are we at war at all, if we don't hate each other? We haven't even met!

__________________
Sever the line to the guilty past
To the ones who brought us nothing
Spoke of futures brave and proud
And brought only hate and war.
Lined the roads with hollow praise
Marked the land with paper statues
Shadows fell on their futile ways
And then there was nothing more

I am saying, as a people, both individual and in groups, we are not capable of peace. Evolution holds no place for the non-violent.

See, I told you I'd tie it in.

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If common sense were common, we would all have it (including me).

We always want more, or at the very least, enough. When another (person or society) is perceived as a big enough inhibitor to that goal, conflict results. Depending on the stubbornness or greed of the two sides, the conflict escalates, sometimes to war. Ending greed won't even bring about peace, as sometimes the disagreement is, on both sides, a question of 'enough', such as in a widespread drought.

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Today's forecast: Government corruption.

Tomorrow's forecast: 100% chance of more 'politics as usual'

Maybe it's finally time to vote Libertarian

You can see this anytime you have cattle ranchers and sheep herders in the same area. They will fight (in some cases to the death) to ensure their stock animals have grazing lands. If resources get too scarce to support an entire population, fighting ensues.

This is the reason the precursors to humanity became plains apes in the first place. Not enough forest to go around, and our cousins were the fittest in the game at the time.

Joke's on them, now, but in the next millenia or so, the wheel will turn and we will be forced to adapt, fight, or perish.

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If common sense were common, we would all have it (including me).

simple answer: as long as prevailing identies exist, whether they be religous, cultural, national, ethnic, or any combination thereof, those identities will identify other identities as enemies. simple. show me a ten year period where that is not correct.

I cannot. But my question is: Why do we do it? Why is it so hard to see another human being as just that? Just another human, just like you, equally capable of thinking, just as intelligent, just as good or evil as you or your friend, brother, sister, father, or mother is. Why can we not see this?

The Matrix movie said it best: "We are a virus"

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Anyone who thinks freedom comes cheap, please put the blindfold on and stand against the wall.

Many times I believe Americans will have to take back the country and start a new government.