Ojnab, thanks for your comment. It mirrors your despair and mine and our concern for the world.

When we get the kind of comments that Bazzzzzzzzzzzzz and Joe and Bigmouth continuously writes, I feel like giving up altogether. Peace will never come while the world has divisions caused by religion, racism, capitalism, inequality of wealth, imperialism, etc.

You are right. OLO is a microcosm of the world at large and its many divisions.

The world we live in now will continue to deteriorate until nuclear war and the madness of men ends human existence.

>> * Muhammad only taught the religion of Islam, but his followers bundled it in his name after his death (thus without his knowledge and consent) with their violent agenda. They also falsified the historical records, claiming that Muhammad was himself violent as they.<<

Please verify the above... that statement flies in the face of accepted history. If what you say is true why hasn't anyone else raised it by now? What's your source, or did you just pluck it out of your mind?

* Should the lovers of Muhammad find the truth, they will be quick to drop the package and embrace the original teachings of Muhammad alone.

Says who? Dropping the package is blasphemy in Islam. Where does one go to find 'the original teachings of Muhammad' if not the Koran? One of the strongest arguments Muslims use to confirm the Koran is valid word of Muhammad, is that it is written in the original language of Mohammad and unlike the Bible, has never been altered.

>> Many do so already, but quietly. According to your second alternative, they are either ignorant or in denial - but what if they simply want to stay out of trouble? What if they claim to embrace the whole package only because they wisely prefer to live in the shade and not lose their life and limb in the hands of their extremist "brothers"? <<

Isn't that what the Catholics were doing in Nazi Germany? Not speaking up in order to save their own skin. What kind of morals is that? Change can only be brought about when people speak out, join together, and demand change. Hiding in the corner will only perpetuate the problem.

Yuyutsu, you would make a terrible lawyer.

"Peace will never come while the world has divisions caused by religion, racism, capitalism, inequality of wealth, imperialism, etc."

I don't see communism on your list. The communists tried redistributing the wealth but most of it went back into the military budget.

The sad thing is power corrupts; society needs some form of control which ultimately requires putting faith into some form of political system. Politicians start off idealistic but even the best either succumbs to corruption or is usurped by the others. Even the Greens would suffer the same fate; and we've seen examples of how socialists can quickly evolve into fascist dictatorships.

I'm stumped. Can you please provide some suggestions for a practical and do-able solution for the real world. How do we set about undoing the division caused by religion, racism, capitalism, inequality of wealth etc?

David and Onbaj,

My last paying job, at 61, was milking. 280 beautiful Friesians at a brand-new Aboriginal diary, built in 2002, now closed. 'Price of milk was too low', although free water, free labour, no rates to pay (Aboriginal land) or land repayments, only about half the cost of the dairy to pay thanks to the dairy reconstruction scheme of Howard's.

I did ten years in factories, Metters, Arnotts, Balfours, Noon Pies, in meat-works, and more years in farm-work. I suspect that neither of you have every dirtied your hands and you were appalled when I suggested that Anjob go fruit-picking. In management roles maybe ?

I suppose it's easier to be a Goth - 'It's all so hard, so pointless, why do we live, nuclear war is coming, what's the use, woe is us.' Winkers Anc.

BTT: Since this war is mainly ideological, with nothing to do with poverty or victimisation, it will have to be complemented by a VERY long-term ideological struggle between the values of desert clans and the values of the post-Enlightenment. With Goths somewhere in the middle, getting in the way.

Joe

The answer is simple, CH. We need to return to the hive mentality.

Yeah, insects that have been surviving for centuries don't embrace the 'Me First' capitalist philosophy. They work to ensure the hive survives. Each insect in the hive works at his or her allotted task. Individuality is subsumed by the hive ethos.

Humans instead embrace the 'Me First' doctrine. Each human competes with every other human. The way that human society works is that those who get rich, then obscenely rich, are elevated and live lives of luxury. The rest of society struggles.

We need to build a cooperative society, where everyone enjoys the benefits and no one gets to grab hold of a lion's share of the world's resources. Such people should be done away with because they are greedy and don't belong to the bulk of society. They are parasites!

Cooperation, sharing, caring for others, these are things that are anathema to our modern world where the law of the jungle and 'might-is-right' prevails.

Next time you read about the lavish pursuits of a billionaire, curse him or her. They are enjoying your share of the world pie and that of many millions of suffering others.

Joe Loudmouth, please get in the real world, having passed a person sleeping on cement last night I am appalled at your comment, there are millions throughout the world doing just that, as for your fruit picking comment I come from a farming family which included shearing sheep , orchard and milking cows, all I can say to you is " Get a Life" I hate to say also, but you must be a prick of a person only concerned with self and your own ego.