With all the talk of the Anzac spirit, acknowledgement of heroism and remembrance of past struggle what effort is going into preventing future wars? We know some causes and exacerbating factors - too many people struggling over too few resources, unequal distribution of those resources, increasing population, religious and ideological conflicts, those in power wanting to keep and expand their power and those out of power wanting to gain power. Do some of us really want war to give meaning to our lives? How many wars have our leaders deliberately put us into? Can we act rationally to attack the causes of war? Do we want to?

David f my first thought was I do not like this thread.
But then I remembered and re read it.
Anzac day, good memory's and bad come.
After returning home from ww1 with crippling injury's and a VC an Aussie HERO had a woman hand him a white feather publicly on a bus.
That generation saw dreadful acts from some women.
Or [hope she still feels shame] the dreadful woman who hurled red paint on a returning Vietnam veteran and called him a baby murderer.
Anzac day remember the acts of our country best,death suffering and horrible things.
I am proud of the efforts of every one alive or dead.
It is not glorifying war but warning us about it.
Telling us to be aware how bad it was is and will be.
World peace is a wonderful dream we all should do every thing we can to get it.
But forgetting the past, being the first to lay our weapons down,will not stop war,just hasten the next one.

Dear Belly,

There was no mention of unilateral disarmament in my post. To argue against unilateral disarmament when it was not suggested is setting up a straw man. I mentioned some of the contributing factors toward war and questioned whether some of us actually want war.

I certainly did not argue that unilateral disarmament is a rational act to attack the causes of war. However, we can ask how many and what kind of arms do we need. We can recognise that armament races can lead to war.

Why did you argue against unilateral disarmament when it wasn’t suggested?

You mentioned two dreadful women – one who handed a veteran a white feather and the other who called a returning Vietnam veteran a baby murderer. You also wrote: “I am proud of the efforts of every one alive or dead.” I doubt that you are proud of the acts of those women.

In war as in peace some act well and some act poorly.

Some soldiers may be there simply because they can’t avoid it. People’s memory fade. My father was in the Czarist army in WW1. He hated the czar and the Leninist government that followed. I was taken aback when I heard him proudly say, “When I fought for the czar-“

Soldiers in any army bond with their mates. In WW1 there was a soldier’s song, “We’re here because we’re here.” Sometimes that’s all it’s about. Others have made the decision that they should be there, and they didn't ask if they need to be there.

Some use Anzac Day to ride their own hobby horses. Australian Christian Lobby head Jim Wallace on twitter said that Anzacs did not fight for Islam or gay marriage. Of course they didn’t nor were they fighting against it. It is Wallace’s hobby horse, and I am not proud of him for using Anzac Day to push it. His words caused me to start the thread.

I still ask if we can act rationally to attack the causes of war and if we want to.

im still fighting other wars
on two other topics

its both sad and despairing that belly
has bought the spin..indeed made it worse by saying he backs every bit of it

thats not good belly
they claim the right to sin
in your name..meaning your to blame

how can one as seemingly good as you
support the murdering of children..[unionists and non union]
friend and enama..

war is for those who love to murder
its all about killing our youth..
destrying that others built

its kill or be killed..
there is no skill in killing
there is plenty to be ashamed of
and not a lot of which to be 'proud'

thats like accepting your team
wether its right or wrong..your putting credit..

where only shame does belong

look my good friend
say i come to your house
bomb it into the dust..rape your wife
destroy your trust

think of the vile done in your name
and then your feeling pride?

just for the killing
war is a shame

its not you that is to blame
but those claiming to be doing the thinking for you
chosing who will die or live..for a hill in the middle of nowhere

oh belly i weep that you feel proud
you bought the spin...

to kill
is a mortal sin

i will weep for you
when you get sent to die in a futile war
when your kids go off to die..i will even then still cry

mate war is hell
let the leaders go and fight
too many kids have died..and you think thats allright

Well we can vote more anti-war candidates into federal parliament next election, that is a good way to go about it;

We could lobby for binding CIR (that's the reason Switzerland has remained neutral for so long).

Sitting around and hoping somebody swoops down to rescue us from ourselves is nothing but a lazy gesture, when simply changing our own conduct is actually very easy.

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/14633 might be of interest on this subject. It's by a New Zealand Anglican priest and called "Easter and Anzac: Worshipping the gods of war."