Why we wage war. The true nature of power and how we can refuse to be part of the violence.

Why we wage war. The true nature of power and how we can refuse to be part of the violence.

This is a video of what I think is the most powerful and accurate speech about what war is really about since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his speech in 1967 on the racist/classist nature of the Vietnam war.  Many believe MLK’s “Beyond Vietnam” speech given exactly one year to the day before his assassination was the keystone speech leading to his murder.  Dr. King pointed out that the war wasn’t about ideology, it was about greed — and that we were being fooled into feeding the greed of the super-elite (the “war and rebuilding” profiteers) by illusions of separateness — that we were fighting each other in the streets over racism when the enemy was violence itself and those who profit from it.

Listen and be inspired — be inspired not only about the truth of the message and its call to all of us to take personal responsibility, but for the overriding message to carry this personal responsibility into EVERYTHING we do.  War, the destruction of the planet, cruelty to animals, the trampling of human rights, these are all being driven by greed.  The tools of public manipulation to feed that greed are the same — the illusion of disconnection.  Whether we’re fooled and corrupted by racism, classism, speciesism, or militarism — the illusion of separateness fuels violence.

The other key point of this speech (and of Dr. King’s speech… and of Nonviolence United for that matter) is that of the nature of power.  Power isn’t taken from us; it is given by us.  The state of the world isn’t being done TO us; it is being done BY us.  The power is in OUR hands.  We can refuse to obey, refuse to be submissive, refuse to be oppressive, and refuse to support violent industries (including war).  WE have the power and NO ONE can force us to be part of violence, injustice, and cruelty.

Your fellow humans are not the enemy.  The enemy is violence.  Refuse to be a part of it in any way.  Reconnect with YOUR true values of kindness, justice, and compassion and refuse to hurt other people, the planet, and animals.  The power is in your hands.  We’re all in this together.

All one,