SIR GUESTLING THORN

 On the days that I write this missive there is always some tragedy, fight, political mess, corruption, injustice and many other wrongs that I cannot help myself from commenting on. I suppose, had the mediums we use now, been available throughout history, it would have been no different, every day some tragic story or event would merit reporting. The world has never been a peaceful place, never mind the damage nature can wrought we humans seem to be unable to live in peace! The reasons are obvious and continues to be the same ones repeated time and time again as though we would have learnt nothing from those first hand accounts that history might have blogged about. For me the past shows we get to a saturation point of one type of civilisation and then it implodes or can no longer cope with it’s own momentum. I think we have or are rapidly reaching that point. I can honestly say that personally I have never been better off or more comfortable and although we have a few problems, mainly physical, we have few worries. Generally the planet is more peaceful than at any time in it’s history, we have thus far since WW2 managed to avoid any major conflicts, even though there have been a number of wars, many of which have been started by the West apparently in the name of peace or against terrorism? It is ironic that those countries which purport to protect peace have been responsible for so much violence, at a cost both monetary and in human lives that is beyond imagination. Hopefully we have learnt that our interference has proved, to only make a bigger mess of the situation even if it has curbed aggression and removed some very nasty dictators. We have tired of mobilising our forces to take on more “peace” keeping, we no longer have the resources either militarily or can afford such folly! The last 40 years have seen many battles that we are no longer prepared to fight, fatigued and with no family, rightly, willing to risk their loved ones lives on what seems to be a fruitless task. My youngest son was in the Army for 8 years and although he never saw combat or went anywhere dangerous, he can tell you of the heartache and tragedy that affects everyone connected. When there was a possibility that he would go to Afghanistan, we tried to be sanguine and accepting of the situation after all he was a soldier but the worry and fear of what could happen was ever present, fortunately it did not happen. 

I have no answers, never have, am not well informed enough to understand all the subtleties of the situations but from an ordinary observer and I hope a man with some common sense, it seems to me that the motives for most violence is never as simple as it is often portrayed and is motivated by greed, wealth, religion, power and they fear of losing the supplies that keep all of those things going. Occasionally  it is for genuine humanitarian reasons but think of the many times the West has declined to help because there is nothing that they need to protect for themselves! 

Stay well