Bonjour!
I’ve decided to tackle one of the biggest, thorniest, issues regarding the possibility further human Evolution, in this first edition. WAR. For the moment, let’s deal with the modern side effects of war. In addition to the normal issues of population displacement, rape, massive destruction of property and culture; did you know that:
There are over 600 military sites in the U.S. which are Superfund sites.1 Superfund sites are sites that have been contaminated by harmful waste products; to the point where the cleanup will take lots of time and money. Sometimes the military bases are fully functioning with soldiers training on site, and developing long term health problems as a result, including Cancer and Leukemia. Then the site goes onto an EPA list. Sometimes the sites are reused for other Federal purposes. All kinds of poisons are present. Hundreds, including Arsenic and Benzene. As there are almost 800 U.S. military bases around the world, I’m sure there are many more Superfund sites, scattered about the globe.
According to the EPA, these sites are to be cleaned up ‘realistically’, within 7-8 years of being listed. 2 During that time, there is considerable damage being done to the soil, groundwater and the environment in general. This goo remains in groundwater for GENERATIONS!
Veterans.
I recall the country pretty much washing it’s hands of returning Veterans as far back as the Vietnam War. Casualties, drug addiction, shell shock, PTSD, Agent Orange exposure, which is directly connected to autoimmune problems among many others. It can ALSO pass Spina Bifida along to any child born to a man or woman who was exposed.3
They had served their usefulness. The V.A. system is a disaster, and housing is hard to come by, especially if suffering from an illness of any kind. Not that homelessness for veterans is anything new, and can be traced back to the post-Civil War era. However, in the Vietnam era, 44.9% of veterans who served were homeless. Around 2,700,000 people served in that war. There are less than half that number serving today. Perhaps the difference was the Draft? Increasing mechanisation of the military? This is probably true in other countries, but U.S. wars INEVITABLY create homeless veterans. Without a doubt.
Then we have the untold (truly) story of the living hell we continue to inflict on other people, perhaps because they live in a strategic location, which we must control, because of course - There Must Always Be War… Or maybe it’s because their country sits on something valuable… Or maybe it’s fear... Though I don’t see how one country can completely surround the globe with military bases, has an INSANE stockpile of weapons (military AND civil); can say with a straight face that they are ‘afraid’. That’s like 2 cops with tasers, batons and guns, shooting the prisoner in the back seat; who was already restrained, hand and wrist; because ‘they feared for their lives’.
Weird logic that!
Meanwhile, other women’s children are dying. People who, just like the rest of us, can’t help where they were born. Who really only want to mind their own business. With OLD cultures and traditions, and who don’t need to be told how to live, by younger nations. Especially when that unwanted ‘advice’ comes with guns, bombs, chaos: brought by people who basically only care because there is something under their soil that we want. I mean think about it. If Africa were barren, with no riches for the West, do you REALLY THINK that there would be ‘humanitarian’ efforts, Africom, and China building Airports and Roads? Hahaha!
WHY??? For Lithium? More Gas and Oil, so we can finish pushing us well past the environmental tipping point? Worldwide domination? Because you ‘Just don’t like’ something about them… colour? Religion? <topic for another day> Yes, I get that we are a young species in terms of the life of this planet and most other living things on it. However, we are the most destructive; to the point where I mainly think of us humans as Parasites. Some are less harmful than others, but we are parasitic beings all the same. Think about it. We still put bodies in lead lined coffins! Heaven forbid, that after our lives are over, we could actually be beneficial to the place that kept us alive for x amount of years! We take and take. There is no reciprocity in our relationship to or with Mother Earth. We pump her dry, of gas, oil and water. We chop down her forests for industrial farming or to build McMansions or for Palm Oil. We chase the few actual Caretakers of the land, off of it because ‘Thar’s GOLD in That Thar Rainforest’ See what’s happening in the Amazon with the Oil Companies? ‘Ooopsie’ pipeline breaks, IN THE RIVER that the Natives wind up cleaning!
We HAVE to figure this out, or I fear we are on an evolutionary treadmill. What’s wrong with us? Why do we seem to have a deep seated need to annihilate each other? We make up the most ridiculous reasons for doing so. I guess, warfare and theft is much easier than thinking differently… LIVING differently. Can’t we, in the 21st Century, find another way to operate? Is this who we are and who we will ever be? Too bad. I’m pretty sure, that if we stopped doing WAR as a number 1 priority, we MIGHT ACTUALLY MOVE A SMIDGE toward taking a baby step, towards the beginning of the path to jump starting the evolutionary process. How can we stop an industrial meat problem, when we can’t/won’t even stop killing each other?
I’d REALLY love to read your thoughts on this subject. It’s certainly of extreme importance and the first steps to change is communication and understanding.
PS - The U.S. military budget could cover healthcare for probably the entire world! Especially if we stop blowing each other up!
Anyway, have a great day everyone!
PS - This platform works a lot better if you can comment. For One Month, it costs about the same as one Jamaican High Mountain Blue Grande Latte Super Special!
TTFN
G.