Friday, April 28, 2006
Patriotism - A Double Edged Sword
"Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of warreached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has 'closed', the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all their rights unto the leader and gladly so.
How do I know? For this is what I have done. AND I AM CAESAR."
- Julius Caesar -
As I read this quote I couldn't help but think about Israel and American tactics to convince their people that their actions are justified. Patriotism, is a double edged sword. I am proud to be Palestinian but not at the expense of lives lost, and I feel that if the rest of the world just thought this way, then we wouldn't have a problem.
Again, I want to bring up a conversation I had, but this time with a Palestinian guy living in Jerusalem who got upset at me because I was upset over the suicide bombing in Tel Aviv just awhile ago... I thought to myself, ok... I feel sorry for everyone killed, even the Palestinin boy who thought that that was the solution. I can't believe this guy was saying that I should support the bombing, I don't and I will never. Its not the solution. If we are going to go to full fledge war with Israel, this random once in a while Kamikazi style bombing isn't the solution, duh... I am not for violence, but logically, if we are going to go to war, which we can't becuase uhhh, with what?? Home made bombs and our archaic rifles, pulease people... My fellow palestinians have to wake up.
Either, we go to REAL WAR (impossible in my opinion) or we do it peacefully... And when I suggested we do it peacefully, and gave suggestions, he couldn't talk to many any longer and said to me, well, we will talk another time. BYE.
-ok... confused... I know a lot of people are against violence but there are still a few minority, basically the stupid ones who dont SEE the BIG picture... I am trying to show them its different.
Can you guys help me make a list of things we can do here in palestine to help progress the peace process... How can we demonstrate that we do not want occupation any longer without resorting to violence?
3 comments:
The quote, while interesting, is a fake. It has variously been attributed to both Caesar and Shakespear. Neither is the author.
Palestinians will win when they take the moral high ground through nonviolent resistance. Worked in India.
Palestines problems are many and deep. The ongoing civil war between Hamas and Fatah is only going to escalate until only one remains. Until then, peace is a pipedream.
Yes, the Caesar 'quote' is a well documented myth.
But Lucy, the blogger, is trying to do what you're suggesting, win by non-violence, which was worth an airing I thought.
Maybe it's not a quote from Caesar or Shakespeare, but somebody wrote it and it's a good one. When all the fighting and dying is over, the two sides in any argument have to sit down and negotiate peace. So much simpler to go straight to this and avoid all the bloodshed.
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