Saturday 9th August

When I was a young man I sincerely believed that our generation would do things differently.  Make Love – Not War was the slogan.  Peace, man and all that nonsense.   And that sixties idealism lasted for quite a long  time.  But lately I despair.  Is this just the effects of age; a tiredness with the world or is it a realisation that War, like hunger and disease is ever-present.  We all thought that after Vietnam the Americans would shy away from any more wars.  After Iraq too, there was this feeling of universal revulsion.  But now the Americans are going back into Iraq.  Or not quite, they will be on a humanitarian mission to protect Christians being slaughtered by ISIS.   But we know how these things progress, fighter planes will have to be flown to protect the aid-drops, and then if ISIS continue their ruthless rampage how will we be able to protect those people then except by fighting ISIS.

Gaza is on the brink of erupting again too with Hamas not settling for a cease-fire unless the cruel blockade of Gaza is lifted.  And maybe most dangerous of all is the escalation with Russia now banning imports of European food for a year.   Will the West escalate and ban more Russian goods and so on, tit for tat until we find ourselves at virtual if not actual war with Russia.

So, are we condemned to constant wars, is every generation going to suffer the same senseless killing?  Let us hope not.  I hope not, but lately that hope is being sorely tested.