What in the world is happening?
One of my favourite music albums of all time is the late
great Motown legend, Marvin Gaye’s “What’s going on”. As a teenager obsessed and in awe with the Detroit
sound and artist base, Gaye’s lyrics hit me between the shoulder blades and
their effect hasn't minimised over the years.
Barely a day goes by when his lyrics are not activated in my
thinking by news of yet another war.
Mother, mother
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today – Ya
There's too many of you crying
Brother, brother, brother
There's far too many of you dying
You know we've got to find a way
To bring some lovin' here today – Ya
Father, father
We don't need to
escalate
You see, war is not
the answer
For only love can
conquer hate
You know we've got to
find a way
To bring some lovin'
here today
Picket lines and
picket signs
Don't punish me with
brutality
Talk to me, so you
can see
Oh, what's going on
What's going on
Ya, what's going on
Ah, what's going on
In the mean time
Right on, baby
Right on
Right on
Father, father,
everybody thinks we're wrong
Oh, but who are they
to judge us
Simply because our
hair is long
Oh, you know we've
got to find a way
To bring some
understanding here today
Oh
Picket lines and
picket signs
Don't punish me with
brutality
Talk to me
So you can see
What's going on
Ya, what's going on
Tell me what's going
on
I'll tell you what's
going on - Uh
Right on baby
Right on baby
Despite the millions of lives taken
throughout the world, humanity has learned little from it.
Regardless of one’s personal
stance regarding war or ones political persuasion, we are engulfed by it, at an
unprecedented level in world history. Half of Syria’s population (3 million) is now currently
displaced. Refugees wander from nation to nation and the aggressors claim no
geographical sovereignty, but a religious superiority, beholden and responsible to no governement
We live in an age when ones freedom to
live is being eroded by the faceless act of terrorism. It discriminates against
all humanity, all races and all creeds. It has respect for no life, not even
their own. The boundaries of nationalism have no bearing, neither do international laws. Everyone of us, are is in this together and to quote ― Edmund Burke “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
Statistics from July 2014, confirm that
conflicts around the world change daily, and are on the increase with each
year. Whilst there is a common denominator in almost ALL of these conflicts,
the media rarely reports it. I believe we have a responsibility to arrive at an
informed decision.
It is hard to define WAR, as it is
difficult to determine what constitutes one. Is it the number of casualties,
deaths, damage, time and duration, geography or semantics? Below is a list of
present conflicts, (not including today’s news reel).
WARS (1000+ battle-related deaths in
year):
Syria
Afghanistan
Iraq
Pakistan
Nigeria
D.R. Congo
South Sudan
Israel/Gaza
Ukraine
Libya
SERIOUS ARMED CONFLICTS (200-999+
battle-deaths in year)
Central African Republic
India
Mali
The Philippines
Russia
Somalia
OTHER ARMED CONFLICTS (fewer than 200
battle-deaths in year)
Algeria
Colombia
D.R. Congo (Katanga, in addition to
conflict listed above)
Ethiopia (2 conflicts)
India (2 others in addition to Maoist
conflict listed above)
Malaysia
Mozambique
Burma (Myanmar) (3 conflicts)
Pakistan (Balochistan, in addition to
conflict listed above)
Philippines (second armed group in
addition to the conflict listed above)
Thailand
Turkey
Uganda
United States (global war on terror)
Sudan
Yemen
Father, father,
everybody thinks we're wrong
Oh, but who are they
to judge us
Simply because our
hair is long
Oh, you know we've
got to find a way
To bring some
understanding here today
Oh
