The Mask of Anarchy

Last year I was reminded of a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley, titled The Mask of Anarchy. It sounded a lot about what I think, and have thought for my six decades. In the 1950s this world was only a decade away from WW2, and the feeling in New Zealand was that we were so pleased that the war was over! Except that Korea happened in the 50s, Vietnam happened in 60s and 70s, Afghanistan, Iran, Israel, Syria, Turkey, Columbia, Falklands, New Guinea, Indonesia, Ireland, Rwanda, China and many, many more wars have been fought for decades. Why? Why are people killed in whatever the fighting is for is called a ‘war’? Which countries can you name which haven’t had any civil or political ‘war’ or protest going on? Do they use weapons?

The USA has been involved in too many wars. Australia follows them. An article written in for PRI in 2014 said that the USA thought that “we are engaged in a very significant global effort to curb terrorist activity... I don't think people need to get into war fever on this. I think they have to view it as a heightened level of counter terrorist activity…” (McGrath, 2014), but why was USA involved in 134 ‘counter terrorist activities’? Read that article. Another website, Our World of Data, is titled “War and Peace” (Max Roser, n.d.). Read it. And the website from EGO European History Online looks at wars which have affected Europe (Purdue, 2016). Read that too. IWM has a webpage titled “Timeline of 20^th and 21^st century wars” (IWM Staff, 2018). It’s a good read. And so many more which you can find by Googling something like “wars fought globally since world war two” or “list of wars after ww2”. (Just a point – any media that charges a subscription should be avoided. There are plenty available without paying what they want.)

In a 2014 Guardian, Steve Taylor’s article was titled “Why do human beings keep fighting wars?” His leader said “Warfare provides people with a semblance of psychological positivity in oppressed societies where other outlets are lacking”. Do you think the same thing? Are you thinking ‘psychologically positively’? That’s no negativity towards Taylor – I absolutely agree with what he said! You should read his last paragraph.

In an article for a website run by the Modern War Institute, writer Stoker quoted Carl von Clausewitz on why war happened: he said “the objective is to overthrow the enemy” and “merely to occupy some of his frontier-districts”. His quote ended with this: ““The political object—the original motive for the war—will thus determine both the military objective to be reached and the amount of effort it requires.” (Stoker, 2019)

So why are people killed in whatever the fighting is for is called a ‘war’? Why are the huge majority of soldiers men? Do women who rule ban wars?  According to Quartz women “must also battle against the assumption that they themselves are passive, weak, or peculiar.” Apparently less than 4% of the leaders of 188 countries were female. Why? The Guardian in July 2017 had an article with comments from women about where women are. These came up:

·         ‘Something’s not working at the moment’, Bridget Christie, comedian

·         ‘Men kill more people than women’, Shazia Mirza, comedian

·         ‘Historically, women in power out-men the men’, Louise Doughty, novelist

·         ‘Women are taking their rightful place as equals’, Caroline Lucas MP, co-leader of Green party

·         ‘Oppression will not cease to exist simply because a woman is in charge’, June Eric-Udorie, editor of intersectional feminism anthology

·         ‘In the peace movement, women are not interested in power over others’, Kate Hudson, general secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

·         ‘Women tend to make more holistic decisions’, Maria Balshaw, director of Tate

·         ‘I can think of some vicious, cruel women who have been in power’, Jane Goodall, primatologist

So, will the world be more peaceful with women leaders?

FP writer Stephen Walt came up with 5 primary reasons that USA goes into war:

1. because we can;
2. the US has no serious enemies;
3. it’s the ‘all-volunteer’ force;
4. it’s the Establishment, Stupid; and
5. Congress has checked out. 

Maybe that’s exactly why Australia simply follows USA.

So how can this globe end war? The Nuclear Age Peace Foundation gave five very good suggestions. David Krieger, the president of this foundation wrote them, and good on him! Very briefly:

1.    Require the leaders who promote and support war to personally participate in the hostilities.

2.    Tell the stories of the children of the “enemy” until we can feel the pain of their deaths as though they were the deaths of our own children.

3.    Give full support to the establishment of an International Criminal Court so that national leaders can be tried for all egregious war crimes at the end of any hostilities.

4.    Impeach any elected leaders who promote or support illegal, preventive war  - an “aggressive” war

5.    Rise up as a people and demand that one’s government follow its Constitution, cut off funding for war and find a way to peace. 

Which country are you living in? Is it a democracy? What do you know about the government? How was it set up? A democratic government works for the people. S/he manages the populations’ funds, properties, land, sea, transport, business, health, employed people, unemployed people… and children. S/he doesn’t endure war. S/he should never be involved in any crime – which is what ‘war’ is. Trade is good, but trade war is not. Encouraging rich people in 10% of the population is against 90% of the population, and s/he should not be in that stance. Economy is good, but economy war is not. No person is a slave. Every person has rights. Look them up!

Brainy Quote has a quote from George Washington, from USA. He said

My first wish is to see this plague of mankind, war, 

banished from the earth.

It would have been so good if anyone took notice of that.

The Mask of Anarchy 
(part of the poem)

Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1819

Stand ye calm and resolute,

Like a forest close and mute,

With folded arms and looks which are

Weapons of unvanquished war.

And if then the tyrants dare,

Let them ride among you there;

Slash, and stab, and maim and hew;

What they like, that let them do.

With folded arms and steady eyes,

And little fear, and less surprise,

Look upon them as they slay,

Till their rage has died away:

Then they will return with shame,

To the place from which they came,

And the blood thus shed will speak

In hot blushes on their cheek:

Rise, like lions after slumber

In unvanquishable number!

Shake your chains to earth like dew

Which in sleep had fallen on you:

Ye are many—they are few!

Men of England, heirs of Glory,

Heroes of unwritten story,

Nurslings of one mighty Mother,

Hopes of her, and one another!

What is Freedom? Ye can tell

That which Slavery is too well,

For its very name has grown

To an echo of your own

Let a vast assembly be,

And with great solemnity

Declare with measured words, that ye

Are, as God has made ye, free.

The old laws of England—they

Whose reverend heads with age are grey,

Children of a wiser day;

And whose solemn voice must be

Thine own echo—Liberty!

Rise, like lions after slumber

In unvanquishable number!

Shake your chains to earth, like dew

Which in sleep had fallen on you:

Ye are many—they are few!