Passing of another year

Passing of another year (Full Version)

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aviinterra -> Passing of another year (12/26/2006 5:50:33 AM)
" Most of the people detest war and desire peace. A small number, whose accursed happiness always depends upon the misfortune of the common people, want war. Must their inhumanity outweigh the will of so many good people? Look to the past and see that up to now nothing has been definitely established, either by treaties or by family alliances, by force or by vengeance; nothing guarantees against danger so surely as kindness and good will. Wars lead to wars. Vengeance leads to vengeance. Indulgence creates indulgence. Good will invites to good will. Thus those who yield even a small part of their rights will enjoy the greatest consideration." - Querela Pacis ( The Protest of Peace ), Desiderius Erasmus Written in the year 1521, the above quote applies just as much to today as it did during the Renaissance. With this year ending, I am beginning to ask whether we have progressed as much as we all would like to claim- is our superiority to our ancestors indeed so great simply because we have light bulbs and DVDs? Or are all of these things just cultural side notes, and will they exist in a few hundred years, or shall we be a "Dark Age" after which nothing survives but a memory of conflict? For years I have heard how humanity always strives for peace, how in the end we are all good people. I think we are- and Erasmus is right, there are but a few bad seeds in the batch. Why do we lack the willpower to stand up for that which most of us believe in and desire within our hearts? Why can we not put aside our own wants- "even a small part of [our] rights" for a cause that would change all of humanity? I am not naïve, I know it shall not happen- and we shall never be any more than monkeys throwing rocks at each other, because that is all that a bullet or a bomb is- a fancy propelled rock. How sad in an age of such self-proclaimed intelligence. Sorry for this being so long, but I guess I had to release a small part of the disappointment felt every New Year, as I am almost sure that I am not the only one feeling it. Is there anyone out there with answers, or just comments? Do you feel saddened looking at the way things are going in the world around you?

MzMia -> RE: Passing of another year (12/26/2006 8:10:38 AM)
Hello dear, I am not an eloquent speaker...but I will say this. It was the best of times and it was the worst of times. Sums up how I feel about the world today.

Level -> RE: Passing of another year (12/26/2006 9:29:08 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: aviinterra " Most of the people detest war and desire peace. A small number, whose accursed happiness always depends upon the misfortune of the common people, want war. Must their inhumanity outweigh the will of so many good people? Look to the past and see that up to now nothing has been definitely established, either by treaties or by family alliances, by force or by vengeance; nothing guarantees against danger so surely as kindness and good will. Wars lead to wars. Vengeance leads to vengeance. Indulgence creates indulgence. Good will invites to good will. Thus those who yield even a small part of their rights will enjoy the greatest consideration." - Querela Pacis ( The Protest of Peace ), Desiderius Erasmus Written in the year 1521, the above quote applies just as much to today as it did during the Renaissance. With this year ending, I am beginning to ask whether we have progressed as much as we all would like to claim- is our superiority to our ancestors indeed so great simply because we have light bulbs and DVDs? Or are all of these things just cultural side notes, and will they exist in a few hundred years, or shall we be a "Dark Age" after which nothing survives but a memory of conflict? For years I have heard how humanity always strives for peace, how in the end we are all good people. I think we are- and Erasmus is right, there are but a few bad seeds in the batch. Why do we lack the willpower to stand up for that which most of us believe in and desire within our hearts? Why can we not put aside our own wants- "even a small part of [our] rights" for a cause that would change all of humanity? I am not naïve, I know it shall not happen- and we shall never be any more than monkeys throwing rocks at each other, because that is all that a bullet or a bomb is- a fancy propelled rock. How sad in an age of such self-proclaimed intelligence. Sorry for this being so long, but I guess I had to release a small part of the disappointment felt every New Year, as I am almost sure that I am not the only one feeling it. Is there anyone out there with answers, or just comments? *Do you feel saddened looking at the way things are going in the world around you?* emphasis added Yes, the world saddens me. But I try hard to see the positives out there, or else I'd go mad.

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