He talked a lot about some of the strategy employed by the British army which he was a part of, the bombings, the reckless disregard for life, as long as it meant victory, even if only temporary. I really admired this guy not only for being willing to talk about his experience but also just because he lived through it, he was a part of the greatest human travesty the world has ever known.
Some of his opinions on the current state of the world got me thinking that those opinions he expressed today are a product of his experiences with war 60 to 70 years ago. War isn't exactly something that gives you faith in humanity, in my opinion it's the product of a wasted human heart that has no capacity to reason with love, it only reasons with self righteousness, lust, and hatred.
After we finished talking i got thinking about the effect of that war not only on those involved but the entire generation that lived through it. The opinions on global issues and the outlook on the world as a whole changed with war. I think it's only natural that when generations grow up with war they can't see the world clearly let alone their place in it.
The main thing i took from talking to this guy was how profound the impact of war on individuals can be. After i thought about it a little more Strike Anywhere's song "Chalkline" popped into my head, particularly the end, where Thomas yells "Watch us grow up to war...no more". If we want to see the world in a more hope full way we need to find a way to diminish the corroding effect that the world around us can have on our lives. Otherwise we'll keep running around with bloodshot, rage filled eyes, looking for next scapegoat, when we live this way somebody has to pay.
Chalkline isn't so much about what i was talking about above, it's more about the boundaries we're forced to live in, the false beauty and the symbols that control so much of this society. It doesn't speak exactly to what I'm saying but i think it's easily relataeble.
"Chalkline"
We see the billboard girl the one devoted to ritual standing in the rain holding all of her pain inside I know you're hurting now but I can't point my finger at the words I should or shouldn't say anything to take the pain away to walk alone on the streets tonight and fear nothing to choose to love what we are in this life and shine brighter don't let the crosses and dollar signs the symbols of man unkind make you feel that you're not real all this time walk out out of the shadows we see the lines in chalk the warning sign for where we walk in the shadows of the cities maze to try and fight for better days yeah we're ungrateful yeah we're ungrateful for holy books, religious men values of beauty, original sin all this time we unwind it i won't give up, I'm not afraid Resister go as long as it takes to reverse the hypocrisy challenge the stakes of safety and survival at the heart of women's voices women's art to walk alone on the streets tonight and fear nothing to choose to love what we are in this life all that matters don't let the crosses and dollar signs the symbols of man unkind . . . I won't give up through all this time walk out out of the shadows if we take our strength to market to trade for their ugly beauty watch us grow up to war no more
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