Opinion/Who is afraid of Peace and Diplomacy?
“Them war profit boys are squawking and balking, that’s what’s got me out here walking and talking. […] If we fix it so you can’t make money on a war, we’ll all forget what we’re killing folks for.” — Woody Guthrie.
The introductory quote caught my attention in a comment by MEP Mick Wallace in the European Parliament:
“[…] many years ago the great American singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie said, ‘if we fix it so you can’t make money on a war, we’ll all forget what we’re killing folks for’. War is a money racket. Lobbyists for the military industrial complex are wearing out the carpets in Brussels promoting war, promoting debt. The war in Ukraine is not a war for democracy. It’s just one more imperialist war with the less privileged dying in their thousands and thousands.
Why are our politicians promoting war? War is ugly. War is stupid. Whatever happened to our desire for peace? Where do we think this is going? There was a time when we had a different approach. There was a time when we weren’t so subservient to the military industrial complex or to US imperialism. What’s gone damn wrong with us? You keep talking about being worried about the European Union. Well, listen, if you are so worried about [the European Union] start working for peace and stop promoting war.” — Mick Wallace (The Left).
The Woody Guthrie reference is from a song he wrote for Stetson Kennedy as Kennedy was running for governor of Florida in 1952:
Stetson Kennedy (words by Woody Guthrie)
“I done spent my last three cents. Mailing my letter to the president. I didn’t make a show, I didn’t make a dent. So I’m swinging over to this independent gent. Stetson Kennedy. Writing his name in.
I cain’t win out to save my soul. Long as Smathers-Dupont’s got me in the hole. Them war profit boys are squawking and balking. That’s what’s got me out here walking and talking. Knocking on doors and windows. Wake up and run down election morning. And scribble in Stetson Kennedy.
I ain’t the world’s best writer nor the world’s best speller. But when I believe in something I’m the loudest yeller. If we fix it so’s you can’t make money on war. We’ll all forget what we’re killing folks for. We’ll find us a peace job equal and free. Dump Smathers-Dupont in a salty sea. Well, this makes Stetson Kennedy the man for me.”
The following passage really resonates with me:
Them war profit boys are squawking and balking. That’s what’s got me out here walking and talking. Knocking on doors and windows. Wake up and run down election morning. And scribble in Stetson Kennedy.
I ain’t the world’s best writer nor the world’s best speller. But when I believe in something I’m the loudest yeller. If we fix it so’s you can’t make money on war. We’ll all forget what we’re killing folks for. We’ll find us a peace job equal and free.
The current political consensus on the Russia/Ukraine conflict resembles a jingoist racket that successfully stifles and cancels any voices that are not in line. The only alternative for anyone who believes in peace and diplomacy is to follow Guthrie’s advice, and become its “loudest yeller” and proponent. After all, we can’t expect people who profit from war to deprive themselves of the extravagant rewards. They are the ones most afraid of peace and diplomacy as they have the most to lose in that case.