Wage Peace

[wildernesse]

So, the other week when I went to the Eyes Wide Open exhibit, I picked up a button that says "Wage Peace". I've only recently begun to think about what it means in everyday life to embrace peace and nonviolence, and I chose the button because it seemed to tie into the rambly little bits that have been floating around in my head.

What does that phrase--wage peace--mean to you? Is it meaningless? For me, it is bordering on the edge of nonsense--but I'm hoping to give it sense and form soon. Maybe you can help me with that.

(I ended up writing some about what "radical" living looks like to me in trying to make a sensible post here--but I don't know if that, in the end, is either here or there. What "radical" looks like is another thought that's forming for me. But, I think it might have to save itself for later.)

[Socratoad]

Your are touching upon a subject very close to my heart. I have been pondering and scribbling notes about just this subject for quite a long time.

And no it certainly is not a silly idea or any other such dismissive nomenclature.

Just because it does not compute in the minds of many leads me to speculate on the sanity of many societies .... the pathology of the norm.

Dog knows the opposite certainly does not work. Is not one definition of insanity mean "
repeating the same old thing over and over and over again, and yet every time expecting different results? :chin:

[livius drusus]

That's a really interesting question, wildy. I can't say I've ever thought of wage peace means to me. I seem to have a some kind of cliche or slogan-blocking devise in my brain which ensures I never think about anything I've seen on a bumper sticker. (Unless it's funny.)

My first idea is that I need to think about what exactly wage war means; what's in the waging, so to speak. After that, I'm not sure. I gots me some thinking to do before I post for real here.

[Socratoad]

Wildy, two of my favourite buttons were: "Wage Peace not War" and the other one was "Hate is not a Family Value" I gave these buttons away and a whole lot of others ones to two young woman friends of mine before they went away to different universities on two different continents. Needless to say both these young protégés of mine are studying subjects related to the world of creatures. :yup:

I'm sort of a third rate Dr. Leaky and they are my Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey .... or at least that is how I try to fool myself into thinking :chin:

PS: Sorry to have wandered off-topic Wildy. My mind really needs some self-discipline.

[Dingfod]

Wage peace? That's what I'm happy with how much money I'm being paid. :yup:

[viscousmemories]

I've never thought it was anything more than a catchy play on "wage war" suggesting that the reader consider a peaceful solution instead.

[Socratoad]

I've never thought it was anything more than a catchy play on "wage war" suggesting that the reader consider a peaceful solution instead.

Well it is actually, but the term is generally meant to actively promote peace on every front, not just the usual passive or even disinterest in war.

PS: In my own interpretation of the term I think of it as not merely the opposition to war, but also working to both understand and remove the injustices etc that are the underlying causes of most wars.

[wildernesse]

Thanks for all the replies so far, everyone! (Yes, even you, silly warrenly!)

I do think that the catchy slogan bit causes people to dismiss the concept behind the words. And I agree that we can look at what waging war looks like in order to see what types of mobilization and mindsets could possibly be changed in order for peacefulness to be "waged".

What I'm tending towards is not necessarily just the consideration of the alternative to war--since once you are toe to toe, then you've gone too far for preventative measures--but the idea of actively promoting peace. But what does this look like--and what are the implications on day to day living?

I think I'm avoiding thinking too hard about it, since it means I might have to do stuff that makes me uncomfortable.

[Dingfod]

To carry my silliness one step further, I like the bumper sticker "Think Whirled Peas".

[livius drusus]

Okay, so these are at least some of the basic elements of waging war that I could think of:


a declaration, whether it's formal and diplomatic or a rousing speech
funding, ranging from scoring a gun and joining the revolution, to a few million in appropriations, to full-on wartime economies complete with rationing and metal scrap collection drives
personnel, you need people to wage war, to fight it, to process it, to argue for it
weapons, enough for all the personnel

There are a shitload more, of course, but I think you're right wildy that waging peace would require more genuine, far-reaching structural changes when taken to heart than, say, making love not war.

I don't think I'm capable of it, frankly. :(