wartime

i had a very interesting conversation about wartime with the guy that i'm dating over dinner last night. you know when you're really comfortable with someone when you can talk about war and violence over indian food, let me tell ya. our conversation was very timely, for there are several things going on in regards to wartime and conflict.

as most people probably know, four US contractors were killed in Falluja, Iraq. When I first heard this, over dinner no less, I was more than shocked. I wasn't shocked or angry at the Iraqi people or even those who carried out this brutal attack, but shocked at what drives humans to do such things to each other. when things like this happen, i wonder a lot about human nature and what we are truly capable of. though i would like to think that everyone is good, and i still do believe that, there is some part of me that is continually amazed at what horror we are capable of. what also comes to my mind is what people must be driven to in order to carry out that horror. i have been against the war in iraq since the beginning and still stand by that position. i think that deep down inside, i'm a pacifist (though i'd hate to admit it or give it that label just because to most people, it just seems so outlandish). so, has my opinion changed because of recent actions? not really. i think that the united states, a country that i love, had made many, and is continually making, wrong decisions in regards to international relations (look at the kyoto treaty or any other international proclamation or treaty). the united states, or more rather those in charge of running the united states, is too high on its ego to realize that the world hates us. rather, i think that's slightly incorrect. i think that we know the world hates us, but we don't care. and that's a sad, sad thing.

though lots of people may know about the incident in iraq, not a lot may be aware of the ten years that has passed since the rwandan genocide. for those interested, bbc has this amazing section looking back on what happened in rwanda and what the current situation in that country is like today. i first became interested in rwanda while taking an ethics and leadership class at berkeley. then, it was brought up in my international ethics and justice course and i read the book, We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families: Stories from Rwanda. the rwandan genocide, largely ignored by most of the world until it was too late, is an amazing lesson in the possibilities of human nature. much like falluja, rwanda makes me wonder what drives people, not just one person, to such passion that they would do unimaginable things to other human beings.

i don't know what the purpose of this post is or was. i don't mean to shock people or make them think that they're terribile people because they are not aware of what is happening. rather, i mean to just inform. granted, it may be a biased or uneducated information that i am doling out, but information nonetheless. take it with a grain of salt or a teaspoon of sugar.