Hope for peaceful liberty on Earth

(My Eastern New Mexico News column from December 25, 2019- posted in its entirety now that the paper's exclusivity has expired)

Peace on Earth. While it sounds like a wonderful ambition-- and under the right conditions, it would be nice-- not all peace is good.

A cemetery is peaceful. No one is more peaceful than the dead.
People who have given up are peaceful. Why fight against something which has already defeated you.

I'm no pacifist. I don't support unnecessary violence like the kind governments depend on, but I know defensive violence can be necessary.

When I first heard the story of the First World War's "Christmas Truce" between British and German troops, I was touched by the humanity it illustrated. Later in life, I stopped enjoying the tale because I realized the soldiers soon went back to doing the bidding of the politicians. The story has become one of almost unbearable tragedy to me.

Those soldiers experienced peace. They knew it was possible; that to kill and maim each other on behalf of political thugs directing them from afar wasn't necessary. If only they had understood that the war they were fighting would directly cause another world war in a generation or so, with unimaginable horrors and consequences we are still suffering, maybe they would have refused to pick up the fight where they left off.

I'm not saying it's always wrong to fight, but that it is wrong to fight for politicians. If politicians have a problem with politicians in other countries, let them fight it out in person. Leave the rest of us out of it. War is the health of the state and lies are its vitamins.

Governments can create a sort of peace. It's an unhealthy, false peace like the peace of a corpse. Peace enforced at the barrel of guns-- even though the guns are usually hidden and only come into view if you're not the kind of peaceful they like.

Peace is fine as long as it is voluntarily chosen and comes with the liberty to raise a ruckus when necessary.

Liberty is more valuable than peace. Liberty on Earth leads to the right kind of peace. The productive, voluntary kind. Peace which has room for just enough defensive violence to protect liberty and allow peace to flourish again, but no room for aggressive violence.

A few politicians may be fine with peace as long as it doesn't lead to the inconveniences of liberty, but most hunger for aggression and will say anything to get you to want it, too.

Peaceful liberty on Earth; good will to all who keep their hands-- and legislation-- to themselves. Merry Christmas!

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