“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower, speech, American Society of Newspaper Editors, 16 April 1953.
“The problem in defense is how far you can go without destroying from within what you are trying to defend from without.” - Dwight D. Eisenhower.
“War will exist until that distant day when the conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that the warrior does today. “ - John F. Kennedy.
“I couldn't help but say to [Mr. Gorbachev], just think how easy his task and mine might be in these meetings that we held if suddenly there was a threat to this world from another planet. [We'd] find out once and for all that we really are all human beings here on this earth together.” - Ronald Reagan, 1985.
“The basic problems facing the world today are not susceptible to a military solution.” - John F. Kennedy.
“I have never advocated war except as a means of peace.” - Ulysses S. Grant.
“I recoil with horror at the ferociousness of man. Will nations never devise a more rational umpire of differences than force? Are there no means of coercing injustice more gratifying to our nature than a waste of the blood of thousands and of the labor of millions of our fellow creatures?” - Thomas Jefferson
***
All of these men led in times of war, yet they did so with a consciousness of both its futility and its cost.
Today, we honor those who followed, who shed blood and innocence for causes they believed.
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
demwit
Chronicling the absurd, the obnoxious, the outright lies, the occasional truths and the downright mystical out of the mouths of politicians and pundits.
blog author
- B.J.
- South Carolina, United States
- constant learner
faves
- Airth - philosophy & travel
- Bartleby - one-click reference library
- Beth - all things Southern
- Diversity Ink - Bridging the racial gap
- Frodo - Keeper of the Ring
- Hen’s Teeth – ‘Liberal Southern Women: anything this rare is bound to be expensive, honey’
- I See My Dreams - my archived blog
- Margaret & Helen - Two old gals with spunk!
- Murrmurrs - Murr Brewster, 'snortworthy'
- Papamoka's straight talk
- Parsley's Pics - current issues, common sense and good writing
- Pop Culture Dish - Entertainment past & present
- Progress Report - Subscribe!
- Progress Report, top newsletter
- Sue - Helloooo ... Mr. President, are you listening?
- White House - The Blog
fair use notice
This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material available in an effort to advance understanding of current issues. I believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.
posts library
-
▼
2009
(210)
-
▼
May
(23)
- The lady
- The road to where we are
- What Sotomayor might expect
- 'Liberalism will kill you'
- Futility and cost
- Mind That Bird
- My sidebar is to the 'left'
- The Roberts record
- John Ludwig back in jail
- A hobbit's lesson
- Judge sets bond in Ludwig case
- The big weekend headline
- Judge delays Maserati crash bond ruling
- A token Savage
- Time's '100 Most Influential'
- Cheney's 'truth'
- A guide to truth
- Ludwig charged with murder
- A tabloid trilogy
- John Gilbert Ludwig update
- Maserati crash update
- Unpleasant surprise
- Lowdown on the Upstate
-
▼
May
(23)
3 comments:
"All of these men led in times of war, yet they did so with a consciousness of both its futility and its cost."
It would have been nice if as a war president George Bush had understood what those men did. If he had America would not be still saddled with two futile wars.
With Bush&Co America did lapse on the wisdom it had accumulated.
You know, Airth, I tried to think of a similar quote by Bush, but all I could think of was “mission accomplished,” and he didn’t even say that. He did say, “The Taliban is no more,” in one of his more prescient moments. BJ
Tiny is posting the same message she left on a veterans site:
Memorial Day is a time to honor all those who served and are serving our country, along with the families left behind. By the age of 37, Tiny was the widow of two veterans, one a Marine (1968) and the other Air Force (1973).
Her maternal grandfather fought in the Spanish American War. And relatives: aunts, uncles and cousins by the dozens, on both sides of her parent's fmilies served in the military, including Tiny's own brother, 4 years in the Army, 4 years in the Navy.
For the most part she thinks war is senseless with nothing gained by anyone except the industrial complex and greedy politicians.
She think old men send young men to war to protect the old men's property, which makes toys of God's Children in the killing fields.
History is replete with wars down through the ages. She's sure most could have been avoided by diplomatic relations, but that would not bolster the egos of those who send our young men and women into war.
The Good Books teach to make friends with your enemies promptly. How many government's representatives practice that teaching? Which is basically stating the Golden Rule in another way. When everyone starts living that Universal Teaching, people will find more peaceful and constructive ways to live in peace and harmony with our fellow human beings.
May the Powers That Be bless all those who have served, are serving, their families, and all the children in the World Wide Family of God. May world peace and love be the guiding light for each one of us.
Post a Comment