【岁末文艺赛】Make War or Make Love

Making love while making war is what we see in Game of Thrones. Real life, however, entertains no such fantasy. For all I know, real love is no entertainment and real war is no game.

War is real enough when peace is phony enough. Going to war, we say we love our country so much that we are willing to shed blood for it. In the same breath, we hate war so much that we are unwilling to leave our loved ones whom we may never see again. Generations of Americans before us have been caught in this dilemma. Most of them survived it, only to see yet another outbreak of war. 

If war is so inevitable, then we should choose our battles wisely and fight for what really matters. Ukraine makes sense in this regard.

In Ukraine, America has turned Putin's invasion into a proxy war which is a throwback to the Cold War era. A proxy war may not spare weapons, but it spares American lives. American weapons are replaceable, American lives are not. If the White House cannot sell peace, at least it can sell a proxy war. Hawks get a bigger defense budget. Doves get no body bags from the war zone. This proxy war is viable and sustainable, politically and militarily. 

Going forward, make war when we must. Make peace when we can. Make love when we must and when we can.

 

纫秋兰原创

*I am open to comments in either Chinese or English or both.

 

Google Image from the New Yorker

所有跟帖： 

• 美国靠卖武器发财！坏处是自己国内枪易买乱射，死了多少无辜的人和孩子。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 20:38:09

• 中文是，自作孽。。。。。。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 20:38:58

• 谢谢！关于自作孽，愿闻其详。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 20:44:19

• 到处卖武器（台湾），送武器（乌克兰）。作孽啊！自己国内却滥用武器乱杀呀！ -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 20:50:19

• 买卖武器，双方自愿，是么？ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 20:58:06

• 哈哈哈，自愿？老生常谈来说说。。。。。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:01:08

• 不自愿？像英帝国強卖鸦片给清帝国？ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:13:03

• 比鸦片毒！要台湾人买武器杀同种中国人。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:19:04

• This is how this administration thinks. -nearby- ♂ (54 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 20:55:52

• 普通老百姓的想法。执政者想法就复杂了！ -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 20:59:46

• 想问一下，是美国老百姓选出美国政权么？ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:03:59

• 是的，但不好。民调可看啊！ -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:08:38

• 当初看民调，看不出川普胜出吧。克林顿第一任期间，民调也不好。美国俗谚： -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:18:07

• EVERY DOG HAS ITS DAY. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:20:10

• Do you mean the US has to rein in Putin? -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:00:20

• But I don’t think USA makes this war. -nearby- ♂ (173 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:00:33

• but to keep the war longer！weak Russian government。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:03:13

• I don't know about you, but I think Europe is at stake. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:10:24

• who make it ？ -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/15/2022 postreply 04:49:19

• also，weak China，use Taiwan people life。。。。。。。just like U -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:14:01

• If I understand you correctly, America is on the right track -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:08:07

• 对美国是好的。对世界不公平。美国不是自许为世界警察，已不是了。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:15:30

• 我得美公民30年了，但血还是中国血，不向那一方，跟老美谈这事，有点傻！难通的啊！ -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:24:37

• 认同不认同所谓美国主流文化，沒关系，开心就可以了。吾心安处便是家，对么？ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:39:35

• 美国好坏，美国人自己要负责。个见：美国人未必懂得天下为公，但非常懂得这句成语： -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:29:03

• CHARITY STARTS AT HOME. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:30:55

• 层面太多，饶了我们自己吧！晚安， -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:35:06

• So we've agreed to disagree. Not bad. Good Night! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:42:39

• 只想补充一下，美国有过孤立主义抬头的时期。结果？第二次世界大战。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:34:24

• This is a war of defense for NATO more than for Ukraine. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/14/2022 postreply 21:56:57

• 不同在角度；你以美国观，看世界。我以世界观，看美国。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/15/2022 postreply 04:46:34

• '世界观是否包含普世价值呢？ -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/15/2022 postreply 17:57:48

• 建议你去看视频，芝加哥大学的研讨会和哥伦比亚大学的研讨会 -老生常谈12- ♂ (769 bytes) () 12/15/2022 postreply 08:43:18

• 谢谢先生分享视频。与先生观点角度不尽相同之见，有以下史丹福Good Fellows的视频： -renqiulan- ♂ (270 bytes) () 12/15/2022 postreply 18:05:12

• 这文章好像很难列入岁末文艺赛吧？感觉美国现在的吃相有点难看吧？ -花似鹿葱- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/15/2022 postreply 06:15:30

• 赞成nearby说的，鼓励参加，其他比较不重要啦！ -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/15/2022 postreply 06:41:10

• 谢谢来评。只想说，在下是本着双百方針来参加的，相信您也是吧。 -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/15/2022 postreply 18:17:30

• Wow, well done. I like it. -dhyang_wxc- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/15/2022 postreply 08:15:48

• 老生常谈，说得极好，又透澈！赞！ -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/15/2022 postreply 08:47:50

• I appreciate that. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/15/2022 postreply 18:18:32

• Make no war anytime, make peace always, make love sometimes. -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/15/2022 postreply 10:46:52

• 呵呵呵呵呵。。。 -lovecat08- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/15/2022 postreply 11:14:26

• Make laugh all the time ：） -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/16/2022 postreply 07:13:13

• Thanks for your input. I hope the world is with you. -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/15/2022 postreply 18:22:36

• That's the voice from the world, not from me ：） -CBA7- ♀ (0 bytes) () 12/15/2022 postreply 19:46:00

• Whatever. All the best! -renqiulan- ♂ (0 bytes) () 12/15/2022 postreply 19:48:12