It was at the time of the second Afghan war, when, in pursuance of what were thought to be “our interests,” we were invading Afghanistan. News had come that some of our troops were in danger. At the Athenæum Club a well-known military man – then a captain but now a general – drew my attention to a telegram containing this news, and read it to me in a manner implying the belief that I should share his anxiety. I astounded him by replying – “When men hire themselves out to shoot other men to order, asking nothing about the justice of their cause, I don’t care if they are shot themselves.”

I foresee the exclamation which will be called forth. Such a principle, it will be said, would make an army impossible and a government powerless. It would never do to have each soldier use his judgment about the purpose for which a battle is waged. Military organization would be paralyzed and our country would be a prey to the first invader.

Not so fast, is the reply. For one war an army would remain just as available as now – a war of national defence. In such a war every soldier would be conscious of the justice of his cause. He would not be engaged in dealing death among men about whose doings, good or ill, he knew nothing, but among men who were manifest transgressors against himself and his compatriots. Only aggressive war would be negatived, not defensive war.

Of course it may be said, and said truly, that if there is no aggressive war there can be no defensive war. It is clear, however, that one nation may limit itself to defensive war when other nations do not. So that the principle remains operative.

But those whose cry is – “Our country, right or wrong!” and who would add to our eighty-odd possessions others to be similarly obtained, will contemplate with disgust such a restriction upon military action. To them no folly seems greater than that of practising on Monday the principles they profess on Sunday.

- Herbert Spencer excerpt from Facts and Comments on Patriotism 1902

Hmm… Spencer could have been lecturing Romney voters. O’Connell seems to blame everyone except those wearing the uniform. The people in uniform must forget their oath to support and defend the Constitution the instant the last word leaves their mouth…

A more honest oath would go something like this… “I, [name], do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Oligarchs of the United States against all their foreign enemies and the American people… So help me Government.”

Beware or be aware of such a militant extremism and while focusing all your attention there forget to focus your attention on the very concept that discounts this. That concept is life or to live, create, decide and learning accumulation which is growth. This means without dominance, authority and of course secrecy which are simply concepts developed where? In the minds of men out of touch with themselves, or simply ignorance of self, Moron’s or ignorant’s?

Show me a Life that wants to die? Yes there are those willing for a cause but is the cause real or created?

Worse is how it is even allowed because it has and holds no opposition by agreement and choices alone. But who thought life could carry such an ability as to decide any such cause? Let us simply decide to live in the dark and take our ideas and concepts from a TV or a class room disempowering choice skills by training exercises to promote no evaluation skill at all.

I think we should all revisit the Declaration of Independence and ask ourselves what these abilities we have are for? Life being one of them defined so complex yet viewed in a mirror in a simple form as to live, do or put forward simple ideas such as Liberty, an act of deciding we shall be free of dominance of any kind foreign or domestic and above all to Pursue achievements to sustain us in such a form or energy of doing. Independence is not an act of war, it is a decision to be the Life we wish to be and allow us ourselves to act and LIVE in our natural creative states.

But force is far more important to focus on versus that act of living without any such force at all. A decision so many in this Life are unwilling to make in support of them as this LIFE which is all inclusive of all other life in this universe.

Duh, do you think