From the Nazis (German's dictator Hitler), to the Soviet Union's communists leaders (Lenin, Stalin) to the Chines (Mao), the Italian Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, to the Japanese military leaders during WWII, who slaughtered thousands of civilians. The oppression and slaughter of African-Americans by racial bigots like the KKK and leaders who did/said nothing to contrast racist ideas/actions that humiliated, abused and often murdered blacks. The slaughter of the Native Americans, and last but not least the millions of people, refugees, who are now running away from their countries toward Europe, because of war/terrorism/persecution and intolerance.
However, the errors/horror continue today, which could lead/take us into additional military confrontation- more bloody/costly wars. It seems to me that many political leaders do not learn from history's past mistakes, and/or simply don't care. They keep on repeating the same mistakes. Why? Are leaders of CIVILIZED and technologically advanced NATIONS stupid, greedy, or just blind? I don't think they are stupid, I think they are blinded by greed and personal interests instead of the common good. They do not realize that their policies/actions are taking our world to ruin and more suffering. They do not realize that they are in fact being foolish. They are ignorant, arrogant, bullies, since they are incapable of compassion and tolerance toward others. The only thing that they seem to care is their pride/ego and profits- at the expense of the defenseless and the poor people. Wouldn't it make more sense if these leaders got along? And worked together toward defeating common enemies? Like terrorists, global warming, economic inequalities/social justice, racism, cynicism and xenophobia? Shouldn't they stop buying oil from countries who sponsor terrorism and stop selling weapons to nations/groups that then use them against us! And instead work toward a clean environment, one free from oil and trading weapons? Sure, they should, but they don't! Why? It has become obvious that their only objective is business- by making weapons/wars money/profits! That's what they care about!
Just recently the Turks shot down a Russian military jet, just because it crossed their airspace for 17 seconds! The Russians too have made horrible mistakes. They shot down a Malaysian jetliner over Ukraine, killing over 200 people on board. "Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 crashed after being hit by a Russian-made Buk missile over eastern Ukraine, a 15-month investigation by the Dutch Safety Board has confirmed. Flight MH17, en route from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was traveling over the conflict-hit region on 17 July 2014 when it disappeared from radar. A total of 283 passengers, including 80 children, and 15 crew members were on board.
The final report into the disaster said a missile exploded just above and to the left of the cockpit, causing the plane to break up in mid-air." (Source: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-28357880)
COLD WAR, 1983. Korean Airlines flight shot down by Soviet Union.
Soviet jet fighters intercept a Korean Airlines passenger flight in Russian airspace and shoot the plane down, killing 269 passengers and crew members. The incident dramatically increased tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States.On September 1, 1983, Korean Airlines (KAL) flight 007 was on the last leg of a flight from New York City to Seoul, with a stopover in Anchorage, Alaska. As it approached its final destination, the plane began to veer far off its normal course. In just a short time, the plane flew into Russian airspace and crossed over the Kamchatka Peninsula, where some top-secret Soviet military installations were known to be located. The Soviets sent two fighters to intercept the plane. According to tapes of the conversations between the fighter pilots and Soviet ground control, the fighters quickly located the KAL flight and tried to make contact with the passenger jet. Failing to receive a response, one of the fighters fired a heat-seeking missile. KAL 007 was hit and plummeted into the Sea of Japan. All 269 people on board were killed.
This was not the first time a South Korean flight had run into trouble over Russia. In 1978, the Soviets forced a passenger jet down over Murmansk; two passengers were killed during the emergency landing. In its first public statement concerning the September 1983 incident, the Soviet government merely noted that an unidentified aircraft had been shot down flying over Russian territory. The United States government reacted with horror to the disaster. The Department of State suggested that the Soviets knew the plane was an unarmed civilian passenger aircraft. President Ronald Reagan called the incident a “massacre” and issued a statement in which he declared that the Soviets had turned “against the world and the moral precepts which guide human relations among people everywhere.” Five days after the incident, the Soviets admitted that the plane had indeed been a passenger jet, but that Russian pilots had no way of knowing this. A high ranking Soviet military official stated that the KAL flight had been involved in espionage activities. The Reagan administration responded by suspending all Soviet passenger air service to the United States, and dropped several agreements being negotiated with the Soviets.
Despite the heated public rhetoric, many Soviets and American officials and analysts privately agreed that the incident was simply a tragic misunderstanding. The KAL flight had veered into a course that was close to one being simultaneously flown by a U.S. spy plane; perhaps Soviet radar operators mistook the two. In the Soviet Union, several of the military officials responsible for air defense in the Far East were fired or demoted. It has never been determined how the KAL flight ended up nearly 200 miles off course.
(Source: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/korean-airlines-flight-shot-down-by-soviet-union)
At the next elections we should show bad leaders (those who care about profits and their ego/pride instead of the common good), that we, people of goodwill- who care about peace in prosperous, clean, honest future for all people and our planet- don't want them!
Let's vote for leaders/candidates who are, and have proved themselves to be honest and will defend peace, life, justice, economic equality, and protect all people (the needy especially), the environment, and everyone's interest, not just the corporations!
No comments:
Post a Comment