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Author Topic: Formal Declaration of War  (Read 6265 times)

Shared Humanity

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Formal Declaration of War
« on: December 18, 2016, 07:34:59 PM »
No war should be entered into lightly, without sober analysis and not before weighing all other available options including doing nothing at all. Why? Because all wars are destructive, cause great hardship and self sacrifice and hurt innocent people. I would argue that no war is justified unless the enemy presents an existential risk. Then and only then should we enter into such an endeavor and this decision must be made without any doubt that it is worth fighting and must be won. We are at just such a point in human history.

And thus.....

"Without any equivocation and firm in my belief that this is a just war like no other, a war engaged not only to defend ourselves but to defend the generations to follow, I formally declare a total war on the Energy Industrial Complex."

We, those who are in the know and it is a larger percent of the American population than we realize, need to crash the system of energy production. We need to start with fossil fuels but, in a broader sense, all energy consumption. We need to wage war, as consumers, on the consumption of energy. We have in our hands, the only weapons we need and our enemies are defenseless on this battleground that we have chosen. We need to use every available resource we have within our possession to reduce our consumption of energy. Consumption drives capitalism. Every single unit of energy that is produced is because a consumer has demanded it. We must drive a dramatic reduction in energy and prices and production will collapse. We need to deliberately and quite consciously cause a massive wave of bankruptcies in the fossil fuel industry, destroy their ability to produce and wipe out the moneyed interests who provide the financial resources to produce it.

Someone might argue that this costs money and that most Americans do not have the resources to wage such a war. The simple fact is that the first initial and dramatic reduction, the first overwhelming and devastatingly effective salvo fired by human beings against the Energy Industrial Complex does not cost any money at all. It, in fact, saves money. Money that can then be used to wage a vicious, scorched earth war. Every battle waged and won, every single one of them, will reduce the resources available to the enemy and increase the weapons we have available to win the war.

As consumers, engaged on a consumption battlefield, we are the only ones with weapons. It is a war that can only be lost if we choose not to wage it.
« Last Edit: December 18, 2016, 07:47:42 PM by Shared Humanity »

Shared Humanity

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Re: Formal Declaration of War
« Reply #1 on: December 18, 2016, 08:06:50 PM »
Make no mistake, I am talking total war and our terms for its conclusion is unconditional surrender. We need to be on an ever vigilant, constant war footing, make choices we would never make in peacetime, offer no quarter, take no prisoners.

be cause

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Re: Formal Declaration of War
« Reply #2 on: December 18, 2016, 08:23:12 PM »
an invitation to suicide ?
Conflict is the root of all evil , for being blind it does not see whom it attacks . Yet it always attacks the Son Of God , and the Son of God is you .

Shared Humanity

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Re: Formal Declaration of War
« Reply #3 on: December 18, 2016, 08:32:24 PM »
an invitation to suicide ?

No, a simple recognition that our enemy is readying the gas chambers.

SteveMDFP

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Re: Formal Declaration of War
« Reply #4 on: December 18, 2016, 09:16:47 PM »
No war should be entered into lightly, without sober analysis and not before weighing all other available options including doing nothing at all. Why? Because all wars are destructive, cause great hardship and self sacrifice and hurt innocent people. I would argue that no war is justified unless the enemy presents an existential risk. Then and only then should we enter into such an endeavor and this decision must be made without any doubt that it is worth fighting and must be won. We are at just such a point in human history.

And thus.....

"Without any equivocation and firm in my belief that this is a just war like no other, a war engaged not only to defend ourselves but to defend the generations to follow, I formally declare a total war on the Energy Industrial Complex."

We, those who are in the know and it is a larger percent of the American population than we realize, need to crash the system of energy production. We need to start with fossil fuels but, in a broader sense, all energy consumption. We need to wage war, as consumers, on the consumption of energy. 
[snip]

I'm all in favor of eliminating fossil fuel use ASAP, which likely means bankrupting the fossil fuel industry.
But you don't seem to use "war" in a metaphorical sense here.  And ending "all energy consumption" would mean the deaths of billions of people.

If you mean physical destruction of property and sabotaging energy delivery systems, then you're advocating terrorism. 

Not only would trying to wage such a "total war" against any lawful industry be utterly ineffective, it would cause grave harm to legitimate efforts to bring civilization away from producing greenhouse gases.

There are countless legitimate, responsible avenues to pursue to try to get civilization to where it needs to be.  But neither actual war nor using the rhetoric of war is useful for getting us there.

Shared Humanity

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Re: Formal Declaration of War
« Reply #5 on: December 18, 2016, 09:49:26 PM »
Did you read the comment?

I'm talking about us drastically reducing our consumption of energy and fossil fuels.

Who said anything about terrorism?

Buddy

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Re: Formal Declaration of War
« Reply #6 on: December 18, 2016, 10:58:34 PM »
The war on fossil fuels HAS ALREADY STARTED.....years ago.

Many of the coal companies have already been gutted.  Coal will be around for a 3 - 4 more decades....but as time goes by....most of it will be used for the building of steel (coking coal...most of it from West Virginia).

Divestiture from oil and gas companies has been on going for 5 years....and will continue to pick up traction.

Improvements in commercial and residential real estate continue.....and that has cut back on energy use.

I think everyone in the scientific community AND the "earth activist community" are more prepared for Comrade Trump than you realize.  That doesn't mean there won't be a LOT of battles LOST by those who want to protect the planet....and move towards renewable energy.  Let's face it....Russia, Tillerson, and Trump are going to want to push fossil fuels.  PERIOD.  They couldn't care less about the planet.

But that WILL BE A LOSING STRATEGY in the long run.  Our job....is to make it a losing strategy in the short and intermediate terms as well.

It will mean...as I have stated before....that scientists and activists WILL BE DEMONSTRATING THIS YEAR.  I can guarantee that WILL HAPPEN.  And Trump will cause it.......

This is also why I didn't want people to "wait till he is in office".  By his nominees to his cabinet positions....his policy decisions are CLEAR AS DAY.

He needs to be MOCKED....AND RIDICULED....AT EVERY TURN.  HE NEEDS TO BE OPPOSED AT EVERY TURN.  And if you/we lose battles.....you get up and mock him and oppose him again.

The truth NEVER GOES AWAY.  It just waits for people to discover it.  It is OUR JOB....to expose people to the truth.  At city council meetings.....bring your charts.  At county commissioner meetings.....bring your charts.

Democracy is not always easy.  It takes work.  It takes people harping on the press.  It takes people harping on politicians. IT TAKES MILLIONS STANDING UP FOR THE TRUTH.....AND SPREADING IT.

The war has already been ongoing for decades....started by Dr. Hansen and others.  Only now....the number of troops needs to grow....and grow louder.



FOX (RT) News....."The Trump Channel.....where truth and journalism are dead."

SteveMDFP

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Re: Formal Declaration of War
« Reply #7 on: December 18, 2016, 11:21:23 PM »
Did you read the comment?

I'm talking about us drastically reducing our consumption of energy and fossil fuels.

Who said anything about terrorism?

Well, what does "total war" mean?  It means by whatever means necessary.
Consumers don't engage in war, they make consumption decisions.

The rhetoric of warfare doesn't just have the wrong connotations, it's counterproductive.  Recall the "war on drugs," and the similarly tainted "war on terrorism."

What's needed isn't war, but peace--not hate, but love.  Love for the planet, love for the generations to come, being at peace with the natural world, being at peace with consuming less. 

War is what the fossil fuel industry has been waging against the planet and our children.  What's needed is an end to the war.

OrganicSu

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Re: Formal Declaration of War
« Reply #8 on: December 19, 2016, 06:07:56 AM »
I believe it's time to use both love and war.

Yesterday I spoke with my mum. I explicitly stated several times that I live in a caravan with unheated water currently at 2 to 8 degrees celsius. Previously her subconscious only half knew about a caravan. I forced it into her conscious mind. To stop her thinking I'm penniless, I pushed hard to make her know I have money, it's just not used. So she asked, why not build a house.
2 reasons:
Initially due to Greek bureaucracy. She had no problem with that.
Now, because it would cause a huge amount of CO2. Silence. Total and utter silence.
Is that love or war? Both.
Is that needed? It could be interpreted as cruel as it's the antithesis of what she has lived for 70 years and an absolute categorical rejection of some of the values I was thought. Irish people generally 'hate' tinkers and their caravans. In my mum's eyes I'm living the worst possible path, worse than homeless under a bridge.
Yes it's needed. Honesty with oneself, then with one's parents, then with one's nearest and dearest, then everyone and everything. Love and war simultaneously.

Only 1 enemy - CO2e
CO2 at Mauna > 404ppm. Target 350.

budmantis

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Re: Formal Declaration of War
« Reply #9 on: December 19, 2016, 08:00:27 AM »
The war on fossil fuels HAS ALREADY STARTED.....years ago.

The war has already been ongoing for decades....started by Dr. Hansen and others.  Only now....the number of troops needs to grow....and grow louder.

Agreed.

SH: What percentage of the population do you think is ready to commit to this war on consumerism? What percentage of the population would be needed to make an appreciable impact? I agree in large part with what you're suggesting, but I think we're going to have to do a lot of "evangelizing" to reach critical mass. How do we get there from here?



nicibiene

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Re: Formal Declaration of War
« Reply #10 on: December 19, 2016, 08:34:07 AM »
I believe it's time to use both love and war.

Yesterday I spoke with my mum. I explicitly stated several times that I live in a caravan with unheated water currently at 2 to 8 degrees celsius. Previously her subconscious only half knew about a caravan. I forced it into her conscious mind. To stop her thinking I'm penniless, I pushed hard to make her know I have money, it's just not used. So she asked, why not build a house.
2 reasons:
Initially due to Greek bureaucracy. She had no problem with that.
Now, because it would cause a huge amount of CO2. Silence. Total and utter silence.
Is that love or war? Both.
Is that needed? It could be interpreted as cruel as it's the antithesis of what she has lived for 70 years and an absolute categorical rejection of some of the values I was thought. Irish people generally 'hate' tinkers and their caravans. In my mum's eyes I'm living the worst possible path, worse than homeless under a bridge.
Yes it's needed. Honesty with oneself, then with one's parents, then with one's nearest and dearest, then everyone and everything. Love and war simultaneously.

I also feel absolutely urged to do further steps, not to get crazy about the situation to come. Energy would be the only point to harm that fossil fuel energy. Save it and produce own renewable. I must admit, I' m not perfect-living in Germany in a well heated home ( with geothermal heating, powered by renewable)- but I'm aware of the whole drama... :'(

Spoke to my mum too. But she wouldn't hear anything about it. She is old (64) and hasn't to care about it anymore. She meant she is living a modest life- in a warm heated house of 100 m2 for two, with the only joy to do her nice little shopping tours. And my father always talks about the hopelessness of amortisation of investion in renewable energy, waste prevention wouldn't be his turn. "They" should care, not me. "They" is the government.  And if " they" allow all the consumption and packaging waste, it is their job to get along with. Believe me-if I could turn the rage I have into energy, I wouldn'the need any fuel anymore. They have six grandchildren but they don'the feel any responsibility for their future and they are laughing about my hopeless tries to do my small steps I can afford.

I'm nearly urged to reduce heating at Christmas eve down to comfortable 13 degrees, to make them feel that it is not a game!  ;D 

There is where the fight should begin. The most wealthy and thoughtless generation is still on earth. We should not allow them to steal away like a thief in the night! The seeing blinds are closer than we think. But it hurts...we should ask for their real LOVE!

Here in Germany e.g is easy to select renewable energy supplier.
There are a lot of used, affordable electric vehicles on the market. I took the chance to replace a car, but made the mistake not to crash the old one...

We have the power as consumers. Every day. And we should start evangelization at the nearest enviroment. That could save energy too. Mental energy- I would need for my kids, beside some hope.
« Last Edit: December 19, 2016, 09:15:54 AM by nicibiene »
“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” –“Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.” Albert Einstein