I’ve just bought Joan Baez’ CD & DVD “How Sweet The Sound”. It has been some time since I listened to Joan’s music, and it has brought back very vivid memories of the reasons I chose the course of pacifism as a philosophy for life. The music must sound very dated to any young listeners, and I know that the hippy/peace movement is often treated with scorn by those that were not part of it. But we are, yet again, in the cycle of war. No, not war, many wars. What is the reason for war? Greed, power, religion, a need to dominate? Why do we go to war, to defend & protect, to “bring peace”. That is what the politicians would have us believe. Who benefits from war? Now that’s a loaded question. In Britain we have a War Office. Why do we not have a Peace Office?

Over two million people in Britain took to the streets of London to protest against Blair’s blatantly illegal invasion of Iraq. I’m proud to say that I was there. I would not be proud to say that I am British.

When will they ever learn?

I will always be grateful to Joan Baez for the very real part she played in forming my life. I may not have lived up to those ideals – but I never lost them.

Just thought that I’d add a couple of images that saddened me. I attended the Armistice Parade in Cardiff on the 11th November. It was sad that there were so few public present – though in some ways not entirely surprising given the rising disquiet with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Although I have always been a pacifist, and hate the whole idea of war, I still feel strongly that we should not readily forget those whose lives were, and are being lost.

As a slight aside -two recent banners I came across were memorable though…

“If you can read this, thank a teacher. If it’s in English, thank a soldier”

And the other…

“War is a way of teaching Americans geography!”

Anyway, this old soldiers eyes caught my attention. So filled with sadness. He knows the reality of war.

And perhaps even sadder, the young faces of future recruits…