Identity

Too busy to write a real post but this is what I was thinking of the other day. I'm writing a paper on Identity, Nationhood and Military in Israel. It has been a very interesting paper that I've actually enjoyed writing. Actually I'm writing it right now, it's due at 8 am. I wish I'd had more time, so it is inspiring me to devote a 2 part blog on it. Two part meaning, I'm starting it now but I'll finish it post-essay. My first question is this: If we didn't have nations, or common affiliation would war be obsolete? If we were completely isolatied and individualistic wouldn't that be the end of war as we know it (haha.. a bit of BNL for any of you fans). There would be nothing to fight over, no commonalities, no group-think, no connections outside the nuclear family. So why then if we are become more individualist, liberal as a world are we at the cusp of one of the most violent eras of mankind? Is it because, fundamentally we are afraid?. Afraid of change, afraid of others, afraid of ourselves?

La Belle Vie et Les Insectes Cyborg

In honour of my possible summer employment I decided to go with a French Title. That's right! I will probably be living in La Belle Montreal cet ETE! The possibilities are endless. I was there this weekend and went to an Art Gallery, watched Canadian Idol Auditions (it was really funny), walked around for hours and just enjoyed the French city like its meant to be enjoyed. Besides Vancouver, Montreal is my favourite place to be in Canada. Actually I like Montreal better. Maybe because it reminds me of Europe, and oh how I miss France, Italy, Holland, etc etc.

Onto the Blog. I'd like to discuss today something I read the other day on BBC NEWS. The title of the news report was Pentagon Plans Cyber-Insect Army. The title alone warranted a blog. But further reading revealed that it was a definite bloggable article. The basic premise is that the US has commissioned a study on implanting chips into insects during the pupae stage in order for the insect to grow around the micro chip and have it incorporated into its physical being. The chip then remote controls the insects movements. The insects can check out explosives, send transmissions and do various other tasks. In reading more about this it seems that there is a history of the US using animals in military operations. But the manipulation of Insects to become army spies through altering their physical state seems a little sci-fi. What next? Create super bugs that can kill, bomb, maim, torture? I can just see it. What makes it morally acceptable? I don't agree with animal testing and I sure as hell don't agree with the use of animals/insects/whatever for military advancement. It gives the US and other powers the right to manipulate nature by exploiting it for their own gains. We've done enough damage to the earth, why do we have to use animals to do our dirty business? Why can't warfare be more simplified. War had rules once, not necessarily official but it was understood. What happened to the Ethics of War, when we've seen a trend in Intent to Harm rather then Intent to Kill (The difference being the Intent to harm civilians or the Intent to simply kill combatants). If we read up on Jus in Bellum, Jus in Bello, the IR theories explain that war should have cause and a goal. I don't see that in the daily press on war around the world, there is no just cause in the wars being fought today. The development of 'cyber-insects' is just another example of the unfairness of war today. What are we to do when we can't even trust that our opponents in this ever violent world will act in a just manner?


Any thoughts?

Springtime in the City

It's that time again. Spring is upon us, in a few weeks the air will get warmer and finally catch up to the sunshine that's been casting a bright light on the city all week. I don't know what it is about spring, whether its the fact that it means only a month of school left in April, or if its just the weather but I love it. I feel like everything and everyone finds a bit more hope in their situations. Since its almost time for a new season, it makes one contemplate the season that is about to pass. Cold, dark and long, winter (maybe with exception of our city winter it was quite mild this year) can bring even the most cheery person down sometimes, but for me it was more than that. I'd like to talk about loss today- the loss of a loved family member, the loss of trust, the loss of focus. For many people in the world today loss is a daily tragedy: with ever increasing natural and man-made disasters it seems that you can't read the paper or listen to the news without hearing a story about personal tragedy. I guess the cynics out there would say that the people don't want to hear about the good news stories that disaster, crisises, loss, turmoil sells. So is it a fact of life that an inevitable part of life is loss? Or can someone be overwhelmed with tragedy that seems a little more then the inevitability of life?

Darfur, Pakistan, Tsunami, Famine, War, Africa, Middle East, Congo, Death, Rape, Violence, Terrorism. All of the latter are places, terms, people that have become a constant occurence in conversations in my circles more often then peace, harmony and happiness. What can we do? I'm working on a research paper right now about civil war and the fight over Kashmir. What I've learned so far is that there is no clear solutions to the strife in Kashmir, but moreover there seems to be no answer at all. So my question for my peers, and anyone else out there reading, is this: Is there a peaceful solution to tensions in the Middle East and if the West stopped their interference would they know peace?

So in danger of sounding cliched, with springtime around the corner and the opportunity to start anew; is there also opportunity for us in the West to change our attitudes and to do something concrete about reducing our meddling and interference that causes so much turmoil. If loss is truly inevitable in life, can it at least have a reduced impact on those who need a bit of spring cheer the most.