by
the US 5 . The
western powers purport to be peace-loving. The only countries on the planet who
currently routinely invade other countries and kill their citizens are the UK
and the US. The western powers claim to be law-abiding. Yet the United
Nations forbids armed attack on other states. The 1970 UN Declaration on Principles
of International Law declares, "Every State has the duty to refrain in its
international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial
integrity or political independence of any State, or in any other manner
inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations. Such a threat or use of
force constitutes a violation of international law and the Charter of the
United Nations and shall never be employed as a means if settling international
issues'. Clear enough?
In order to stop terrorism
we invade other countries where we think there might be terrorists and
slaughter their families. Like dousing a fire by throwing petrol on it.
Despite thousands of
years of experience to the contrary our leaders still behave as though the best
way of solving a dispute is to kill the opposition. Madness.
6.
Global Warming -- The planet is warming (up 0.8 - F since start of 20th
c). Scientist are over 90% sure the primary cause is human activities such as
burning fossil fuels and deforestation 6 .
Lowest
estimate of rise is 1.1 to 2.9 -C (2 to 5.2 -F); highest estimate 2.4
to 6.4 -C (4.3 to 11.5 -F). Acceptable level of rise is generally
considered to be 2.0 -C. Our response is to continue with a system of fossil
fuel dependency for billions; a system which is expanding round the globe.
A
2012 report in the Guardian states "The first phase of Kyoto, the only
international binding treaty on emissions cuts, has failed to slow global
carbon emissions' 7 .
A
recent World Meteorological Organisation Report (WMO) gives current actual
trends based on measurements. The report confirms the upward trend of
temperatures. The recent decades was the warmest ever recorded for the northern
and southern hemispheres. This is true of both land and sea temperatures. The
rate of temperature rise in the past two decades has been unprecedented and
moreover the rate of sea level rising is accelerating 8 . The extreme weather
of recent years which has caused countless deaths is believed, by most
meteorologists and climate scientists to be an indicator of what is to come
from climate change.
The
fact that climate change is happening and that pollution is a contributing
factor has overwhelming scientific support. Yet our species is in a state of
denial. There is a lack of political will and denial is encouraged by powerful
economic interests.
Excessive
increase in global temperature will result in famine, floods, water shortages,
large population movements, and land and resource wars. Surely a rational sane
world would ensure that this does not happen due to human pollutants by
agreeing and imposing necessary limits on polluting emissions.
Donald Trump by Wikipedia
7.
Sociopathic
and psychopathic leaders -- The
gratuitous wars started and waged by the US and UK governments result in the
deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. These governments support and/or
turn a blind eye to kidnap and torture and terrorise innocent villagers in
Afghanistan and Pakistan with drone attacks. Both governments authorise the use
of the nuclear agent depleted uranium which deposits radiating materials
injurious for thousands of years and which condemn the unborn to a lifetime of
suffering. Since the war there has been a huge increase in cancers and the
number of deformed babies born in Iraq 9 . In Fallujah doctors have advised women not
to have babies because of the terrible risk 10 . Deeds which would be prosecuted as major
crimes if performed by citizens are routinely enacted by our leaders yet they
take no responsibility for these crimes and exhibit no remorse. They act
without conscience; they are sociopaths and, in some cases, psychopaths
(occupying the extreme end of the sociopathic range).
Sociopaths and
psychopaths are characterised by their lack of empathy 11,12 ; the ability to
experience the feelings and emotions of others. Guilt and remorse are a foreign
land. They are both irresponsible and have an overblown sense of entitlement.
Nothing is ever their fault. All these are characteristic which we can readily
recognise among the power elites of our mad world; in politics, in banking, in
the world of "defence'.
At one time
psychopathology was called moral insanity, an apt term ripe for reinstatement.
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