War. What is it good for?
This image from Dachau is similar to one I took while there in 1983. The following poem reminded me of this sculpture:"What should I do if in fretful sleep
the ghosts of the slaughtered were to appear,
bloody, pale, and wan, and weep
in front of me, what should I do?"
That's the question the 18th century writer, Matthias Claudius asks in his poem, "Warsong." Looking back on our wars and the people we have slaughtered, this is the question we still have not answered completely. That distant, looming war which is already under way and which never stops, poses his same question yet again.
"Alas, it is war, and I don't wish to carry the guilt for it."
--Gunter Grass
the ghosts of the slaughtered were to appear,
bloody, pale, and wan, and weep
in front of me, what should I do?"
That's the question the 18th century writer, Matthias Claudius asks in his poem, "Warsong." Looking back on our wars and the people we have slaughtered, this is the question we still have not answered completely. That distant, looming war which is already under way and which never stops, poses his same question yet again.
"Alas, it is war, and I don't wish to carry the guilt for it."
--Gunter Grass
posted by Victoria @ 7:05 PM
3 Comments:
At 1:51 AM,
CS said…
A recent Fox show had a panel discussing war, all agreeing that diplomacy doesn't work and "peace" must come through force. The screen said,“Is the World on the brink of World War III?” Heaven help us all if this kind of thinking prevails.
At 7:08 AM,
King of Peace said…
Gandhi wrote, "What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans, and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty and democracy?"
Then there is the story I can't find in which a man tells of shooting another on the field of battle, a man who in other circumstances he would have shared a beer at a pub, but as their leaders had declared them to be enemies it had come down to kill or be killed.
At any rate, thanks for this post which goes hauntingly well with the photo of the stark silhouette of the statue from Dachau.
Frank
At 2:19 PM,
Laura said…
When, when, will we learn that war, with the death, grief, pain and anger that inevitably follow, is not the only answer? I've had people try to tell me that thus it has always been and thus it will always be, that it's human nature. I. WON'T. BELIEVE. THAT. I think humankind is capable of change, and that we MUST change if this world is to continue.
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