Power and morality
The 2023 Israel Hamas war has now been active for around 5 weeks. Many other sources exist for the wider context on the long running conflict. The current death toll is over 12,000 with mostly civilians brutally murdered.
I've been watching the news and interviews with leaders and others on the topic. Folks keep asking about moral equivalency for both perspectives. Who is right and who is wrong? Is one attack justified or what should happen next?
All I see is a power struggle and civilians being destroyed as collateral damage. There are many direct and indirect actors in this struggle. These include - Israel (state), Hamas, and their supporting governments like the USA, western block with EU and UK, Iranian state and proxies, middle east countries. Countries like India are watching from a distance. Who are being destroyed - the people of Israel, people of Palestine, other civilians in the region and to a lesser extent the rest of humanity.
Morality is not the primary criteria on the basis of which such decisions of war are made. Although every politician claims superior moral arguments for their decisions, that's what is known as marketing or in political terms - propaganda. Western democracies in particular have this propensity to break down all issues into binary choices of either good or evil. I suspect there is a deeper religious angle from abrahamic religions that brings this perspective. As a Hindu, I do not see the world in binary terms. We see many shades of gray. Ravana is arguably the greatest antagonist as per Hindu mythology. But even he is described as a learned scholar who obtained many boons from the God's based on his devotion and made wrong choices leading to his destruction.
The perceived interests of those in power are the primary deciding factor on which each actor takes what action. Each actor is acting in maximum capabilities to destroy the other opposing force while balancing blow back. They are all shades of gray (or blood red). Unfortunately all this violence is short term vengeance that will further divide all the people and bring no lasting solutions to either side.
As a follower of geo-politics I see this absence of morality. As a parent, I cannot unsee how we are failing. WARNING There are brutal pictures from this war including horrors like this. It is unimaginable what impact such a conflict can have on a people. The real toll is going to be the lasting impact on generations of people. Those dead are saved in many respects. It's the spared who are going to bear the consequences of the actions by those in power for many generations. My only hope is the protests by the next generation who can force a break out of violence by giving a meaningful two-state solution a chance.
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