Lone Survivor

I am reading a book called "Lone Survivor" by Marcus Luttrell. I believe every so-called Liberal should read it. It's definitely not Hemingway.

I am often torn between two ideas:

First, I believe that violence begets violence. Therefore, in my spiritual and personal life I consider myself a pacifist.

Second, I passionately believe Einstein was right when he said, : "The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing."

It is implied in Einsteins quote that when we see evil, we should at least identify it.

I believe on 9/11, evil paid us (the USA) a visit. I also believe that the only true path to world peace is the inner journey of eradicating evil from within ones own soul.

How do we fight evil without becoming evil? Is it morally acceptable to defend oneself on the physical level? On the collective level, is it moral to defend one's nation against what we perceive as evil?

Is there even such a thing as a collective physical level?

These are very tough philosophical questions. I mean, Hitler percieved the Jews as evil, and look what transpired. He thought himself righteous and took action to back up his views.

I do believe that the ideology of the Taliban and Al Qaeda are evil. Why? Because they are anti-life. They worship death, the ego, and the collective as opposed to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Does this mean the people who believe in anti-life ideologies are evil? Not necessarily. They may have been brainwashed. They may be completely unconscious on a spiritual level and living in the complete grip of their ego. But they do perform evil acts, and these we must identify, as Einstein requests.

On the physical level, we must protect ourselves against this evil. In the long run, it stands no chance against the evolution of consciousness toward Love. But in this temporal realm, in this physical world that we find ourselves in, we have a moral obligation to protect the innocent. By physical force if necessary.

So that ends the confusion for me. And that is why I cannot be anti-war in any circumstance. That is why I think that many of the men who now fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda deserve our utmost support and outright admiration.

In Marcus Luttrell's words from "Lone Survivor": (a brave Navy SEAL-thank you for my freedom Marcus)

"I promise you, every insurgent, freedom fighter, and stray gunman in Iraq who we arrested knew the ropes, knew that the way out was to announce he had been tortured by the Americans, ill treated, or prevented from reading the Koran or eating his breakfast or watching the television. They all knew Al-Jazeera, the Arab broadcasters, would pick it up, and it would be relayed to the U.S.A., where the liberal media would joyfully accuse all of us of being murderers or barbarians or something. Those terrorist organizations laugh at the U.S. media, and they know exactly how to use the system against us."

A few paragraphs later:

"And I know one thing for certain. If I ever rounded a mountainside in Afganistan and came face to face with Osama bin Laden, the man who masterminded the vicious, unprovoked attack on my country, killing 2,752 innocent American civilians in New York on 9/11, I'd shoot him dead, in cold blood.

At which point, urged on by an outraged American media, the military would probably incarcerate me under the jail, never mind in it. And then I'd be charged with murder.

Tell you what. I'd still shoot the sonofabitch."

You can call it angry, you can call it unenlightened. I call it heroism, on par with Valkrie.