Some people are exceptional

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July 20, 2014 – 12 days after Israel launched Operation Protective Edge, after Shejaiya and after 400 people on the Palestinian side have been killed.

Some people condemned what they called a planned Serb genocide on Albanians in Kosovo.

Some people were very upset about the siege of Sarajevo. And the massacre at Srebrenica.

Some people believed that the Yugoslav Army occupied Croatia and tried to create a Greater Serbia.

Some people condemned what was then called ethnic cleansing.

Some people thought it was good to kill Saddam Hussein and Moamar Khadafi because they were ruthless people, militarists, dictators and mass killers.

Some people were so angry at Saddam’s invasion of Kuwait that they thought it was good to pulverise his forces and send them running back to where they came from or burn them alive.

Because, they say, ”we don’t accept aggression and occupation.”

Some people think that Iran which doesn’t have nuclear weapons ought to be bombed while they would not bomb any of those that have nuclear weapons.

Some people see Iran as a larger threat to the world than Israel. (Iran has a 10 times larger population and half as large military expenditures as Israel). But Iran has not invaded or occupied any other country for well over 200 years. Anyhow, some people still say that ”all options are on the table”.

Some people thought that Al-Assad, the dictator, must go. ”He kills his own”, they say.

Some people – all of NATO – are very angry with Putin because of the (re)integration of Crimea into Russia by a violence-free referendum.

Some people believe that Putin is a revisionist aiming to establish a new Greater Russia and will swallow one country after another – and that he must be stopped sooner rather than later.

Some people think that terrorism is terrible. It is. Terrorism means deliberately harming or killing people who are innocent and not party to a conflict. And thus they think ”the war on terror” is justified.

Some people argue that when a people is victimised by ruthless mass violence, persecutions, illegal arrest, torture, apartheid and other human rights violations – there should be a ”humanitarian intervention”.

They say we have a ”responsibility to protect”. Or at least they talk about establishing a no-fly zone and harsh sanctions. (It usually means bomb the hell out of the country, kill a leader and suffocate the innocent citizens).

That said!

Some people also think that what Israel does in Gaza in July 2014 is right, morally justifiable. That aggression can be self-defence.

They either keep silent about it or blame it all on the Palestinians. Or tell the story in such a way that the perpetrator of 90% of the atrocities appears a victim.

Some people say: ”You can’t compare these things!” They believe that there are exceptions and exceptionalist states.

Such people think they are exceptionally smart and that you and I are stupid. So they destroy mercilessly for ”peace, democracy, human rights and freedom and…”

Such people dig their own graves. Morally.

And in that I sense a glimpse of hope.

Peace & future researcher + ‌Art Photographer

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Peace is promoted by constructive proposals and dialogue Four preceding PressInfos have expressed concern over — and criticised — the ongoing, militarisation of the EU. Some will say: but there are no alternatives. We believe that there are always alternatives, that democracies are characterised by alternatives and choice, and that openly discussed alternatives will improve the quality and legitimacy of society’s decision–making. In addition, it is an intellectual and moral challenge to not only criticise but also be constructive. If we only tell people that we think they are wrong, they are not likely to listen. However, if we say: what are your views on this set of ideas and steps? — we may sometimes engage them in dialogue and sow a seed. Most people in power circles live their daily lives in in a time frame and a social space where certain ideas, viewpoints and concepts are just not...
Photos © TFF 2000 Read PressInfo 90 “Lift the Sanctions and Bring More Aid to Yugoslavia” See Pictures from Belgrade © TFF 2000 Please reprint, copy, archive, quote or re-post this item, but please retain the source.
Av FRANK SØHOLM GREVIL 16 augusti 2004  Vi er nu nået til tredje akt i det absurde teaterstykke, der i analogi med de store skueprocesser i Moskva 1936-38 er blevet døbt ‘Grevil-sagen’. Første akt bestod i min anonyme fremlæggelse af egenhændigt nedklassificerede rapporter i Berlingske Tidende i februar og marts. Andet akt udgjordes af min fremtræden med navn og billede i Information i april samt den efterfølgende mediestorm, som uden min direkte medvirken kostede en forsvarsminister taburetten samt en sigtelse for brud på tavshedspligten. Tredje akt bliver en retssag, hvor jeg står tiltalt for at have overtrådt straffelovens bestemmelser om uberettiget videregivelse eller udnyttelse af fortrolige oplysninger. Statsanklageren har ovenikøbet valgt at påberåbe sig særligt skærpende omstændigheder. Da jeg aldrig har modtaget betaling for at stille rapporterne til rådighed eller lade mig interviewe, må det skærpende bestå i, at “videregivelsen eller udnyttelsen er sket under sådanne omstændigheder, at det påfører...

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