War is over, but what about that new challenge...?
Mr Paul Krugman posts the encore of a perf by Lucius of the John Lennon / Yoko Ono tune "Happy Xmas: The War is Over."
How cool of everyone. Of Mr Krugman, for going to a Lucius show. Of Lucius, for the homage to peace and JohnYoko. Of the crowd, for singing along.
I'm struck by the fact that the War -- The war of the United States against North Vietnam is referenced -- was a singular, and unifying, force in 1971. Today, everyone in the crowd can sing the chorus,
A very Merry Xmas
And a happy New Year
Let's hope it's a good one
Without any fear
War is over, if you want it
War is over now
... but no one can say what is the war that will be over if we all want it enough. Now. There is war. There are wars, in Syria, in Central African Republic. But there are invisible wars, wars that rely on drones, on PACs, on governments that are bought, paid for, and in the pocket.
The struggle -- and it IS a struggle -- is now chimerical, multi-faceted in the extreme. We see that it is chimerical, and we realize that we were fooled before. The valor of singleminded resistance against an unjust war has evanesced. We are besieged.