Flower Power is on the rise. The inverted, broken cross (a.k.a. The Peace Symbol) is reappearing on bumper stickers, T-shirts, patches on pants, tattoos, and Volkswagen Vans. More often than not the symbol is accompanied by a plethora of flowers, tye-die, psychedelic colors, and drug-induced nostalgia. The LSD blotter has been set aside for now, but the memories of drugs, flower-power, and freaky liberal hippies is being rejuvenated by the new peace-niks of the 21st Century.
This time, however, the yearn for co-existence inhabits the minds of more folks than just the dope smoking Aquarians. Businessmen, professionals, the young and the old alike are asking that simple little question, "Can't we all just get along?"
The desire for peace is a good cause. I don't believe there are many humans alive that wish this planet full of warring factions would keep on fighting. Throughout history mankind has hoped for peace in his lifetime, only to have his hopes dashed by some raving maniac bent on world domination.
Contrary to popular opinion those people, like myself, that scoffs at peace symbols are not war-mongers. We support a strong military because we believe in the realm of reality. The wish for a world that abhors conflict, and takes every disagreement to the negotiations table, burns in my soul. The problem is, I can wish for peace all I want, but all of the desire and hope in the world will not change the fact that peace is a two-way proposition, and more often than not the opposition has no interest in a peaceful solution to the conflict at hand.
One of the reasons for both sides not being able to negotiate for peace is because, to the contrary of what the Left believes, worldwide conflicts are not the result of simple misunderstandings. When it comes to dealing with some tyrannical ideologies, all of the appeasement and negotiating in the world cannot deter them from their destructive natures. As far as the radical tyrannies of the world are concerned, peace can only be achieved when they are in complete, worldwide, control.
Religion often catches blame for our planet's history of wars. Death and misery, however, is indiscriminate, and atheism has been at the helm of its share of violence. Josef Stalin, the political leader of the Soviet Union at the tale end of the first half of last century, slaughtered countless lives. An anti-religious movement plummeted France into chaos during the French Revolution. A very non-religions Roman Empire swept across the known world with vicious efficiency before collapsing within, and succumbing to the barbarians from the north.
Godlessness, however, is not the sole proprietor of war and destruction. The rise of the Byzantine (or Eastern Roman) Empire, which began with Constantine I the Great, the first Christian emperor reigning from Constantinople according to most sources, though he did not become a Christian until he was on his death bed, emerged as an empire that declared Christianity as its official religion. Interestingly, while touting Christianity as its religion, the Roman Empire of the Middle Ages persecuted and ruthlessly murdered Christians that refused to accept government control over the church. The later Holy Roman Empire, through which Germany asserted control over the central European provinces, also claimed Christianity as its source of justification. The crusades began as a response to the Muslim taking of the Holy Land, and attempt to overrun Europe. Though the response to stop the invasion of Islamic forces were necessary, some of the practices of the Crusaders were not. Non-Catholic Christians of the era rejected the less-than-Christian practices of some of the crusaders, and the control over the people by the Catholic Church during that time period.
Other religious tyrannies have risen, as well. A number of Islamic caliphates have risen, and collapsed. The first, shortly after the Muslim conquest of Syria in the seventh century, would become one of the largest, and most brutal, empires in history. The Ottoman Empire is the most historically recognizable caliphate, collapsing after its defeat in World War I. The goal of the caliphate is the global military superiority of Islam, and the implementation of Sharia Law, through which the rights of non-Muslims are non-existent, and the placement of the Muslim World under a single leader is possible.
Islamists killed 3,000 people in New York City when the twin towers fell under the assault of two planes under the control of Islamic Jihadists. The modern jihadist carries the goal of one world under Islam, and is the soldier of the modern tyranny that falls under the title of Islamic Jihad. The modern Jihadist's goal is the destruction of Israel, the elimination of the Jewish People, and the conversion of The West to Muslim teachings.
The reality is that tyrants can emerge from any walk of life, though the likelihood of these tyrants arising from leftist ideologies (leftist meaning "belief systems that support increased governmental control over the people, be it through a theocracy, dictatorship, or caliphate") is apparent. Regardless of ideology, individuals with the aspiration to dominate a people or land, don't normally do this alone. They accomplish their rise to power by first gaining the devotion of the people they plan to rule over, and then by ascertaining control of the people through the use of fear. The Ceasars did it in the Roman Empire, King George did it in England, Napoleon did it in France, Hitler did it in Germany, Stalin and Lenin did it in Russia and Muhammad continues to rule with fear in the Islamic World, even long after his death.
When these tyrants, and tyrannical ideologies, emerge, simply hoping for peace does not resolve the problem, or ultimately bring about peace. Dancing in the meadow with flowers in your hair will not magically make those that wish to enslave you with their terror to simply go away, nor will it make them suddenly desire to join you in your hope for peace for all mankind. The reality is that tyrannical ideologies don't stop their progression of tyranny until they have either removed that peace sign off your body, thrown it on the ground, and set it ablaze, or are stopped by brute force. The sad truth is that the only way to stop them is through a strong defense, and a forceful push back at them, if necessary.
As a Christian, I abhor war, and I truly wish people could find the peace in Christ that I experience. Wishing for that to happen does not make it happen, however. Knowing this, it is my duty as an American to fight back when an ideology bent on taking away our freedoms rises, especially when one of those freedoms they wish to take away is the freedom to worship the Christian God.
The sad truth is that we are fighting a multi-front war. Communism remains strong and lethal in China, North Korea, Cuba, a number of other smaller nations, and is on the rise in Venezuela. Islam's big push for a caliphate has returned with a vengeance, slowly spreading across Europe like an unstoppable plague. Meanwhile, Middle Eastern nation after Middle Eastern nation is falling under the control of Islamic Jihadists. Secular Humanism, coupled with Marxism inspired modern liberalism, is on the march as well, attempting to assert government control over the people, and completely remove God from the entire public sector, including the sanctity of marriage.
The Communists slaughtered millions during their revolutions, and totalitarian expansion. Islam killed millions worldwide throughout history, and will not stop until the entire world worships Allah, or until they are stopped by the military strength of the opposition. Liberalism has slaughtered millions of innocent unborn children under the guise of choice, and has killed countless more through the changes brought about in the name of environmentalism, and fuel efficiency.
And these radical ideologies with agendas designed around controlling humanity dares to call Christian Conservatives the extremists, when it is the conservatives that have dared to refuse abandonment of their principles and values.
The world has moved insanely to the left with Marxism, socialism, liberalism, and Islamism rising as the potential leaders of the world. And the only way to bring peace in the face of these radical institutions is to stop them, by force if necessary.
As much as I wish they would, these ideologies that oppose freedom, and wish to limit our choices as individuals, will not come to the table to talk. Peace is a two-way proposition, and no matter how much they may say they believe in peace, none of them desire peace on any terms other than the terms that they are in full control, and all dissenting factions have been put down. Simply put, these political ideologies wish to dominate the world with their agendas, and their tyrannical systems.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
By Douglas V. Gibbs
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