On Anzac Day give peace a go

The politicians, media-starved and headline hungry would have to show vision. They would have to lead and navigate the complex, necessary work of reforming the global economy that will be necessary to eradicate global poverty and global warming. Politicians would have to inspire impatient populaces through complex economics. When politicians are facing strife, pointing a finger at an enemy and making them look more powerful than they are is the best way to distract a television and media saturated audience.

Australia could be a world leader in education, medical research or transforming our energy needs to a fossil free future. We could be a good neighbour to our exploited Pacific neighbours and a voice of moderation and mercy in the region. Instead, we use our wealth to invade other countries, to kill and destroy whoever we are told to by the US powers.

When we stand unquestioningly at ANZAC Day services, we do not honour the fallen. We give our political leaders the leverage to use our warranted emotions against us. Further wars seem justified and otherwise inept political leaders hold on to power. In the end, instead of working on ways to stop Australian involvement in future wars, we surrender ourselves to the lie that war is necessary. We give up the future that we claim the ANZAC's gave us, to power hungry politicians and the merchants of death who amass vast profits from our collective self-destruction.

If you find yourself at a service this weekend- look past the politician's bluster. Look at the veterans with their physical and emotional scars. Think about what it would be like for civilians to be killed in their own homes by our weapons, delivered on the lie of a political leader. If the ANZAC sacrifice was for anything, if we can take anything from 100 years of expensive and destructive war making, it should be the bloody imperative to try and stop war itself.