from Verse One Hundred Sixty-NineTherefore those who fight for territory cannot fulfill leadership, and those who seek for themselves cannot attain success. Those whose undertakings are for the sake of others are helped by the masses; those who act for themselves are abandoned by the masses.~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~
Remember how former President George W. Bush said the Iraqi people would welcome us with open arms? It hasn't exactly worked out that way! Most of them know in their hearts that the US is not in Iraq to liberate them. They know we're there because we covet their oil.
One generation earlier, the American people were told that the Vietnamese people would welcome US troops with open arms. That didn't work out the way we were told either. Most of the Vietnamese understood that they were mere pawns in a geo-political game.
Of course, other nations are just as guilty as the US in this respect. Most wars are promulgated for selfish reasons. While the rhetoric almost always cites laudatory goals, the underlying premise has little, if anything, to do with the rhetoric.
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
One generation earlier, the American people were told that the Vietnamese people would welcome US troops with open arms. That didn't work out the way we were told either. Most of the Vietnamese understood that they were mere pawns in a geo-political game.
Of course, other nations are just as guilty as the US in this respect. Most wars are promulgated for selfish reasons. While the rhetoric almost always cites laudatory goals, the underlying premise has little, if anything, to do with the rhetoric.
This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.
I just came back from a talk by a guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who in response to a question about geopolitics, said that "rulers will never be reformers, and reformers will never be rulers." This seems relevant to your comment. Rhetoric and goals are never the same.
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