Bare with me folk, I am not pessimistic, and my quest for peace is not rhetorical.
I have hopped on this site from another, where we have had long discussions about Middle East peace, involving all possible parties, and the discussion took the very usual pattern:
You started it, no you started it.
We were here first, no we were here first.
Peace is giving us our rights, no, peace is giving us our rights.
Recognize us first, no, you recognize us first.
Killing your people is justified when you kill ours.
Killing your people is justified since we have been killed before.
Your children are taught how to hate.
Your children are taught how to hate.
At the end, all peace activists end up echoing corrupt politicians, war lords, and quote the propaganda machines to get their point across. Peace equals winning, no compromise.
I quit that site and came here, hoping to find people who can really step out of themselves, and be self-critical in a proactive sense, people dedicated to conflict prevention rather than take responsive measures (not undermining the latter, but it proved to be impotent against the interests of the arms industry).
I live in Sweden, a nation that gives jews and arabs all support and aid, and sell weapons to both at the same time. This double standard is nothing new.
Why talk among us peace activists? Where does this lead? We need to talk to the war machine and propagandists. I am new here, and I admittedly come with stereotypes about peace activism.
You will find me throwing flowers at guns flashing back at me, you'll find me having a beer with an Israeli soldier to persuade him to give up his weapon, and the next day I will undress a Palestinian jihadist of his suicide belt. You will find me pushing politicians in the corners of great halls and press conference rooms, facing them with their own lies. You will find me in lecture rooms and universities teaching about the propaganda machines to journalism students. But I am tired of those online discussions, and I embark here on a last chance of having a discussion that leads to actual projects on the ground, otherwise, I won't be here either.
Am not making a martyr out of myself already, and I risked sounding a tad bit too serious. I am just cutting to the chase as I come here to meet you wonderful folk.
So what is the point of such discussions really? if we only talk among ourselves.