Bernd Duschner, grew up in Post-WW II Germany. The Germany that said “Never Again” to war. The war on Vietnam, with air raids planned on US-Bases in Western Germany, and an education and role models based on humanitarian principles inspired a life of work for peace. Bernd Duschner has written a petition against the aggressions against Syria and Iran.
A petition that was signed by prominent German scholars, intellectuals, entertainers, and other public figures in Germany. The UN-Sanctioned, NATO war on Serbia was a chock that inspired him to take part in arranging aid deliveries, invitations of Serbian youth to inform German citizens about the reality of war.
With Libya devastated after an illegal war waged on it by NATO and the abuse of UNSC-Resolution 1973 2011 fresh in mind; with the prospect of a war on Syria and Iran at hand, Bernd Duschner and the co-signatories of the petition largely represent the section of the German population that has understood that Western corporate and state controlled media systematically dehumanize and demonize the next victims of NATO aggression, hoping that their names will encourage others to take the time to inform themselves.
The dichotomy between the Bombs from Berlin and the demand for Peace from the People is a product of cynical social engineering.
The petition styled to the Federal Government of Germany demands that the Federal Government:
- unconditionally and immediately end the embargo measures against Iran and Syria;
clarifies that it will in no way or form take part in a war against these nations, and that it will not sanction the use of German installations by the USA or NATO for an aggression;
- that it engages on international level towards the ending of the politics of blackmail, and threat of war against Iran and Syria; (1)
The dichotomy between the Berlin Government´s push for Sanctions and Bombs against Syria and Iran, and the demand of the German people for a Policy of Peace is palatable. Though not unusual, it is especially tragic in nations like Germany who once decided never to wage a war again.
And it is especially tragic given the fact that Germany since the war on Yugoslavia and Serbia once again, has become a major player in a race towards a war that has the potential to trigger a large scale regional, or a global war. The difference between 1939 and 2012 is, that humanity today possesses the arsenal of arms to end civilization. A context within which the words “never again” acquire an entirely new dimension.
A young German generation has reached adulthood and is now represented in the German government. A generation that at best has taken part in the Extra Parliamentary Opposition, has protested the war on Vietnam, and at worst was raised in the time of Germany´s Economical Miracle Recovery after World War II; careless about the world, feeling oh so liberated because being able to wear Jeans made in the USA.
It was different in the Socialist German Democratic Republic, but after the shotgun wedding of a so called reunification, those from the east had their intense crash courses at being westernized – dumbed down – passive – could not be caring less than about them selves. In other words, the American Dream come true.
The Germany that after two devastating World Wars decided that enough was enough, and never again to wage a war, is today governed by those anti Vietnam War lefties and the could not care less baby boomers, who never have seen war, never experienced it.
Bernd Duschner belongs to this generation too, but at least he had role models other than Western Movies, wanted dead or alive indoctrination. He had role models teaching him humanism, and he listened and cared.
Not everyone is so privileged, because when push comes to shove, a pair of well indoctrinated parents are not much more worth than a daily dose of murderous soap opera and corporate as well as state controlled news media; that is, when critical reasoning is required.
Bernd Duschner drove to Serbia and saw first hand the results of NATO´s humanitarian initiatives. The bombed cities, the starving population which could not maintain it´s agricultural production because there was no oil.
It is somewhat consoling that seeing genuine human suffering due to war, the carnage, the smell or stench of flesh and cordite, the empty, starving, frightened faces, that it moves our true self. Our very unspoiled humanity that can not help it but to act on genuine suffering.
This is why it is so important that media rob the potential victim, the entire people of every bit of their perceived humanity.Germans had not tolerated the outrages against European Jews, had they not been systematically robbed for their humanity, likened to rats in movies by Riefenstahl and “Der Ewige Jude“.
Had Germans not been indoctrinated not to care about them because they were perceived as less than human, then Germans would have asked, would have cared, and would have protected them against those outrages.
But Germans were informed by well controlled media, like today, only that the rats of today are from Syria and Iran. Germans are decent people, and like every other people in the world they care about other human beings unless they have been robbed of their humanity.
If the reader has any doubts that sanctions and embargoes murder millions of innocents; if the reader has never experienced war at first hand and believes it´s O.K.; if the reader believes that he would still have stood passively by while a Generation of German Politicians who never saw war claim to act on the readers behalf when demonizing Syria and Iraq, justifying sanctions that will kill millions and ripping tens of thousands of people into unrecognizable pieces of flesh, people with hopes, dreams, husbands, wifes, children, parents, and if the reader doubts that he would ever sign a petition like that, I encourage you to use three hours of your life at reading, watching, listening to media of a nation that is at the receiving end of NATO´s empathy and humanitarian efforts before you sanction murder.
If I am not mistaken you will find out that there also is a Bernd Duschner inside yourself, a human being with empathy, who appreciates peace, and who can not stand idly by while human beings are systematically dehumanized so you won´t mind that they are murdered.
We are no longer hurling sticks and stones at one another, and neither do we still live in the trees. With the industrial revolution came the mechanization of homicide. The first machine guns were so to speak the Ford T model of inhumanity. Today we have the capacity to wipe out every human being on this earth, multiple times.
If you have not informed yourself already I hope you will, and if you have, I am sure that you would sign this petition, and tell those who still wish to wage war to find a forest, climb their trees, and hurl sticks at one another so, the rest of us can understand and develop our humanity. The world needs more Bernd Duschner´s. The world needs you to co-sign this petition.
Dr. Christof Lehmann, 05.01.2011
PETITION: STOP WAR CRIMES – STOP EMBARGOES – SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF IRAN AND SYRIA.