Remembrance Day

By |2016-11-11T18:34:08+10:00November 11th, 2016|Peace, Politics, Society|

war-cemetery

There are two issues which come to mind today.

One is the pink elephant in the room – the new president of the United States of America.  The other is the fact that the day I am writing this is the 11th day of the 11th month, and at 11.00 this morning, in the middle of our choir practice, we had 2 minutes silence to remember those fallen in the First World War, and every war since.

I can’t help linking the two in my mind.

I know that many people are feeling crest-fallen and sullen as the week draws to a close, as they wonder what the world will be like when the country, which is seen as the most powerful in the free world, has elected a man whose values seem so far removed from their own.  Is it possible that those millions of people hold such different values that would allow them to vote for such a man?  Could it be that there really are millions of American citizens who believe that a man like Donald Trump really can “make America great again”?

Perhaps this situation, however, is not necessarily as black and white as it appears to be.  Could it be that, rather than voting for a man and his values, whatever they may appear to be, most of those millions who voted for him, were, instead voting against the establishment, against the Washington machine, which they saw Mr Trump’s opponent representing?

It is possible that many people voted for Trump in the hopes that he could deliver on his promises to make America great again, not really caring how he goes about that.  However it is possible that there are aspects of his policies which could be of benefit, not only to the people of his own country, but other countries as well.

The TPP is one such issue, which Trump is against.  This trade agreement threatened the ability of individual countries across the Pacific to protect their environments and the rights of their people, and favoured, instead, big businesses and those who profit from them.

I have not closely studied Trump’s policies, but I have seen that many categories of Americans, outside of white males, have felt threatened by him.  Even so, some people, such as a woman describing herself as a Muslim immigrant woman of colour, voted for him.  There are obviously many other issues affecting the vote, besides the values which Mr Trump has been portrayed as possessing.

Perhaps there are other issues, like the TPP, in which Trump’s input could be a positive one.

Perhaps one area may be the one of which I was reminded this morning, when we sang the song of Remembrance Day – In Flanders Fields.  The words created such a strong image:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place;

Is it possible that Mr Trump may slow the increase in the number of crosses, row on row, which now mark many more fields than just those in Flanders?  Let’s hope so.

In the days before this election, I prayed that the outcome would be a positive one, which would lead to the greatest good for all concerned.  Although the outcome was not what I was expecting, I have to believe that my prayers were answered.  My prayer after the election has been the same.

I am told that prayers are always answered.  Ask and ye shall receive.  However, your negative thoughts are prayers, just as surely as are your positive ones.

What outcome have you been praying for?

 

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/im-a-muslim-a-woman-and-an-immigrant-i-voted-for-trump-20161110-gsmwws.html

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-11-09/tpp:-trade-pact-dead,-buried,-cremated-amid-trump-presidency/8010736

http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/heres_why_the_trans-pacific_partnership_agreement_just_plain_wrong_20150107

https://armoryoftherevolution.wordpress.com/2016/09/22/electing-trump-will-be-the-most-important-victory-ever-for-the-animal-movement-2/

 

 

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