Sickening "Skyline Views" of Conflict

I continue to wrap my head around Human Nature while missing WAR.

This is a photograph from the book, Leslies Photographic Review of the Great War. 1920 Edition, Leslie-Judge Company. NY. What do you see? It is a barren landscape of death. You see so very little of the reality of war. It is what you don’t see that I have a problem with. The Somme Battlefield, WW1. Always free here as knowledge should never be hidden. I see you bastards. Remember me?

Right now I am missing so much by not being near the conflict zones. I have so many questions and no one to answer them. It really sucks. I’ll share this with you in the meantime.

You all made me vomit in my mouth a little this morning. The continued collective behavior of our humanity tends to do that to me. Have you seen the “Skyline Views” of cities under siege? Just stop. Sicko’s.

I am not like most folks in one strange category. Morbid curiosity. I cannot tell you how many times I have “noted” this activity conducted by others in my blast radius. Even broadcasted! You can watch “skyline views” of places under attack online. What is wrong with many of us?

What has “entertainment” become? “ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?” Name the movie! Big hint: Russel Crowe.

Morbid Curiosity. Let me give you the most notable and repeated example of morbid curiosity that I have experienced most often where I make this observation. Automobile accidents and the phenomenon of rubber necking.

We want to know what happened, is that it? Did someone get hurt or possibly perish in such a scene? You know what? I disengage, unless they need help. I simply don’t because the emotions it will produce are negative. I disengage. Save your mental energy. Same as being very selective about what drama’s I watch. I do not need to entertain realistic dramas. You shouldn’t either. If you do, I envy you. Envy...One of the deadly sins, am I right?

If I was to engage my intellect in such a scene, I would suffer. I chose to suffer under the circumstances that would provide me with answers, and that is not one of them. Do you understand how I preserve my mental energy in this circumstance. What else do you have to tackle that day? Let it go. Those of us that chose conflict as a path are likely to practice this technique. Push it out somewhere for later. Like after you get home like so many of us experience.

Contradictions. We all have them, as do I. I mentioned in the past when my soldiers and I surveyed the battlefield after one of our partners fought off a full-blown attempt to seize their Afghan District Center. The Taliban failed and we had a hand in it. That is a story I will save for a larger effort than this. It was on the Pakistani border.

That morning there were a few pieces of humanity still on the field of battle. It is something that can be found near all intense points of conflict unfortunately. Pieces of us. A silent finitude (love this new word, can you tell) that lingers over us all. If I was a guessing man, there probably are a few photos from that day. What a mess. Like so many others, something I will not forget. I tend to forget little it would appear.

I walked away from that scene…different. Just like everything else we see and experience. Did you know that? It all gets pushed up in your fat globule you carry around that sucks up so much energy. Please remember to use it for our sake. Please. If we forget this, more of us will show up as pieces in some field of conflict somewhere. I have dealt with that. Can you? Why would some of you want that? That desire goes away within minutes of being shot at. Let me rephrase that.

When you get into a situation where you and the ones you are responsible for may not get out alive…then you will know what I am discussing. It is coming. You will most likely be sitting in it with me. I will be sitting next to you with a half-smile. Knowing the actual Morbid Curiosity I have that will come as so many Americans crumble under the stress. Crumble into nothingness. No more Lattes and Yachts for your comfort women. Lines everywhere for everything. Why do we ignore our lessons from the past? I think it is because we deny ourselves reality. Like when an alcoholic drinks the next day after saying they will never drink again. Have you done that?

Why would you want that? Why? I know there are tons of Americans thinking this is going to be some fun time running around with your cosplay gear on. Political violence is on the rise. I wrote an essay on how to avoid it a while ago. That shit better end. Political violence means that people are fighting for power. Fighting and killing. Your morbid curiosity is a crutch. It will get you all killed. Have you thought that through? All of you planning on hurting others?

My contempt for those pushing this agenda is unmeasurable. Unmeasurable. Absorb the meaning of that word for I have. I keep it under control. I have been molded to redirect that energy elsewhere. To my mind now. Please do not underestimate my ability to organize, plan and fight. I got the T-shirt already. It is the kind that doesn’t come off.

The more you watch conflict, the more you are distancing yourself from the reality of WAR. I heard that the Russians have lost 1 million men, killed, captured and wounded.

ONE MILLION, and they continue. Why? For whom and what? Answer those questions and it ends. All of it.

Or…our morbid curiosity ends us all. We have the tools to do it several ways and several times over.

Chip.

RLTW. You are ALL worth my efforts. Every damn one of you. Remember that.

I will leave you with the final thought. Just hope you don’t live near a data center. They have made it onto every conventional and nuclear targeting list. Updates are needed, are they not?