Yes. War is stupid. Regardless of the justifications and alibi. War is stupid.
To the advocates of new "All out war" in Muslim Mindanao, other war mongers, may I advice that you try living in conflict areas like
Mamasapano in Maguindanao or Basilan so you will see how ugly and brutal endless fighting can be.
Here is one story of an ugly war, happened only last month.
Shortly before the Mamasapano incident happened on January 25, Sarah’s husband, Badrudin Langalen, with his cow in tow, was on his way home from the cornfields to charge his cellphone when the SAF commandos, on the assumption that he was an MILF fighter, captured him.
Shortly before the Mamasapano incident happened on January 25, Sarah’s husband, Badrudin Langalen, with his cow in tow, was on his way home from the cornfields to charge his cellphone when the SAF commandos, on the assumption that he was an MILF fighter, captured him.
When the fighting between the MILF and the SAF finally
started, with his hands tied behind his back, the helpless Badrudin and his cow
got caught in the crossfire.
He was only 21 – too young to die. Dying was probably the
last thing on his mind. Death is too much of a punishment for being at the
wrong place at the wrong time. In war, rules of engagement protect combatants
who are incapable of fighting back. What protection was there for a wandering
civilian like him?
Residents in Mamasapano claimed there were arbitrary
killings and indiscriminate firing. While the assault teams were fighting the
MILF in the fields, other soldiers on standby in communities opened fire,
killing innocent civilians....
Today I chanced upon this facebook page of Major Harold Magallanes Cabunoc. The guy makes sense. I am copy-pasting some of his recent postings. To non-Filipino friends, this Filipino soldier is talking about peace and explicitly dislikes war as he has seen firsthand the ugly faces and places of war, Filipinos shooting and killing each other.
February 15, 2015
Sa mga nagbabangayang mga magkakapatid na Muslim at
Kristiyano dito sa aking pahina, mas maiging intindihin natin ang kasaysayan ng
Pilipinas bago dumating ang mga Kastila para maintindihan mo ang pinagmulan ng
ipinaglalaban ng mga kapatid nating Muslim….
Panay gyera ang ginawang solusyon ng gobyerno ng
Pilipinas sa mga nakipaglaban para sa kanilang karapatan, kahit noon pang
1970s. Hindi ito natapos at lalong dumami ang nasaktan, at lalong naghihirap
ang Muslim Mindanao dahil pati ang maraming namumuno sa kanila ay sarili lang
ang pinapayaman, at hinahayaang magiging mangmang at gumagapang sa hirap ang
kanilang mga kababayan. Ang kanilang freedom fighters ay tinatawag nating
terrorists. (Di ko sinasabing tama ang ginawa sa SAF 44 at pati yong pamumugot
ng Abu sa Basilan at Sulu). Lalong dumadami ang radicalized dahil sa kahirapan
at kamangmangan. Kung anu-anong armadong grupo ang lumalabas na mandirigma at
ang iba sa kanila ay sinasakyan ng mga jihadists kagaya ng Al Qaeda at Jemaah
Islamiya. Kapag panay gyera tayo, walang katapusan ang galit at bawian ng kapwa
Pilipino. Lahat tayo talunan kapag gagawin nating All out War.
Kawawa ang mas nakararaming sibilyan sa gyera. Saksi ako
sa paghihirap nila sa mga evacuation centers. Nakikita ko ang mga nawasak na
komunidad at mga duguang mandirigma sa magkabilang panig. Nakikita ko ito dahil
kasama ako sa nakikigyera sa kanila sapagkat ito ay aking tungkulin bilang
sundalo ng bayan.
Hindi po military solution lamang ang kasagutan kundi
negotiated political settement. Dapat matikman ng mga kapatid natin ang
kapayapaan at kaunlaran. Hikayatin natin silang talikuran ang karahasan at pakikipagpatayan
sa kapwa Pilipino. Hikayatin natin silang huwag kanlungin ang mga terorista at
wag gumawa ng terorismo. Hikayatin natin ang sarili nilang mga pinuno na lagyan
ng puso ang paninilbihan sa bayan, at patikimin ng taos-pusong serbisyo publiko
ang taumbayan. Bombahin ang Muslim Mindanao ng development projects nang
magkaroon sila ng oportunidad na makaahon sa kahirapan.
Hikayatin din natin ang lahat na Kristiyano na alamin ang
tunay na kasaysayan ng Pilipinas dahil susi ito sa pag-uuwanaan.
Magkaisa tayong lahat na isulong ang kapayapaan at
makamit ang hustisya ng lahat na nabiktima ng karahasan.
February 14
Mahirap makipaglaban sa kapwa Pilipino. Ang mandirigmang
may puso, nirerespeto ang kaaway na hindi na lumalaban.
Ganito dapat ang ginawa ng mga mandirigmang nakalaban ng
bayaning SAF troopers, lalo na at terorista naman ang pakay nila sa kanilang
misyon.
Kahit saang anggulo tingnan, mali ang barilin sa ulo ang
walang kalaban laban. Ikinagagalit iyon ni Allah (SWT). Sisingilin kayo sa oras
ng kanyang paghuhusga.
February 12
Kaming mga sundalo, ayaw namin ng all out war na
iminumungkahi ng iilang matatapang nating kababayan.
Bakit? Eh, matagal na nating sinubukan yan laban sa mga
rebelde ngunit hindi naman umubra, at napakarami lang namamatay at
nagsipaglayasan sa kanilang mga pamayanan. Yong mga namatayan ng tatay at
kapatid ay malamang na bumabawi gamit ang karahasan.
Dagdag pa dyan, kaming mga sundalo naman ang unang
mapasubo na makipagpatayan sa kapwa Pilipino kung hindi natin pagbigyan ng
pagkakataon na magkaroon ang kapayapaan.
------------My tolerance for war is zero, nada, blanko. More war means more hatred and intolerance, more violence and more government, more bureaucrats and war mongers ordering young people to shoot and kill other young people. More taxes and borrowings to finance endless fighting and destruction of properties.
For free marketers who advocate war, I question your belief in individual freedom. Why would you support further expansion of already BIG governments, to abdicate the use of reason and embrace more fighting and coercion?
------------
See also:
Pilipinas Forum 8: On the Abu Sayyaf, September 11, 2011
Pilipinas Forum 19: The CPP-NPA, Sison and Maoism, November 09, 2011
MILF, Fallen 44 and Rule of Law, February 01, 2015
MILF, BIFF, PNP and the Fallen 44, February 02, 2015
MILF, BIFF, and the Fallen 44, Part 3, February 03, 2015
MILF, PNP SAF and the Fallen 44, Part 4, February 16, 2015
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