Pavlov's Dogs of Peace?

“The loud little handful will shout for war. The pulpit will warily and cautiously protest at first…. The great mass of the nation will rub its sleepy eyes, and will try to make out why there should be a war, and they will say earnestly and indignantly: “It is unjust and dishonorable and there is no need for war.

Then the few will shout even louder…. Before long you will see a curious thing: anti-war speakers will be stoned from the platform, and free speech will be strangled by hordes of furious men who still agree with the speakers but dare not admit it…

Next, the statesmen will invent cheap lies…and each man will be glad of these lies and will study them because they soothe his conscience; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just and he will thank God for a better sleep he enjoys by his self-deception.” (Mark Twain)

It is interesting how many people knowingly fall into the trap that Mr. Clemens warns us is set for the collective psyche of our nation. I watch the flag-wavers, warmongers, nationalists, militarists, and their ilk, and I wonder how it is they don’t know they are being manipulated by forces they can’t imagine exist. A few college level psychology courses and a seminar in marketing strategy would explain everything to them quite nicely.

Yet, even if we would show these barbarians the error of their ways, they would likely continue to bark and howl for war. The voices for ‘nationalized’ murder in uniform are always the loudest, always the shrillest cry of them all. It prevails not because it rings true to the majority, rather it rings, as a cash register rings, loudly in the ears of the industries and interests who make their wealth swimming in the war-blood of others.

Pavlov was a genius. He made me realize many years ago that the dog-human comparison was relatively absolute. Wave a flag, hang a wanted poster of a brown-skinned man with facial hair and a funny name, create all kinds of scenarios that might occur should we not march to war, and sit back to witness the war-dogs salivating at the opportunity to send another man to his death. Profit! Patriotism! Posterity!

There are, however, two sorts of dogs. There are dogs that hurl themselves against the fence, gnashing and growling at passersby big and small. These dogs are territorial, aggressive, and they operate out of fear. There are other dogs that, as you approach the fence, they place their paws atop the rail, give you a big sniff and kiss, and follow you quietly along the fence-line until you’re out of their sight. The latter is calm, friendly, secure, and though no less territorial, he has the temperament to create friends from possible enemies through a soft, happy approach. This dog was neither born nor raised to be in fear.

We have human beings among us that live in so much fear that if there is nothing to actually fear, they will certainly create something to fill that void. It is not that I believe there is nothing to fear at all anywhere, but that if we are constantly preoccupied with making war on conjured, imaginary enemies, then how would we have time and energy to recognize and deal with the real ones?

The man in false fear cannot be corrected. His fear or response to that fear cannot withstand any criticism because that fearing is vital to his psychological makeup. When you dissent from warmongering and bloodshed, even with rational and deliberate consideration, your critique is perceived as a personal attack. Why? Because it is very, very personal. Fear is so dominant that it becomes that person’s true identity.

If you happen to pass my home on a jog, walk, or stroll, please come up to fence and let me sniff you a little, get a pat on the head, and then I’ll follow you a short distance to say good-bye. The fence is just there to keep the other sort of dogs out.

Peace is secure. Peace is warm. Peace is kind. Peace is quiet. Peace is simple. Peace is painless.

I need a nap and maybe a fresh bowl of water. A tummy rub would be nice, too. I drool just thinking about it!

Kol Tuv