Why do we keep having wars?
Our young people
don’t want them anymore.
Can’t you see they’re peacefully
marching in the streets?

The more guns you buy,
the more innocents die.
The more rockets you fire,
the more destruction and dire.

Who gave the zealots the right to decide
if our young people are dispensable?
So why do we keep indulging them,
and why are Judeo-Christians so apathetic,
if the devil takes no prisoners?

“Never Again” is happening again—
the disbelief and horror of it all,
is that we never thought,
it would ever come from them.

By: ElRoyPoet © 2023

Ace of Base – Happy Nation (Lyric Video)

Protest Thoughts: The women and children of Gaza don’t understand why they are being terrorized by the Israel Defense Forces. They didn’t participate in the Hamas invasion into southern Israel on October 7th, and the resulting devastation in terms of Israeli casualties and hostages taken. They have probably always been in the dark about what their authoritarian tyrants do clandestinely. They have no power to influence their government; they are just trying to survive under a repressive regime. All they can perceive is that the Jews must be the most evil people in the world and that Israel is finally going to commit genocide on the Palestinians. They don’t understand why they are being collectively punished for the actions of Hamas militants. Even if you tried to explain it to them, that this is seen as retribution for the atrocities that Hamas militants committed in Israel, how can the human mind possibly comprehend that their punishment is deserved and proportionate? In our binary world, only an outsider who dogmatically sides with Israel could possibly give this international humanitarian crisis a pass.
It’s a shame that the Jewish people can’t even get the Old Testament right. The principle of “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Deuteronomy 19:21) seems appropriate. The punishment should fit the crime. It should be proportionate, not collective punishment. Jesus, however, instructs his followers “do not resist an evil person” (Matthew 5:39). If Israel ever accepts the New Testament, they will find peace in the Middle East.
It’s the devil’s lie that Judeo-Christian Nationalists are pro-life. Their interpretation is that they get to decide who lives and who dies. You’re either a Jew, Christian or nationalist, you can’t have it both ways. There’s nothing Judeo-Christian about people advocating for the genocide of babies. It’s a depressing reality that when one person is killed by a bomb, those who survive will have to endure PTSD or a lifetime of rage. Tragically, there will also be enough death to go around—the lives of innocent civilians, and the souls of the unabashed conservatives.
Declaring war on a smaller state is a self-serving approach to grant oneself permission to commit atrocities against its inhabitants. Does the fact that a larger state declares war on a smaller state justify their future acts of terrorism? An example of this is Communist Russia’s attack on democratic Ukraine. Or did the aggressive state declare war on the smaller state to further escalate its own acts of terrorism? Another example is democratic Israel’s attack on authoritarian Gaza.

The greatest trick the devil ever pulled, was convincing the world that he doesn’t exist. By believing, that he doesn’t exist, we also believe the lie, that sin doesn’t exist, and that’s how he traps us. The devil will stop at nothing to exploit us, and once he’s broken us, he has no further use for us. This is essentially what “a means to an end” means.

“The devil will remind you over and over again, of your past. Because he knows, that the day you stop feeling sorry for yourself, he has no future with you. Holding on to old grudges will not remove the pain in your brain. Only Jesus can transform your life, if you allow him into your heart.” By: ElRoyPoet

“The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern. Where there is no vision, the people perish…. Many seek the ruler’s favor; but every man’s judgment comes from The Lord. There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death. The simple believe anything, but the prudent give thought to their steps. The wise fear The Lord and shun evil, but a fool is hotheaded and yet feels secure.” Bible, Proverbs 29:7,18,26; 14:12,15,16

“There has never been a just [war], never an honorable one— on the part of the instigator of the war. I can see a million years ahead, and this rule will never change in so many as half a dozen instances. The loud little handful—as usual—will shout for the war. The pulpit will—warily and cautiously—object—at first; the great, big, dull bulk of the nation will rub its sleepy eyes and try to make out why there should be a war, and will say, earnestly and indignantly, ‘It is unjust and dishonorable, and there is no necessity for it.’ Then the handful will shout louder. A few fair men on the other side will argue and reason against the war with speech and pen, and at first will have a hearing and be applauded; but it will not last long; those others will outshout them, and presently the anti-war audiences will thin out and lose popularity. Before long you will see this curious thing: the speakers stoned from the platform, and free speech strangled by hordes of furious men who in their secret hearts are still at one with those stoned speakers—as earlier—but do not dare say so. And now the whole nation—pulpit and all—will take up the war-cry, and shout itself hoarse, and mob any honest man who ventures to open his mouth; and presently such mouths will cease to open. Next the statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting the blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities, and will diligently study them, and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys after this process of grotesque self-deception.” By: Mark Twain

Counter Protest: Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005 and closed its settlements there. However, instead of reciprocating Israel’s goodwill gesture, Hamas increased its attacks, justifying Israel’s escalated embargo.
The missing narrative is the exploration of what could have happened if the Palestinians had suppressed all terrorism in their controlled areas and invested every dollar of aid into building a sustainable economy. Singapore, for example, thrives through skilled labor and advantageous banking laws despite its lack of natural resources, demonstrating the potential for creating a successful state with these assets. Interestingly, although more crowded than Gaza, Singapore has 2 and a half times more people and covers 283 square miles, compared to Gaza’s 141 square miles.
However, the Palestinians have gambled on an “all or nothing” strategy instead of adopting the Singapore strategy. Hamas already had a state in place and maintained its own police and military forces, making it a de facto authority on the ground. The tragic situation in Gaza is further exacerbated by Hamas’s use of Palestinians as human shields. This strategy by Hamas aims to gain sympathy by sacrificing their citizens, even if it means inciting violence against Jews and provoking retaliation. Each time Hamas and other terrorist groups ignite conflicts resulting in the disproportionate destruction of Palestinian territories, they set their citizens back years.
While this strategy has worked to some extent in eliciting support from the world’s social justice activists, one must question the cost. As long as Hamas continues with its “all or nothing” strategy, it is unlikely to achieve any meaningful results. The Jewish people are not leaving; they have nowhere else to go. While we must empathize with the honest and hardworking Palestinians who seek to build a future for themselves and their families, it is not a viable option as long as Hamas or other terrorist groups remain in Israel or the Palestinian territories.

According to the Harvard/Harris poll, approximately half of young adults aged 18-34 believe that Palestinian grievances justify the atrocities of October 7. It is true that oppression leads to rebellion, and persecuted people will retaliate if given the opportunity. However, where should we draw the line? Extremism breeds radicals, and anarchists resemble berserkers—they all lack rationality. This is precisely why negotiating with terrorists and suicide bombers is futile.