Are We Really Building Peace?

[@pedrodomingos5250]

Indeed you're absolutely right, Mary jane. Great remarks!

[@luckytran]

"It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it." - Eleanor Roosevelt Thank you so much for making this. It's so important to work for peace and every part helps. Everyone posting, everyone speaking up, everyone marching, everyone organizing. We should never take it for granted.

[@WhatashameMaryJane]

Well said. I'm at the second stage: I believe in peace very strongly, and I should work more at it. What concerns me is how few people even believe in it - this comment section is a great sample.

[@Qwerty8]

@@WhatashameMaryJanepeople talking about the topic and that’s what we need. It gets worse when talking is not necessary anymore. (Until problems solved)

[@kareeme7]

Thank you so much for your thoughtful, powerful video. This is so helpful from a historical, practical and spiritual perspective. Eternal thanks for being a peacemaker and inspiring us to do the same.

[@WhatashameMaryJane]

Thank you Kareeme.

[@theyommer]

Your frustration comes across loud and clear. I also wish for the outcomes you so passionately describe. I have come to believe that humans in large enough numbers do not possess the skills to respond thoughtfully rather than reactively. And I think the general public will punish those leaders who suggest doing so. I'm heartened that these issues are so meaningful to you. It must be even more frustrating when you encounter people who are so obviously disinterested in such important topics. I feel your pain!

[@saschaesken5524]

Wars are elites' business

[@Qwerty8]

The elite doesn’t get killed like the masses. So it’s up on us the people not to fight. Don’t blame someone called elite to get out of your own responsibility.

[@SelfReflective]

Wars are humanity’s business. The natural life cycle of man, just like any other animal, is “nasty, brutish, and short”. The fact that we today have clean tap water, rule of law, long lives and abundant food is the product of what we call “western civilization”. Today, those words “die on our lips”. But they are still true. Peace, post ww2 peace is a great historical aberration.

[@TimothyZakaria]

​@@WhatashameMaryJaneback in NY?

[@alessioviggiano5154]

Mary Jane could be great if one day the president of a big nation say from now no more weapons and army in our country! Maybe after the shock, all around the world others nations could take the same choice! Or, and it's what i think since many years, we need much much more persons who think critically like you all the taboos and the rules and the teachings we learn in our lives. The great writers, artists, directors, philosophers, intellectuals do this for the world, we need an huge army of thinkings heads! cheers by an italian from Italy

[@Qwerty8]

Yes, I am all in. Let’s discuss if you like. How do you think we will change? Tell me about your solutions ❤

[@fortunatus1]

Thucydides wrote that nations go to war because of fear, pride, and self interest. And since these are traits common to every human, war becomes easy to justify. The truth is that creating and maintaining peace is hard; war is easy.

[@Qwerty8]

Good point!

[@Qwerty8]

Now we are having a real necessity of having to fight each other. Recourses. That’s kind of a problem

[@scottkempton6085]

Hi Mary Jane. Your point is well-taken, and it is a question that has been asked for centuries - at least - and I sure do wish I knew the answer. You would have fit right in in the ‘60s! I’m afraid there is no answer - as long as people regard themselves as individuals, as opposed to part of the whole. People elect their government, and one of the government’s jobs is to protect them against enemies. For your solution to work, it requires buy-in and commitment from ALL governments, so that there ARE no enemies. If any government doesn’t agree to the plan, that leaves the rest of the world vulnerable to attack, and the very first question those who were attacked are going to ask is “Why didn’t you protect us!?” For your plan to work, each of us must consider how our actions might affect the rest of humanity rather than our own personal interests, and humanity has a LOT of growing up to do before that happens. For what it’s worth, I feel your frustration, and have the same concerns.

[@matrix_x_]

From Vrbnik, Krk to NYC. What a jump. I don't know if you would say that I'm glad that you came back to the USA, because I was very glad that you started to discover Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. But if that is your wish and satisfaction, happy return to America.

[@davidellis5141]

Good Morning Mary Jane ! - In late 2023 my dream of retiring to the peace & hot springs of Iceland has never been more desirable. Peace is a dream I don't see having a happy ending. As Edwin C Starr sang .. War .. What is it good for ? .. Absolutely nothing.

[@onceupongeorgia]

Nice to see you back! Around my country 3 war is currently Russian-Ukrainian, Armenia-Azerbaijan and Israel-Palestine. Beginning everybody push out government to get involved in this war, but somehow country keep balance and normal relationship with all neighbors and war supporters inside and outside give up provocation. Mostly when politicians want to keep power they start to manipulate people’s filling

[@orlandofurioso7958]

You're a kind soul. War is inevitable, as is history. As to putting down arms, ask yourself if you agree or disagree with the following quote from Golda Meir, Israel’s prime minister during the 1973 Yom Kippur War, who said, “If the Arabs put down their weapons today, there would be no more violence. If the Jews put down their weapons today, there would be no more Israel.” People don't know history. It's inevitable, as is war.

[@Qwerty8]

Where and how do we go on? (Not) where bridges are built without access roads. We learn in war. Afterwards, we must implement the strategies we have learned and not bury peace again.

[@Qwerty8]

Perfect timing ❤

[@TheWolfalpino]

i actually predicted this war 15 years ago (17 to be precise). I had actually no doubts. Trying to explain, people weren't listening as always. And called me in many ways, in their thoughts or in the speech. And the ones who did listen, they didn't know what to do anyway. In the end, i found my answers in the Gospel, where Jesus predicted these times. And one thing he says to his apostles is "All these things HAVE to happen". And i started understanding what he meant. There are probably some phases in human history that cannot be avoided. Not because it's not technically or theoretically possible, but because the human process requires them. They really are inevitable, in the end. No matter how hard we try. In the end, i realized i was trying to stop the exact thing that was meant to be, in order to get to the real final peace. So, i stopped trying to stop.

[@omardelmar]

Have you ever considered running for office? I think you’d be a great leader-sober and sensible.

[@CarlosAlberto_Il_piccolo]

María, i am travelling to Spain for a new job position. So is a question of time to travel to Udine because i have friends there. Is the oportunity to close the cycle, return to the origins. Mandi!

[@TheWolfalpino]

oh, c'è un film fighissimo che se non conosci devi assolutamente vedere! si chiama "Il pianeta verde" o "la belle verd" (o vert?)

[@TheWolfalpino]

they don't understand that it's "just" a game of fears. They don't realized that if they are afraid of being invaded, the other coutries can also potentially be invaded. And build their army aswell. It's easy to understand, but not so easy apparently. I know you might not expect so many answers, or any at all, but i feel what you are saying and can't deny having myself the same thoughts. What americans (or even people in general, but americans are obsessed by it) don't understand, is that this reality is a "projective reality". When they point at someone (or some country) they are basically projecting their fears on them. And if there might be a base of truth, it gets bigger if you get into reaction. But honestly i simply think that the politics game behind the scene is so far more obvious. America is the Country someone choose to use to try to "globalize the world". And I'm not saying it's a good thing necessarily. I'm pretty sure that the real future of the earth is about free people that simply will not need rule enforcements because they all got to the same realizations you, or me or many others are having, and more, but still not enough. At least i see many people starting taking care of the natural environment, but they don't understand that they have a big big beautiful green house. That they could all sleep under the sky, in the woods or on a beach, and live like that all life. What they don't understand is that this i made possible only if we learn to be respectful to all. And not by imposition, but by inner feeling. And that inner feeling, is called love. Something that doesn't allow anyone anymore to fall into ego, or at least lesser and lesser and lesser, until it disappears. The more they build artificially, trying to compensate, the more they will step away from it. We Need an evolution in the consciousness, not in the technology. With the evolution of the consciousness we will be able to evaluate what and when and how and if, we have to project and produce and use any technology. Humanity is running behind a fake illusion even if looks real, but it's a dream, and in the way this dream is projecting itself in the future, it doesn't look very good. In the best scenario, they will create a "dystopic peaceful world" obtained bypassing evolutionary processes with technology, science and undirect imposition. If they would dedicate more time, space, energies and even money, to put everyone in the condition of developing the consciousness, the all collective process would be so much easier and faster. But they want the egg boiled without the hot water. And maybe even without the Chicken one day. When i hear about "someone" project about going to Mars, i really scroll down my head and think "If people didn't even learn how to live on earth? Where do you wanna go?" Sit down and fix problems here. And they received a loot of very good solutions. They just didn't accept them. Or they changed them, to make them "profitable". And when this happens, i can't avoid to hear my mother voice in my hear saying "perle ai porci". Sad but true There are many things that are actually possible (tested myself) and are exactly how deep down everyone would want to live. But i discovered that the only obstacle to it, at the moment, are the fear of people to change. Expressed in so many ways. But i'm not denying i'm also seeing some good things happenings tho, because there are. Something good is happening in the between, so we'll see. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and processes. I totally felt connected and could not resist adding mines! hugs!

[@adambainbridge1708]

At its base power is the ability to impose your interpretation of the world on someone else. Power is reciprocal, If you say ‘that’s my jacket’ they have to accept your interpretation, perhaps they’ll say ‘of course, that’s your jacket’ or they might say ‘no, that’s my jacket’ or ‘that’s my jacket NOW.’ It doesn’t matter how powerful you think you are if no one else agrees. Conflict is always about one group trying to impose its interpretations on the world by force. There’s always a narrative and people willing to accept that interpretation, and the people who don’t accept it are often constrained by an opposing narrative that is just as stupid. In some parts of the world people can get killed for their jacket, or for wearing the wrong jacket (as interpreted by someone else). Some people feel great about themselves because of their jacket, some people feel down about themselves because of their jacket. I’m probably taking the jacket analogies too far lol but I think peace is something like not being too invested in what jacket you are wearing or what other people have on, at an individual and international level we have to give up trying to impose our interpretations on others… but if I’m wet and freezing and I don’t have a jacket, and someone promises me one on the condition I accept their interpretations, then I will probably agree, or maybe I don’t want the responsibility of having to choose what jacket to wear and prefer someone else chooses for me, or I might be afraid of what happens if I don’t wear the same jacket as everybody else. I might wear a jacket because I hope that it will make people like me. Someone may have threatened me if I do not wear the jacket. So the jacket becomes invested in power.. That is hard to let go of. Somehow we have to look beyond the jacket and see that it represents our fear of helplessness, that we control very little of this world and the great universe, and no jacket however stylish or functional will protect us from the endless shifting storm of events past and present. We should willingly give up our jacket, so to speak, the moment it is not essential for our survival, and be wide open to experiencing the diverse range of clothing that other people wear and perhaps discover the confidence to not wear a jacket at all. I think this is also the goal of meditation (at least one interpretation, to limit attachment to the objects of suffering) so perhaps meditation is a practical solution to war, at least on an individual level those who can hold their own interpretations lightly are not likely to become tyrants or become attached to the tyrants divisive narrative, by not reciprocating they diminish the tyrants power.

[@WhatashameMaryJane]

Love the jacket metaphor. Lol. I totally agree on the last part. I've always thought that about meditation.

[@Qwerty8]

Nothing to add ❤

[@Qwerty8]

Hey Adam! Please tell me your decision to take a jacket. I know it's just an object for direction and reflection while creating the imagery of what has been written.

[@adambainbridge1708]

@@Qwerty8 Hey Sascha! That’s a good question! I wanted to give an ordinary object for direction, as you said, and it just popped into my mind with an image of a group of people leaving a restaurant collecting their jackets from a coat rack. At first I thought it was silly but stuck with it as I remember thinking about military jackets, the movie Devil Wears Prada, and also the saying "You can't really understand another person's experience until you've walked a mile in their shoes” for the last part. I was looking out the window at people in the street and trying to understand them based on their jackets! It was also important that a jacket is protective but not so functional like a winter coat. People can try on different political ideologies, like a jacket, and pay attention to what is fashionable at the moment. I also thought about how fashion itself was important to Italian and German fascists, I read a very interesting article on the subject. It just seemed to fit haha nuitalian.org/2022/05/04/the-power-of-dress-how-fashion-was-used-in-fascist-italy-to-promote-a-new-italian-identity/

[@Qwerty8]

@@adambainbridge1708 I like what was said ❤️ Few people are able to perceive associations long enough and then make the appropriate connections without not to remember them a blink later. That sounds like functional thinking (five out of 100) 🥰 Thank you very much!

[@pierangelonardin9240]

Bisognerebbe abbandonare l'idea di Nazione. Democrazia o no anche nelle migliori delle situazioni chi comanda ha l'obiettivo di fare gli interessi della propria nazione. Alle volte facendo volontariamente o involontariamente qualcosa contro un'altra che a sua volta reagirà di conseguenza e così si innesca una spirale pericolosa d'odio o rancore che porta alla guerra con le armi o silenziosa, quella economica

[@WhatashameMaryJane]

Pierangelo, mi trovo molto d'accordo. L'idea di nazione non è più un paradigma del nostro tempo, ma è e sarà un lungo strascico di un tempo passato. Il processo di superamento di quest'idea è certamente già iniziato da qualche tempo, ma credo che ci vorrà ancora molto perché arrivi a compimento.

[@ethannkyle]

dovresti fare un video in italiano!!! mi piacerebbe guardarla

[@boomerangfishact6754]

Hi Mary Jane, I understand your point, but I must argue, that WWII was ended mainly by intervening with brute military force. I would love to live in a world without violence and military, but unfortunately I don’t see it as a viable option. The problem is, that even supranational structures, like the UN, the WHO and IMF are kind of powerless. At the moment I do not see a solution, but we have to find one. The main problem is, that the nations are not the root of the problem. The true core of the problem is the class war, which is using the war between the nations as a proxy war.

[@WhatashameMaryJane]

Hi. I also think I understand your point, but I must clarify that, technically, WWII 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙙 by intervening with brute military force. The fact that you don't see peace as a viable option is exactly the problem I'm pointing out at in this video. Too many citizens don't see it as a viable option, even if each one of them wants it and even if history has major examples of how to deal with conflicts without the use of violence. Peaceful resistance has been effecting in the resolution of many conflicts. Unfortunately it doesn't fill up the pockets of weapon dealers.

[@Qwerty8]

The end of a war is more important than the beginning. Civilization is where the first step doesn’t happen.

[@Qwerty8]

@@WhatashameMaryJanesolution on your last sentence I have thought of. I guess it is manageable.

[@ferruccio4531]

@@WhatashameMaryJane l'industria delle armi rappresenta il 2,7% del PIL mondiale, settori come quello dell'automotive e dell'elettronica sono molto più potenti e hanno tutto l'interesse a manetenerre la pace. di fatto però centrano poco con le guerre. l'uomo fa la guerra perché fa l'uomo, non perché lo vogliono i mercanti d'armi che sono solo un effetto non una causa. è come dire che il riscaldamento globale non viene preso in considerazione a causa della lobby dei costruttori di condizionatori (un settore più potente dei produttori di armi).

[@WhatashameMaryJane]

@@ferruccio4531 Ottima considerazione. Grazie di avermi spiegato la questione in modo così chiaro.

[@francofurlotti6248]

Unfotunately, I think that war is always a convenience. First of all because producing weapons is a huge business. Second, when some nations push for a war, a military intervention especially in Africa, Middle east or South America, they are already planning the business of reconsteuction. No matters how many people will die. Nobody cares of the citizens. And if they are poor, even less. War is just the way for the superpowers to enlarge or keep their influence area. Look at Syria for example...poor people die in thousands since 2011, and USA and RUSSIA are just playing with it because Syria is in a strategic position and Al Assahd will continue to kill poor rebels until Putin will protect him. But in the beginning Obama promised to stop him. 🤷‍♂️

[@WhatashameMaryJane]

Yes I think we all agree with this, but the point is: why don't we, average citizens, take action to actually refuse war intervention? Why do we watch tv shows where politicians discuss foreign affairs without questioning wether we we should even intervene or not? Why don't we demand that they stop being an accessory to who makes the war, that they do not sell weapons?

[@Qwerty8]

@fackafacka you are right about today. Start thinking in ten generations! We won’t solve it now but we are ruling tomorrow by our actions today. 300 years is almost nothing. It will take its time.

[@antoinelles]

@@WhatashameMaryJane are you going to organize a group trip to Ukraine? You know, to peacefully protest among the trenches. Or do you prefer Israel? It's a pretty serious option when you're a pacifist.

[@WhatashameMaryJane]

@@antoinelles That's what THEY should do, not us. We can do it in our own countries, in the case of the Russian attack, or just stop getting involved in someone else's business, in the case of the everlasting war in the Middle East.

[@Qwerty8]

Now I am with you, I hold you tightly in my arms. Intervention worked once, when Germany was brought to its knees together. That's the only time I remember, all the wars after that didn't make anything better for anyone. The problem with disarmament is that the one with the most weapons has to start. Because of fear of the others AND fear of the country with 23 aircraft carriers itself. Fear doesn't stop fighting, it never has. Right?

[@Zarkalo]

I capelli sempre più … un po’ più bianchi. Il tempo passa… Bel video!

[@antoinelles]

...Mary Jane, are you deleting my comments?

[@Qwerty8]

If she would have to delete your comments, I guess she would have blocked you. At least that’s what I think. Most times comments disappear through automated selection. I have some experiences with disappearing comments. Hours of discussions with support staff and the community. I take it like with the weather 🤷‍♂️ Sorry for it. It hurts me too from time to time

[@WhatashameMaryJane]

No I'm not. I don't usually delete comments, with exceptions for bot generated ones and insulting ones. I love reading your comments, they're always well thought and well argumented.

[@antoinelles]

@@WhatashameMaryJane thank you, you're very kind. KZbin keeps deleting my comment probably because of a certain expression. Anyway, let's apply your pacifist solution (9:29) to the Ukrainian case. So Ukraine dismantles its own armed forces. Thus Ukraine is conquered by Russia. Huge humanitarian crisis spreads all over the continent, with additional hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing the country. The Ukrainians staying in Ukraine lose the rest of their freedoms, and their safety. Et***c cl*****ng happens, it's Holodomor Part II. Ukraine gets heavily militarized to serve the Kremlin.

[@TheWolfalpino]

you are assuming that american nation creation was NOT projected by someone (that's what they told us). On the contrary, it was a project, not a random happening as people believes :D But this doesn't answer your question obviously.

[@mohammadalam7536]

Read Quran to find answers. May God bless your questions.

[@Qwerty8]

To many people died in the name of the shareholder of the Quran. Stop telling the people about believing in something that’s about hegemony.

[@mohammadalam7536]

@@Qwerty8 how ignorant. May you be guided. Ameen

[@Qwerty8]

@@mohammadalam7536 also the Christian people made their way through fear and blood in the name of their god. My personal belief is, what created life can’t be in charge for the opposite. Fight is all about free will or decision of the one who is holding a weapon. That’s us - no one else. He gave this choice to us. Killing to me means acting against god or the chosen one who is someone else. What do you think?

[@mohammadalam7536]

@@Qwerty8 that means you have not read the Quran.

[@antoinelles]

A lot of people around the world read it, but the Middle East is still a hellhole. Didn't you notice it?

[@MrFrescocotone]

Wars have always been part of our world, unfortunately. We've had way more in the past. I feel quite disturbing how many youtubers are all bringing up hypocritical videos about peace and war just for the sake of getting a few more clicks 🤦‍♂️

[@WhatashameMaryJane]

We've had more in the past, so we're on a trend to get rid of this way of solving conflicts: let's keep pushing towards civilization and elimination of wars. I'm not watching KZbin these days, can you point out some of the videos you mentioned?

[@MrFrescocotone]

@WhatashameMaryJane a youtuber not watching youtube is a bit of a weird thing. Videos are everywhere, all trying to monetize through the ongoing conflicts, first the Ukrainian one, now the one in the Middle East. But where were all youtubers when there were no conflicts touching western states like the aforementioned ones, yet so many going on and killing 10tines more people in Africa, Yemen amd other "less interesting " parts of the world? You see, humans are all similar, yourself included. A topic is hot, let's talk about it. When not, let's talk about chips and burgers