Hi mmm, thanks for getting back to me. I never received a reply and am greatly annoyed by the fact. Obviously, I don't expect a personal reply from Tony Blair but its just damn rude!
Returning to your original comments I think the feeling helpless factor is as much part of the problem as the fear factor. One feels disenfranchised because it appears there is actually very little that individuals can do especially when the government refuses to lisen to public opinion (and I think I am right in saying that until the war started the British people were not largely in support of the war). And whilst I agree with KS it is a crumb of comfort that 'we've' come through such things before... I don't think the fear is necessarily as simple as worrying about oneself and ones family (although that does come into it). It is also about all those people men, women & children who are being killed, and whose lives are being ruined for ever, whether civilian or military, in the name of 'peace'???? yes, being a parent does come into it but I worried about nuclear weapons in the eighties as a teenager and remember Libya being bombed and marching on Grovesner Square not becasue I was a parent but because of my personal beliefs and value system (which is incedently very different from my parents).
I also do agree with you about the hypocricy that goes on and the difficulty in rationalising the fact that whilst a small portion of the world has a high standard of living the largest portion lives in poverty.
However, I think for ones own sanity (and that of ones children) one has to change ones perspective a little. Also, living in fear lets terrorists win. Which doesn't mean not giving a damn, I found it empowering that so many people marched against the war it gave me some hope that other people think the way I do. I think it has also meant that since the war started 'the coalition' are being careful to be seen to be doing the right thing. (Which doesn't seem to have stopped the casualty rate from being horrendous but perhaps it has stopped it from being even higher!!?)
Think of all of the wonderful organisations and charities out there; the individuals who do so much to make this world a better place. If one focuses on those things then one can see that individuals can make a difference and yes there is a lot to be done in this world to make it a better place for everyone and to protect the globe but all in all there's a lot happening to move things along. When I was a teenager my friends and I were almost outcasts in our sixth form as vegetarian, CND supporting, Greenpeace campaigners... now such things are much more the norm. A very basic thing like recycling has become 'the norm'. Great strides have been made and will go on being made because people do give a damn and it is hard to keep that in mind when one is surrounded by war coverage, death, disease and injustice but sometimes one has to accept one can only do so much and if every one did ones part then the bigger picture will be different. The little things we do does help. HTH
Best wishes, Winniex