A Protester holds a sign in front of United States Marine Corps soldiers outside of the Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles during the No War On Iran protest after conflicts arise with Iran and Israel on June 19, 2025 in Los Angeles, United States.
Can Humanity Grow Up Into a World Beyond Foes?
When “all the foe is vanquished”... or deported, or bombed to smithereens, what the foe will never be is understood.
I’ve been away from “the world” for a while—by which I mean, away from home and my life of computer-focused hermitude.
As I wait for round two of my cataract surgery (my right eye), I remain with my loving family in Appleton, Wisconsin. Yeah, I have my computer with me, but hardly have the wherewithal to stay intensely focused on global events, beyond “Oh my God, we’re bombing Iran now?” and masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement gunmen are rounding up “illegals” all across the country.
As I sit on the couch, presumably recovering from my left-eye surgery, I want to scream and shove all this obnoxious news into a corner of my mind, where I can absorb it slowly, in a context of hope. Yeah, we will move beyond all this. The media may not report on it, but humanity is evolving. Right?
This is what I believe—or tell myself to believe—but the only way I can maintain this belief is by... somehow, oh Lord, participating in our evolution, helping to create a tomorrow that isn’t globally structured around war and winning and “the other.” In my current circumstances, as I sit plunked on the couch in my sister’s living room, my eyes closed and my mind wandering, I hardly feel like a participant in what matters. I’m not atop the news. I’m not atop my own life.
Instead, I sit on the couch in the middle of the day, semi-asleep, my thoughts simply drifting to strange places. For some reason, an old church hymn shows up. I grew up in the Lutheran church. As a boy, everything about it mostly bored me. But there was one thing that revved my enthusiasm—war hymns! I left it all behind long ago, but as I sat on the couch, achy and psychologically lost, I started humming an oldie...
Fight on, fight on for Jesus.
Ye soldiers of the cross...
Huh? Where did this come from?
Lift high his royal banner.
It must no suffer loss.
I couldn’t stop it. I was 9-years-old again.. or 10 or 11, suddenly perked up, rescued from the pastor’s boring sermon. John Wayne had just walked in, wearing his boots and vest and cowboy hat, with two holsters on his belt.
From victory unto victory,
His army He shall lead,
Till all the foe is vanquished
And Christ is Lord indeed.
No, this was not a sudden soul-snatch, a return of the religion to my life that I had walked away from. Just the opposite. I sat in awe, hearing the snarky lyrics—singing them, at least to myself–that, as far as I can tell, are aimed at everyone’s inner 9-year-old. Love thy neighbor, but kill thine enemies. No big deal when you have access to nothing more dangerous than a videogame or a TV remote. But if you’re a grownup and the message the lyrics convey still thrums within, that violence is the ultimate solution, quietly waiting to be put to use, then we have a problem. When “all the foe is vanquished”... or deported, or bombed to smithereens, what the foe will never be is understood.
And we won’t evolve without understanding–without collectively growing up. So I got off the couch and grabbed a pen.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
I’ve been away from “the world” for a while—by which I mean, away from home and my life of computer-focused hermitude.
As I wait for round two of my cataract surgery (my right eye), I remain with my loving family in Appleton, Wisconsin. Yeah, I have my computer with me, but hardly have the wherewithal to stay intensely focused on global events, beyond “Oh my God, we’re bombing Iran now?” and masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement gunmen are rounding up “illegals” all across the country.
As I sit on the couch, presumably recovering from my left-eye surgery, I want to scream and shove all this obnoxious news into a corner of my mind, where I can absorb it slowly, in a context of hope. Yeah, we will move beyond all this. The media may not report on it, but humanity is evolving. Right?
This is what I believe—or tell myself to believe—but the only way I can maintain this belief is by... somehow, oh Lord, participating in our evolution, helping to create a tomorrow that isn’t globally structured around war and winning and “the other.” In my current circumstances, as I sit plunked on the couch in my sister’s living room, my eyes closed and my mind wandering, I hardly feel like a participant in what matters. I’m not atop the news. I’m not atop my own life.
Instead, I sit on the couch in the middle of the day, semi-asleep, my thoughts simply drifting to strange places. For some reason, an old church hymn shows up. I grew up in the Lutheran church. As a boy, everything about it mostly bored me. But there was one thing that revved my enthusiasm—war hymns! I left it all behind long ago, but as I sat on the couch, achy and psychologically lost, I started humming an oldie...
Fight on, fight on for Jesus.
Ye soldiers of the cross...
Huh? Where did this come from?
Lift high his royal banner.
It must no suffer loss.
I couldn’t stop it. I was 9-years-old again.. or 10 or 11, suddenly perked up, rescued from the pastor’s boring sermon. John Wayne had just walked in, wearing his boots and vest and cowboy hat, with two holsters on his belt.
From victory unto victory,
His army He shall lead,
Till all the foe is vanquished
And Christ is Lord indeed.
No, this was not a sudden soul-snatch, a return of the religion to my life that I had walked away from. Just the opposite. I sat in awe, hearing the snarky lyrics—singing them, at least to myself–that, as far as I can tell, are aimed at everyone’s inner 9-year-old. Love thy neighbor, but kill thine enemies. No big deal when you have access to nothing more dangerous than a videogame or a TV remote. But if you’re a grownup and the message the lyrics convey still thrums within, that violence is the ultimate solution, quietly waiting to be put to use, then we have a problem. When “all the foe is vanquished”... or deported, or bombed to smithereens, what the foe will never be is understood.
And we won’t evolve without understanding–without collectively growing up. So I got off the couch and grabbed a pen.
- Former US Presidents Must Break Their Silence to Oppose War With Iran ›
- 'Total Win!': Human Rights Groups Welcome ICC Probe of US Torture and War Crimes in Afghanistan ›
- Hiroshima Survivors Warn Against Nuclear War 79 Years After US Bombing ›
- Israel Bombs Gaza's Only Cancer Hospital in 'US-Backed War Crime' as Death Toll Grows ›
- Opinion | Our Journey Beyond the God of Violence | Common Dreams ›
I’ve been away from “the world” for a while—by which I mean, away from home and my life of computer-focused hermitude.
As I wait for round two of my cataract surgery (my right eye), I remain with my loving family in Appleton, Wisconsin. Yeah, I have my computer with me, but hardly have the wherewithal to stay intensely focused on global events, beyond “Oh my God, we’re bombing Iran now?” and masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement gunmen are rounding up “illegals” all across the country.
As I sit on the couch, presumably recovering from my left-eye surgery, I want to scream and shove all this obnoxious news into a corner of my mind, where I can absorb it slowly, in a context of hope. Yeah, we will move beyond all this. The media may not report on it, but humanity is evolving. Right?
This is what I believe—or tell myself to believe—but the only way I can maintain this belief is by... somehow, oh Lord, participating in our evolution, helping to create a tomorrow that isn’t globally structured around war and winning and “the other.” In my current circumstances, as I sit plunked on the couch in my sister’s living room, my eyes closed and my mind wandering, I hardly feel like a participant in what matters. I’m not atop the news. I’m not atop my own life.
Instead, I sit on the couch in the middle of the day, semi-asleep, my thoughts simply drifting to strange places. For some reason, an old church hymn shows up. I grew up in the Lutheran church. As a boy, everything about it mostly bored me. But there was one thing that revved my enthusiasm—war hymns! I left it all behind long ago, but as I sat on the couch, achy and psychologically lost, I started humming an oldie...
Fight on, fight on for Jesus.
Ye soldiers of the cross...
Huh? Where did this come from?
Lift high his royal banner.
It must no suffer loss.
I couldn’t stop it. I was 9-years-old again.. or 10 or 11, suddenly perked up, rescued from the pastor’s boring sermon. John Wayne had just walked in, wearing his boots and vest and cowboy hat, with two holsters on his belt.
From victory unto victory,
His army He shall lead,
Till all the foe is vanquished
And Christ is Lord indeed.
No, this was not a sudden soul-snatch, a return of the religion to my life that I had walked away from. Just the opposite. I sat in awe, hearing the snarky lyrics—singing them, at least to myself–that, as far as I can tell, are aimed at everyone’s inner 9-year-old. Love thy neighbor, but kill thine enemies. No big deal when you have access to nothing more dangerous than a videogame or a TV remote. But if you’re a grownup and the message the lyrics convey still thrums within, that violence is the ultimate solution, quietly waiting to be put to use, then we have a problem. When “all the foe is vanquished”... or deported, or bombed to smithereens, what the foe will never be is understood.
And we won’t evolve without understanding–without collectively growing up. So I got off the couch and grabbed a pen.
- Former US Presidents Must Break Their Silence to Oppose War With Iran ›
- 'Total Win!': Human Rights Groups Welcome ICC Probe of US Torture and War Crimes in Afghanistan ›
- Hiroshima Survivors Warn Against Nuclear War 79 Years After US Bombing ›
- Israel Bombs Gaza's Only Cancer Hospital in 'US-Backed War Crime' as Death Toll Grows ›
- Opinion | Our Journey Beyond the God of Violence | Common Dreams ›