OP/ED: We, The Great Unaligned

Loyalty is hard to come by these days. Take it from a man who knows. In the world today, a group or a person has to go to extreme lengths to ensure the loyalty of their members. Brain washing is a favoured method of ensuring loyalty in today's international recruitment market.


In the West, people are duped into giving their lives for a cause by the media, and the once proud notion of Patriotism. And in the world of Islam, the media and a twisted duty to Allah teach the young and impressionable nought but hate.

It is all around us. Even as you read this, another human life maybe lost in this 'War On Terror'. Even as you read this, people who may be in close internet proximity are spouting forth hate in the name of the Cause they have bought into.

Even on ATS, a place once known for its intelligent discussion, we are not safe. Bombarded by the extremists from both sides as they desperately try to convince us of the many Evils their enemy perpetrates.

What of us though? What of the people who, unlike some, it must be said, are not warmongering, power crazed idiots hell bent on taking over the world or lining a Swiss bank account with blood or oil money?

Sure, to You who would seek to recruit fresh lambs to the slaughter, we must seem like fair game. The Average Man isnt too smart right? But what will you do against the voices in your midst who are too smart for your illusions? Or who can tell all is not right in what you say?

You will shout us down, declaring us un-Patriotic, or Infidel, depending on what side of the argument you come from. You will try harder and harder to scare us. "Oh the Americans are The Great Satan!" and "All Muslims are terrorists!" are sentiments that get thrown around too much these days.

Those of us who have seen through the lies from both sides make the Powers uncomfortable; we wont be swayed in our belief that They are corrupt and cannot be trusted, and that They are just using us to gain what they want.

What of us though? We are everywhere. We come from many backgrounds, races, religions, nations... yet we are the least heard. It is worrying that the voices of the Unaligned, the voices of the Moderates, can be heard the least in the world today.

Stay true to your hopes and beliefs in Peace. Do not fall into carefully set mind traps. Be loyal to yourselves in this matter. Remember that your wish for a little understanding, a little peace and a little harmony among the people of our planet are far more likelly to bring you happiness and far closer to the spiritual path you have taken, than grand theft on an unimagineable scale, and a polluted message of Islam taught by those who would see you only as a footsoldier.

Choose your battles carefully: Not all wars are worthy of our Blood.

[edit on 28-9-2005 by Daystar]

Hmmm. Not quite sure where you're coming from - but you make good points in an interesting way. Yea peace, harmony, and justice.

Very nice op/ed. Thank you for sharing these thoughts.

To me, it is like the parable of the giant pothole.

You are walking down a road and you don't see a giant pothole and you fall in it and get hurt. You struggle to get out, and it is very difficult, and no one helps you. You eventually make it out.

You are walking down the same road with the same giant pothole, and this time you see the pothole, but you fall in anyway and get hurt again.
Again you have a very difficult struggle to get out, again you are on your own it seems, and finally, again you make it out.

You are once again walking down that same road with the same giant pothole, and this time you see the pothole, and avoid it. The next time, you choose a different road all together.

The road we are on now is not only full of potholes, it is full of car bombs, and IEDs, and homicide bombers, and worse. We have been down this road a couple times before.

Its time for us to choose a new road.

[edit on 29-9-2005 by Icarus Rising]

Very Interesting OP/ED - I must say!

Originally posted by Daystar
What of us though? We are everywhere. We come from many backgrounds, races, religions, nations... yet we are the least heard. It is worrying that the voices of the Unaligned, the voices of the Moderates, can be heard the least in the world today.

When I was reading this Part I remember a certain Part of My History - our Formal Leader Marshall Josip Broz Tito and the Non-Aligned Movement:

The Non-Aligned Movement, or NAM, is an international organization of over 100 states which consider themselves not formally aligned with or against any major power bloc. NAM focuses on national struggles for independence, the eradication of poverty, economic development and opposing colonialism, imperialism, and neo-colonialism. They represent 55 per cent of the planet's people and nearly two-thirds of the UN's membership.

I always Liked the Five Basic Points/Princeples, which we were Tought in the School at the History Class:

1. Respect for territorial integrity
2. Mutual non-aggression
3. Mutual non-interference in domestic affairs
4. Equality and mutual benefit
5. Peaceful co-existence

I guess they could Work, huh?