Why War? Does the Reason Even Matter...

Peace in the Middle East? When you call a friend in Turkey, and the first question they ask is, "what do you think about the war?" the urge to apologize, or find something to say that explains how you became complicit in another war in the Middle East can feel overwhelming. Regardless of who you did or didn't vote for, id you are living in the United States, then are you not complicit? Regardless of whether or not you live in the United States, does being a bystander not also make you somewhat complicit? Perhaps, but maybe who agrees, who disagrees, who supports, who condemns, is all irrelevant without addressing the reason why. Is there ever a reasonable justification for war? Let's chat about it.

Music by Mound City by Coleman Hawkins (recorded 1929)

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This podcast is recorded in a style that pays homage to talents like Miss Monitor (Tedi Thurman) and explores topics designed to stimulate conversations. 

Transcript

[00:00-00:23]

You, like me, are someone who has seen what happened. My name is the lovely Ray, and I was born and raised in the U.S. I currently have the opportunity to speak with people from all over the world. Regular people just like you.

[00:23-00:54]

And I'm always fascinated by our cultural differences and similarities. This podcast is voiced in the style of the sultry sounding 1955 weather girl. It is a collection of thoughts inspired by my global conversations and aims to invite you to have those hard conversations out loud and with others.

[00:55-01:29]

Thanks for stopping by, darlings. I'd love to chat. Welcome back, darling. Does it even matter why we do what we do? I mean, when it comes to giving presents, some might argue that the reason for giving that gift of love matters.

[01:29-02:03]

When it comes to apologies, wouldn't the reason for initiating that apology matter? For example, if someone apologized for insulting you, for damaging your home, that apology would bear different weight.

[02:03-02:38]

someone apologizes for insulting you you might say i accept that apology that does make me feel better knowing that they realize the reason They made me feel bad in the first place. They realized that what they said was unacceptable, unbecoming of another human and something that could cause harm.

[02:38-03:01]

Said person damages your home. They apologize. And maybe you accept that apology. They offer to repair what they've broken. And this seems to be on the path to correcting things.

[03:01-03:27]

Maybe they don't offer to repair anything. Maybe they apologize not because they've damaged your home and realized that that in and of itself was wrong. Maybe they apologize because they feel like they just want to get you off their back.

[03:27-04:01]

Sorry. And there are no other attempts to remedy things. The sorry feels empty, hollow. It feels as if it were required. The criminal in court who apologizes to their victims, perhaps through tears.

[04:01-04:37]

And yet, those tears, those words of apology, they don't bring back your loved one. And at times, one can't help but wonder if the criminal who is crying and apologizing is remorseful for their actions or simply the fact that they got caught and their civil liberties are now reduced.

[04:37-05:01]

Doesn't matter why we do something. Schools throughout the United States have a 0tolerance policy for bullying. You mess up, oh no, you're out of here.

[05:01-05:26]

Fight with another kid? Fighting. Something that kids used to do at school all the time. And yet, where do we draw the line? While some parents say, hey, someone pushes you, you push them back. They hit you, you hit them back.

[05:26-06:00]

A lot of times, principals, teachers don't want to be burdened with the why. Because what they see is one student hitting another and now they've got to determine who was at fault. Who's telling the truth? Who's a liar? And so, does the why matter?

[06:00-06:21]

Does it matter that they hit you first? Does it matter that they've been picking on you for weeks, for months, throwing things at you, calling you names, racial slurs? Does it matter?

[06:21-06:40]

Or is it better for the school to wash their hands of both individuals? You were both fighting. You're both out of here. I don't know.

[06:40-07:14]

After all, in baseball, there's 3 strikes before you're out. Doesn't matter. Does it matter why the U.S. or rather the President of the United States in 2026 initiated military action against Iran bombing the country?

[07:14-07:45]

Does it matter? The reasoning for this military action has changed numerous times in President Trump's speeches. At 1 point, he even said that he felt it was necessary to take action because he was convinced they would take action first.

[07:45-08:20]

Is that a reasonable justification? Is that a reasonable justification to kill thousands of people? Iranians, Americans, losing their lives because of a feeling. Or is it because they wouldn't stop building their nuclear arsenal?

[08:21-08:58]

Well, they aren't the only country with nukes. And if we really did strike Iran months ago at a facility where Trump said that we took out a lot of their nuclear weapons and set them back decades, then how is it that we were so certain they would strike any moment now.

[08:58-09:20]

I mean, wouldn't it have taken them decades to fix the damage previously done? Does it matter? Does it matter what reasoning the president gives to the American people to justify this war?

[09:20-09:38]

Does it matter that Congress was not consulted before the attack? Congressional approval was not sought before the attack. Does it matter that the U.S.

[09:38-10:11]

Constitution says Congress grants, authorities for war. Article I, Section VIII, Clause XI. 0.1. Source of Congress's war powers, the Congress shall have power to declare war, grant letters of marquee and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water.

[10:11-10:44]

Apparently, to the makers of the U.S. Constitution, the reason why matters. Article II concerning presidential power, the president is the commander-in-chief of the Army and Navy, allowing them to defend the nation against sudden attacks, but not by original design to initiate war.

[10:44-11:39]

So, according to the Constitution, the President of the United States can empower, direct the Army and Navy to attack other countries. with the approval of Congress, can also have the Army and Navy defend the United States if being attacked, but cannot direct the Army and Navy to do its bidding, by starting a war.

[11:39-12:11]

Congressional approval is needed for that. Does it matter that the President of the United States has said, we were going to be attacked? Whereas with Venezuela, we were under attack by these drug boats in the waters that may or may not have been going to the United States.

[12:11-12:43]

For some people, these things don't matter. For some people, Trump will always be a crazy man. an evil villain in their world of politics. For some people, Americans will always be bullies.

[12:43-13:12]

Americans will always be oppressors, insisting that the rest of the world do their bidding, do like them, want to be like For some people, Americans will always be those not to be trusted. Bringers of death and destruction.

[13:13-13:51]

I'm not one of those people, darlings. I don't believe that Americans are all bad, are all bringers of destruction, are all insistent that the world do like them and be like them. I also don't buy into everything that Trump does is bad.

[13:51-14:25]

I think he does a lot of bad, but those are my thoughts. ......... And you may say, lovely, how? How can you not see that this man simply is motivated by greed, by power, by money? He has been connected to a registered sex offender.

[14:25-15:00]

Darlings, I want to point out that that is probably the smallest of this man's crimes. He has been convicted in court of multiple crimes, of multiple lies. But perhaps, perhaps to his youngest child, He was a good father.

[15:00-15:20]

Perhaps somewhere along the way in his current marriage, previous marriages, he was someone who was kind. Perhaps he still is kind to his family, to his loved ones.

[15:20-15:59]

Perhaps I don't pretend to know or care what goes on in his personal life. Honestly, I don't. What I do know is that the 0 tolerance policy that America has applied when it comes to striking Iran seems a little misguided.

[15:59-16:44]

A bit excessive, unnecessary, and unconstitutional. That's my thought anyway. Because apparently some 53 percent of Congress or 53 members of Congress disagree, which I find that really hard to believe. And maybe, maybe that's why schools are not doubling down on teaching.

[16:44-17:11]

The Constitution. Because I don't see the Constitution being made interesting, appealing, sexy to the young people or the people of any age, to be honest.

[17:11-17:37]

I remember MTV's Rock the Boat campaigns. favorite musicians dancing. Cool pop music. And that famous tagline. Rock the boat.

[17:37-18:10]

Get out there and vote. Change the world. Make a difference. I remember listening to and loving Little songs like conjunction, junction, what's your function?

[18:10-18:37]

And as a child, I just thought it was a catchy song. I didn't realize that it was a song trying to teach me about the use of conjunctions in English grammar. This part of speech does hook up words, phrases, and clauses.

[18:38-19:12]

But I didn't know it. I didn't get it. Just thought, cool song, cute cartoon. School of Rock even had one about how a bill becomes a law. And yet Where is that form of education, even if it was not as effective for someone of my age?

[19:12-19:36]

Where are those attempts to make educational content on the Constitution be digestible, interesting, accepting, crave-worthy? Where's the TikToks on the Constitution?

[19:36-20:15]

Why is it that even knowing that there are articles related to who can do what when, and whether or not the why matters? Why is it that this is something that grabs my attention when watching a YouTube short from the Korean vegan?

[20:15-20:52]

Hmm. I listen to a lot of news, darlings. And yet, I do pride myself on my news sources. It's a collection, a variety of news sources, not all U.S.-based. International sources as well. Because I like to see, I like to know, what do others see on this same topic?

[20:52-21:13]

What are other countries talking about? What is going on in the world and why? Is it happening? Why should I be interested? Why should I give a deal? Something to think about.

[21:13-21:35]

And so, darlings, as you go about your day, with your own feelings on the current war in the Middle East. As you go about your day, looking at the increase in gas prices.

[21:35-22:11]

As you go about your day, Pulling into another electric vehicle charger, comforted by the fact that you are not impacted by the latest gas price surge. As you go to the store to shop, And realize that the price of things you want has increased.

[22:11-22:35]

That there's a shortage on this or that because the boats that need to transport the goods are unable to do so successfully thanks to this new war. As you realize that yet again, you're being asked to pay more. As you settle in.

[22:35-22:59]

For your evening drink. Far from the United States. Looking at the stock exchange. Wondering. What the fuck your future's gonna look like. When the dust settles. I want you to ask yourself.

[22:59-23:29]

Does the why matter? Does your feelings related to the current events change based on the why? Does it create a justification that helps you sleep a little better?

[23:29-23:47]

Or maybe it doesn't. After all, isn't war war? No matter why it started.

[23:47-24:21]

When does 0 tolerance apply? And what would you do if you were in the position of power? to say yay or nay, to say go or to keep having those conversations with your so-called enemy.

[24:22-24:50]

At what point would you arm yourself with the knowledge to understand what rights you have what power you have, not just what seems accessible to you, but what is written into law.

[24:50-25:14]

At what point do you find a way to make The law? The constitution of your country? The rights governing the people of where you reside?

[25:14-25:30]

At what point do you choose to make those sexy for you? To make it crave-worthy? Hmm?

[25:30-25:56]

I wonder why does it even matter that news outlets are talking about Britney Spears being arrested on a DUI when people are arrested on DUIs every day? No one was injured.

[25:56-26:12]

The realization that this woman is being victimized by the media yet again.

[26:12-26:47]

Why is that bigger headlines? Why is it that social media companies are on trial for creating addictive products, for damaging children, not just in America, but throughout the world?

[26:47-27:19]

And yet, Very little is being said about this in the news. Because it's more newsworthy to reiterate Clinton's denials of knowing about Epstein's misdoings.

[27:19-28:06]

Where are the reports on how children in America are struggling to read? And where is the outrage? Where is the outrage that children are not being incentivize, empowered, encourage to understand their rights and to understand the Constitution.

[28:06-28:46]

Because apparently classes on AI and coding should take priority. Does the why matter? Well, darlings, I hope today's little conversation has given you something to ponder and discuss with someone you know, someone you love, someone you can reach out and touch.

[28:46-29:22]

And if not, if like me, At nights, you're all alone. Then it's okay to have said conversation with yourself. Because there's a lot of things you can do on your own and still create a pleasurable world for yourself.

[29:22-29:48]

Until next time, darlings, it's been lovely to chat.