It was said at the end of last year by a prominent public figure that because the armed forces “face danger” in “doing their duty” that “we have peace”. It is certainly true that by killing and injuring people and destroying or damaging property armed forces MAY be able to bring that negative kind of peace (i.e. the absence of war and violence).
Likewise it is debateable that armed forces can so target ‘terrorists’ – and, presumably then kill them – without ever killing those others who would be unlikely to be labelled in a court of law as “terrorists” (or even ‘terrorist sympathisers’). There is plenty of evidence in the recent past (in events in London, Beirut, Brussels and Paris) that our ‘home’ can never be completely secure. It is not proven either that armed forces have been able to ‘bring stability’ in the recent past in either Afghanistan, Libya, South Sudan or anywhere.
The public figure referred to the end-of-year holiday time as one representing “peace, mercy, goodwill and, above all, hope” but in our view it is impossible to say that this country is at peace when the country is at war in Iraq, in Syria, in Libya and in Afghanistan and that it makes, and sells to many countries, masses of armaments of all kinds.
We cannot say that it is merciful towards others when it commits, and threatens to commit, violence and when it fails to play a full, let alone a leading, part in helping refugees and asylum seekers. Likewise we see a lower standard of goodwill than we would wish.
It is difficult to see hope for the future when we have armed police on the streets and at airports and railway stations and when the government orders the military to join in the hostilities in Iraq, in Syria, in Libya and in Afghanistan.
Our values are those that can be applied to all peoples of faith (or of none) – they need no qualification by any adjective; they are human values.
Protection, safety, security and defence are far better achieved in positive, humanitarian ways than through the use of threats of violence and military action.