World War III?
By Remy Benoit
Words have a tremendous power for bringing into fruition what they name. We must be very careful how we use them; we must seriously question the ambitions of those who use them.
From Reuters at MSNBC
Bush warns of WWIII if Iran goes nuclear
Message comes as Russia expresses skepticism over Tehran's ambitions.
Growing up post-WWII, we lived with the cloud of MAD hanging over us. What kind of words are
Mutually Assured Destruction? During that time there were many movies made about the ramifications of nuclear war. Some of the most famous of them came from the
Godzilla series. Admit it, how many of you cheered Godzilla on?
Yesterday I asked you to join us with your words, your stories, essays, poems, etc. Today, in keeping with the terrible words in this heading, let us consider three different views of what mutually assured destruction really mean.
The first is the world famous poem by Sara Teasdale:
There Will Come Soft Rains
There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground,
And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;
And frogs in the pools singing at night,
And wild plum trees in tremulous white;
Robins will wear their feathery fire,
Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;
And not one will know of the war, not one
Will care at last when it is done.
Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree,
If mankind perished utterly;
And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn
Would scarcely know that we were gone.
-- Sara Teasdale
Ray Bradbury wrote a short story by the same name. It is a deeply disturbing story, one that I used to read to my students each year to wake them up to the potential of the destruction levels of nuclear weapons. This is a don't miss story.
August 2026: There Will Come Soft Rains.
And yesterday I found this video made by an Uzbek studio back in 1984. It is also deeply disturbing - and a good idea to watch before you give the nod to WWIII
There Will Come Soft Rains.
How long do we wish to let ourselves be ruled by fear rather than by reason and compassion?
How much longer do we have to make that decision?
Perhaps you have to words to answer those questions. If you do, please share them with us.
Father Andrew Greeley, the well known, best selling author, has some thoughts on this to share with you. At The Chicago Sun Times
Will we fall for war vs. Iran?.
John Cory, a Vietnam Veteran, Purple Heart and Bronze Star with V Device, at Truthout
America, Land of Fear?.Print
No comments.
This item is part of WelcomeHomeSoldier.com: historian, author, editor, and educator Remy Benoit's ongoing weblog for Veterans, writers, students, and others who believe in learning from and making history; including thousands of articles and posts and the free writing seminar, Using History for Healing and Writing.
Comments are moderated and will not appear until approved by Remy Benoit. A syntactically valid email address is required.
Projects
Loving by Remy Benoit
Read Jerry Wenstrom's review of Loving.
Rhea and Jordan Devereaux had it all: undying devotion, a tender love, and a grand passion. And then the Vietnam War separated them. Follow the course of their love across time and space. Journey with them through the steaming jungle; dance with the Mardi Gras revelers while revolution unseats Louis XVI and protestors on the Washington Mall scream, Hell, NO. We won't Go. Sail with Laffite's pirates into Devil's Isle and rejoice as an unconditional and timeless love emerges victorious.
Read an excerpt from Loving.
Purchase a signed first edition of Loving for $20 including S&H:
Both Sides of the Wall: Reflections of the West Point Class of 1968 (Edited by Remy Benoit).
