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hands of politicians. They can be
used to focus peoples' minds on
problems other than real ones. They
can be manipulated, started and
stopped. They are "good" for the
economy, excellent cures for depres–
sion. They create business, expand
the control of businesses aiready ex–
tant-and that at the expense of the
common citizenry and with the
blessings of government.
"Peace" is a good word. lt is used
more than "war." Yet history proves
that so far we have as a human race
been at war 99.44 percent of the
time, and even most of the peace that
existed was illusory. Peace, in practice,
seems to be that time-out that
nations negotiate in order to ade–
quately prepare for the next war!
The Bible warns repeatedly about
the overuse of the word "peace":
P~ople
"saying, Peace, peace; when
there is no peace" (Jer. 6: 14; 8:11 ;
Ezek. 13: 10- 16). And those refer–
ences focus on Jerusalem, the focal
point ofwars for millennia.
The good news of the Prince of
Peace returning to this earth to es–
tablish His Kingdom and finally
and literally bringing to pass the
motto of the United Nations ("They
shall beat their swords into plow–
shares ... nation shall not lift up
sword against nation, neither shall
they learn war any more" [Isa. 2:4])
has not yet been fulfilled.
Unfortunately, we are still living
in that era prophesied of by Jesus
when He said, "ye shall hear of wars
and rumours of wars: see that ye be
not troubled: for all these things
must cometo pass, but
the end is not
yet "
(Matl. 24:6). The most devas–
tating wars mankind has ever waged
are yet to be fought. Outlined in the
book of Revelation and other
pro,phecies, these future wars will
reduce mankind to about one–
eighth of its population before our
Creator sets His hand to tinally save
mankind (Matl. 24:22).
Even the Prince of Peace Himself
said: "Think
NOT
that I am cometo
send
peace on earth
[He warned us
of the centuries of turmoil we have
suffered and are yet to suffer before
He comes to set the world at peace):
1 carne
not
to send peace, but a
sword"
(Matt. 10:34). The only
The
PLAIN TRUTH March 1978
peace that you and 1 can experience
before
Jesus comes as King of kings
to establish His Kingdom of peace
on this earth is that peace He Ieft
us: "Peace 1 leave with you,
my
peace
1 give unto you:
not
as the
world giveth, give 1 unto you. Let
not your heart be troubled, neither
Iet it be afraid" (John 14:27). So,
knowing that it is not yet time for
the Prince of Peace to establish that
peace, and that there are many wars
yet to be fought among men, culmi–
nating in the final cataciysm which
Jesus will come to stop short, we can
say, "Why not another war?"
Our economy is on the brink of a
severe depression. War is "good" for
depression. Therefore we may
(must) be close to another war.
But surely we cannot afford that
ultimate holocaust of nuclear obliv–
ion we all (used to) fear, so how will
the medicine ofwar be applied to cure
us of our depression? In today's war–
fertile world the choice of the politi–
cian/businessman is broad. As the
largest exporter of arms in the West–
ern world, the United States can af–
ford to stimulate business and extend
financia! control on the multinational
leve! with economic backing- if not
with the blood ofour youth- in many
areas- with "perfectly justifiable"
reason. Violence has become a way of
life; TV has made us all immune to
human suffering. We are being read–
ied by every subtle useofall media for
another war.
Have you noticed how many old
war movies you've seen lately? Is
the military no longer looked upon
with the rancor we felt during the
Vietnam era? Even science fiction
with its
Star Wars
helps us to see
that there will always be wars, justi–
fied and necessary. We are still en–
gaged in "cold ':Var," "psychological
war," "trade war," etc. From the
point of view of my generation it is
amazing to see how easily we can be
manipulated to believe in ever
changing and contradictory causes.
When 1 was a child I was taught to
hate the Germans and the Japan–
ese (World War Il), but to trust
our allíes, the Russíans and
Chinese. Later I was reeducated to
hate the Russians and Chinese, and
urged to !ove and trust our new
allies, the Germans and Japanese!
There are many "righteous
causes" that can be exploited in
today's world. The Third World is
full of them. " Freedom" is sought
on every side. Racial discrimination
ís another potent too!.
So where shall we look for the
next "good war''? How about the
Middle East?-always a good cal–
dron in which to boil war. How
about Africa, where "freedom" for
the majority race is so viciously
sought? Never mind that severa! na–
tions there which have achieve"d
their independence ha ve per–
petrated more crimes against their
own people and have destroyed
more lives and property than in the
entire history of their " colonial
eras." How about South America,
where tempers are easy to inflame,
one agaínst the other? Forget that
those in the Western (and Eastern)
world have already made vast for–
tunes supplying arms in various
"arms races" engaged in that conti–
nent. And don't exclude Europe.
The Soviets are adequately pre–
pared for "conventional" warfare to
a far greater extent than the NATO
powers. They can easily have a
"good' ' knock-down-drag-out war
wíthout" invoking holocausl. Surely
the United States would be drawn
into such a war-have we not
"saved" Europe twice in most of
your lifetimes? And how about
Southeast Asia? After all, how far
can we be pushed? If we won't de–
fend Vietnam, Cambodia or Laos,
will we be interested in coming to
the aid of Korea? Of the Philippines
(to whom we gave "freedom")? Of
Japan (our present a lly)? Of Austra–
lia and New Zealand? Of India?
Will we need a "good" war to in–
spire us to produce even more bil–
lions in arms for the .Shah of Iran?
Will Rhodesia and South Africa
make an unthinkable accord with
the Soviet Union (as Germany did)
to bring "peace" to Africa?
The options are nearly endless.
How about another war? It's
not
unthinkable , but inevitable!
(Request our free booklet entitled
The Red Horse: War.)
Watch! Why not another
war?
O
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