Heroes Not Zombies

On a recent visit to Saint Rémy de Provence I popped into the Musée de Morlaix where they were exhibiting the work of André Marchand. I’d never heard of him before, but he was one of a number of artists who made Provence their home. This particular painting really caught my eye. It’s entitled “La Guerre” (War) and he painted it in 1945. I mean this could have been painted yesterday. Maybe it’s not on the same scale as Picasso’s “Guernica” but, for me, it has a similar impact. André Marchand was so traumatised by what he witnessed in the Second World War, that, from that point on he decided he would include no men in his work. He kept that promise. Thereafter he painted women and scenes from Nature. He produced some truly beautiful work. I recommend researching him and checking out his paintings.

But, this painting…..it immediately made me think of Gaza and Ukraine, yet those are only two of the areas of the world where military violence is being inflicted on women and children. How is that ever right, or justified? What kind of people are we to accept that it’s ok to send missiles, bombs and drones into houses, hospitals, refugee camps? To starve whole communities of food, medicines and fuel? To destroy whole neighbourhoods?

I know the justification is that the “good guys” are trying to kill the “bad guys” but, seriously, we haven’t evolved beyond that kind of thinking? These terrible acts aren’t new. Was there ever time where warriors only fought other warriors, where soldiers only fought other soldiers? Not as far as I’m aware. Whole populations have always been slaughtered, beaten, and raped when fighters move in. It happened in ancient times. It certainly began to happen on a more industrial scale during the two World Wars, as cities were carpet bombed, and two Japanese cities were incinerated in seconds with the two nuclear bombs. It certainly continued through the destruction of whole communities, cities, forests, and farm land, in South East Asia, in Africa, and in the Middle East.

A whole culture of “find the bad guys and destroy them” irrespective of “collateral damage” (what a horrendous expression!) caused by bombing residential areas, medical facilities, schools and camps. It’s a whole culture of extrajudicial killing. Identify who you believe to be guilty and kill them. No laws involved. No “due process”. No justice.

There was a scene in the Yellowstone series which I saw recently where an indigenous American said –

The United States has broken every rule it has ever made. From its first treaty with France to every treaty with us, to their last treaty with Iran. They only hold others to their rules. They make war when they want, where they want, they take what they want, then make rules that keep you from taking it back. They make rules for the slave and they make rules for the masters.

I know it’s a work of fiction, but sometimes we need to turn to fiction to learn the real truths. It’s not only The United States which is acting this way. We see Israel doing it. We see Hamas doing it. We see it in far too many places around the globe. Are there any countries with clean hands?

Can we just stop now?

Can we evolve? Do better? And just stop killing.

Do you think we could ever make international agreements to not act as judge, jury and executioner, but to adhere to some agreed rules if we really, really can’t resist the temptation to slaughter people?

Could we make the world a better place? Or will we continue with the despicable tradition that victors in every conflict are those who inflict the greatest amount of suffering on others?

We can be better than that. It’s not hard to find daily acts of kindness, of compassion and care. It’s not hard to find people helping each other out when crises or calamities occur. It’s not hard to find people prepared to make agreements, to form mutually beneficial relationships and to work together to make their lives better.

What kind of human beings do we want to be?