every war is a war against our biosphere

I remember reading about the firebombing of Dresden and Tokyo, and the aftermath of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II when I was a child. The photos depicted horrendous human and animal suffering. Yet, we were told it was all "necessary" to defeat German fascism and Japanese imperialism.

It was years later that I discovered this to be a lie. That there was no need to incinerate civilians. That in so many cases, the atrocities that took place were purely geopolitical strategies or merely out of some sadistic curiosity.

To be sure, I do understand the satisfaction many have at seeing an oppressive regime, belligerent bully or a brutal empire getting a taste of what they have dished out to millions of people. And I have no sympathy for the political leaders who engage in or cheer on genocide.

But war has always been at the pleasure of the powerful, and it is always the working class on either side who pay the ultimate price. They are the pawns. The disposable ones. The faceless who are erased from history or who get statues and memorials raised in their honour while the powerful place wreaths upon them and pontificate about their "sacrifice." Meanwhile, arms dealers and weapons manufacturers lay on beaches in the riviera, sipping cocktails and counting their blood-soaked cash.

In our age, every war is a war against our biosphere. Every jet, tank and drone is fueled with the primordial blood of this planet. Every bomb inflicts a deep wound in the living loam of this world. A massacre not just of human beings, but of animals, trees, insects and all manner of life. Indeed, every war is an unforgiveable crime against the earth itself. And at some point, she will deal with her abuser.

This is not to shame anyone who feels a sense of comeuppance at some of the images and videos we are seeing. And the oppressed have every right to resist their oppressor in whatever means they have at their disposal. I understand this even more so after bearing witness to nearly two years of an ongoing genocide.

But at some point we must understand that if our species continues down this path, then war will eventually end us all.

*photo is of the aftermath of an Israeli airstrike on Tehran.