retiredprof.com
  • Home
  • Videos

Cruel Necessity/ Senseless Brutality

1/17/2009

2 Comments

 

Cruel Necessity/ Senseless Brutality

 

     After the execution of Charles I in 1649, Oliver Cromwell, looking at the decapitated body shook his head and uttered under his breath “ Cruel Necessity “. The cruelty of the deed no one can question. Its necessity has been a matter of debate ever since.

     Israel invades the Gaza knowing that with its massive fire-power and due to Gaza’s dense population, that there will be many civilian casualties and says it was a “necessity, the cruelty of which escapes it and its political and military leaders. “Collateral damage,” “fifty eyes for one eye”, (more like 75 to 1…1000+ to 13(4 of whom were killed by Israeli “friendly fire”), blame Hamas, (when hospitals, schools, media centers and U.N. aid and school buildings are targeted), the propaganda machine proclaim and the impotent world “leaders” parrot and find cover for doing nothing. The ends justify the means

     After the Battle of Culloden in 1745, the Duke of Cumberland unleashed his soldiers on the Scottish population, to teach them a lesson that would send a message to others who wanted to fight for their freedoms. Carnage was perpetrated, hundreds of unarmed civilians, women and children were slaughtered…..Senseless Brutality? It was not to George II and the English Government. They saw it as a necessity. People must be taught a lesson and know their place. It made perfect sense to them and it was not brutal, just the price for law and order. The ends justify the means.

        

     On April 13, 1919, at Jallianwalla Bagh, in Amristar, Gen. Dyer ordered his troops to open fire on a crowd of 5,000 peaceful demonstrators in an enclosed garden. After 10 minutes of firing 1,650 rounds, over 1,000 men, women and children were killed and 2,000 wounded. Cruel necessity/ Senseless brutality? Overkill? Not according to the British. India the Jewel in its Crown must remain in its control, at all cost. The ends justify the means.. Gen Dyer had one regret….too many bullets wasted, because he could not use his  machine gun. This massacre marked the beginning of the end of British rule in India.

     Deir Yassin, April 9, 1948, a peaceful village, which had according to Jewish newspaper, driven out militant Arabs, and was outside the area recommended by the U.N. for the future state of Israel, but which was earmarked for an airfield, was attacked at noon by the combined forces of Irgun, led by Menachem Begin, the Stern gang and 25 Haganah commandos.. 254 villagers were systematically killed (many bodies were stuffed down the village well, after being paraded up and down the village), houses were dynamited and even the graveyard bulldozed to remove any trace of the village. It was wiped off the map..    

     Begin,(later Prime Minister of Israel), said this “ Arabs throughout the country, induced to believe wild tales of “ Irgun butchery”, were seized with limitless panic and started to flee for their lives. This mass flight soon developed into a maddened, uncontrollable stampede. The political and economic significance of this development can hardly be overestimated”. INDEED!!!!!.

     Cruel Necessity/ Senseless Brutality? Not according to Irgun, Stern,and Haganah….. . The ends justify the means.  Very efficient.

     Deir Yassin served its purpose. The brutality sent a clear message….leave or else. 750,000 fled in grief and panic. Villages and cities were depopulated and their place was taken by survivors of the Holocaust and others.

     60 years of death and destruction. The enmity runs deep. Both sides have become warped by Necessity and to them it is not Cruel or Brutal or Senseless

                               The dance of death.

 

 

 

     

          

       



 
             
                 

 

 

 

     

          

       

 
             

                                      The dance of death.

 

 

     

          

       



2 Comments
hannah
1/17/2009 09:17:32 am

The difference between Necessity and Brutality is a fine line drawn by who gets to write history, but wonder if at the end of this conflict....will there be anyone left?

Reply
ANAND JAMES
1/29/2009 01:01:05 am

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    Follow me on Twitter

    ​
    Picture
    fig 2-b My Father and Mother to whom I owe everything

    "Ecce Homo"  ("Behold the Man"), Antonio Ciseri's depiction of Pontius Pilate presenting a scourged Jesus to the people of Jerusalem.

    fig 1-b


    figure 1-a

    F. Goya
    Two men fighting with clubs
    circa 1819-1823

    The Black Paintings Period


    (Fig 2a) The Death of Innocents


    Author

     Ishwar R. Prashad recently retired from over 47 years of teaching.

    He taught Political Science variously at Dawson College, Loyola College, Algoma University College, Sir George Williams University, Concordia University and Vanier College.

    Previously, he taught for nine years in Port Mourant, Guyana.


    He became Principal of Corentyne Comprehensive High School at the tender age of 21. During this time he turned down Scholarship offers to study overseas in England and the U.S.S.R.

    He chose Canada and after graduating from Sir George Williams with a B.A Honours with Distinction, he accepted a Fellowship to complete his graduate work at McMaster University. He completed his first two degrees-Bachelors and Masters- in three years.  

    His last position was as Co-Ordinator of Political Science and Economics at Vanier College and Adjunct Professor of Political Science at Concordia University.

    He is married to the former Juliet Ramcharan (Library Supervisor, McGill University) and together they have three children – Indra R. Prashad, P.Eng. ,McGill (Presently Manager, Ontario Safe Water Drinking Agency), Ishwar R. Prashad Jr., B.A ,McGill (Presently, President, Kismit Gear Inc.) and Rabindra Y. Prashad, (Presently, Artist and Chef).They are the proud Grandparents of eight grandchildren-Miranda, Kamal, Ayesha, Élan, Anĵa , Étienne, Chloé, and Jasmine.

     

     

     





     



    Archives

    July 2020
    May 2020
    October 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010
    April 2010
    March 2010
    February 2010
    January 2010
    December 2009
    November 2009
    October 2009
    September 2009
    August 2009
    July 2009
    June 2009
    May 2009
    April 2009
    March 2009
    February 2009
    January 2009
    December 2008
    November 2008
    October 2008
    September 2008
    August 2008
    July 2008
    June 2008
    November 1999

    Categories

    All
    A
    Estryed Infrastructure
    F
    Hai
    Ic
    I Will Srike With
    Jr
    O
    Q
    T

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.