Are Peace and True Democracy ever likely goals?

Within the whole western world we strive to have true democracy and peace all over the world. We believe that our system is a truthful one and that we have already reached true democracy... But have we really?

Is the Western world truly one of peace? We are constantly up in another part of the world trying to sort out either their issues or to use the countries that we are in for our own goals. I say 'we' in the loose meaning of the word as it is the Western World collectively that does this, not just one country.

Moreover, the Western world is one that prides itself on its democracy but is it truly democracy when the system used in some countries is one solely of a majority? And when countries do use systems such as proportional representation people are always keen to step in when someone that leans to far to the left or right gets a decent amount of votes.
 - don't get me wrong, I'm not an extremist and would not want another Hitler in power anywhere - but this is merely a point I am trying to make. More of a philosophical point than something completely concrete.



The reason that I am bringing these issues to the forefront now is due to the new peace talks that are happening in Palestine at the moment. Israel is complaining because they do not wish to cooperate with Hamas as Hamas is seen as a terrorist organisation. Which I frankly find extaordinarly ironic.
Have they looked at past presidents? And even the current one was a part of the IDF.
For instance look at Menachem Begin - Head of the Irgun who prided the Irgun and the Stern Gang (or Lehi) on their 'Splendid Act of Conquest' (see Spectacle.org) after killing hundreds of people in Deir Yassin.

Regardless of this I do hope that the new government (with Abbas as the interim prime minister until the elections) will be able to bring some peace into the region or at the very least help to start rebuild the devastated West Bank and Gaza areas.

The Right Here, Right Now Generation.

Because let's face it, that's what the current young generation has become.
In this day and age, what has become the norm is that everybody gets what they want instantly. They get it by winning a tv show, by winning the lottery or apparently, by rioting and looting.

What has happened in England was ridiculous, and we are now going to have to deal with the consequences. The society needs to remade; the houses that were destroyed need to be rebuilt, the shops that were broken into and burned to the ground need to repaired, and thousands of people who have lost their livelihoods now need to find a way to live. A lot of them more literally than they should have to, as often people live above their shops. As shops have been burned down, so have the flats above them.

It's moments like these that make me angry to be part of this generation, a generation that doesn't want to work hard, a generation that isn't prepared to put in the effort to reap the rewards. The reason why people were rioting is because they got angry. They got angry because they couldn't get everything when they wanted it. Really what happened is thousands of people had a temper tantrum, but instead of stomping their feet, screaming and dropping to the ground - as they're older, bigger and stronger now - they destroyed people's lives, possessions and the communities which are around them. Sensible? no, I didn't think it was either.

There is a lot which needs to happen in society, people need to be able to readjust their viewpoints and realise that life doesn't come as easily as they want it to. The society which we live in today has given birth to girls who want to be 'WAGS' when they grow up, girls who just want to have their own reality show, those who think that leaking a sex tape will get them the fame they want. Guys who want to become professional footballers, just so they can sleep around. And if the shit happens to threaten to hit the fan? Just get a superinjunction, it's fine.

But it's not, how is it that this is what people are aspiring to? Surely this is a step backwards from what all of the generations before us have been trying to achieve?! They pioneered the way to get people from every background equal recognition (and rights), people from every sex equal rights (and I'm talking about the Trans people too), and slowly they're starting to let those who have different sexual preferences be equal to the rest. Sure it has taken a long time and not a lot of it has been achieved 100% yet. People are still racist, some more than others (everybody is at least a little racist. It's just the way it is). And a lot of religions still have issues with those who are homo- or bi sexual, (Which for the record I think is bulshit, we're all equal. Just because you don't fancy someone of the same sex, doesn't mean that it's wrong for someone else too. Moreover, the texts that those who are religious quote from are thousands of years old, you need to put it back into context! At the time, it maybe wouldn't have been accepted. But it sure as can be should be now...!)

But anyways, why is it that these people who are supposed to be more liberal, and more open to change and other peoples needs destroying the communities around them? If you want them to improve, burning them down isn't going to do much. Look at the Bronx, burning the old buildings down did nothing for it in the 60s and 70s - why should those tactics work for us in 2010s?

I think it is now that people need to speak up, and I think that those who have influence need to start exerting it. Those who people listen to, which unfortunately are largely celebrities, need to condone the actions of the current youth. Because this is getting ridiculous.
If Eminem, 50cent, Kim Kardashian etc spoke out against all of the BS, then maybe something would happen, maybe something would change! We need to go back to the original HipHop mentality (and if you don't know what that is, I suggest you read Can't Stop, Won't Stop - A History of the Hip Hop Generation, by Jeff Chang and also Foundation, by Joseph Schloss)