Stoic News

By Dave Kelly

Tuesday, April 08, 2003

The Red Cross advises its members to observe neutrality not only with regard to wars but also, in peacetime, with regard to all controversies:

"If the Movement is to be a world community, which comes to the assistance of suffering people everywhere and at all times and which — as is mentioned in the principle of Humanity — "promotes mutual understanding, friendship, cooperation and lasting peace amongst all peoples", it must strictly follow the precept of neutrality in the event of armed conflict and observe it loyally also in the case of controversies in peacetime" (Hans Haug).

Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post lists many of our current controversies in The Endless War.

"Iraq, in fact, has become the mother of all debates, not just because of the passions it arouses but because the war serves as an echo chamber for every partisan divide of the past 40 years. Got a gripe, you can find someone to argue with over Iraq."

Wouldn't it be wise for Stoics to opt out of "The Endless War" and to maintain a position of neutrality when these controversies arise?

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