What it means being human (to me)
Disclaimer
One of these posts; not technical, written with a hot head, controversial topics. Don't read if that already annoys you.
The argument
I've had a hot discussion yesterday, and I'm not quite happy how it went. It's not important how we came there but the core argument was about why I think that less to no money should be spend on military and arms, while the same money should be spent on peace studies and education of diplomats - which I refer to as people who try to understand a different culture and initiate an exchange of values and ethics - not eloquent deceitful but open and direct, fair and square.
My opposition's opinion was different, claiming that we would never live in peace without an army enforcing the peace. That's an opinion that I could argue about all day long, but then he said what really is upsetting me; It's human nature to have wars and to only care for oneself.
I strongly disagree.
As for myself, I don't want that. Does this make me not a human? When we hear, read or see in the news what war crimes are committed, how people are forced to live (if they may live), what people are capable of doing to each other, we call this inhuman. What do we actually mean when we say so? Are the people committing these crimes not human people, or is it the act that is inhuman?
Again, my opponent argues that you should not call someone a liar, but rather say you lied - so to condemn the act of lying but not the person. Well, do we do that in other situations? May we call someone a murderer or a thief when they kill people or steal things? Is it a matter of frequency how often I eat meat while still calling myself a vegetarian?
Being human
The definition of what is or is not human may differ vastly. However, it is schizophenic that if we agree something is inhuman, to not take the consequences; As a human being stop acting inhuman!
Like being a vegetarian or not being a liar and murderer, for me being human is a continuous process that demands continuous work on ourselves. I have to work on myself to act how I want a human to act. When I think that the way meat is "produced" today on earth is inhuman, then I will have to change my diet. I have a vote, I can choose what to buy (or not to buy) or what to write on my blog. I can show people that I disagree and I can sit together with them, discuss differences of opinions and find a rational consent, because that's what I think how a human would act.
On a fun side note, my opponent also argued that animals also fight themselves, so this is just natural. Well, be an animal then.
