Mathematicians for Peace
. .
. . Math is truth; war is based on lies.

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KahramanlarıBertrand Russell made major contributions to mathematics in his early years, but eventually put that aside to devote himself entirely to philosophy and political activism....... ......

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Version of 4 March 2009. Be sure to also visit my other two websites:

Worldwide Progressive Movement


Waking From the Consensus Trance






MATH is TRUTH;
WAR is based on LIES.

Thus, mathematicians have a special duty to oppose war.

International Mathematicians for Peace


"Why international?" Well, it's true that the USA (where I live) has the world's biggest economy and biggest military, and is the biggest supplier of weapons. But the US economy is small compared to the combined effect of the rest of the world. And the US is affected by what people elsewhere say about us. And disarmament can't be done unilaterally; it's only going to work if we all get to know one another well enough so that we can all lay down our arms together. And ultimately we all ought to care about one another, not just people in our own nation.

"But mathematics is above all of that." Mathematicians often see their work as the discovery of a perfect and eternal truth that is above all the ambiguities and emotions of human interaction. They take pride in its cold, clear, crystalline reasoning. But I urge my fellow mathematicians to reconsider: who is mathematics FOR? Mathematics may exist without humans, but the beauty of mathematics exists only in the humans who appreciate that beauty. We mathematicians are human beings with families and communities; we betray them if we do not concern ourselves with their future. Mathematicians (and scientists and engineers) have been too narrow in their vision, and have not looked at the bigger picture — as though they busy themselves in the engine room of the Titanic, thoroughly absorbed in tinkering with the engine, enjoying the intellectual challenge of figuring out how to make the engine run faster and more efficiently, completely oblivious to shouts that the boat is about to hit an iceberg.

"But we haven't been trained for politics." That attitude is shared by nonmathematicians too -- "Leave politics to the politicians; it's not my job; I'm not trained for that and I'm busy with other work." Well, look what an atrocious job the politicians have done when the rest of us haven't gotten involved. Spectator/consumer democracy doesn't work. Campaigning for peace is not our area of expertise, but it's time we started training ourselves in it. The politicians may try to tell you that their decision-making procedures are very complicated and require great expertise, but that's not true. Some of the most important decisions require no expertise at all, merely an unobscured vision. It takes no expertise to understand that war is a truly terrible thing, and that we should not participate in a war without an absolutely clear, indisputable, and compelling reason.

"Why mathematicians in particular?" Well, it's not mathematics in particular. This web page, written by a mathematician, attempts to recruit other mathematicians, but really we need people from EVERY walk of life need to participate -- carpenters for peace, auto mechanics for peace, postal workers for peace, and so on. Whatever your line of work, I invite you to post a web page advocating peace to your coworkers. By banding together in our workplaces we form a community that otherwise cannot find its way. Based on our different work experiences, we may have special perspectives to offer — e.g., as I said at the top of this page, mathematicians have a special familiarity with the nature of "truth." But ultimately we all need to work together.

"Haven't there been some 'just wars,' like World War II?" If a war was just on one side, then it was unjust on the other side. World War II was largely due to the German people's failure to question Hitler's fairly thin lies (sickeningly similar to the American acquiesence to Bush's lies). And the USA isn't blameless in World War II -- for instance, the hellbombing of Japanese cities was justified only by lies.

Just Foreign Policy Iraqi Death Estimator "What kinds of lies?" Some governments may believe they have good reasons for wars, but they do not trust their own people to agree, and so they lie. And the news media, increasingly owned by a few wealthy people with vested interests in the war machine, report the news with subtle bias: They frame it in language that forces the desired conclusions, and they omit news items that cannot be spun in the desired direction. And in countries where truth is less protected, the news media lie outright. How easily we all fall into the consensus trance! Unlike mathematicians, most people do not test everything they hear for fallacies and omissions -- and even mathematicians apply that rigorous testing procedure only to their mathematics.



(And war is not the only topic for lies. For instance, our efforts to deal with global warming were delayed for years because corporations who did not want to change their ways, and politicians owned by those corporations, denied the existence of global warming; that delay has made the problem much worse, by giving the positive feedback loops more time to grow. The general public may not understand, but mathematicians, scientists and engineers know that there is nothing subjective or inconclusive about global warming. They should be outraged about the lies about science.)

"So you're advocating that we support some particular political party?" No, not really. It's true that one political party has dirtied its hands most conspicuously in recent years; but every party, when it has been in power, has lied its way into some war. The real problems are the way that many politicians gain power by pointing at an enemy, and the way that war profiteers assist the finances of many politicians. Somehow we have to stop that.

"So what should we do?" I don't know, I'm just starting to figure it out and get this organized.
  • For a start, try to get yourself better informed. Don't rely on the mainstream news media — it lies as much as anyone does, by omission if nothing else. Look at different news sources on the internet — they're not as biased, or at least they are diverse in their biases, because the internet is extremely inexpensive. Personally, my favorite news analysis website is Alternet, but I have several others as well, and your taste may differ.

  • Then talk with people, in person or by phone or by email. Attend meetings where there are discussions. Become a part of the global conversation. Voting helps, voting is a good start, but voting is not enough. You will feel powerless when all you are isolated and all you have is your lone vote, but you will feel very powerful when you make yourself part of the political community and part of the discussion steering that community.

  • Then join in protest. Wear a peace symbol everywhere you go. Put a big peace sign in your yard. If you have an office door where it is permitted (as do many mathematicians), post some political literature there for all passersby to see. To get a really big charge of energy, attend one of the mass rallies — generally there are at least one or two every year — you'll be amazed at how good it feels to join thousands of other people in exercising your constitutional right to peaceable assembly.
Shouldn't we be as serious about making peace as some people are about making war?

Addendum:  An analysis of the nature of war

I would describe two main types of wars.
  • A "classical" war is between two nations, or coalitions of nations, that are approximately equally matched, and that do not use atomic bombs or other super weapons. The war ends when one side surrenders to the other, more or less (though Truman delayed accepting Japan's surrender because he wanted to demonstrate the atomic bomb a couple of times first). The last "classical" war that involved the USA was World War 2. If Pakistan and India get into a war, it might be a "classical" war, though it probably wouldn't last long because they both have nukes. Indeed, now that more and more nations have nuclear weapons, the day of "classical" wars may be gone forever. However, "classical" wars still comprise the bulk of our mythology about wars, and perhaps the bulk of Washington's thinking and planning about wars.

  • An asymmetric war is between a much bigger military power (e.g., the United States) and a much weaker power. The war goes on either because (i) the bigger power expects the weaker power to eventually surrender, or (ii) the bigger power wishes to make war for other reasons with surrender not being a particularly important goal among them. The weaker power, though vastly outnumbered and/or outgunned, might still not surrender, as long as it believes it is in the right and as long as it believes that it has nothing to lose.

    For instance, the war of the United States against the people of Viet Nam lasted from 1959 until the US finally withdrew in 1975. The USA's propaganda claimed that the USA was fighting on behalf of the Vietnamese people, but in fact the reason the "other side" never surrendered is because it recruited far more volunteers from the Vietnamese people than the USA could. When the guerrillas have the support of the general population, then the only way a "regular" (classical) army can defeat a guerilla army is by exterminating every last man, woman, and child in the native population. The USA had the military capability to do that (e.g., they could have nuked the entirety of Vietnam, from coast to coast, and left not a single living thing remaining), but the USA had not the stomach for that kind of "victory," nor could it pretend that this would be "on behalf of the Vietnamese people." As it is, however, the USA did defoliate a great deal of Vietnam with agent orange, a toxic chemical that has caused birth defects in large numbers of Vietnamese children ever since the war. The problem here is that the people in the Pentagon did not understand that the Vietnamese were actually human beings.

    The weaker side in an asymmetric war sometimes can use nonviolence as a successful tactic. This tactic was used by Gandhi to make the British leave India, and by Martin Luther King's movement to increase the level of civil rights in the USA. I think that nonviolence might be used successfully by the Palestinians in Gaza, if only they would try it. But I am not convinced that nonviolence is always a successful tactic. For instance, I think it would not have prevailed against Hitler. Nonviolence will only work if the person it is being used "against" recognizes one as human — i.e., it calls upon a minimal amount of empathy that is already present, in order to elicit greater empathy. If there is no empathy at all present, I don't think it will work. But I'm not sure that that can ever be the case. Can people ever be completely oblivious to the humanity of other people?

And what about the causes of wars, i.e., the motives for wars? I can think of a few:
  • Hate. Those people in that country over there, they're not people at all. The idea that they are related to us, that they could be the same species as us, that they are our brothers and sisters, is ludicrous. They're dirty filthy beasts, evil, an abomination in the eyes of God, like cockroaches or termites. Their mere existence is an affront to us all, and they are the source of all evil in the world. Let us exterminate them. -- I don't really understand this motivation, and I don't know what is its antidote; but I think both the cause and the cure might be at least partly religious in nature. Fortunately, I think this kind of hate may be dying out; I think the worldwide culture is starting to evolve beyond this motivation -- but we're not beyond it yet.


  • Fear. Those people in that country over there want to hurt us, want to destroy us; they hate us. Or at least, their leader does. So we'd better attack them first. We don't necessarily need to exterminate them; we just need to weaken them so that they cannot hurt us. And then we'll have to keep them weak, too, because after we've hurt them, they're going to hate us even more. -- This motivation is actually quite logical: If you and your neighbor don't know each other very well, and each of you has been told that the other is a threat, then it makes sense to fear each other. The antidote, of course, is to spend some time with your neighbor, get to know each other, share a meal, play some Scrabble, whatever.

  • Greed. Why is all of our oil buried under the desert sands of those stupid people over there? We'd better go and get it. -- This motivation is logical for people who lack empathy. Some world leaders are psychopaths, i.e., people with no empathy at all. Evidently we need to move our world culture in a direction that encourages more empathy. Recognize your brother or sister in everyone you meet.

  • A political leader's lust for power. If I incite my people to hate and fear, and take them to war, then my people will do whatever I say. -- This is just a variant on the greed motivation. Again, the cause is psychopathy, and the remedy is empathy; but an additional remedy is to find out the real news, not just the stuff you get from the mainstrema media.
Have I omitted any major motivation? Let me know if you think of another, and I'll add it to this list. -- I thought up that list because I was wondering, why do we have wars? But in some sense the list doesn't really answer the question; it just relocates it. Instead I have to ask, why do we have hate, fear, and greed? I don't know if that's a useful question; I don't know if it has a useful answer. Maybe the right question to ask is: How can we reduce the hate, fear, and greed in the world? I guess the answer is that we should talk with one another, and create inspiring works of art, and perhaps also try to perform acts of heroism when a situation calls for them.


Kimle tanışmak isterim:
Anyone who wants to help make the world a more peaceful place (and doesn't think bombs are the way to do it).

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Mathematicians for Peace, 541 kişiyle arkadaş.
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Görüntüleniyor 25 / 150 yorumlar  ( Tümünü Görüntüle | Yorum Ekle )
ॐAlmu

ॐAlmu



24 Kas 2009 10:53

Feliz martes-4 Pictures, Images and Photos
Perceiving Reality

Perceiving Reality



21 Kas 2009 11:59



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ॐAlmu

ॐAlmu



17 Kas 2009 14:21

Feliz semana Pictures, Images and Photos
THE OFFICIAL MYSPACE PAGE OF THE PURPLE SAGE®

THE OFFICIAL MYSPACE PAGE OF THE PURPLE SAGE®



6 Eki 2009 02:32

I AM SICK AND TIRED OF LOSING PEOPLE I LOVE TO CANCER.THAT IS WHY I AM SENDING THIS MESSAGE TO ALL MY FRIENDS,PLEASE FIND THINGS THIS MONTH YOU CAN DO IN YOUR CITY/TOWN TO TRY AND HELP SUPPORT BREAST CANCER AWARENESS.IF THERE IS A WALK OR RUN GET OUT THERE AND SHOW YOUR SUPPORT.FIND AND BUY PRODUCTS THAT ARE GIVING PART OF THEIR PROCEEDS TO CANCER RESEARCH.SEND A MESSAGE TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS.I THANK ALL OF YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART...be_aware_ribbon

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26 Eyl 2009 05:04

THANK YOU FOR YOUR FRIENDSHIP.HOPE YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND...Technology inspires Art Pictures, Images and
Photos
THE OFFICIAL MYSPACE PAGE OF THE PURPLE SAGE®

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18 Eyl 2009 09:50

EMBRACE MY DESIRE TO ROAM.HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND...LLORI Orion Pictures, Images and Photos
PsYcOpTiK

PsYcOpTiK



14 Eyl 2009 08:57

happy to be friends!

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Barbara

Barbara Reitz



13 Eyl 2009 16:39

Thomas Merton and HH Dalai Lama
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"My Asian pilgrimage has come clear and purified itself" From "The Journals Of Thomas Merton".


Sending Love & Have a wonderful Sunday~Barbara
Perceiving Reality

Perceiving Reality



27 Ağu 2009 18:38

NEW Free Kabbalah Course - Coming Soon!




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Theresa

Theresa Neuman



17 Ağu 2009 17:41

I'm so happy to have you as a friend! Thanks for the add. I love your site...Have a wonderful week...all the best, Theresa
Plejad

Valéria Balatincz



16 Ağu 2009 20:42

Thanks for the add....Greeting from Hungary Valéria

Perceiving Reality

Perceiving Reality



14 Ağu 2009 01:26

NEW Free Kabbalah Course – Coming Soon!


..

Perceiving Reality

Perceiving Reality



10 Ağu 2009 11:48

MODERN LAWS OF GLOBAL LIFE

#1:Law of Motivation

Desire to fulfill others + pleasure = unlimited pleasure

http://i633.photobucket.com/albums/uu55/Kabbalahinfo/MLGL-Motivation/law-of-motivation.jpg ">

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Perceiving Reality

Perceiving Reality



9 Ağu 2009 14:10

MODERN LAWS OF GLOBAL LIFE

#1:Law of Motivation

Desire to fulfill others + pleasure = unlimited pleasure

 

Barbara

Barbara Reitz



6 Ağu 2009 22:41

The Fragrance of the Rose


The disciples were absorbed in a discussion of Lao-tzu's dictum:
"Those who know, do not say;
Those who say, do not know."
When the master entered,
they asked him what the words meant.
Said the master, "Which of you knows the fragrance of a rose?"
All of them indicated that they knew.
Then he said, "Put it into words."
All of them were silent.


from One Minute Wisdom by Anthony DeMello

 

Abundant Love~ Barbara



M♥cell

M♥cell



1 Ağu 2009 09:39







... Best Wishes ...
Barbara

Barbara Reitz



3 Tem 2009 20:09

 I hope you are having a peaceful weekend~Sending Love Always~Barbara


 


 
RUE -  Yellow-greenish flowers - Ruta graveolens L.
It facilitates the emergence of Willpower for the construction of a harmonious,
prosperous and peaceful life, exercising our free will and protecting our physical,
psychic and spiritual space.
It sets boundaries, balances and strengthens the individuality and the Willpower of the solar qualities of the Soul, while assisting the Ego in attuning and aligning with these positive Soul qualities to strengthen itself and develop a strong and positive Self.
This movement facilitates the alignment and the cure of those aspects in ourselves that identify with destructive, self-destructive and aggressive feelings and its negative effects in our relationships.
This Flower Essence is extremely important for those who, in a relationship, allow other people’s will to dominate their own, leading them to engage in self-destructive behaviors, or to allow negative influences to enter their lives, whether they come from the spiritual, astral, psychic worlds or from their personal relationships.

Barbara

Barbara Reitz



18 Haz 2009 00:52

"All the peace and happiness of the whole globe,
the peace and happiness of societies,
the peace and happiness of family,
the peace and happiness in the individual persons' life,
and the peace and happiness of even the animals and so forth,
all depends on having loving kindness toward each other."
Lama Zopa Rinpoche

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17 Haz 2009 13:22


M♥cell

M♥cell



14 Haz 2009 20:28

♥Hello My Beautiful Friend♥

"I am you; you are ME. You are the waves; I am the ocean. Know this and be free, be Divine." - Sri Sathya Sai Baba

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"Divine life is in touch with the whole universe on the analogy of the soul's contact with the body." - Muhammed Iqbal
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"The highest point in the scale of spatial freedom is reached by the human soul which, in its unique essence, is neither at rest nor in motion. Thus passing through the infinite varieties of space we reach the Divine space which is absolutely free from all dimensions and constitutes the meeting point of all infinities." - Muhammed Iqbal

♥Much Love & Respect♥
∞ JC ∞

∞ JC ∞



9 Haz 2009 13:06

tHaNkS   fOr   CoNNeCtiNg

Collective Consciousness

X
M♥cell

M♥cell



1 Haz 2009 03:36

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M♥cell

M♥cell



25 May 2009 03:50

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PROJECT EVOLUTION APPAREL

Project Evolution Apparel



8 May 2009 20:44




www.peapparel.org
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4 May 2009 22:55

LELA,PPZDRAV
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