”And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” (KJV Matthew 24:6)
It may be common to hear of wars but what does it mean to hear “rumors of wars”? Is this simply referring to gossip circles going around that speak of what the next major war might be? Or might it refer to other things as well? If so, what things?
One thought about a “rumor of war” may be the hype and propaganda that can precede and lead to war. Might it be the information that is used to convince people to go to war with one another? Could a “rumor of war” also be understood as “rumors that lead to wars”? Can it refer to lies that are spread that are designed to entice war?
A sign of war is the truth being suppressed and under attack, while half truths or lies are promoted and protected. It has been said that the first casualty of war is the truth. If officials and leaders act upon such rumors by treating them as if they are unquestionably true, where will that lead? How is the average person to know if it actually is true or if such rumors are being used to further an agenda?
To gain support for the first world war, rumors were spread about German soldiers tossing Belgian babies in the air and catching them on their bayonets or cutting off the hands of baby boys so they would be unable to grow up and fight. Later some British and Italian authorities carried out extensive investigations into “the truth of these horrible accusations, some of which, at least, were told specifically as to names and places. Every case investigated proved to be a myth.”
More recently, following the invasion of Iraq into Kuwait, a young girl referred to as “Nayirah”, appeared in front of a congressional committee and testified that she witnessed the mass murdering of infants, when Iraqi soldiers had snatched them out of hospital incubators and threw them on the floor to die. It was later learned that this young girl was the daughter of Kuwait’s ambassador to the United States and had not witnessed the atrocities described in her testimony. Her statements had been used as evidence to support the war. Further, it was discovered that the hearing that she testified in was arranged by a public relations firm, “Hill and Knowlton”, which had been hired by the Kuwait government to increase American support for a war against Iraq.
Even today the truth or the lies behind these and many other atrocities that have accompanied wars are continually questioned. They still hold some “rumor” aspect to them.
Various countries, particularly when they do not support freedom of speech, have deemed it a serious offense for someone to spread information that, if believed, might do damage to the goals and aspirations of government leaders. This can be used for promoting war information, but also to shut down individuals spreading information that does not support a war that the government wants. A person spreading such information to be judged as an enemy of the state. Spreading such information might be deemed as treason in such places.
How serious are “rumors of wars”? Are there real effects of spreading rumors which can contribute to wars, or that denounces wars? While wars are terrible, can being caught up in of “rumors of war” also be a terrible state of confusion and chaos to be in?
When information can easily be spread, how big of a role might controlling and spreading rumors of war have in society? How can being aware that “rumors of war” are happening, help a person properly assess and deal with the state of affairs in society today?