The 80's hit "99 Luftbaloons" or "99 Red Balloons", has a catchy tune and repetitive lyrics. I first heard the English version on the radio as a child. The lyrics didn't have any meaning for me at the time. I knew nothing of the horrors of nuclear war. I was just a kid. A bad day for me was not being able to ride my bike with my friends.
I don't think I heard the English version again for many years. I recently heard the German version, and having taken German for 4 years in high school, was able to piece together some of the meaning of the lyrics. I went to Google translate, and got the full gist. It's a story about flying balloons causing a nuclear war, and the aftermath.
I now have much more respect for that song. I had the same response to Guernica, by Picasso. I always thought it was just a nightmare or something. Then, we saw the real thing in Spain. I did more research on the symbolism of Guernica. It depicts, not a nightmare, but an actual historical event. It had a powerful impact on me. I've always been somewhat averse to war, but thought it was sometimes necessary. I now firmly adhere to the non-aggression principle, leaning a bit toward being a pacifist. I still think there are things worth fighting for, like my beloved republic. But I also see, by example of countries like Costa Rica, that you don't need to have a massive army at the ready to ensure your security. I'd argue that having a large military virtually guarantees that diplomacy will be window dressing.
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