Destructive Weapons of Mass Distraction vs Distractive Weapons of Mass Destruction

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Destructive Weapons of Mass Distraction

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When the focus of the world is on the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and their possession by rogue states such as Iraq, there is a corresponding case for reviewing weapons of mass distraction. The latter have a much longer history, dating back to the circuses of the Roman Empire. One modern form is associated with the broadcast media.

It might be inferred that weapons of mass destruction are focused on the destruction of material of any kind -- of which massed humans are but a particular feature. However some of these weapons are specifically focused on the destruction of human masses, preserving artifact and buildings for the victor. In the case of the weapons of mass distraction, the question is whether such distraction is effectively associated with destruction of masses through the destruction of the patterns that give coherence and meaning to their communities -- what makes them human. To what extent is distraction then a form of destruction, just as destruction selectively used may be a form of distraction -- as illustrated by the focus on the war on terror as a substitute for action on poverty, injustice and the degradation of the environment [more].

Distraction and failure of appropriate attention are considered by many spiritual disciplines as being the ultimate cause for much of the suffering experienced by humanity. The deployment of weapons of mass distraction may then be considered as a crime against humanity -- in a similar class to weapons of mass destruction.