A simple notion

At the base of I Am War is the notion that war can be resolved -- in our lifetime -- through creation. As Albert Camus wrote, history teaches us, "Instead of killing and dying in order to produce the being that we are not, we have to live and let live in order to create what we are."

Our hypothesis is that at the root of each war is a problem of scarcity. People who lack the resources to live comfortably (e.g. food, medicine, energy), or lack outlets for expressive thought, or lack an education teaching the futility of violence are bound to be pushed toward war.

Fundamental to I Am War is the notion that "people are not the problem." People are at war, yes; people are fighting, yes. This does not make them any less human, any less perfect. The state of war is perhaps a fundamental state of a human when stressed in particular ways, and we must acknowledge this if we are to succeed. The goal of I Am War is to create structures and supports above these very real, tangible problems that lead to war, so that these historic stresses will no longer touch us.

We recognize those who benefit from the status quo of war –- and the politics of fear and division –- will be slow to change. In the U.S. Senate, in 2002 the Iraq War was declared by a vote of 77 to 23; clearly, we have much work to do. We do not fault the politician for his irresponsible act; while he may be lacking in perspective, we believe he is but a reflection of the poisonous environment he lives in.

We know the solution to crime is not to put a man in a box for 30 years, alone, and hope that he somehow fixes himself under such conditions, in a place any sane man would turn insane; the solution is to help this man, to give him an opportunity to create his life, and not dwell on his unfortunate, past choices that cannot be changed.

"Security" is the antithesis of creation; the notion of security is never a proper, long-term solution. Security, like violence, is a symptom of failure. We believe the notions of more security forces, more regulation, more restriction, more censorship, and more monitoring are false. In the long term, security and enforcement only serve to build tension among people, restrain our dialog, and deny the humanity of our selves. Security -- whether provided by the state or the gang -- does not educate, does not entrust, and does not build.

To overcome this, we must create. We must build intelligent programs with a base of honesty. To say, "I am war," is to take a critical, meaningful step. "I am war" puts us at the center, puts us at a position to act. From a position of ownership -- not a position of guilt -- we are in a place to lead, to act, to cause peace. It is not the terrorist. It is not the politician. It is not your parents, nor your friends. It is you. It is me.

To solve the problem of war we need to do more than sign mere peace treaties; we need to build a supportive environment of creation. This is an enormous task, and will require work on every front, each enormous in its own right -- education, sustainable energy, sustainable food and nutrition, sustainable creation. This is why you will not find I Am War protesting in the streets, today. We believe we must change the ground politicians walk upon.

We are comfortable putting our trust in the human race. After all, it's who we are -- nothing more, nothing less.

I am war

If the current U.S. administration were gone tomorrow, there would still be war in the Middle East. There would still be wars throughout central Africa, southern Asia, the island countries of the Pacific, and countries near the equator in the Americas.

In the past I was overwhelmed, paralyzed with the notion that the problem of war is too large, too difficult, and, moreover, someone else's problem -- after all, it's the terrorist who is fighting, or the military, or the current administration, not me. "I am war" takes ownership. "I am war" puts me in a position to act.

I understand that I own my life, my choices. I understand I'm not the victim of politicians, leaders, the state, or the corporation. I understand that I am in a community of people. I understand that I have the tools to do this. I am the politician, leader, state, and corporation. I own this.

I understand that politicians will be politicians; I understand that those who benefit from the status quo of war will be slow to change, and that I must lead and act for peace if progress is to be made.

"I am war" targets the root causes of armed conflicts. "I am war" takes the stance of action, of creation, and of results.

If we -- you and I -- are fighting in the Middle East to protect our oil interests, then let's become independent of oil for energy, and teach the world how to do the same. If Mexicans are killing each other for the opportunity to bring cocaine into the U.S., then let's help our friends quit using it. If lack of civil rights gives birth to violent attacks, then let's teach our family at home to be a beacon for the world.

What is different, today?

Today we have instant communication. We can collaborate and plan in minutes what would take previous generations days, and still-previous generations months. We have records that can be saved indefinitely, shared across the world within a minute. We can keep in touch without the need for expensive correspondence.

We have access to a history that teaches us war is not the answer. As we discover what works, the world will know and never forget.

The sheer number of people who have completed higher education allows us to be more articulate and communicative of our cause.

We have tools to help us work together. We will build even better tools, targeted at war.

"I am war" is my answer to the question, "What can I do?" I don't know what it is exactly, but I'm about to find out.

I am war. This is the start of a group with that underlying philosophy, with the same name. I will be outlining more of my vision within the coming weeks. If you are passionate about being a part of it then, please, contact me now. Email me at phil.manijak [at] iamwar.org.

Base layer

Like the ocean under a hurricane, my surface thoughts are often a convoluted mess of swirling confusion, uncertainty and curiosity, racing and spinning, as I try to capture my ideas with a pen and freeze them forever in their perfect form. They are often scattered, hard to organize and follow, swelling and falling; about once per month they come together for an hour or so, giving me an opportunity to write before exploding once more.

Beneath this storm, as one goes deep, things become serene and comfortable, rarely disturbed by the tumult above.

Though I enjoy getting lost in the wind, beneath it all I am quite happy; at my core, I am at peace. For me, all this anxiety, this drive and energy to find and do something meaningful, something articulate, something amazing is a game of complete luxury; it's a competition with myself to pass the time, to inspire and challenge me, to have fun in my own way.

How can I not? I live in this beautiful place that has been breathing and evolving for 4,500,000,000 years, and I have 52 more years to be in it. I live in a house built by the 125,000th generation of people, where I can watch the rain fall upon a backdrop of green. I have food shipped to me from thousands of miles away, planted and harvested for me, delivered a block from my home, in exchange for helping people organize their photographs. There are 3,000 years of written thought just down the street, a 15-minute walk. All of these things were here before I opened my eyes.

I can talk with anyone about any thing; my closest friends talk back. I can travel to any place on this pale blue dot. I can create.

Standing upon this fortune of history, paired with a fortune of thought, I find a deep confidence in my self. Despite my at-times-uncertain exterior, I know that I "get it," that I -- for whatever reason -- share many qualities with and identify with the great men of history. I see this in many people -- people in my work, in my town, in my life, in my past, people who can think and act, despite their transient self-doubts. I've felt this for years. And while my surface is searching, searching for the details of what's "right" or what's "wise," I have almost always seen my self as an inexorably advancing wall of ice.

Concentrically around this core are layers of passion, angst and curiosity, among other things. But, it seems my hour is up.