This week the Russian backed separatists over-zealously took down a passenger aircraft that they supposedly mistook for a military transport plane. Militants in Israel also began a land offensive against Gaza. One of the most technologically superior forces in the world pitting themselves against mostly young people armed with sticks and stones and a tiny fraction of individuals with what amount to really big fireworks. Looking critically at casualty figures, when you have thousands dead, or even hundreds on one side and zero on the other, or mere single digits, these actions reek of bullying. How many times have each of us said, or wanted to say, pick on someone your own size. This time, no one seems to be saying anything.
It was evident what had happened even before the fact. Bullies, who to me, seem a lot like our tea party folks in both countries are at work tearing at the fabric, not only of civility, but of basic human values. Yet the majority of people whop do not agree with these radical positions are being forced to stand aside while power and control games are waged in their territory. In some cases on their very land! I for one will not stand idly by, holding my tongue. On the one hand, siege mentality corrupts even the most intelligent folks and fear of change, the "other" and presumed future losses associated with the dawn of a new age, but the costs of these old way responses to changing conditions assures that we can never reach a desired future state of justice, freedom, any of the democratic ideals or a balanced social structure that rewards individuals for benefits that they confer on their neighbors.
Instead, the tribe that I belong to is actually in the majority. We look to the change afoot as a hopeful sign that the next generation will find their way past many of the issues that seem to blind us. The peaceful loving people of the world have laid many thousands of wreaths and bouquets in honor of the innocent dead. Public awareness of the fact that Israelis often keep Palestinians as veritable slaves, complete with pass cards and wage slavery in a hostile land that is their homeland first, recently carved out of a landscape that used to be country that others called home. Like here in the U.S.A. the native people and their place on the planet are summarily ignored. this relationship takes being a horrible neighbor to the highest level. So too, the separatists in Crimea want nothing more than to be the worst neighbors possible. Much like the husband who purposely throws a red towel in the same load with his spouses white clothes, they seem to be hell bent on teaching their countrymen a lesson...They are saying with their actions that "We are terrifically irresponsible and not to be trusted in any case, perhaps you would rather we just did not play in this realm any longer."
Well, to all those who think that they have been put upon and who feel the desire to opt out of civil society, I call BULLSHIT! If you like the roads, you like the bridges, you may not like what your child learns in school, but you want the benefits of a stable, society with justice and meaningful lives for the greatest number of people, then you have to learn to be a good neighbor and learn to leave the world better because of your passing. Participants in civil societies cannot hide away and shirk their responsibilities to the greater good for long without compromising the quality of life for everyone.
Just as a community of plants and animals becomes more stable the more players it has, people cannot live as a monoculture, we just are not designed for it. Each of us fills a unique niche. If you are not building and creating, or at least growing you are on a trajectory toward death, destruction, dissolution and decay.
It was evident what had happened even before the fact. Bullies, who to me, seem a lot like our tea party folks in both countries are at work tearing at the fabric, not only of civility, but of basic human values. Yet the majority of people whop do not agree with these radical positions are being forced to stand aside while power and control games are waged in their territory. In some cases on their very land! I for one will not stand idly by, holding my tongue. On the one hand, siege mentality corrupts even the most intelligent folks and fear of change, the "other" and presumed future losses associated with the dawn of a new age, but the costs of these old way responses to changing conditions assures that we can never reach a desired future state of justice, freedom, any of the democratic ideals or a balanced social structure that rewards individuals for benefits that they confer on their neighbors.
Instead, the tribe that I belong to is actually in the majority. We look to the change afoot as a hopeful sign that the next generation will find their way past many of the issues that seem to blind us. The peaceful loving people of the world have laid many thousands of wreaths and bouquets in honor of the innocent dead. Public awareness of the fact that Israelis often keep Palestinians as veritable slaves, complete with pass cards and wage slavery in a hostile land that is their homeland first, recently carved out of a landscape that used to be country that others called home. Like here in the U.S.A. the native people and their place on the planet are summarily ignored. this relationship takes being a horrible neighbor to the highest level. So too, the separatists in Crimea want nothing more than to be the worst neighbors possible. Much like the husband who purposely throws a red towel in the same load with his spouses white clothes, they seem to be hell bent on teaching their countrymen a lesson...They are saying with their actions that "We are terrifically irresponsible and not to be trusted in any case, perhaps you would rather we just did not play in this realm any longer."
Well, to all those who think that they have been put upon and who feel the desire to opt out of civil society, I call BULLSHIT! If you like the roads, you like the bridges, you may not like what your child learns in school, but you want the benefits of a stable, society with justice and meaningful lives for the greatest number of people, then you have to learn to be a good neighbor and learn to leave the world better because of your passing. Participants in civil societies cannot hide away and shirk their responsibilities to the greater good for long without compromising the quality of life for everyone.
Just as a community of plants and animals becomes more stable the more players it has, people cannot live as a monoculture, we just are not designed for it. Each of us fills a unique niche. If you are not building and creating, or at least growing you are on a trajectory toward death, destruction, dissolution and decay.
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