Article: Enlightened Self-Interest
Consider this: A small group of smart fanatics with a baker's dozen SA7 or Stinger missiles, bringing down airliners in an unpredictable, random pattern could bring the whole airline industry, and a great deal of businesses, to a screeching halt.
Or how about this: A tactical nuke going off in a US seaport would bring international commerce to a standstill...and it wouldn't even have to make it through customs, which admittedly would only give it a less than 1% chance of being detected anyway. Strategic oil reserves would dry up in a few short months without drastic, forced usage curtailments which could easily bring the economy to its knees. Not to mention what is probably the worst part: The confidence crisis, the psychological repercussions in the global marketplace.
There are literally hundreds of scenarios like this, and after having spent the entire 20th century perfecting instruments of death and arming ourselves to the teeth with them (and millions of Cold War proxy-warriors) , having one play out is really only a matter of the people with the will making the right deal with people who have the means.
I've long sense realized that the only solution to the mess we humans have made for ourselves is a clear and preeminent policy of enlightened self-interest that mitigates the hopelessness of poverty throughout the world that is the breeding ground for future militant mindsets. Ultimately, only compassion on an epic scale, embraced as the primary strategy of our world leaders, will bring this crisis to a point of realistic manageability.
Sadly, it would seem that we're too sophisticated these days to entertain such lofty, idealistic thoughts or we feel that "being nice" doesn't project the proper dominant image. (i.e. the "Don't Love Us, Fear Us" mentality)
Ever notice the rich maniac never does the actual suicide missions? Where does he find the fodder to do his bidding? Where do the Islamofacists recruit? How many hopeful optimists strap bombs to themselves? The fact is, those without hope will follow anyone who promises something better - right now only the well-financed radical Islamists are attending to the people.
The madrasas in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are the only opportunity for education for the average person in those countries. They are funded and run by Wahabist radicals. They choose the message their students learn. There is no counterbalance. No counter message. There is no evidence that the West gives a good goddamn about them.
Yes, there will always be a radical or two in the woodpile, but the question is: Will we allow them to have the hearts and minds of the masses by default?
What I find frustrating is how difficult it is to express this "strategy" to others without being immediately written off like a bleeding-heart, which begs the question: How did we get conditioned to the point where someone who suggests possible solutions that involve proactive compassion over reactive violence is dismissed as being weak, starry-eyed, hopelessly idealistic and therefore not worth listening to? To me the clear path to lasting peace is to start with peace wherever and whenever you can.
At the risk of sounding apologist, the fact is that we (the rich countries of the world) haven't even come close to committing ourselves to ending the crushing poverty, misery and senseless death that defines the daily lives of our brothers and sisters in the third world. We know this! And with modern technology, now "they" know this as well. Whereas they once lived in ignorance that there were those with the means to help that simply refused or lived in denial, now the "have-nots" are well aware of how the other half lives, and in this century, they will finally begin to demand their right simply to LIVE. Let me assure you, we steep ourselves in careless ignorance to the sufferings of our species at our own peril.
You can cast this as a complex type of extortion if you will, and it might be somewhat accurate, technically speaking. But it is important to realize that this is a simple fact of human nature that plays itself out over and over throughout history - whenever those that have either actively or passively deny those that have not from obtaining a basic level of equality, an inherently unstable environment evolves and inevitably ends in open revolt. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Now, a just and equitable world may seem far fetched - its not. The statistics on those living in poverty have become progressively better over the last half-century. Keep in mind, true "equality", in a quasi-Marxist sense is not the goal here - simply an equality of opportunity and "justice for all" as the old line goes. And statistically speaking, we truly are headed in the right direction.
I would simply argue that the pace is just not fast enough. Our lack of sincere engagement with the developing world has left millions of minds open to the influence of those who would see us utterly destroyed. We must work swiftly to counter the decades of neglect and indoctrination. But most importantly, it is time for our generation to make our great contribution to mankind. We must demonstrate to the world our generosity and sincerity by unleashing our unparalleled economic and intellectual resources on a desperate world and make an undeniable, rapid improvement to the human condition. We can, and we must.
We must, because we are the only ones who can.
Or how about this: A tactical nuke going off in a US seaport would bring international commerce to a standstill...and it wouldn't even have to make it through customs, which admittedly would only give it a less than 1% chance of being detected anyway. Strategic oil reserves would dry up in a few short months without drastic, forced usage curtailments which could easily bring the economy to its knees. Not to mention what is probably the worst part: The confidence crisis, the psychological repercussions in the global marketplace.
There are literally hundreds of scenarios like this, and after having spent the entire 20th century perfecting instruments of death and arming ourselves to the teeth with them (and millions of Cold War proxy-warriors) , having one play out is really only a matter of the people with the will making the right deal with people who have the means.
I've long sense realized that the only solution to the mess we humans have made for ourselves is a clear and preeminent policy of enlightened self-interest that mitigates the hopelessness of poverty throughout the world that is the breeding ground for future militant mindsets. Ultimately, only compassion on an epic scale, embraced as the primary strategy of our world leaders, will bring this crisis to a point of realistic manageability.
Sadly, it would seem that we're too sophisticated these days to entertain such lofty, idealistic thoughts or we feel that "being nice" doesn't project the proper dominant image. (i.e. the "Don't Love Us, Fear Us" mentality)
Ever notice the rich maniac never does the actual suicide missions? Where does he find the fodder to do his bidding? Where do the Islamofacists recruit? How many hopeful optimists strap bombs to themselves? The fact is, those without hope will follow anyone who promises something better - right now only the well-financed radical Islamists are attending to the people.
The madrasas in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are the only opportunity for education for the average person in those countries. They are funded and run by Wahabist radicals. They choose the message their students learn. There is no counterbalance. No counter message. There is no evidence that the West gives a good goddamn about them.
Yes, there will always be a radical or two in the woodpile, but the question is: Will we allow them to have the hearts and minds of the masses by default?
What I find frustrating is how difficult it is to express this "strategy" to others without being immediately written off like a bleeding-heart, which begs the question: How did we get conditioned to the point where someone who suggests possible solutions that involve proactive compassion over reactive violence is dismissed as being weak, starry-eyed, hopelessly idealistic and therefore not worth listening to? To me the clear path to lasting peace is to start with peace wherever and whenever you can.
At the risk of sounding apologist, the fact is that we (the rich countries of the world) haven't even come close to committing ourselves to ending the crushing poverty, misery and senseless death that defines the daily lives of our brothers and sisters in the third world. We know this! And with modern technology, now "they" know this as well. Whereas they once lived in ignorance that there were those with the means to help that simply refused or lived in denial, now the "have-nots" are well aware of how the other half lives, and in this century, they will finally begin to demand their right simply to LIVE. Let me assure you, we steep ourselves in careless ignorance to the sufferings of our species at our own peril.
You can cast this as a complex type of extortion if you will, and it might be somewhat accurate, technically speaking. But it is important to realize that this is a simple fact of human nature that plays itself out over and over throughout history - whenever those that have either actively or passively deny those that have not from obtaining a basic level of equality, an inherently unstable environment evolves and inevitably ends in open revolt. Lather, rinse, repeat.
Now, a just and equitable world may seem far fetched - its not. The statistics on those living in poverty have become progressively better over the last half-century. Keep in mind, true "equality", in a quasi-Marxist sense is not the goal here - simply an equality of opportunity and "justice for all" as the old line goes. And statistically speaking, we truly are headed in the right direction.
I would simply argue that the pace is just not fast enough. Our lack of sincere engagement with the developing world has left millions of minds open to the influence of those who would see us utterly destroyed. We must work swiftly to counter the decades of neglect and indoctrination. But most importantly, it is time for our generation to make our great contribution to mankind. We must demonstrate to the world our generosity and sincerity by unleashing our unparalleled economic and intellectual resources on a desperate world and make an undeniable, rapid improvement to the human condition. We can, and we must.
We must, because we are the only ones who can.
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