“Are You A ‘Dove’, Or Are You A ‘Hawk'”?
Here in the quiet seclusion at my “Back Forty”, I heard and saw with shock, amazement and horror, the bombing of the Financial Heart of the US as well as the offices of their Military Might, using innocent human bombs encased in three powerful commercial jet airliners. These suicidal hi-jacking terrorists seemed to be following a well-thought out, murderous plan to cripple the US and World Economy along with the “proud” Military Might of the US. In the process, these zealots not only eagerly gave of their own lives but also the innocent lives of five thousand or more who occupied the buildings they destroyed as well as the planes they used as bombs.
The US governing officials are currently debating retaliatory measures aimed at punishing, avenging and eliminating the supposed organization behind this conspiracy, which was perpetrated against the Economic, and Military might of the U.S.A. Are we again, to see “Justice done” (an eye for an eye) or will “Mercy” and reason be applied?
Justice is never attained with “an eye for an eye”. This method always demands more, “a tooth for a tooth”, ad-infinitum, etc. as well. The “Magic Broom stick” remains a “Magic Broomstick” even though broken into many pieces. I understand that there is a growing minority of citizens in the US as well as elsewhere in the world who are in favour the way of “Mercy”, i.e., ascertaining the real cause for the unrest in the developing as well as even the developed countries. Maybe there is a correctable cause for the unrest, just waiting to be exposed and acted on.
I believe that these three jet bombers pointed their infinitely, cruel, bloody fingers squarely at the cause for this terrorist’s unrest. I hope that I do not sound too simplistic, when I say that, for too long, our good neighbour to the south, in its powerful affluence, has been thumbing its nose at the destitute, struggling “have-not” countries.
I think about those millions of innocent children and adults suffering under the blanket of boycotts we have imposed on certain Muslim countries that at the present time represent the home to organized terrorist groups. I think of the great disparity growing between the billions of destitute people, dying of starvation and disease, while we here in the western hemisphere stuff ourselves with over rich food and gadgets to give our leisure times more leisure.
I think of those two towers of Trade and Commerce, (The World Trade Center) which stood there proudly soaring above any other in the world, saying to the struggling billions at home and across the Atlantic, “Look at us, we dare you to match up to this!”.
I think of the world-renowned Pentagon Building, which housed the offices of those who defied the rest of the world with their military might. “Our Star Wars scheme will challenge any of you to try to attack us!”
I think of our own Federal Government and its present day Prime Minister, of his arbitrary agreement to provide backing for the “Hawk” to the south, no matter what.
What I wish to know, is our Prime Minister promising more “Hawks” to add to Camp David’s nest of American Hawks? Does not our Federal Government have even one Dove to offer instead?
I have several more questions to ask, followed by a suggestion for our Federal Government as well as the Congress of the US. Is any official thought being given to getting down to the root causes of our world’s misery?
Maybe if several of you in your high places in your governments would each go to your own “Back Forty” and there have a good look at this problem from the “grass roots” level. You might get a different view. To me it seems obvious that, since most, if not all of our problems, in one way or another revolves around the distribution of the commodity “MONEY”. Maybe this “Money Price System” isn’t meant to allow purchasing power to be distributed more or less evenly to those “who have not” as well as to those who “have plenty”. If this is true, maybe we should try a different system for the distribution of Goods and Services to the masses of the world’s people.
My suggestion is this, since our “World Trade Center” has been so ruthlessly destroyed providing that senseless loss of life and suffering; since “Wall Street is in such disarray, this seems to be the time to think about the way we relate to one another. For this change, I suggest that consideration be given to the “Share and Care” method outlined in view (25).
I suggest that our “Federal Government” give consideration to adopting this new Economic Philosophy in principle and then take all the diplomatic steps as are necessary to persuade our neighbour U.S.A. to join with us in adopting this new distribution scheme. It seems to me, here at my “Back Forty”, that the rest of the world, of necessity, would eagerly and peacefully join in.
This is the DOVE with the Olive Branch, which we can offer to our friends in the Pentagon. This would form a sure, peaceful way to conquer all of the world’s Terrorists as well as much Civil Unrest, without the further shedding of blood or the unnecessary destruction of global property!
Having done this, we could return the Hawks to their hay-stubble environment and their banquet of rodents, simultaneously releasing the DOVES to do their benevolent work among the nations of the world”!
Such is my “View” from my “Back Forty”!
Timothy Haystubble (Grass Roots Philosopher)