Seven Points

Separated at birth? Prachanda and Hezbollah's Sheik Hassan Nasrallah

We have been on this planet for almost a generation without a major war or global conflict that reminds us of our need to shake ourselves and realize a few things about the world we live in and the nature of humanity. In today's view, every conflict can be solved with meetings and money. Failing that, we take away the money and see if that does the trick. We believe that everyone, even the most hardened terrorist, has desires and needs and can be appeased once we determine the parameters of these needs.

Is it any wonder then, that we are so befuddled by these current world conflicts that seemingly have no end? What's the deal with all these angry people? Can't reasonable humans figure a way to resolve their differences? Perhaps not. Certain aspects of current events stare us right in the face every day and repetitively demand acknowledgement; yet we refuse to see the patterns and willfully ignore the warnings. If we take a long cold look at events it is apparent that:

1. Some groups do not want peace.

2. Some groups seek only to further their narrow agenda.

3. Some groups see peaceful resolution as a sign of weakness.

4. Some groups see ceasefires, peacetalks, arbitration and high level meetings as nothing more than a means to delay, regroup and rearm.

5. Some groups have no intention of honoring or listening to alternative viewpoints.

6. Some groups understand only violence.

7. Some groups do not want equality.

So the next time someone tells you that the "Maoists must be brought into the mainstream," give them a sharp smack in the head. Hope and optimism are wonderful things, but patterns and past practices are what should inform our judgements. The seven points we've made above have manifested themselves over and over again in the actions of Hezbollah, North Korea, Africa, Afghanistan, and yes, the U.S. and Britain. Why should we, for an instant, believe that Nepal's Maoists will someday miraculously decide to "play nice"when their current and past behavior suggests otherwise?

Fair play, like democracy, is not a natural state or human trait; it goes against our survival instincts. Tribalism, warlordism, disruption and blind self-interest are a human's stock in trade.

Perhaps, as the thinkers tell us, the loss of cultural identity through globalization has driven people to group-based absolutism. Perhaps, but perhaps bunk as well; blogdai is no anthropologist. Perhaps our increased access to everything just gives us more of a selection of things to hate. Perhaps some groups believe that compromise is just one more step towards loss of identity.

blogdai will commit the above seven points to memory. I want them to be clear and easily accessible so that they can help me clarify the recent Maoist threats and atrocities, the constant and divisive punitive measures SPA is relentlessly pursuing against the King, and the current impasse and impending failure of the SPAM peacetalks.

-=blogdai