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Plucky

How quickly we take sides in conflicts (longish)

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A reasonable train of thought, when thinking about a solution to a conflict of some kind, is to investigate and question each sides' motives for their actions. E.g. "They started it" - "But they took our land" etc.

So, do you understand the reasons why people who take up terrorist actions, or start wars, do so? Have you investigated and questioned their motives, from honest sources, before forming a damning opinion? Or do you simply believe the 'obvious': "on this here side are the good guys, and they're the bad guys, everyone knows that"?

A prime example of my point is Nelson Mandela, joint winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, whom most of the world sees as a worldwide ambassador for peace. And he is .. Now. At one point in his life though, the odds were so stacked against him by those with more power, he decided that violence was the only option left in the pursuit of freedom and ultimately peace.

I quote him from his trial in 1964:

"At the beginning of June 1961, after long and anxious assessment of the South African situation, I and some colleagues came to the conclusion that as violence in this country was inevitable, it would be wrong and unrealistic for African leaders to continue preaching peace and non-violence at a time when the government met our peaceful demands with force.
It was only when all else had failed, when all channels of peaceful protest had been barred to us, that the decision was made to embark on violent forms of political struggle, and to form Umkhonto we Sizwe
[the armed wing of the ANC]...the Government had left us no other choice."

.. and another quote from the ANC's website:

"..Mandela, anticipating an intensification of the armed struggle, began to arrange guerrilla training for members of Umkhonto we Sizwe."

Today, we may see this 'struggle' as having been necessary, and perhaps that they were forced into playing that hand. How many white South Africans do you think saw it that way at the time? They just saw the 'obvious' - what they got from the government and media - after all, it's just impartial news, isn't it? They're obviously wrong, look at what they're doing after all!

This post is not meant to implicitly win respect for one side in any particular current conflict, this post's message is simply this:

Please don't be so quick to call other human beings 'enemies'. They are as evolved as you are, with as much reasoning ability as you have. If you have to fill in the gaps of your knowledge of their motivations with the 'obvious', you are looking at the situation from a biased perspective.

- Citizen of the World -

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This deserves a bump purely on merit.

Far too many people believe they are thinking when they are just putting their prejudices in order!

Mike.

Taking the piss out of the FrenchAmericans since before it was fashionable.

Prenait la pisse hors du FrançaisCanadiens méridionaux puisqu'avant lui à la mode.

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Over a couple of beers I asked a chap in 'Sith Ifrica';) his opinion of Nelson Mandela:

"$%@~#£ TERRORIST!!!!"

It would be fascinating to have him read this and similiar articles. Would his opinion change any?

I wonder. Some people believe only what they generally want to believe.

'for it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "chuck 'im out, the brute!" But it's "saviour of 'is country" when the guns begin to shoot.'

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