Thursday, April 12, 2012

Why Can't People Live in Peace?

What a dream. To have a world where there are no arguments, no fights, no wars, no bickering or bloodshed. To be able to have a healthy discussion about a subject, which can become heated, is good. Putting differing points of view makes the world an interesting place and many useful, new ideas can emerge. The problems start when an individual or group decide that their way is the only one and everyone else must follow what they believe. There is no freedom of choice, no liberality. This heavy handed control makes everyone lose out and as recent events have shown, the political leaders are killed.

While most of the animal kingdom has terrains, which they lay claim to and will fight off trespassers to defend, this seems to work on a small scale. Having a territory gives a known food supply, water and shelter. The problem with humans is they have imagination and excessive greed. People want more and more. Not just their basic need served with a little bit extra but treasure houses of property. Why? Because they can and because they perceive it makes them better than everyone else. They are under the impression that it gives them superiority and power. It might give power but not superiority.

Most people, when asked, say they want to live in peace. Yet governments or groups are continually creating situations where it is felt talking will have no effect, but flattening the opposition with every bit the machinery that war can produce will be the best way. All that happens is to create a situations with a great deal of pain, distress, anger, poverty and ruination of societies. Surely its, at least, worth trying to communicate with the opposition.

People make the world they live in up to a point. Individuals have a local freedom to dispute or note. Negotiating with neighbors over odds and ends and ending with an amicable solution is a small way to creating a community where there is no need for fighting. On the bigger scale of nations this is also possible. It needs imagination, great leadership, creativity, humanity, perception, understanding something of what the opposition is saying, an understanding of the same meanings to the words used and an willingness to compromise. Belligerence is not always the answer.

Peace seems to be merely a dream for most, yet humans have the capacity to solve issues, problems, disagreements and objections with humor, good manners, compromise and justice.


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