As I was posting a link to my blog (Countdown w/ Keith Olbermann) the news came on and I found myself experiencing one of those moments of synchronicity that Carl Jung described. Now, I’m not one to get all freaked out when it comes to superstitions, I’ll even walk under a ladder if I don’t see that there is a likelihood of something being dropped on me. At the same time, Dr Jung’s theory of synchronicity is down right creepy, and it’s something that I’ve experienced so many times I won’t even consider that it might just be “coincidence” at play.In this case, as I was typing the word “countdown” the preview to the six o’clock news came on and I heard, “a countdown to war in Israel …”. Suffice it to say, my attention was quickly directed towards the recent events. The news, I’m afraid to say, isn’t anything new … nor, in retrospect, is it particularly newsworthy.
What is so newsworthy about the fact that, once again, Israel and the Palestinians are displaying that they have the combined maturity level of a very immature four-year old; a child that is seemingly incapable of playing nicely with its friends, and it doesn’t want to share its toys with the other children in the sandbox.
When children in kindergarten act as antisocial as this an intervention is done quickly as it is now recognized that these traits are the first signs of an emerging personality that could, ultimately, develop into a sociopath. Socialization is something that children must learn, just as domesticated animals do, lest they turn feral and develop wild personalities, preventing them from interacting well with others of their own kind.
War is a disease, but even more than that, it is the symptom of a very serious disorder that signifies when there is something wrong with the individual committing the act. That is why murder and violent crime has always been something that has severe penalties in our “enlightened” society, and why death has been used as a severe penalty as far back as the first examples of the written law (the Code of Hammurabi).
Without even having to resort to the lessons of history (for those poor ignorant fools that haven’t learned their “letters” yet), the hypocrisy of our species never ceases to amaze me: humanity has the temerity to proclaim itself to be at the top of the pyramid and yet acts (consistently) as "primitive savages", demonstrating the worst qualities of the human species.
In short, there truly is something wrong when so many people seem so willing to surrender their lives when an enlightened, peaceful solution would be far more preferable and beneficial for all involved.
With the most deaths of Palestinians recorded in a single day since September 2004. Israel now seems to be on the brink of launching an all-out offensive (and it is offensive) move against Gaza, though they were ostensibly targeting Hamas leaders (the civilians … more than twenty of them … just happened to be in the way).
On its own that would have been more than enough, but not for Israel. Another IDF soldier has been captured (let’s be honest, folks, this isn’t kidnapping: these are POW’s). Israel says that it is at war. Now it has to expect to have some of its soldiers taken as prisoners, just as they have Palestinians as prisoners. Now they are preparing an even more “severe response” to the latest POW incident … and the countdown continues.
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1 comment:
It is amazing how important the influences of childhood are when it comes to shaping the ideals and opinions of later life. The sense of right from wrong, if not instilled from the parents will likely not develop ... as we see in people like Dubya, who missed the line when it came to getting servings of "common sense" (he heard "come uppence", and figured he didn't need any, so ended with none).
In the end, we can strive to be individuals, but ultimately we are reflections of those who brought us through our formative years.
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