Longyear in a long year...
Jun. 11th, 2003 07:20 pmI mention Barry Longyear's The Enemy Papers frequently here. Not because it's the best book I ever read (though it is darned good, let me tell you), but because it is the one I've read recently with the socio-political savvy most applicable to some of today's world problems.
I watched the news today, news coming from the Middle East, and wonder. Who will earn Aydan's Blade?
Longyear posits that sometimes a conflict can become so acrimonious, so tangled, so long and filled with recriminations that the two sides no longer actually seek peace, or simple socio-political goals. All they have is hate. All they desire is the annihilation of the other side. So long as there is one enemy alive, there will be one person on the other side willing to break a truce or cease-fire to strike. Under such conditions, normal, negotiated ends to the conflict are simply impossible. Such seems to be the problem in the Middle East.
Longyear posits a solution to such a conflict. It is simple in concept, probably even practicable with today's technology. But I don't think the world is quite ready to attempt it. Even if we were, Longyear notes that it isn't enough to have a good leader, or a good general. "Good" is not enough. It's not enough to want to protect yourself, and your nation's interest. It's not enough to want peace. It's not enough to be willing to send many of your fellow countrymen to risk death for peace. None of this, "I'm the leader of a nation, I'm too important to risk" stuff. It's not even enough to be willing to risk death yourself for the chance to live in peace.
Sometimes, you need a leader who would, of their own free will, quietly slit their wrists and allow their lifeblood to flow on the altar of War if it would end conflict. This is earning Aydan's Blade - being more committed to the peace than to anything else, including your own life.
Maybe, sometime in our lives, someone worthy of Aydan's Blade will come and end the problems of Israel and Palestine. I just don't see how the likes of Mr. Bush, Mr. Sharon, or any other leader yet seen, are enough.
I watched the news today, news coming from the Middle East, and wonder. Who will earn Aydan's Blade?
Longyear posits that sometimes a conflict can become so acrimonious, so tangled, so long and filled with recriminations that the two sides no longer actually seek peace, or simple socio-political goals. All they have is hate. All they desire is the annihilation of the other side. So long as there is one enemy alive, there will be one person on the other side willing to break a truce or cease-fire to strike. Under such conditions, normal, negotiated ends to the conflict are simply impossible. Such seems to be the problem in the Middle East.
Longyear posits a solution to such a conflict. It is simple in concept, probably even practicable with today's technology. But I don't think the world is quite ready to attempt it. Even if we were, Longyear notes that it isn't enough to have a good leader, or a good general. "Good" is not enough. It's not enough to want to protect yourself, and your nation's interest. It's not enough to want peace. It's not enough to be willing to send many of your fellow countrymen to risk death for peace. None of this, "I'm the leader of a nation, I'm too important to risk" stuff. It's not even enough to be willing to risk death yourself for the chance to live in peace.
Sometimes, you need a leader who would, of their own free will, quietly slit their wrists and allow their lifeblood to flow on the altar of War if it would end conflict. This is earning Aydan's Blade - being more committed to the peace than to anything else, including your own life.
Maybe, sometime in our lives, someone worthy of Aydan's Blade will come and end the problems of Israel and Palestine. I just don't see how the likes of Mr. Bush, Mr. Sharon, or any other leader yet seen, are enough.