I'm a bit annoyed right now because I just sacrificed one mark from my tennis subject. I missed out on that one attendance credit because I was trying to explain what I thought to the Soka Gakkai people in the CLC on Wednesday.
They were there collecting signatures to petition the Malaysian Government to do its part in nuclear non-proliferation. I'm all for nuclear non-proliferation, but I didn't sign the damned thing.
I'm not too clear as to why myself. It could be the religious tangent that these people were taking. They seemed completely convinced that peace on this planet can be achieved if we just believed very, very hard that it can be. If we can get humans to think peace first when they are faced with any conflict, then we will not have wars. I like the concept, but I just find it a little bit flimsy.
I argued long and hard that humanity is programmed to serve itself first, then look at lofty ideals. Find some food, don't get killed, get married. All those always take priority over the principle of non-violence. At least thats how I see the world. In response, I was shown the greatness of Ghandi and Nelson Mendela. When I asked the dude I was talking to if he actually believed that it was Ghandi's non-violent protests that put the British in the mood to be charitable to the Indian people and to give them the independence that they want, he actually gave me a solid yes.
I should have wised up at that point and just thanked him and walked away. It really is quite pointless trying to engage him when we disagree on such a fundamental level about human nature. But I kept going on.
I might have offended him a bit when I told him that I thought the entire exhibition made a mockery of an actual peace process. I thought it made a mockery of humanity, for them to assume that something can be achieved if we repeatedly tell people the same intangible moral principle. Any solution that isn't rooted in the basest urges of humanity is doomed to fail. There is always a reason, and if we can understand the reasons behind the actions that lead to conflict, then we can try to stop it degenerating into violence. Admittedly, my take on it is just as intangible, but I concede that every conflict is different. To propose a blanket solution that will bring world peace is just something that I expect to hear from a beauty pageant contestant.
At least I did tell him that I was going to be honest, and wasn't trying to offend him before I actually said all that. Being a good, but perhaps slightly confused Buddhist, he kept a perfectly straight face.
But they really did make me wonder for a moment if such blind faith in the natural goodness of humanity can actually work out. I've certainly seen stranger things happen.
I'm still a bit sore about that mark lost though. =P
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3 comments:
"I thought it made a mockery of humanity, for them to assume that something can be achieved if we repeatedly tell people the same intangible moral principle."
On the contrary, it helps. Like it or not, conditioning works.Tell the same thing over and over again, the person will follow consciously or sub-consciously.
You yourself conceed that all those anti-smoking campaigns deterred you from smoking. I don`t see how this is any different.
The petition will not bring any changes. But at the very least, it means to those who sign it. (especially to those buggers who don`t even know what NPT is).
pity that you lost your one mark though.
And what do you think of Obadiah Shoher's arguments against the peace process ( samsonblinded.org/blog/we-need-a-respite-from-peace.htm )?
I conceded to the fact that anti smoking campaigns worked, but I also said that I hate the smell of second hand smoke. I may have stayed away from cigarrates because of propaganda initially, but I think I gave them a fair chance and still found them repulsive. Yea, sure, conditioning works, but it doesn't mean that its the right thing to do. To me, its just like brain-washing a bunch of kids to think that drugs are bad for their own good. And them expecting those kids to religiously perpetuate the idea to others until everyone thinks that way.
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