From: Wim Nusselder (wim.nusselder@antenna.nl)
Date: Sat Apr 17 2004 - 23:03:11 BST
Dear Jon,
You wrote 30 Mar 2004 18:28:24 -0500:
'from the beginning in 1776, America and its system of government was
referred to as an "experiment." The founding fathers were, in a very real
way, scientists.'
Is it possible that they used "experiment" as a metaphor, making them "like
scientists" rather than "in a very real way scientists"?
You wrote:
'I have always looked at this as a battle of ideas. ... If people can, for
brief moments, literally become the personification of a concept, I contend
that so can nations. ... In Iraq, the concept of Freedom had a showdown with
the concept of Tyranny.'
I agree to some extent: Ideas motivate actions. Success of actions is an
argument in a metaphorical "battle of ideas".
Real battles and the behaviour of real nations are only in a small part a
result of motives, however. Like individual behaviour it is largely
habitual: mob behaviour, us versus them reflexes in response to fear,
looking at the one with the highest status to follow his/her lead. Nations
(and groups in general) also "personify" the habitual patterns of value that
hold them together.
No nation and no individual only "personifies" ONE concept. And apart from
"personifying" habitual and symbolic patterns of value (third level and
fourth level static patterns of value), they are also receptive to Dynamic
Quality and shouldn't be treated like 'turds that clog toilets and only need
to be flushed to let fresh water stream'. Saddam not only "personifies"
Tyranny, but also Arabic nationalism....
I hope America learns from this "experiment"
- that democracy nor appreciation of freedom can be imposed on people with
strong (national and/or religious, collective and/or individual) identities,
- that security cannot be guaranteed by military power, even if it equals
the sum total of the military power of the rest of the world taken together
and
- that the only way to make the world a better world to live in -also for
Americans- is to use economic and military power to give everyone better
perspectives instead of mainly looking after American interests.
With friendly greetings,
Wim
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