WAR - re: a worthy and thoughtful thread ...
G'day rembrandt,
Thanks for the good post. The chronology is amazing. Now who could have predicted all those events!?
I actually saw part of the story on Sunday you refer to. It is definitely possible that the Iraqi leadership regime could be undermined. I think if any domestic overthrow of Hussein succeeded, it would be a defining moment in the middle east - depending on whether a suitable replacement leadership team takes control.
It would be interesting to study the manoeuvres of the oil cartels throughout the chronology of events in the middle east, in order to define a relationship between the political (war) and religious events throughout the period.
The elimination of (or the removal of need for) oil and the realisation of religious tolerance in the middle east would be a great defining time for peace and security.
The globalisation of secular western values has led and will probably continue to lead to a broadening of free and open thought amongst those who are oppressed and / or those locked into strict political and religious regimes. I accept that a failure to adapt (to at least the freedom aspects of secular thought) in a global sense, will continue to lead to greater conflicts.
Equally, the subscription to those values will come at a substantial political cost to those regimes that do not promote or allow free thinking. The threat will not only be external, but the people themselves that reject their leaders will rebel.
China will be interesting in the coming years, as will a number of North African nations, and of course the middle east.
The life force (élan vital) theory is powerful. A simplistic, yet relevant approach is not dissimilar to our daily lives (big assumption). By that, it is fair to suggest that we all (depending on our opportunities) manoeuvre ourselves and our lives into situations whereby we can seek and find happiness and fulfilment (love fits into both). élan vital for me could be something as small as going outside to enjoy the sun, to fleeing a nation to escape from mass oppression and violence.
