Sunday, January 29, 2017


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Ring for the fire brigade ... 

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There's clever & there's stupid.

Here's clever ...

Imagine a really insightful world leader looking at the current 'situation': tens of thousands - millions - of people trying to enter another country than their own. Would not this really insightful world leader pose the simple question: why do all these people want to live somewhere other than their homeland? Might it be because 1) conditions in that country have become unbearable?; 2) there is absolutely no hope for them & their children?; 3) the government in that country is actively persecuting them & would, if possible, eradicate them?; 4) they have nothing to lose? 

And then, would not this really insightful world leader ask himself (or herself) what has brought such a dire situation to pass? Might it be that my country has 1) turned a blind eye to such persecution due to a 'conflict of interests'?; 2) hoped the destruction & bloodshed would simply go away? 3) on the sly profited by selling arms to the various parties involved?; 4) in fact created the mess either through bungled decision making or clumsy intervention in the past? 

And would not this really insightful world leader then realise that any truly great country has the honesty, integrity & vision to say This Must Stop? That shutting the doors to all these people is simply postponing the problem & running the risk of stoking ever greater hatred for generations to come & sending these people right into the hands of anyone who promises them a better future on no matter what false pretexts (a god, an everlasting bliss, a house, a job, a woman who'll satisfy your every desire)?

And this really insightful world leader would then decide to bring representatives of all these messed up countries around a big table (& it would have to be a big one) & start to discuss in what ways things could change. For example: stop the bombing; cancel all arms deals; set up building programmes (hospitals, schools, repair the infrastructure); begin education & training programmes - not to replicate some other country's way of life but allow these countries to grow & develop their own; draw up genuinely fair trade deals ...

And then this really insightful world leader would see fewer & fewer people seeking to enter his (or her) own country because there were now so many reasons to remain where they were born. Furthermore, they had looked at what was really on offer in these other countries & realised it wasn't as great as they had been told (lied to). 

And then this really insightful world leader would turn his (or her) attention to sorting out the misery within their own country & finding ways everyone could truly live & work & enjoy themselves: decent healthcare, education,  a sustainable & fair economy ... 

And then this really insightful world leader could sit back & pour himself (or herself) a glass of wine & smile for they would have made not just their but everyone's country great again. 

And as for stupid ...? 

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