Why is 'peace' so elusive?

"Some men see things as they are and ask why. I dream things that never were and ask why not?"
(George Bernard Shaw)

Socio-political Turmoils: The Problem Within

There are two major events taking place this week, completely unrelated in content, participants and location. The first is an online debate sponsored by The Economist on mass intelligence, investigating whether our society today is ‘dumbing down’ or ‘wising up’. The second is an armed conflict in Gaza between Hamas and Israel. I am following both closely, although, thankfully, I am participating only in the former.


To some extent, this debate can enlighten us on why the solution to Middle East peace is elusive. This is what I want to explore now without getting into a political discussion for clearly the politics is dominated by emotion and already there has been a deluge of opinions expressed. I cannot add any value to the argument – not at this stage at least.


The problem lies within us.


Not surprisingly, there has been an outburst of protest, condemnation and rage the world over. Email inboxes are flooded with videos and pictures exhibiting the despicable and outrageous consequences of armed conflict. (For the record, I will avoid taking sides in this conflict, for, as I will argue shortly, the culprit is neither Hamas nor Israel but the observing world including you the reader and I the writer.)


Facebook status updates are frequent and rife with sympathy for human loss and hatred aimed at both sides. In schools and offices around the world, people walk around with empty envelopes and boxes asking for donations to help ease the suffering. Thanks to sensational journalism and frequently-updated news tickers, ‘breaking news’ bulletins and fiery conversationalists, people across the world sit anxiously on their sofas awaiting the next pictures, videos and gruesome details that will further fuel hatred; a feeling that is already dangerously inflated.


As after many incidents and ‘crises’, soon people will calm down and thanks to our short attention spans, Facebook status updates and newspaper headlines on superfluous subjects will again grace the stage; the latest celebrity gossip will resume its dominance. I pay homage to the shallow matters that provide sustenance to our daily lives.


This cycle endlessly repeats itself time and again. Eventually it becomes mundane to talk about. However, it provides a revealing and pertinent insight: we live in a culture of distraction. One week we are greatly sympathetic to the victims and deliver formidable arguments against the perpetrators of conflict. Yet, the very next week we exhibit carelessness so apparent and prominent, one is encouraged to think we are heartless, unaffectionate people.


I have presented this opinion to people with whom I socialise, to which I have received the common response: “What can we do, really?”


Some of us, having posed this deeply penetrating question, satisfied that enough gruesome videos have been forwarded and content that our Facebook status has been updated enough times to express our outrage, we revert to our self-indulgent lives. We give up so easily because there seems to be no short-term solution.


I agree with this premise: there is no short-term solution. More specifically, there is no solution currently that can hold in the long term. However, it requires people with genuine drive to work hard enough to develop a way forward. Unfortunately, the majority of the people I know surrender and I do not blame them for this – not entirely at least. We lack the tools and mental skills necessary to tackle a complex problem. We have not recognised this as the primary reason behind our inability. For the record, the points below are aimed at the people who have bothered to pose the question “what can we do?” Those who are too self-indulgent or cannot see the exigency to even ask are exempt from this criticism for they represent a very unfortunate section of the human population.


To begin with, because our language skills are poor and our analytical skills inept, we are unable to comprehend problems, think rationally, organise thoughts or express them. Through conversation, discourse and debate (rational and reasonable, not emotional) we learn and simple ideas can meld, forming a general framework and perhaps a solution. How can we influence and enlighten each other when we cannot even communicate? Emotionally fuelled violence is the only method of expression therefore. Many of us do not even retain the ability to structure basic sentences. Our linguistic acumen fails us deeply before we even get started. Yet, we arrogantly show disinterest in rectifying this problem.


Our knowledge is disdainfully limited and superficial at best. Instead of expanding our intellect and deepening our knowledge, we fritter away our time, mired in the problem of emulating our favourite celebrity or discussing the latest TV series. Pop-culture has taken control of our lives. Personally, I spend time talking to friends about football, for example, and so I am not fully inerrant either nor completely exempt from the criticism I am leveling at others. These are the things that occupy our time and feed our imaginations. Yet, we express concern, direct hatred and spread sympathy when atrocities take place and display superficial interest. This is emblematic of our society’s hypocrisy.


The number of people who read is declining at a rapidly accelerating and worrying pace. Library memberships, book sales and bookshops are all dwindling. It is shocking and disappointing considering literacy rates are rising. Societies can be literate by definition but how many are learned and how many can exercise independent thought? Why do we worry about literacy in third-world countries when we see the literate in the first- and second-worlds refusing to read? Give us a copy of Vogue or Arabian Woman and we memorise every word; show us a copy of Aristotle or Ibn-Al Arabi’s works and we exhibit distaste and disgust. How can we alleviate famine, poverty and large-scale social problems with such diminished knowledge? How can we stop so many human beings being killed in the Middle East?


I am confident that a majority of those who are reading this composition cannot even list the points of disagreement between the Palestinians and Israelis let alone describe the events in history that have shaped today’s political landscape. How can we possibly solve a political problem from a grassroots level when we cannot be bothered to understand the bases of human progress, grasp historical events and probe into the depths of human psyche? Three thousand years ago, less than one hundred thousand Greeks wrote wiser, more profound, more creative treatises on philosophy, science, theatre, economics, mathematics, politics, ethics medicine and cosmology than did six billion people during the entire 20th century.” Has humanity progressed? It is saddening that hardly anybody I know can even name such philosophers. It has become ‘cool’ to be ignorant and a stigma to be an intellectual. I use my iPhone to listen to pod casts of weekly editions of The Economist. Sadly, I am laughed at, quickly labeled and ridiculed - not that this discourages me, of course. As a child, I thought people would outgrow such immaturity. I am disappointed to see those around me, of my age or even older who are still proponents of this persuasion.


We simply do not have the curiosity or the thirst. We are not inspired nor do we care to inspire others. This deterioration in human knowledge has many sources – friends, family and peers. All are equally susceptible and deserved of blame. More importantly, it is an inherent flaw within the individual not to care about developing his or her intellect.


Those of us who do make shallow attempts at reading do so not in the traditional sense but in a “vulture-like swoop to gather tidbits of information.” (Jacoby) We cannot concentrate sufficiently long enough to read reflective articles and essays (leave aside books!). The prevalence of video that now overshadows print has shortened attention spans. You can observe restlessness in those who attempt to read print (otherwise used to watching videos) – a psychological observation that illustrates my point. Furthermore, nowadays, we only seek information and ‘knowledge’ required to complete a specific task. We treat knowledge as a commodity. Of what use is isolated information if it isn’t understood in a larger framework of knowledge?


We are blessed with technology and the Internet (thanks to the inspired few who dedicated time and effort to human progress). Instead of using it to disseminate knowledge and engage in discourse, we use it to download the latest TV series or watch beauty queens prancing about on stage or women gyrating their bodies in pornographic manners.


The mental atrophy of society and the sheer arrogance of the ignorant appalls me profoundly. More simplistically, we are becoming increasingly dumb, dense, obtuse, dim-witted, moronic and stupid in every essence of the words. Yet, we are too arrogant to do anything about it. This mental degeneration must be throttled.


"What luck for rulers that men do not think."
(Adolf Hitler)

We as humans have not arrived at the level of progress and advancement (scientifically or socially), which we enjoy today by sheer luck or by divine ordinance. A higher power did not instruct us to create the Internet or Facebook, for example. It has been more than 60 years since the Second World War ended yet we haven not had a third. Why? Yes, there have been conflicts throughout the century but war on that scale has been avoided (more pessimistically, perhaps, delayed). ‘Social minorities’ are rarely termed with condescendence. Political correctness is rife. Women are empowered. Political and religious freedom has grown. Education has become a right than a privilege. Countries have gained freedom and independence. How did this progress occur? Fewer people attended university when these issues were at the heart of the world’s problems. Technology was not as accessible and information sharing not as convenient. Today, it has become laughably easy to communicate and learn yet people are doing exactly the opposite. The maxim: “garbage in, garbage out” stands proudly unchallenged.


If you are interested in the answer to the question, please visit your library and read. Sit down and spend a few hours learning. Then, take a walk and reflect and you’ll appreciate the daunting task required of you, should you want to “do something” for Gaza or whichever cause is close to your heart. If that is too taxing on the brain or your precious time, you may ‘Google’ it. “This country does not have libraries” is not an acceptable justification anymore.
I am not suggesting that each of one of us spend endless hours developing a treatise on human conflict next week (although that would be tremendously impressive and helpful). For those of us less able to do so, the least that can be done is spreading informed, rational awareness and opinion. This does not equate to inciting hatred and playing up emotions.


It disappoints me when the common “lack of time” excuse is given in response. I have spent hours writing what you are reading here yet I cannot arrive at a sound answer to the question “what can we do?” overnight.


Indeed, this is not a one-man struggle and neither has it been overcome despite decades of efforts. You and I are not able to lead armies nor finance political campaigns. Yet as literate individuals our minds and intellects are powerful tools. Thus, my ‘solution’ to all this to learn about the problem (whatever it may be), explore the historical contexts, scrutinise the religious and social backgrounds of the players, discuss the subject with rational people who have reasoned opinion. Examine, probe, analyse, question, investigate, inspect, debate, refute. I assure you that this will not provide a clear, concise and coherent answer. It will have taught you and you will have taught another person. Rational discussion is thus born - the first step to a rational solution.


When you as a person encourage discussion with another being they will repeat the act (if not, encourage them to do so). Eventually, a social circle will be enticed to engage in discourse and gradually a larger portion of society. Along the way, there will be a person or a group of people capable of making a difference on ground that will be propelled to take action. This is how leaders are born - leaders who make a difference. Leaders are inspired, driven individuals. Those who inspire them are almost always in the background. You might never receive credit. Perhaps you might not even be alive to experience the fruits of your labour and concern. Yet, you will have made a difference. It is not a one-man struggle; it is a collective struggle. Individually, we maybe ineffectual; collectively we can be forceful and valuable. Try to envision this. If ‘making a difference’ is what you seek then this is the path on which to embark.


Embark upon it today and I look forward to your company.


Mohammed Hussain Abdullah
January 2009