WARNING
This post may well be long, possibly politically incorrect, sentimental and I'm sure some will have worse words to describe it. It contains my views and if you may be offended please don't read any more. Reasoned commentary would be welcomed.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED
Please bear with me on this.
On the morning of 14th Sepetmber I stood in a WWII cemetary in Italy with my 73 year old mother looking at the grave of her brother who had been killed exactly 57 years earlier trying to break out of Coriano in the early morning of Sept 14th 1944. This was the first time she had visited his grave and even now 57 years on she cried and said one word .. "WHY???". I cried too, over a man I never knew but who had such deep meaning to the whole family.
I thought the question why was an apt one to ask when I considered that not 1 hour previously we had shared breakfast and chatted to a German couple at our hotel who were on holiday - a German family like us. It struck me that the man in the panzer or anti-tank gun who pulled the trigger to put the shell through the front of my uncles tank was probably an ordinary man like my uncle.
What had forced these two men to fight in an Italian field that morning - for one the cause of freedom - for the other a following - a following driven by a fanatical leader who taught a fundamental doctrine. I stood at his graveside and the images of the WTC came into my mind and alongside the image of my 13 year old daughter in her Navy Sea Cadets uniform and I wondered if we are about to embark on another conflict of global proportion and I asked the same question as my mother - WHY??
Now before you start to say "here we go another pacifist" that is not where I'm going. I thought about the causes of the conflicts and I could only see one reason. Violent minorities with charismatic or powerful leaders who spread their vision through a population who are looking for hope or leadership.
They slowly turn once moderate people toward them offering a sense of belonging and stabilty and structure to their lives if they follow their ways. 30's Germany was the seedbed for the NAZI party to grow - Hitler once a jailed fanatic was able to give the population a vision and that vision was what people in bad times clung to. The price of the vision became apparent only slowly and in small increments - the annexation of Austria - a bloodless invasion, Poland - still a small price. Not untill devastation of their homes and families occurred did they realise the price was too high.
Japan as well - not untill hundreds of thousands died in their cities did the price of the vision become too high for the populace.
Now we can share breakfast with people who have experienced that price and we can be freinds - indeed we can fight together.
And yet here we are looking at the next visionaries (Bin-Laden, Hussein,) gathering their followers behind them as the others in the past. Disadvantaged populations offered a vision but at a price - in this instance the price is adherance to Islamic law on the leaders terms. At the moment the price is small and the prize large and attractive. The leaders orchestrate events to polarize those who would be moderate to their way of thought - emphasising the threat of those they say have caused their disadvantage.
Toads post is right on the mark in my opinion.
So what do we do? We dance round the edges in our efforts to prove to ourselves how civilised we are. We allow these violent minorities the space and time they need to grow their following, turning small groups into countries - countries into alliances behind a common vision. This time it is Islam.
We wait until the only route out is to escalate the destruction to the point where the price of the vision becomes too high. Where will this be this time??
Japanese fanaticism required nuclear devastation to swing the balance. What price must be paid to sway a population of many millions of people driven by a deep faith and blind to the price they are paying now because it is currently insignificant?? We hear of millions starving in Afghanistan under Islamic rule and yet that rule is not the cause - the price of the vision is still small even at that level. What level of destruction will it take to make those people look to another way ??
And the longer we leave the violent minority the bigger the price to pay.
For me the solution is evident - politcally incorrect but obvious. We have to strike at the core of these movements early - at their leaders directly and the minority fanatic followers. Decisive action early - assination - targeted strikes whatever it takes. We must take the fight direct to the people who matter with massive force. History shows that negotiation with the founding leaders fails. Sometimes if leaders die then the heir can be more approachable.
But we must also embrace the moderate populace not yet entangled - help them directly as you would a freind. However as a freind you must also be sure of their allegance.
I don't want my daughter being taken to a foriegn country to see the grave of a family member in 60 years time - a family member killed fighting another ordinary person in an out of control conflict.
I would lay down my life trying to kill the people who would try to instigate that conflict. If assinating Bin-Laden, Hussein and everyone who rallies a violent minority round them means my daughter won't have to fight someone else's daughter in a foriegn field then give me the rifle and lets get it done and lets keep doing it as we need to.
If however a leader comes along who opposes us - who shouts, protests, demonstrates, prints leaflets, who stands for election under their banner without arms then let us pull up a chair and talk - whatever their belief.
In memory of Lcpl Arthur Edward Whitwell
51st Royal Tank Regiment
Died 14th Sept 1944 aged 27
Rest in Peace
Sparks
