It seems particularly appropriate, now while opposing parties are vying for dominance all over our country, and the world, to talk about my binge-watching last week. Between work obligations, endless yard work, preparations for moving, financial obligations and so many other activities not of my choosing, when I sat down to eat dinner, I wound up watching an old movie on Netflix. This is not my habit, but it happens now and then, especially when my life careens out of my own control.
This one was probably an unfortunate choice. It was about a medieval village set upon by the villainous leader of the army out to take over the region.
The movie was “First Knight,” which is set in Camelot. We all know what happened to that idyllic place.
For so many autocrats, rulers, kings, dictators, whatever they want to call themselves, their main impetus is testosterone. Greed. Power. In this movie, in order to prove that their way is better, they set fire to the last hold-out village. Burned it to the ground. Destroyed it.
What a stupid, stupid way to ‘win’ an argument!!
Even when I was a kid, I never understood that: how does cracking someone’s head open convince anyone of anything? How does burning a village prove you’re a better leader than someone else and that people should follow you? Believe in you?
If you live in a country so huge it has twelve time zones (like Russia), and has trouble feeding its people — or in any country — how does ruining the lives of your neighbors prove to anyone that you deserve their help? Or the world’s?
We could learn a lot from our children, here. Kids are logical. They know when you’re being honest, or when you’re just out for yourself. You might be able to fool a child with a magic trick, or a well-crafted game, but when it comes to motives, or heart, they can see right through us grown-ups — whether it’s Dad, or some would-be dictator. Unfortunately, most of us seem to lose that skill as we age. Or at least, our political leaders assume that we do.
As I posited in my Thoughtletter on Memorial Day, “The people with the most bombs get the fertile land next door, the raw materials under the ground, the emptied city built by people whose religion the aggressor can’t tolerate.”
War. Testosterone. Burning down (or bombing) the village. What a ridiculous way to win an argument!! When are we going to give that up, grow up and move on to talking things out?? To compromising?
To being adults?