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Ms Winkler,
Profuse apols for the delay - I hadn't forgotten.
You may be right, that diplomats/policymakers etc., whether from the
U.S.(organ-grinder) or U.K.(monkey) "follow a line", thereby possibly being
- to put it politely - "time-wasters". Sometimes it may be more
purposeful to converse with a brick wall!
You state your case, in various matters, quite eloquently - nothing much for
me to add. But I slam the brakes on when you start discussing sanctions.
Quite so, not even His Holiness has succeeded in getting sanctions lifted.
But people, such as ourselves, as well as religious or political leaders
etc., need patience & "stickability", and not to forget the long-term view
(a sense of vision). People were grumbling, during the Roman Empire,
thinking their glorious Caesars would rule forever. That was mistaken,
although not much consolation if you're about to be fed to the lions!
Anti-sanction campaigning, obviously, needs to continue ("Never say
never!"), and, yes, some organisations or individuals, even governments, may
well try to "break" sanctions, e.g. by purchasing dates from worker's
co-operatives in Iraq. It's not enough, though, I believe, to be
over-preoccupied with fighting symptoms of the cancer -one also requires a
holistic view of what - in the political realm - health is all about, and
this as something to aspire to.
None of us, possibly, have the "ideal" solution. Much remains to be done at
a multitude of levels, education, politics, economy, trade unions, Churches
& Temples etc., science, media etc., etc., etc. Yet, if we do see a need for
compassion, in the world, do we not owe it to each other to manifest that we
are really serious about righting the wrongs everywhere around us?
Bert.
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