“Revenge First. World Peace Second.” So reads the only clever graffitti I see on my commute.
There are some parts of the world—like Palestine, Ireland, and half of Africa—where revenge is a way of life. A perceived initial wrong is revenged with violence. The violence of the revenge is revenged with violence, and the cycle begins. Everybody involved has had wrong done to them, and so everyone involved feels justified having their revenge.
Assuming we all participate, the results of revenge would definitely be world peace—the kind of peace that is only interrupted by the scuffle of cockroach feet.
Getting even is instinctive for the majority of humanity. Why is that some nations and races can restrain themselves, even in the face of being deeply wronged? I’m thinking here of Australian aborigines, South Africa after Apartheid and how post-Holocaust Jews didn’t arbitrarily round up German citizens and execute them.
I think the difference is character: it requires more character to forgive than it takes to stand up for your rights.
Comments
You are right. It takes a lot of character to resist beating the crap out of people who have just done that to you. Ultimately, if you can turn the other cheek, both you and the person who hit you benefit.
Compare Gandhi's India to Palestine. After some years of "Peaceful resistance", India became almost 100% British-Empire-free. On the other hand Palestine is, well, not really Palestine, and I doubt if it ever will be. Organizations like the PLO and Hamas have, however, been marginally successful in turning some Israelis into crazed lunatics -- just like themselves -- thereby turning world opinion against Israel... At least until the next suicide bombing.
It would be nice if we could write off the troubles in Ireland, Palestine etc as being due to the stupidity of the protagonists. They are not sensible people like us, so they will jolly well just have to put up with their lot?
If I was not atheist/agnostic I would say
"but for the grace of god there goes we"
... as it is I will just say
"thanks for our dumb luck and I hope it holds"
I long for the day when it will be obvious to me what is the difference between a freedom fighter and a terrorist, ... but the years are ticking by.
Mark