November 10, 2007

It’s very common these days to assume that whenever there’s a conflict, be it a conflict between two people or a conflict between two countries, both sides must be partly right and partly wrong, simply by nature of the fact that there is a conflict.  That may work with marriage counseling.  It doesn’t often work with countries.

I think part of the problem is many of us grew up on Star Trek.  How often did Captain Kirk or Captain Picard head off a war between two planets by getting the diverse aliens to sit down and talk to each other. I can just hear William Shatner with his exaggerated accents,  “IF…you could JUST…LISTEN…to each other…”

I love Star Trek. Star Trek is fun.  Unfortunately the real world doesn’t usually function that way.  Sometimes in life somebody is really right and somebody else is really wrong.  When Hitler occupied Denmark, were there two sides?  Or did Hitler simply decide he wanted to occupy Denmark?

When the Palestinian spokesmen claim on American Cable TV that they want a two state solution, but when in reality Israel is not even on their school maps, when in reality their true goal is that Israel should cease to exist, are there two sides?

Sorry, Captain Kirk.  I don’t think even you can solve this one. Unless, perhaps, you want  to choose  a side  and  fire up your  phasers.

This is Bob Siegel, making the obvious, obvious.

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