The element of surprise
‘Obama reportedly vowed recently to ‘bring home’ a deal’ Times of Israel: December 28, 2013
That does sound like a very positive statement and yet I must confess to having certain qualms about taking the comment at face value.
Unless it’s going to be something of this order: www.laxiankey.com
Here it’s easy to make a deal because, primarily, it won’t be Israelis or Palestinians who need to be pressured or cajoled into an approach like this, even if it does guarantee the very best outcome possible. It will be up to the rest of us whether or not to go ahead. And, given the enormous savings where the lives of our fellow men and women are concerned, the attractions in such a technique are thus manifold and most desirable.
- Stopping one conflict and, by extension, all such conflicts opens up an entirely new chapter in the human story.
- Far less taxpayers money – it’s already many billions every year – is wasted trying to effect repairs to a situation constantly in a state of flux and consistently without hope of final resolution.
- All the pain and tribulation, right from the start of hostilities and, perhaps, even further back than that, are rationalised in some small measure by so comprehensive a remedy.
- Mankind finally gets to realise that we are all supposed to think our way out of such problems, not allowing them to keep on defeating us at every turn.
- And the whole of humanity emerges from this business looking a damn sight better than it did going in.
Now if Mr. Kerry and his current proposals can accomplish even one of the above criteria, his standing and that of the American administration would rocket sky-high.
But, somehow and with the best will in the world, I just can’t see that happening any time soon. However, I am prepared to be pleasantly surprised if this expectation is proved wrong. As, no doubt, will we all.