Breaking Mirrors, Changing Stories

Israel and Iran mirror each other’s actions.  Strike for strike.  This is Israel’s game because Israel wants to draw US into the fight.  This pattern could go on forever.  War is a game like chess, with strategy and tactics.  Make another move.  Shatter the mirror and break the pattern.  Stop Gulf Oil.  Without use of force, Iran can simply make an announcement that all oil from gulf will stop until there is a permanent ceasefire.  Iran is now in a position to do that.  In the same way that Israel draws the US into the conflict, Iran can draw in other countries in a positive way to help put a stop to the conflict, stop the genocide in Gaza, and find a peaceful solution.  Diplomats around the world will get their exercise and a chance to make things better.  

Stories

Humans can live without games, but it is impossible to live without stories.  Stories contain useful information for survival within a certain time and place.  The clash of civilizations is a clash of stories.  Thousands of years ago, when travel was very limited, it was a challenge to mix with others.  In the jet age it’s easy to arrive at a place so different that it causes culture shock.   Getting off the plane one notices that people who live in very different climates wear very different clothing, but that’s OK.  After living there awhile it makes sense.  

Lies and Misinformation

Nearly all of us remember a time during our childhood when we suddenly realized that what our parent or teacher was telling us was not true.  It was a defining moment.  Do we confront that parent or teacher?  Do we try to understand why they would lie?  Maybe we simply decided that words have a magic power and whatever the elders say must be true.  That attitude would keep me in a comfortable spot, whereas confrontation would make my future less certain, but at least I would be my own person and make my own decisions.  

Bad Stories

Recently an IDF soldier, who himself had children, was commanded to drive a bulldozer over houses where the cries of Palestinians women and children rang out.  Not long after, that IDF soldier committed suicide.  Should this be a surprise?  The gap between story and reality was too great.  Any story that turns children into cruel killers cannot be a good story.  Many soldiers have doubts about their story.  Why else would they send photos of their misdeeds?  “Am I doing good?”  “Is this OK?”  Parents and friends who receive these photos are themselves unsure how to react.  They certainly do not want to appear weak, and so they too continue to follow the same story.  

Deceit in the Social Hierarchy 

We all look for other people to push around.  It makes us feel better and more important.  The person being pushed is the stooge, the odd man out, or the patsy.  Warren Buffet, in describing a poker game, said “If you don’t know who the patsy is, it’s YOU!”   Public intellectuals commenting on international relations often wonder aloud “Why would they do that?”   They may not realize the overwhelming need to have some stooge, some patsy.  Who is the patsy in the forever wars?  It is the American people, the Brits, citizens of the West who bankroll the Department of Defense.  Running low on missiles?  Don’t worry, the government will buy more.  Cost?  Whatever it takes.  Sounds patriotic, right?  

Good Stories have Power 

Anyone can tell a story, but does that story have momentum, or “legs”, as they say?  There are two factors in determining the effects of any story:  1. the number of listeners and          2. whether or not the story is connected to reality.  Does it contain useful information?   Good storytellers can sometimes have great power.  The story of genocide in Gaza could be changed, but who will tell that other story?  Religious leaders seem to have given up their storytelling power to political leaders of the nation-state, many of whom have dual citizenship.  On a moral level this drops the status of the nation-state to the point where the nation-state loses the right to demand a pledge of allegiance.  The important question now becomes “How do we get back on track – or evolve to something else?”  

Old Stories

Are we really here to fight the battles of our ancestors?   During the time of Amalek, there were many wandering small tribes fighting over resources.  A careful reading of the Torah reveals that not all of Amalek’s tribe was destroyed but rather, like during football season, they came back to fight again.  That was the story of their time.  It is not the story for today.  

Define words and concepts

Useful feedback is important for friend and foe alike.  Clarify terms and question any single interpretation.  “Birthright” described by Zionists is the very land of Israel.  Deeper reflection on the meaning of the concept of birthright will include responsibility for taking care of the whole group, the whole tribe.  Here the language of religion can help define roles.  The most powerful God takes care of everyone, including those that I may not like.  

Language of Religion

The role of the older sibling is to push the younger one to make positive decisions.  Iran has been the patient older sibling for decades but now must push the younger sibling to do better and not destroy everything.  People on both ends of a gun are pushing the other to make a decision.  Which side of God might be on, in this situation, is not for us to judge, but it is interesting that during the reformation when people were being executed for their religious beliefs, the numbers among the martyrs grew.  The recent public prayers by Muslim leaders also drew millions despite the risks.  Why do people do that?  Is it their belief in God or are they fighting for some righteous cause?    

Opponents

The struggle between church and state is a struggle between stories.  It may be a healthy struggle and create tensions that move people to think beyond themselves, to ask questions they would not otherwise.  We can use tension toward positive outcomes. 

Some of the change must be at the local level and depend on simply how we talk and debate.  Create a division of labor to gather and filter the information.   Divide issues.  Make the process efficient or break the issue into smaller bites.  Pay attention to the methods of finding and filtering information.  The founding fathers were trying to prevent the re-accumulation of power in a few elites.  They did not need everyone to vote, only a mix of people who knew how to read and write and were willing to debate. 

Power Types

If we define power as “the ability to get things done – or the ability to slow down things that already have momentum”, then power is what we need.  This all presumes that we have good information.  One cannot do democracy with bad information.   So types of power must include informational and economic power.  

Focus Energy

A child who is continually ignored by their elders will kick them in the shins.  Now they have their elder’s attention.  But how does that translate to democracy?   To reclaim democracy, we must find the right pressure points.  This can be one function of local small group debates (SGD’s).  Anyone who has a discussion question or a burning issue can start a debate at any level. 

Secret Meetings and Money

There are always people around leaders who lurk in the shadows, feeding each other’s paranoia, yet unaccountable when it comes to writing history.  In their own mind they may recall memories of real danger but still cannot see or imagine other pathways because of the limited company they keep.  Lobbyists too yield an inordinate amount of leverage on politicians.  Lobbyists don’t hide in the dark but they still use semi-private conversations and are difficult to neutralize – until one realizes the power of having useful information.  Campaigns are fundamentally about information.  Money is simply a tool to “get out the message” and it does work quite well, but voters who have better information will be able to see the direction we should be going.  

Tools for Rebuilding Stories

The Genocide in Gaza has now lasted for more than a year.  Why so long?  Concurrently, western hegemony is undergoing de-construction.  The United Nations and International Court of Justice seem to lack power, so they (or we) must find and use other types of power.  It may be up to citizens to find a way to re-construct or evolve democracy according to what is needed.  

Can democracy deal with the current world-changing events?  Activists seem to be pushing the wrong direction or pushing the wrong people.  Social media has been an essential tool, but social media alone will not be enough to turn the ship of state.   We must find the bottlenecks and pressure points if we are to change from below.  Government cannot “re-invent” itself without the help of feedback from the outside.  Voting every 2 or 4 years is not enough feedback.  We need feedback that is balanced and sometimes focused on a few individuals, not to embarrass but rather to push in a positive direction.  This will require a Division of Labor for information gathering.  Small group debates can make the difference.