The Danger of Outdated Thinking – Part 2
In February 2022, I posted a message titled “The Danger of Outdated Thinking” about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In that post, I noted this:
“For some reason, Putin thinks that the Cold War is still raging, and that East and West are fighting for dominance in a post-WWII world. He thinks he can re-create the Soviet Union. . . . Despite his tanks rolling through the countryside as they head for the capital Kyiv, the world that informs his decision making no longer exists.”
This week’s newsletter deadline I find the world facing another dangerous situation based on outdated thinking.
After decades of a tenuous calm in the Middle East related to the country of Israel and the Palestinian Authority, who have worked to co-exist, the Gaza Strip has exploded into a level of violence unseen since the 1973 Yom Kippur War. This latest violence was unleashed on a holiday weekend by Hamas against civilians. Not against the government of Israel. Not against the military of Israel. Against the PEOPLE of Israel. People like you and me, living their lives. Working. Spending time with friends and family. Conducting activities of daily living.
This type of violence and hate is reminiscent of centuries ago when the “barbarian hordes” rode across the horizon to attack, kill, and enslave people because they had something they wanted. Or we can go back further to Ancient Rome when the armies of that empire marched across the known world enslaving and colonizing to expand their own power and feed their hedonistic greed.
Or we can look back at the first European Genocide in the 13th Century, which was conducted by the Roman Catholic Church; they slaughtered all the Cathars because they threatened their belief system and their position of power. They also thought they had a hidden treasure.
Which brings us to the Holocaust of the mid-20th Century. Millions of people slaughtered in an assembly line manner due to the fact that they were “other” (the Jews) or they were political enemies (anti-Nazis) or they were seen as inferior humans (the Roma).
Killing for ideas or philosophy is a crime worse than killing for resources in my opinion. And that is what religion and politics are: a difference of philosophy and worldview. It does not mean that we cannot co-exist.
What science has shown us is that despite the fact humans do not all look alike, we are very much alike so this attitude of “other,” inferior, and widespread slaughter is very much outdated thinking.
According to an article from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences:
“Based on an examination of our DNA, any two human beings are 99.9 percent identical. The genetic differences between different groups of human beings are similarly minute. Still, we only have to look around to see an astonishing variety of individual differences in sizes, shapes, and facial features.”
Citation: https://www.amacad.org/publication/unequal-nature-geneticists-perspective-human-differences
If science demonstrates that we are 99.9% identical, then how can we kill our fellow humans in this violent war-like manner?
It is no longer 1946 when the United Kingdom abdicated its responsibility to the Middle East with the Balfour Declaration, setting that region up for years of chaos and fighting. Decades have passed since then, and during that time new countries and governments were founded. Ways of co-existing were put in place. Acceptance of the world that exists started to happen. Trying to re-create the world that doesn’t exist – or never existed as the case may be – because you wish to kill, destroy, and gather power never works. In fact, it demonstrates a lack of intelligence and emotional maturity.
This current crisis in the Middle East is not about politics or old grievances. It is about the very real destruction of civilians enjoying their homes or their time at events with friends and family. It is about human-on-human violence and crime. It is not about righting wrongs. It is all about doing wrong.
You may think supporting Hamas is supporting the Palestinians. If you do think that way, I respect your opinion. But I ask you to do a simple exercise:
Close your eyes. Imagine you are in your home relaxing. You are having time with family. Suddenly, armed men break down your door and invade your home. They destroy your home; they may even shoot you or some of your family members. The ones still alive are dragged outside and beaten. Then, you are forced to watch your home burn down.
This is similar to some of the violence that happened in southern Israel after Hamas invaded this month. But it’s also what happened on November 9 and 10, 1938 in Germany. It’s known as Kristallnacht.
Rogue Tulips Consulting stands with Israel and prays for its people and their safety. We pray for the civilians held hostage by Hamas and for the Palestinians in Gaza who are caught in this terrible situation. We pray that this dangerous outdated thinking goes the way of the dinosaur because I am 99.9% certain that as humans, we are connected, and when we hurt each other we are only hurting ourselves.
