The author of the following is now in his 80's and has spent his entire
career in aviation, in the RCAF, and with Air Canada. He has written
books on aviation (having just published his memoirs, "Aviation Memoirs:
A Love Affair with Flight"), and is dedicated to the cause of creating
laws that would make war, as a dispute mechanism, illegal. The following
is a propos the WCT tragedy.
*-*-*
I Had a Dream
Last night I dreamed I was a friend of President George Bush. He sought
my advice as I was vice-president of public relations for a huge US
corporation. I told him not to talk about war because war is an obsolete
way of settling any dispute in the 21st century. I told him to talk
about the need for international police action and the need to avoid
more lawlessness. I told him he didn’t need to spend another forty
billion dollars when his military force now costs more than the total of
its seven nearest competitors. An obsolete expenditure.
While I could not help much with the short-term solution, I suggested
use of warlike language would build up more hatred and fear, especially
outside the western world. It might only spawn more terrorism and
disrespect for the rule of law,
Then I recalled in my youth reading about that famous American, Dale
Carnegie, who wrote about how to win friends and influence people. As a
long-range public relations plan, I told George he must embark on a
program that will win friends and customers through every part of our
shrinking world. After suffering 60 million deaths in two world wars we
set up the United Nations as the group to represent the world’s people.
It was to provide peace, respect for law and human rights. But its
members, the national governments of the world, failed us. To paraphrase
Winston Churchill, they did not give it the tools to do the job. Its job
was peace and justice.
George, I implore you as a leader of a great democracy to give up your
undemocratic veto at the United Nations. We, the people of the world,
deserve an elected parliament to represent all humanity. With six per
cent of the world’s population, you now control over half of its wealth.
Please donate six billion dollars to build elementary schools for the
hundreds of millions of children who have no school to attend. If you
insist on using the term war, then declare war on child poverty. Each
day 30,000 children die needessly due to hunger and lack of health
facillties. Let us not be accused by God of murdering them through our
indifference. Let us take action to reduce the gap between the haves and
the have nots, a gap that tends to spawn terrorism.
We must catch the perpetrators of destruction in New York and
Washington, criminal acts against all civilized people - crimes against
humanity. As a world citizen, I believe however that they should be
tried in a world court. Please cease your opposition to the
establishment of the International Criminal Court from which you wish to
exclude yourself and your military from its jurisdiction. Work for
global justice.
I have awakened from my dream, Mr. President. In conclusion, let us all
become world ciltizens and pledge our loyalty to humanity. Our space
explorers discovered that the world is our home where the brotherhood of
man should transcend the sovereignty of nations. As my son once said,
surely we do not need an attack from outer space to unite the human race
Or do we?
Ross Smyth
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