[lit-ideas] Re: peace process, d'apres Reinhart's article
- From: wokshevs@xxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, Carol Kirschenbaum <carolkir@xxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 28 Jul 2006 18:48:44 -0230
On the "here and now," I believe the first chapter of Hegel's *Phenomenology of
Geist* entitled "Sense-Certainty" may be a useful philosophical reference.
Protentively/retentively yours,
Walter C. Okshevsky
Memorial University
Quoting Carol Kirschenbaum <carolkir@xxxxxxxx>:
> Tanya Reinhart (article posted by Omar) describes the horrendous carnage in
> current Beirut, then goes on to say: "But let us reconstruct exactly how it
> all started."
>
> This urge, on both sides, to rehash its own versions of history, keeps a
> peaceful solution at bay. It's a trap we fall into here, at Lit-Id, all the
> time. We get stuck in the past, quibbling. Emotions heat up and we're
> fighting all over again. Gandhi's brilliance, in great part, was in
> recognizing that the peace process starts in the present--and is killed by
> ruminating on the past.
>
> Interesting parallel in clinical psychology these days. Unlike Freudian and
> other psychodynamic psychologies of the 20th century, which focused on
> finding and exploring issues surrounding the "root cause" of a person's
> problems, contemporary clinical psychology (which is mostly
> cognitive-behavioral, and "solution-oriented") emphasizes actions and
> reactions in the here-and-now. Intellectually, this approach isn't very
> satisfying, but it achieves measurably positive results.
>
> Mediators negotiating the Is/Pal conflict probably wonder why neither side
> wants to release itself from its own past pain, despite the incentive of a
> less painful future.
>
> But some nations benefit financially and politically from keeping the
> conflict alive, to the death. Like Stan, I wonder why none of the Arab
> nations have come forth to offer settlement land to the Palestinians.
> (Classic answer: Why should they? Classic response: Because they need
> someplace to call home, and they're tribally part of the Arab countries.
> Classic playground argument begins: No! If Israel hadn't, etc. etc. etc)
>
> See how easily we regress to playground nyah nyahs. If it's all a matter of
> that specific, tiny strip of land known as Israel, perhaps the Israelis and
> the Palestinians would agree to vacate the property and, in concert, blow
> the damn place up. For good.
>
> Carol
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