I regularly hear interviews with one or both sides in the Palestinian/ Israeli and Northern Irish conflicts, as, I suspect, do most of us. There is one thing that they all have in common: both sides are utterly intransigent, and always, without fail, blame the other side. ‘It’s never, ever, our fault in any way shape or form.’ ‘We want peace, but they keep spoiling progress.’ (Not direct quotes, obviously, but paraphrasing). This goes equally for both sides in both conflicts.
We’re talking about hate in its most fundamental and deepest sense, people who loathe others simply for what they represent. Parents spitting and screaming at four- and five-year olds on their way to school. On the radio this morning, police being stoned by youths while trying to help a couple of Australian tourists. Suicide bombings and helicopter gunship attacks are just further down the same road.
Even in the enlightened world of the SDMB people seem equally entrenched in their views: thread
In the long term, what chance do the children of these people (participants, not Dopers) have of growing up with a balanced sense of respect for the rights and beliefs of others? I started this thread with the intention of suggesting we leave them to it, and that people, of any race or creed who can hate that much for that long, irrespective of the whys and the wherefores don’t deserve the help of those willing to try. Having written this much, I find that though too depressing, so instead I’m going to ask: is there any hope? Neither side can seriously think that the other is going to capitulate to guns and bombs, and they surely can’t think that this situation can carry on indefinitely (or is that too rational), but what do they think?
Looking for sanity in an insane world…