大象传媒

A few weeks ago I submitted my first story. Since then I have wandered around on the site, amazed and full of admiration. So much bravery, so much cussedness in the face of adversity. There were a few days of glorious sunshine while I thought of what I had read and looking out of the window I watched bees among the lavender on my balcony.
Who is going to harvest the fruit to be found on this website, I wondered?

Time and again you read in the comments on the personal pages "and we don't seem to have learnt very much, have we?"

The question is, will we learn anything by looking at the past all the time? After a string of major and minor disasters would it be fair to say that we let the situation in Ruanda slip through our fingers?

And is it so highly unlikely that Dafur will share the same fate? Heaven forbid that anyone should mention the word genocide out loud, because then we really would have to send the troops in.

Why not come with me, through the monitor.
Suppose:

Your friend has just been told that he will be the head of government of one of the most powerful countries in the world. "Wish me luck" he says "I hear we are going to topple the next dictator." "Which country?" you ask. "Wait and see. What are you going to wish for me?" "Three wishes?" "Yes"
"First of all, the ability to distinguish between truth and falsehood." "Good thinking" "Secondly, a group of able advisers." "Hmmm" "And thirdly, you will need a jester." "A what?" "You heard. In the days when kings were Kings they always had jesters. To stop them from being dictators, too. Or act like idiots." "Profile?" "A jester is the wisest man. He is a poet and a musician and he invents new situations. He sits at your feet and yet ticks you off. And gets away with it"

"What I need" said your friend "is a MOCDA."
"A what?" "You heard. A MOCDA is a minimizer of collateral damage. And the post is yours" "Shall I have great power?"
"Absolutely."
"Then this is what I want:

For every 2 aircraft carriers sent, you will send 1 hospital ship. And 1 ship full of builders, and plumbers and building materials. And 1 ship full of food and people who know how to distribute it fairly, rather than toss it down at people.
Within a short space of time I watched animals being fed in the safari park of a stately home and I saw disgraceful scenes in the Middle East. The difference was painful.
And I want you to send scouts to all the refugee centres all over Europe, to find the people who fled because of your dictator. Doctors, nurses, lawyers, teachers, languishing in forced idleness. They speak the language and we will give them the opportunity to rebuild their country.
You will not invade the country before all these conditions are met."
"Not bad" said your friend. "Will you come back tomorrow with some more plans?"

In other words, dear 大象传媒: will it not be a terrible waste if you just keep gathering all these marvellous, terrible, funny, moving stories without drawing conclusions from them? Find some bees. Now, with Dafur in mind.

Gulf II was an object lesson. Or should we say abject?

We seem to feel the need to interfere.
We might try getting it right, next time.

What would be the criteria for a perfect invasion?

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