"John D. Giorgis" wrote:
>
> At 09:29 AM 6/14/2003 +0100 Richard Baker wrote:
> >So you don't think that understanding the origins of current problems as
> >part of an attempt to avoid similar problems in the future is
> >worthwhile?
>
> Well, I hesitate to answer this question, since it is so clearly loaded,
> but basically my position is this:
>
> 1) I find the study of history to be a very valuable pursuit.
>
> 2) I think that the history of the Israel/Palestine problem is highly
> unlikely to be repeated in other conflicts in the future.
>
> 3) Debating the history of the problem to determine the relatively morality
> of the various sides in this conflict is a purely academic pursuit, since
> it has no relevance to determining a solution to the problem. Thus,
> people who insist upon this discussion of the history are fundamentally
> non-serious in the pursuit of a solution.
Well, if we don't know how we got here, and what other solutions have
been tried, any further suggestions may have problems that we'd know to
avoid if we had the history.
The relative morality may or may not have a part in it, but again, if we
don't know enough of the history, how can we say one way or the other?
Knowledge is power. Helping someone acquire the knowledge they need or
want to achieve a particular end that you yourself support should be a
welcomed task, as once as fully informed as you, they might come up with
something you haven't, that will *help*.
I don't think that *any* conflict can just be "solved" without at least
*some* background in what's happened so far.
Julia
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