The world's headlines today were suboptimal as usual. Twelve or more UN workers were killed by a mob in Afghanistan. A Catholic policeman was killed in Northern Ireland. The Libya conflict continues with no apparent end in sight. Japan is coping with radiation.
I have some ideas of my own about some of these stories. In regard to Afghanistan, I find it difficult to believe a mob became bloodthirsty just because of a small-time hick preacher in Florida burning a Koran. That is B.S., no way Jose do I believe for even one second that Afghani civilians would kill twelve U.N. workers over that. (What does the U.N. have to do with it?) I think, instead, the Taliban infiltrated a mob of offended people who might have wanted to demonstrate and let their feelings be known, but I don't think most of the people actually wanted to commit murder of random foreigners that have no connection to Pastor Putz, or at least I hope not. Maybe I'm mistaken. As for Northern Ireland, I'm willing to bet the cop was targeted because he was honest and wouldn't join the other cops that are collaborating with local hoods. I have a need to assign rational motives to irrational deeds. Again, I could be mistaken.
At any rate, there were millions of stories that went unreported in today's news. For instance, it was a beautiful day where I live, and people I saw out on the street looked nice and happy, like they were having a good time. Whenever I read the negative stories in the media, I remind myself that in ancient times such stories were commonplace, even trite. Mobs arose and slew governors, senators, and anyone they could get their hands on. Rebellions were sometimes successful, usually not though, and reprisals were severe and deadly, all over the world, through all times. Khadaffy has no monopoly on ruthlessness. He is just doing what wicked old kings have done since before Hammurabi. I accuse Khadaffy of failing to abide by the rudiments of the Western Enlightenment, and yes, I do think it is unforgivable, because knowledge and history are immediately accessible to someone of his means. I don't forgive any greedy selfish dictator who cares only about his personal power. They don't deserve being forgiven. If I were a dictator, I would at least attempt to improve the lot of my people. Why are there no benevolent dictators, like the Philosopher-King described by Plato? Why did Khadaffy have to be evil, lazy, stupid, ignorant, and delusional? I see the truth in Lord Acton's dictum, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
I consoled myself with an anthology of Oscar Wilde's short stories, yarns he used to spin for dinner parties and the like. He never actually wrote them down, but others did, his enthralled listeners.
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