Einstein On The Beach

Up-to-date military technology is overrated. Nations keeping standing armies are overrated. Even the whole idea of violent conflict is overrated.

Look how Ghandi defeated the colonial forces of Britain: he did so not through battle and bloodshed, but through sit-ins and continuously spinning cottonbolls into yarn with little hand-spinners.

Our ancestors fought with swords and arrows. Further back, they fought with sticks and rocks. And before that, their bare fists. What would have happened if the first person to pick up a stick and hit their opponent with it, had realised it was cruel and gave them an unfair advantage, and just put it down without hitting anyone? And if this had become a cultural thing?

Diplomacy, that’s what would have happened. Tribal groups would have yelled at each other, and possibly traded partners, rather than trying to kill each other and stealing women. The yelling would have evolved into talking, which would have led to understanding and sharing of geographical resources.

I’m not sure large, present-day countries would have grown out of a system like that, but if they had, the UN would be used today for its stated purpose, as a forum for nations to discuss and resolve their differences. We wouldn’t have Russia and Israel bombing Ukraine and the Gaza, or China building artificial islands in the South China sea to push out their international boundaries further and claim rich fishing-grounds previously in neutral waters.

On a beach somewhere, looking out over waters that become international beyond the horizon, a middle-aged man sits. He is mild as he gazes into the distance. He has had one of his rare haircuts so he looks quite unmemorable, aside from his scruffy moustache. He watches time and space contort around each other, and smiles.

Word count: 298

Theme: glass.