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War, Enemies and Politics
Your neighbor likes to throw parties. Every Saturday night, his stereo is blasting and the street is full of cars. What do you do?
You probably act logically and work it out. You might talk to the person, report the problem to the police or go to a movie.
However, you would probably not go shoot the neighbor.
What if you feel your business is threatened by another business? Say you own a restaurant, but notice you are getting fewer reservations and your income is going down. You find out the new restaurant down the road is taking your customers.
Do you work on your menu? Improve your service? Advertise? Form a partnership with the other restaurant owner? Enjoy the challenge of a competition? Sell your restaurant?
Probably something like that. But would you throw a bomb into the other restaurant? Kill its employees? Why not? After all, they are threatening your living and hurting your business.
Perhaps if someone killed your friend or a family member, you would want to attack the murderer. But sooner or later, you would realize blood on your own hands was no solution. As any war veteran can tell you, killing people can cause a lifetime of depression.
So why does anyone go to war? What might be a better solution?
Without getting involved in politics, L. Ron Hubbard has always taken a stand against war. Even though he was a decorated Naval officer in World War II, he disagreed that war solved anything.
In 1950, he wrote in his famous book, Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health:
"There is no national problem in the world today which cannot be resolved by reason alone.”
"The farmer of Iowa has no quarrel with the storekeeper of Stalingrad. Those who say such quarrels exist lie.”
"How much can man conquer? He loses if he conquers man. He wins if he conquers his own fears and conquers then the stars.
"Attack the natural enemies of man, attack them well, and war of man with man cannot thereafter be a problem. This is rationality."
In another book called All About Radiation, L. Ron Hubbard writes,
"Man has a madness and that madness is called war. That madness really hasn't anything to do with politics.
“The truth is very simple. A government becomes worried about its ability to control its populace and neighbors and resorts to war as a means of compelling obedience at home as well as abroad.
"In actuality, a weakness and insecurity of government causes war. If a government were very strong and felt very secure, it would employ the most peaceful, quiet methods of granting beingness* and getting cooperation from its potential enemies. It wouldn't fight a war. One doesn't find an educated, secure man fighting with his neighbors. No, the person who fights his neighbors is a very insecure and not at all sane man."
(*Granting Beingness: Allowing others to be who they are.)
Three Recommendations
1. Instead of getting into political arguments or attacking people, talk about conquering our common enemies. Choose an enemy of mankind, such as famine, drought, insanity, drug abuse, hatred, illiteracy, disease, crime and so on.
For example, someone says, “Don't you think that (politician/political party) is going to ruin our lives?”
You say, “I don't know about that, but I do think we need to help the teachers in our high schools as most of their kids can't even read!”
2. Whenever you want to attack or hurt someone, work on your own weaknesses and insecurity. Find constructive ways to make yourself more powerful.
For example, instead of trying to ruin one of your competitors, get more training, get advice or work much harder to win the competition.
3. Peacefully and quietly grant beingness to your enemies. Use your strength and intelligence to obtain their cooperation.
For example, your ex-spouse spends hours each week telling people what a rotten person you are. Instead of attacking, you grant your ex-spouse beingness. You decide it's okay for him or her to be whatever he or she wants to be. You then write an intelligent letter asking your ex-spouse to meet to work on a friendlier relationship where no one gets hurt. You persist until you gain your ex-spouse's cooperation.
Suggest the same to others. For example a friend says, “I could choke my neighbor. He's ruining my sleep as his dog won't stop barking. I started throwing rocks last night, but that made it worse.”
You say, “Why don't you send a friendly letter and ask your neighbor to quiet down his dog?”
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