Fields: Kill Leaders To End War

BY SAM FIELDS

 

The biggest scam world leaders perpetuate is that their lives are more valuable than ours.

That ancient concept plays out especially loud and clear when leaders want to start war.

Soldiers and civilians die in the millions without a mention in the newspaper.  But let some honcho or his family get wacked and we should be expect to go to war.

In 1914, if Serb nationalist Gravilo Princip had killed twenty folks waiting to see Archduke Franz Ferdinand, I doubt much would have happened beyond arrest, trial and punishment.  But since he killed the Archduke, and Mrs. Archduke, we got WW I with over 16 million dead and even more wounded.

Maybe we should reconsider that business model?

I thought about this the other day when Israeli jets, justifiably responding to Gaza launched missiles, killed some Hamas military muckety-muck whose name I do not even care to lookup.

Everyone in Gaza has gone into an uproar.  Simply put, if he was involved in starting the latest round of missiles he got what he deserved.  His life is worth less than the dozens collaterally killed in this latest skirmish.

Understand my position. I think Israel has been 98% wrong on the West bank and 98% right in Gaza.

Gaza and the West Bank are for all practical purposes two separate countries with two governments.  Gaza Palestinians, have leadership that wants conflict to distract from domestic failures.  The West Bank Palestinians want independence from Israeli occupation. The former is wrong, while the latter is right.

It is for this reason I wouldn’t shed a tear if some pissed-off Arab from the West Bank snuffed Netanyahu, while I would feel bad if that same guy killed some innocent folks in Tel Aviv.

It seems to me the best thing for world peace would be to adopt waging war by the “Chess” model rather than the current “Exodus/Pharaoh” model.

Allow me to explain.

The goal in Chess is simple and straightforward.  End the game (war) by killing the King. To that end, you can and should take out as many of his important supporters as you can. Dead pawns are not as desirable as dead knights, bishops, rooks etc. Take out the guys at the top to quickly end the conflict.

The “Pharaoh/Exodus” model says that the King is inviolate.  If you don’t like what he is doing, send plagues, bad weather, disease and The Angel of Death to murder innocent children. Anything but killing the actual bad guy.  He’s too important. He’s special.

It’s the rule that the modern world generally abides by.

Guess who wrote that rule?

To this day there are large numbers of Russians mourn the execution of Tsar Nicholas II and his family. They don’t give a whit about how the Tsar’s totalitarian, incompetent mismanagement of Russia sent millions to their graves…not to mention slave labor camps.

Louis XVI of France and Marie Antoinette should be seen as two out of thousands executed in the Reign of Terror and not “special victims”.  Arguably, their lives were less valuable since it was their greed and totalitarian regime that set The Revolution and its excesses in motion.

Why are the lives of the Romanovs and the Bourbons thought more valuable than any other family?

If it was understood that in war the honchos were fair game, leaders might think before sending other people’s families to fight.

I wonder if Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld and Rice would have been so quick to send us to Iraq if they were exposed to legal killing under the Chess rules of the game.

You want to send others to war?  The rules should provide that you and yours have some skin in the game.

It might make leaders think twice or even three times.

 



17 Responses to “Fields: Kill Leaders To End War”

  1. Fields Is Wrong says:

    Fields is wrong once again. If Gaza proves anything, it is that turning territory over to the radical Islamists, which is what will come into power in any Palestinian state, is dangerous to not only Israel but the World. So why is Israel wrong on the West Bank but right on Gaza? I wonder if Fields would be so quick to turn over the West Bank to Palestinians if he lived and Israel and knew the constant threat of missiles would increase. The West Bank policy is the only one that makes sense.

  2. Mr. Courthouse says:

    Mr. Fields sympathy with the murder of the Israeli leader is unfortunately not actionable, but it is shameful and representative of his bankrupt thinking. I suppose if you have spent your life trying to free drunk drivers and wife beaters, you can justify anything.

  3. Chaz Stevens, El Genius says:

    Gaza’s 96 dead include farmers, water sellers and the girl next door

    Farmers on their way to sell vegetables in the marketplace, vendors of purified drinking water and people who just happened to live too close to the targets of Israeli air strikes were among the 34 Palestinians estimated to have been killed in Israel Defense Forces attacks in the past two days alone.

    Just six of those casualties have been confirmed as members of militant groups.

    Among the Palestinians killed in Gaza this week are the 12 members of the Daloo and Manzar families, including four small children, who died when an Israel Air Force pilot bombed their home by mistake, according to the IDF.

    Read the rest of the story on Haaretz.com.

    ***

    How does it end in Gaza?

    This has been the issue with all the self-defeating Israeli military offensives of the past 16 years — Operation Grapes of Wrath in Lebanon, Operation Cast Lead in Gaza and now Operation Pillar of Defense, all of them, not coincidentally, initiated on the eve of national elections in Israel.

  4. Ed Foley says:

    I agree. If the UN could just enforce a rule that all public servants get one term then the gallows, I believe the world would be a better place. Plus, we would know once and for all that all public servants, politicians, cops, teachers and all other public employees down to the meter maids were sincere in their desire to service the public.
    Of course their execution should be preceded with parades and expressions of great thanks!

  5. Lois says:

    Sam, when, pray tell, will you be establishing the SAM FIELDS SCHOOL OF I KNOW EVERYTHING AND WOULD LOVE TO SHARE IT WITH YOU? Do you never tire of lecturing the rest of us? Whether right (rarely) or wrong (nearly always) you never seem bored by your own unending condescension? Yes, you are truly amazing.

  6. Chaz Stevens, El Genius says:

    @Sam

    Sam, am I?

    Fuck off Lois.

  7. SAM FIELDS says:

    LOIS
    THAT’S NOT WHAT YOU SAID LAST NIGHT!!!

  8. Chaz Stevens, El Genius says:

    113 Palestinians Killed, 54 Civilians… 840 Wounded, Including 225 Children…

  9. Christine says:

    @ Lois,

    He already did. Chaz Stevens is his first graduate.

  10. Ed Foley says:

    Sam’s role on the rialto is to provide the mental bubble gum that might lead others to greater enlightenment and compassion in life.
    Or maybe not.

  11. One Who Knows says:

    Chaz Stevens is Mr. Fields only pupil. Both are foul mouthed opinionated idiots.
    Both seem lonely with nothing better to do than pontificate on any subject. Maybe Mr. Fields even lives in his parents home like Chaz.

  12. Lois says:

    You can always count on Sam and Chaz to reduce any conversation to ad hominem, foul and often sexual attacks. Really, Buddy, when will enough be enough? The language these two employ is disgusting.

  13. Chaz Stevens, El Genius says:

    One who knows? Really?

    Live at home with my Dad (since my Mom is deceased).

    Maybe you’ll want to inform my wife about that…

    Since you seem to know all…

  14. City Activist Robert Walsh says:

    Don’t tell me about wars-they are all bad. I have a brother serving in the Armed Forces(Officer). Imagine he puts his life on the line while his brother doesn’t get the right to vote-please. also he is risking his life while our Generals(4star-mind you) are cheating on their wifes getting blow jobs from some socilalite whores….. Unreal. As far as this conflict in Israel w/ Hamas. I would say you “both” cool it or no MORE MONEY. That will do the trick-trust me…..

  15. Christine says:

    @Chaz

    I am sorry to hear if your Mom’s passing. Sincerely. She loved you very much.

  16. Chaz Stevens, El Genius says:

    @Lois

    Have you considered the “occasional wardrobe malfunction” as a cure for your puritanical ways?

    Well… Not for me, mind you. I’m really not interested in a “nip slip” by you… Just thought, maybe your church going brethren could use some enlightenment.

    Here’s the thing.

    Sam has a column, so I’d safe it’s pretty safe to assume Nevins is mostly tolerant of Fields.

    As for me… Well, Buddy has called me “the face of the new media.” So get used to F Bombs.

    Look kid, when life gets you down and throws you lemons, have a party.

    Hey, why don’t you google that for ideas… Google “lemon party”. Have some fun!

    Peace out.

  17. Ed Foley says:

    When listening to comments and reading columns that upset you remember these profoundly wise words…
    “The answer to speech you do not like is more speech, not enforced silence.”
    Harpo Marx