Let's do something about it

The latest bomb blast in Sri Lanka is terrible, devastating and tragic news.

Whenever one of these atrocities is commited I am struck by the extreme views that are held by just about everyone. There are pro LTTE views and there are pro GOSL views and there is a serious shortage of anything in between. Maybe that's because people with stronger views on a subject are the ones who are more likely to comment. Maybe it's because nothing is more emotive than death. Maybe it's because many people hear nothing but propaganda, on both sides.

When I started blogging I was sure about 2 things: I wanted to stay away from politics and I wanted to take a positive appraoch to everything I wrote about. The two key points are actually quite related. I find politics, particularly in the UK, largely negative and destructive. I wish political parties could take a positive appraoach. The Labour party recently produced a party political broadcast (a term I use loosely) in which they depicted David Cameron (the Tory leader) as a laughable cartoon character. The whole of this broadcast consisted of the one theme and its purpose was entirely to create negative opinions of David Cameron. It was cheap, easy and poor quality.

As a young salesperson I was taught that the best salespeople gain business by selling the positives elements of their own product, service and company. Running down the opposition, slagging off the competition, or whatever you call it, rarely works. Yet politicians all over the world don't think like this. They spend most of their time launching attacks on the opposition. Often they are personal attacks. Did Bill Clinton smoke a joint when he was at University? Did he inhale? Does it matter? If those sort of things bother you that much then you probably shouldn't have a vote.

So I want a positive political party. One that offers solutions rather than picks at problems. One that doesn't run down the opposition. Is it totally beyond the realms of possibility that I might see a Labour leader turn to a Tory leader one day and say "Actually that's a really good idea"?

The vast majority of things I read about the situation in Sri Lanka are all negative. I read extreme anti LTTE or even anti Tamil stances, I read others taking anti Sinhalese or even anti Buddhist stances. Many say that the GOSL should launch all out war and forget all attempts to maintain the fragile CFA. Many say that the LTTE have done this already. But the majority either hate the GOSL or hate the LTTE.
The Norwegians, that nation of renowned warmongers, are the arch enemy of some critics because they are seen as biased. The BBC are evil and biased because they have the ordacity to report on the LTTE. This is the same BBC that reported on the IRA during its reign of terror, the same BBC that continues to report on Al Qaeda. The same BBC that even reports on the German football team. (only occasionally as there are limits)

I have not seen anyone come up with a solution. There must be one lurking around somewhere. It's hidden in a cupboard, it's disguised as a three wheeler, it's hiding up a tree, it's under that pile of rubbish. It could be anywhere and it could come from anyone, but it's there. Here is the one cyberplace where I have seen anyone mention looking for a solution:

http://moju.lk/2006/06/15/bus-blast-kills-58/

Virtually everyone who travels to the island of Serendipity falls in love with its natural beauty, its climate, the wildlife, its deep rooted traditions and its people. That is despite the 25 years of civil war and all of its consequences.

So please. Come up with a solution. One that can please most of the people. It is there, it just hasn't shown itself yet. Let's get going, let's use some intelligence and compassion and think of how to solve the situation. If enough people want to solve something the solution will come.

http://moju.lk/2006/06/16/enough/

Someone is taking an intelligent view and trying to generate some positive dialogue. We need more of that and more of that kind of thinking.

One thing I know for sure is that hate never helped find a solution to anything.

I have got my thinking cap on. I've got a feeling one of you brainy coves will think of something before me though.