Pete and Bob: Windmill tilters?

Continuing on from yesterday’s post, the lives of Isaac Newton (1642-1727) [1] and Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) [2] almost overlapped. Cervantes is best known for Don Quixote [3] which inspired the 1965 musical Man of La Mancha [4] whose signature song’s ‘Dream the Impossible Dream’ [5]. In my life I’ve tilted at a fair few windmills [6] – with scant success, I must say. But I admire windmill tilters – which is why Pete Seeger was my hero-of heroes. (Until yesterday.) Another hero of mine’s Senator Bob Brown [7] – leader of the Australian Greens. This week the national parliament debated Australia’s involvement in the Afghanistan war. Senator Brown, a former medico, made an impassioned call for an end to Australia’s involvement in Afghanistan [8]. And he was ridiculed for so doing [9]. Both Brown and Seeger are intelligent and moral men. Their approach to conflict’s one of inclusion, dialogue, conciliation and compromise. Which sounds fine in theory. But in practice it relies on goodwill all round. If one party’s recalcitrant, the chance of that approach succeeding’s pretty well zero. However I suppose you could argue that the chance of war producing permanent resolution of a conflict’s pretty well zero too. Maybe the likes of Brown and Seeger hold the crucible of wisdom that’ll bring world peace. Or maybe they’re merely decent, principled and ascetic men who do no more than dream the impossible dream.

Isaac trumps Pete

Isaac Newton (pictured) produced three Laws of Motion. The third one’s: ‘For every action there’s an equal and opposite reaction’ [1]. Or, loosely rephrased, actions have consequences. Farmdoc’s Blog readers know that Pete Seeger’s top of my heroes list – my hero-of-heroes [2]. Pete’s had a long association with Israel. In 1951, when Israel was three years old. with the Weavers he recorded ‘Tsena Tsena’ in Hebrew [3]. He first visited Israel in the 1960s. And so on. Now 91 years old, Pete’s been a lifelong traditional leftie. Good on him. ynetnews.com reports [4] that on 14 November he’ll participate in a virtual rally [5] to support the Arava Institute whose students include Israelis and Palestinians. Good on him again. But ynetnews also says Pete supports the boycott of Israeli products. How such a boycott can help bring Middle East peace when Israel’s enemies talk openly of destroying her and continue incitement to this end, escapes me. Peace will only come if Israel’s strong. A weakened Israel can’t, and won’t, contemplate peace. Pete, like everyone else, is entitled to his views. And to state them publicly. I’m leaving Pete on my heroes list – because I continue to admire his ‘old left’ naïve stance in the face of overwhelming evidence that it’s doomed to fail. But, invoking Newton’s third Law, I’m demoting him down the list. Pity.