The learnability of states

Perhaps there is a useful concept around the 'learnability' of states. This refers per my thesis, to the ability of countries to 1.) come to terms with ground realities and not live in a state of wishful thinking 2.) recognize the legitimate (and perhaps not so legitimate) and persistent aspirations of groups of people and do something even if reluctantly, about it 3.) to correct the mainstream view of history regarding an event or events when the party line is wrong or distorted 3.) and to do this in a reasonable timeframe

The Irish 'troubles' are a classic example of lack of learning of a state. It took a huge amount of time (after the initial formation of the independent country of Ireland in the southern part ; a surprisingly forward-thinking decision for colonialist Great Britain) for the UK to come to terms with the conflict in northern Ireland and agree to the final solution that worked there. Simliarly, the Israeli state is learning at a glacial pace in the Palestinian conflict.

In India, the thinking on Kashmir. 60 years after independence, the discussion on Kashmir has pretty much not budged an inch - anything other than Kashmir as a integral part of India is not up for discussion. This is astounding given the dubious nature of the accession of Kashmir to India in the first place, and the incredible amount of conflict, displacement and death over the years. One would expect minimally some form of autonomy to be actively on the discussion agenda, but nope.
And going by this article, perhaps the conventional understanding on China and border issues with them, also needs a significant shift: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/night-of-november-19/729644/0

The relatively sudden shift of China towards capitalism and financial liberalization in India in the nineties are examples of good learning in states perhaps.

Kissinger jokes

Kissinger's work has many examples of what decent people would find enormous inversions of justice - like for example that he was given the Nobel prize for bringing an end to the Vietnam war, when he was in actuality responsible for things the massive bombing of Cambodia as part of that war. It was famously and appropriately labeled 'the death of satire' when it happened.

Chomsky is not usually given to humor, and one of the few and classic examples in his writing is in relation to Kissinger, whose guts he really hates. Recounting another of the large-scale inversions of justice that Kissinger was responsible for, Chomsky with savage bitterness, comments: "While K is always good for a little comic relief..."

And finally one from that fantastic commentator on world affairs, Gary Trudeau of Doonsbury. In a series of strips, Kissinger is visiting faculty at a local Washington univ and taking a seminar course while doing his stuff as Secy. of State. While he tries to use the seminar to talk about realpolitik and world domination and such cool stuff, there are one or two idealists in the class who keep bringing up useless questions about truth justice and the suffering of the common man. Finally Kissinger in frustration bursts out "Human rights! Human rights! I'm sick and tired of human rights!"

Touche. Sometimes I feel a similiar sentiment : "Climate change! Climate change! I'm sick and tired of climate change!"

For perhaps a more rounded and fair portrayal of Kissinger, see the Wikipedia entry: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Kissinger