Oct 18, 2023 By Nick Jacobs 4 min read

The war that has erupted in the Middle East is one more example of man’s inhumanity to man. According to Bloomberg News, “This conflict has exposed both new and old geopolitical fault lines, and not just in the Middle East.”

One of my friends, Wayne, wrote a passionate interpretation of what he believes is contributing to this war. He concludes that distorted sociopolitical views adopted by large swaths of civilization are what “keeps us focused on whose victimhood is more legitimate.”

He believes it feeds this ongoing cycle of violence. His premise is the real problem is trauma, which is the core of the damage that is continually being perpetrated upon our civilizations and our societies.

No matter if it is colonialism, brutality, or insecurity, we can never find peace “unless or until we see events for what they are – expressions of dealing with trauma. Traumatized people continue to traumatize others.”

Inflicting trauma on each other has existed since the beginning of recorded history. From ancient civilizations to modern times, oppression, cruelty, and violence have persisted and been representative of the dark underbelly of humanity. Systemic injustice, war, genocide, and individual cruelty have always been present.

What has not been present is an ongoing effort to educate humanity about what the true underlying causes are and how to see beyond the surface hatred that creates and feeds these actions. “Trauma is the pathogen one’s spirit attempts to get rid of – with no consciousness as to the impact on those to whom the pathogen is delivered.”

His concluding assessment is this: “There will be no peace until your heart’s chaos is resolved. Ignoring this perpetuates violence and the justification for it that we are all watching in real time.”

If we are ever going to promote social justice, embrace empathy, and create a more compassionate world, the priority of finding ways to understand not only the root causes but also the ensuing consequences of these circles of war is essential.

One of my other friends named Wayne, Dr. Wayne London, maintains that one potential solution to this inevitable journey of continued conflict and ongoing atrocities would be the implementation of more female control. One former macho boss used to say, “No one gives you power. You take power.”

I’ve never been able to understand this. If the egos that are driving us toward greed, dominance, and war are primarily male, why do women not take more control? Women have the numbers to win elections, to efficiently and effectively lead organizations, and to take over governments. At what point will they unite to “take more of the power” from those leaders who continue to start wars and shed innocent blood to feed their egos?

Structural racism, the brutal suppression of dissent, political corruption, poverty, marginalization, the “us vs. them” mindset that is cultivated intentionally to dehumanize those identified as the enemy, and the elimination of innocent lives over religious convictions could be manageable if we had more “Mary energy.”

The final question recently posed by Bloomberg News is, “Who will benefit most from conflict in the Middle East?” Could it be an Iranian ally, Russia, and Vladimir Putin? According to Bloomberg, that answer is, yes. “Putin has already created a conflict in Ukraine that has killed or wounded over a half-million people.” By having the U.S. provide weaponry and support to Israel, of course, the Kremlin will benefit.

Consequently, is there any reason we should be suspicious of those politicians who have opposed providing support for Ukraine? How about those who constantly condemn Israel or Palestine? Is there any way security information regarding Israel could have been leaked to Russia, and that contributed to the initial invasion, which was backed by Iran to support Hamas?

Chanting death to the Jews or death to the Arabs is similar to chanting death to all of humanity. We are one species.

Heal your own heart, first.

Nick Jacobs is a Winber resident.