Breaking the Cycle

Well, it looks like the Mid-East peace process is once again grinding to a halt. If there is any question as to why the fighting within this region of the world seems endless, one look no further than this YouTube link . You'll find a clip for an old Andy Griffith Show and it highlights the history of feuding (the first 4 minutes or so should clear everything up for you). Unfortunately, the Israeli-Palestine conundrum isn’t the only one plaguing the region. Factions fighting within borders and the region’s hatred towards the West combine to make a very volatile situation. 

Of all the obstacles standing in the way of peace, the suicide bomber poses the greatest dilemma for those seeking a better tomorrow. How does one go about deterring an individual who is bent on self-destruction? Most of our suicide-type terrorists are Muslim simply because the Muslims believe in a richly rewarding afterlife for martyrs. And therein lies the key to dissuading these folks from their present course of carnage. What I offer is a solution that disengages the potential suicide bombers from their warring ways, introduces capitalism to the region, and makes an enormous amount of money for the principal architects of the plan.

I suggest tasking Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, two of the brightest techno-gurus around, with creating a solar powered video game platform along the line of existing state-of-the-art systems currently available in the United States. Solar power is essential as the sun is the only reliable energy source in the Middle East where most of our suicidal guys and gals seem to be located. Battery back-up would also be essential to allow for use during the hours of darkness.

Now, with the system designed, we ask the best designers to create a whole new generation of video games with names like “Suicide Bomber” and “Find the Infidel”. These games would center on the goal of successfully completing a series of missions that would ultimately lead to the Martyrdom level. It would be very difficult to reach this level of success, but once there our player would find something less than expected: the 72 virgins would be far from desirable and the surrounding environment similarly distasteful. Or, as an alternative, our little video console would self-destruct.

We now have a fully functional entertainment package. All that’s left to do is airdrop as many of these babies as possible throughout the entire region. Think what video games have done for average American teen-agers: they are oblivious to most activities occurring around them and their parents are hard-pressed to get them to do the most menial of chores. Now consider the plight of the Middle Eastern parent seeking to engage his child into preparing for a life of violence.

Why in the world would a kid want to lose his only life when he could play out the same scenario endlessly and have countless virtual lives to risk? And just like that, we’ve got ‘em! They’ll be playing these games night and day, paying little attention to anything else. Even those that view this as a training exercise will be converted (or eliminated) upon reaching the level of “Martyr” and finding a promised land far from promising.

In one fell swoop, we have broken the cycle of violence. As new video games are created, they will be available for sale. That forces our young ex-warriors to get a job so 

they can purchase the latest and greatest versions. And, if we allow advertising on the new games, we further transform the would-be jihadist into a mainstream consumer! All of a sudden, we’ve created a whole new source of consumption hungry for the ways of the West and who better to provide that than the good old U.S. of A.

Other versions could be tailored for specific conflicts: Shia vs Sunni, Jew vs Palestinian, and the like with a slightly different reward for the top tier of video accomplishments. The point is to create a generation that is not focused on killing someone else simply because it is tradition. Then, future generations have a greater chance of a more normal life. 

This formula for peace may strike some as insane, unworkable, or perhaps even delusional, but is it any worse than relying on the same failed strategies of the past? While anyone would agree the approach is definitely “outside the box”, it might well provide a way out of the box we’ve been trapped in for too many generations.