To: oped@nytimes.com
Re:
The humbling of America - a fantasy
Date: Wednesday 29 June 05

 


 
After reading Patricia Limerick's interesting contribution in today's NYT ("Live free and soar"), I am prompted to tell you of a fantasy I had not so long ago, about people from a far more advanced civilisation than our own visiting Earth several hundred years ago and taking with them a number of native Americans, who on one of their highly advanced, but friendly captors' planets lived and multiplied and learned.
 
Their descendents one day decided to return to Earth to see how things were and of course discovered how the country their ancestors had lived in had been invaded and conquered by another race of people (Europeans). Horrified and indignant at how their ancestors and brethren had been treated by the white man, they decided to put the injustice right. They had no difficulty gaining the sympathy and support of their hosts, who then sent a war fleet to Planet Earth, landing in formation on the Great Plains, from where they communicated their demand for all non-indigenous Americans to leave the country, giving them 10 years to do so or be forcibly removed, i.e. killed and eradicated. A small number would be permitted to stay, but they would have to apply to the native American authorities.
 
The American government and people, of course, would not accept non-Americans landing uninvited on their territory, let alone submit to such outrageous demands. But when confronted with the "visitors" absolute superiority they soon realised that they had no choice: Either they did what they were told or they would die.
 
With military action not being an option, the government demanded that the visitors negotiate. "You are not in a position to demand anything", they were told. "We are going to treat you with the same disregard that you treated our people. If you want to negotiate, we suggest that it is with other countries (perhaps those you or your ancestors originally came from) to take you in as refugees.
 
With no other option open to it, the government decides to enter into such negotiations, but in a threatening fashion, demanding rather than asking for millions of Americans to be taken in or simply allowed to settle in other countries. However, the visitors - being very fair-minded - make it clear to the American government that any use or even threat of force would not be tolerated.
 
There are millions of stories with which the fantasy can be continued.
 
My fantasy, of course, stems from the desire to see a nasty bully get his just desserts - even though the bullies are my own people, members of my own race and culture.
 
Not that I would really want them (us) to be so horribly punished. What I do want though is for us to learn humility, to recognise (and regret) the terrible wrongs we have committed, and are still committing, not least by plundering what, after all, is not just OUR planet of its natural resources for the sake of vainly and grossly materialistic, as well as utterly unsustainable, lifestyles and aspirations, and to treat others (including coming generations) as we would like them to treat us (i.e. not to wreck the planet for them).
 
And there you have it . . .