A Lesson In Diplomacy

July 12, 2007

In justifying agendas and bias’s in humans, we often hear of how we are just part of the Animal Kingdom. I know you have heard the relations stated over and over. Yet, it seems that we tend to ignore lessons taught us by animals in the wild all too often.

We were savagely attacked on September 11, 2001 at the cost of nearly 3,000 innocent people, many from several nations residing and working in the United States. The attackers had no regard for who may have been killed in their suicide attack. All that mattered was they wanted to kill as many people as possible to instill fear in the rest of us.

Instead of cowering in fear or treating yet another terrorist attack as a mere crime, the newly elected President, the most hated George W. Bush, took the fight back to the enemy, radical fundamentalist Jihadists. Instead of gratitude that finally, after three decades of attacks against our interests abroad and at home, someone is finally going to try and stop this senseless slaughter of innocent people in the name of a wrongful interpretation of a Holy Book, a very vocal portion of our society aligned themselves against the President and the war effort.

There were cries of “warmonger,” “let the United Nations handle it,” “get permission from the United Nations” and every sort of slogan one could imagine, except for defeat the terrorists. Biased media and political opportunists took up the gauntlet thrown down by the ones who didn’t like the outcome of the previous election and who now saw a chance at creating scandal after scandal and undermine a sitting President, who was fighting to protect America.

I restate the above for a reason. That reason being we are always hearing of “War is not the answer” and “give diplomacy a chance” and such, like we have been doing for some three decades now, with terrorist attacks getting worse and worse. Relating this back to the Animal Kingdom, the link below will take you to a YouTube video some 8 minutes in length of an eerily similar attack on a Water Buffalo Calf by some lions, a natural occurrence in the wild.

CAUTION: This video is graphic in nature and if you are an animal lover or can’t take violence, I urge you not to watch it. You’ve been warned.

Battle at Kruger

A brief synopsis for those who chose not to see the video. In what I assume to be Africa, a film crew is filming a water hole as a small group of Water Buffalo approaches, not suspecting across the way from the Water Hole are a few Lions, lying in wait for food. Seeing the Lions, the Water Buffalo flee, with the weakest among them, a young calf, caught and drug into the water. A total of 5 Lions show up and end up fighting a crocodile for the calf, who all assumes is dead by now.

Unbeknownst to the Lions, the Water Buffalo return en masse, the whole herd. They gradually attack the Lions, picking them off one at a time, goring them with their horns and throwing them off the calf. Amazingly, the calf survives and the herd of Water Buffalo chases away the enemy, the Lions, saving the calf, which returns to the herd.

So, you ask, what does this have to do with the current war? Since you ask, I’ll relate it into human terms for you.

We were attacked on 9/11, just as the Lions attacked the small group, picking off the weakest, the calf.

The Lions that did not attack show up to take part in the feast, just as terrorist supporters celebrated at the success of the 9/11 attacks.

The Water Buffalo return en masse, just as President Bush did when he invaded Afghanistan and even Iraq to depose Saddam Hussein, who nearly the entire world suspected of helping terrorists, just as the Lions who did not attack helped in dragging the calf out of the water, fighting the crocodile.

The Water Buffalo, now surrounding the Lions, launches counter attacks on the Lions, as did President Bush. Of course, our fight with terrorists isn’t as easy as this one appears on video, but all too often, the fights in the Wild Animal Kingdom don’t go easy either. But the point is, they counter-attacked en masse and saved the calf, driving off their enemy, the Lions.

Of note, none of the Water Buffalo protested, complained about sacrifices if they fought the Lions or demanded restraint on the part of the herds Bulls. None encouraged going to the United Animal Kingdoms for resolution after resolution condemning the attack and capture of the calf, they reacted swiftly and with the total support of the herd, saved the calf.

From the Wild Animals we are shown how to protect ourselves, to take up the arms needed when the weakest among us are attacked and to take the fight back to the enemy. The Bulls weren’t condemned for taking the fight back to the Lions, they were supported. No other Water Buffalo called for hearings and investigations for the Bulls violating International Animal Laws. None cried out during the counter-attack, “end the war now!” Even more amazing, there were no banners flying with “we support the Bulls, but not the counter attack.”

Imagine, if like the herd of Water Buffalo, we Americans and foreign allies banded together against the radical Jihadists and presented a United Front and supported the attack, without all the bellyaching from those scared to death they might have to step in and protect the weak, how much more progress might be seen today in this fight.

Terrorists, like those Lions, are not yet defeated. They will return and attack again. But, if they have a memory like I believe they do, those 5 Lions will think twice next time they see some Water Buffalo. Likewise, if more stand up to terrorists, they too will think twice, as will those who might fall prey to their radical view and promises of martyrdom and such and look at the advantages of not joining terrorists. The numbers will dwindle and in time, we will be safer from this latest enemy of all mankind.

The Water Buffalo instinctively knew the only diplomacy was to take the fight back to the Lions. When will we humans learn that as well?

Lew