So, while you’re all celebrating the new year and getting ready to settle back in to January, I thought I’d offer up some of my favorite questions. The “rules” are simple. Let the question take you where it takes you. Ponder it. Reject it. Qualify it.
Answer it. Don’t answer it. (And if it turns into a story for you, I expect a “thank you” in the acknowledgments.;))
What if we didn’t fight wars? What if we solved international disputes with a sporting contest? (What that sporting contest would be is open to your interpretation.)
13 comments:
I love this thought. In the words of an old Savage Garden song (yes from the 80's) The poor fight the wars for the rich. Wouldn't it be great if the people who are actually disagreeing got on the basketball court or tennis court or what have you and duked it out. It usually all stems from a few powerful (and I use that term loosly) gathering up the less fortunate and convincing them to fight so they get to be powerful themselves. Kind of a Lord of the Flies, Animal farm feel to it. Very intersting idea. I see it going in a variety of directions. I may mill this over for a bit and if it goes anywhere do worry your name will be in flashing lights when the cover of the book is opened. :)
If we didn't fight wars then there would be no men in the world. So as a member of the male species, I think war is necessary. Liz, men are behind all of the crimes. I mean come on: mass shootings (men), scams perpetrated on Wall Street (men), wars (men), human trafficking (men), drug manufacturing in third world countries (men)... the list goes on and on.
What have women contributed to the world? There needs to be evil for there to be good, right? If you stamp out evil then the world becomes BORING!
Think about that the next time you see a mass shooting and yet another man has committed suicide. Think about all the people, 1) law enforcement, 2) gun manufacturers, 3) politicians, 4) rehabilitation counselors 5) psychiatrists ... that would not have jobs if it weren't for men and the wars they bring on society!
Your prompt pulls my mind to Sci-Fi even though fantasy is my preference. Will have to let this percolate.
Best wishes in your New Year!
I would love to see sporting events replace wars. But I'm sure it would create as many problems as it solved.
And I don't need flashing lights. I just hope the topic made you think.
Um, okay. So, you're saying war is a good thing? (Which would mean that such a society would have other worse issues to deal with...)
It could be Sci-Fi. Or you could imagine a world in which the contest is of a magical nature. If you fix the setting right, it would work in a fantasy context. (I hope.)
A thought provoking post, for sure!
I don't think it could be a contest of brute skill like wrestling or finesse like fencing. Too easy for a ringer or foul play.
Since this is a fantastical question (shoot, we can't even get our Congress together on AnyThing), then I'd go with a fantastical Being who implicitly knows whether someone is lying or not.
Let him/her be the judge of a disagreement between two combatants.
I say put the opposing parties in a room and they don't get to leave until they've resolved their disagreement. They can have water and a bathroom but no food. I'm guessing problems would get solved quite quickly.
Gladiators, anyone? The midieval knights used jousts this way as well. Using one on one combat to decide the fate of nations isn't exactly new (look at David and Goliath).
Lauren
Oooh, that would be interesting...
Ah, true.
I did not know that.
I don't know if it would work. That's the fun of the "what if".
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