In retrospect I regret I did not go. Perhaps the theme was not very appealing at that moment, and in that place. It certainly would not be now, and there. But I regret not experiencing the saddamian Iraq. I regret not experiencing the beautiful Baghdad before it was shelled. I regret missing a chance. I don't regret the overthrow of Saddam. Perhaps I must repeat that I don't regret the overthrow of Saddam. - I just pity those western Presidents, and Prime Ministers, who may end up in history books (just like Saddam) with notions like: liars boasting morality who could only justify their actions by making anyone else carry the lies, and consequences. Having said this as a propable way of how history will be written, I'd like to discuss a more general subject.

One's faith. That is indeed a serious subject. Especially if the leaders of the leading powers are in faith. - Without going deeper, there are these religions. Christianity (in it's plentitude of versions), Islam (in it's plentitude of versions), and Jahve's Way (in it's plentitude of versions), plus the faiths among all the rest of the population on this Tellus. - The rest of the Tellus counting just a meagre ~90% of all faiths. Not by counting people, but faiths.

Each one of the faiths has a moral code. A way of justifying why a certain action is permitted, and others are considered immoral. - How extremely stupid, if (as, or if, in the case of the President, etc. above) the moral leaders do not have the intelligence to see that there are views, and real-life interests, opposed to their views, but use only a reduction of thinking to serve the interest-groups the moral leaders think (if thinking is an appropriate term here) is serving the same purpose, or view as theirs, and which, by way of unintelligent thinking, is given the label of carriying the moral code. - Then the advocates of that view should be given a certificate stating: I'm a Lunatic - I'm not part of this Tellus.

To clarify a bit, I'd like to make you think of a stern group of very faithful people: the Jesuits. If one real-life phrase is usually attached to them, it's this: the cause justifies the means. Their "cause" carried a highly religious, even an ultimate moral thruth - to them. But for quite a few then, and to many more now, their way of making the means meet with the cause has become the essence of immoral behaviour. It has become to mean the self-righteous excercising of power to gain the ends that became tarnished by the means.

The Jesuit example is something many Presidents, Prime Ministers, and even lesser politicians have practiced so many times that it doesn't usually even bother us. That is, if we agree with their ends then. And don't live long enough afterwards to see the immorality of their actions.

But to expose the greatest liars, the most morally corrupt leaders, one will first have to take a stand on the Jesuit morality - and then one has to take one more step. One must think about the proclaimed ends.

When the ends are proven lies (in the case of the Jesuits you needed decades or centuries for that to become widely evident – you may have to remember Bruno, Galilei, etc. to get the point), and the moral leaders still claim the ends to be valid, then one must conclude that the stated ends are not the true ones, even to them. Or perhaps we must conclude that we are dealing with leaders who can neither think nor listen to those who can. – But why is the outcome just the same? Are the thinkers thinking like imbecils, or the unthinking ones in power wanting to be surrounded by just such thinkers? Is it the looks of thought that count? And how far does that count? Perhaps to such a distance when they all are no longer able to read how they will be treated in history books. - I don’t envy the position of an old person who was once blinded by power, or even a deceased one who was once blinded by power, and who is being laughed at by teen-agers at school.

Watching who have both the means and the ends that meet what I’ve discussed above gives tools to say who are the most morally corrupt leaders.

All of the above brings to my mind two recent quotes I've read:
- "Anyone who conquers a region also brings there his system of government. Everyone spreads his own system as far as his armies are able. There is no other way." (Josef Stalin)

- Our prospects in the future are far better when the confusion on the Iraq situation has settled down, and the international oil companies have divided the resources there. Then they will be able to concentrate on the drilling at sea again. (The CEO of a Finnish company building oil-drilling rafts)

As this is a wine page, after all, it is pleasing to find a well thought wine to sooth one's angered thoughts. Château Merville is a very balanced wine made of Syrah and Grenache with hand-picking care. It has what I like: full body with an enjoyable backbone of tannins and nimble, yet robust fruit delicately matured in oak. The wine is very enjoyable already now, but can be noticed to have even more potency within a couple of years. Very good value for your money in a French wine.

-Hannu
July 23, 2003