People are not predictable MOSTLY
Albert Einstein for many years before his death, had been working on a “Unified Theory of Physics”. He tried to develop a mathematical formula to predict the relationship in nature between all forms of matter and energy, such as light, mass ,gravity, electrons etc. He did not succeed, nor have any scientists who followed him in this quest . If in fact there is such a formula, and it is possible, there is no formula, and never will be to predict the behavior of individual human beings. The constants in this theoretical equation are variable , and the variables under certain circumstances can become constant. Race, religion, sex, genetic history, and intelligence quotient (IQ) play their part but not consistently for all peoples.
There are however, certain traits that are more prominent than others. They are “power” the ability to be in total control of one`s life, “selfishness” the desire to benefit from all actions whether entitled or not and “hypocrisy” the need to hide thoughts and intentions from others. These traits are present whether it involves the president of a company, the prime minister of a country or a beggar in the streets of a city.
Politicians constantly are seeking power, and when they attain it, want it maintained in their hands. This is no different in a democracy, dictatorship, or theocracy, but the rules of application may be different.. A flagrant example of the absolute need to keep power is being played out in Burma (Myanmar) A natural disaster of monstrous proportions hit the country with fatalities of close to 100,000 people and millions hurt and homeless. The generals that rule Burma would rather people die than that they should lose control of power by allowing in foreign aid workers , especially from the west, who might tell the Burmese how low in regard the rulers are held..The taste for power is hard to give up and becomes like a drug controlling a person. Buddhism known for its kind and gentle nature, and the generals are all Buddhists , does not mitigate their actions towards their people , both monks and the public.
Vladimir Putin, formerly relatively powerless as a K.G.B. agent made the right political moves and became president of Russia appointed by Boris Yeltsin, after Yeltsin made sure he would not be implicated in the wrong doings that occurred during his tenure in office. Because a president can serve only two terms, Putin appointed Dimitry Medvedev, a close ally and friend after an apparent deal that saw Medvedev appoint Putin prime minister with enhanced powers. The Russian people seemed to see nothing wrong with these shenanigans because they value stability over democracy. Selfish self-serving people are in fact no more ethical than their leaders
Religion and religious institutions are permeated with hypocrisy and the need for power to control. If there is a God, and that is debateable , it is important to make sure that it is THEIR god, that is the supreme being and not another because THEIR god is the source of their power. Priests, imams and rabbis need THEIR god at the top of the god lottery to keep control. Adultery, theft and lying are better observed in the breach of the ten commandments than in their observance. In the early part of the history of Canada in order to incorporate the aboriginals into our religious and social culture the political leaders of Canada allowed religious institutions to take children from their parents to schools far from home, where they were mentally, physically and sexually abused, a far cry from the tenets of Christian religion The schools may have been too profitable to give up.Prostitution is illegal in Iran, a very conservative theocratic Islamic country. In order to accommodate men there is a loop-hole in Shiite Islamic law called “sigheh” A man and a woman may legally be married for as short as a day by going to a registry and obtaining a temporary marriage contract from a muslim cleric. The sexual needs of the religious man can be satisfied and not break Shiite law. I am sure the cleric gets a fee for his services
However as everyone knows the very same people can be hypocritical and genuine, honest and crooked, kind and cruel, depending on the circumstances in play. And so goes the world and of course the author of this piece.
