QUIZ QUIZ
A great many of us have come to think we are pretty good at problem solving, and we are very often the last to becoma aware of the fact that we didn't know the true nature of the problem at all, had we done so, we may not have taken such a puzzle at all.
Some puzzles come to us in the form of games. Others are of a much more serious nature, such as the one which confonts us right now, as a nation, to help the newly re-constitued state of Iraq to determine what a proper goverment might be to see them into a new era of prosperity and security.
There is a geographical quiz I find to be helpful: Can your name the six state captials which are located west of Los Angeles, California?
Let's see, now...two of them come to you right away as “freebies”, don’t they? Of of course, Hawaii that would be Honolulu. Then. the other is Alaska, and that’s Anchorage, Fairbanks or, certainly not Nome!. Could it be Sitka? Or, Juneau, of course, but some puzzlers might stumble around a bit making that choice.
So far. Not bad at all. Just four more to go.
Let's think"north" because the United States coastline sorta juts out into the Pacific ,doesn't it? One has to be Washington a state capital located further west than L.A and that would...er...that would be - uh Spokane, to far east, maybe?, Seattle, Tacoma? Given time you might think of Olympia.
Next, Oregon, just to the south seems to be logical choice. That, then, would be What? Portland? Eugene? Sooner or later someone will whisper,"Salem", as if not too sure, and be right.
At this point someone will risk all and go far out to choose Carson City, Nevada
wisely avoiding Reno, and Vegas. Then, the real puzzler of 'em all - the capital of the Golden State - Sacramento. No one said L.A. was a captial city if you think you have already accounted for that state.
Tally them up: Hawaii - Honolulu; Alaska -_Juneau; Washington - Olympia;
Oregon - Salem; Nevada - Carson City, and , finally, California - Sacramento. Was it as easy as you thought it was going to be?
Apply this same sort of gaming procedure to your ideas about choosing a proper government for the people of Iraq. Do we know enough about the who, where, what and why aspects of the people concerned, to make such a vital choicie on their behalf? I think not. Just because a specific form of government has served us well, does not mean it will work for them at all.
Our past records of achievement on successful govermental map-making has not been an impressive one. We have see partitioning of such nations as Poland tried, we have witnessed land handouts such as the Balfour readjustments which have resulted in our present-day Palestinianan-Israeli conflicts. We have seen many such arrangements as urged by indivudals; by states or group of states as well as the League of Nations and the present United Nation's polyglot political attempts to do so.
I read a quote form some Iraqi lesser-known official just this week who seemed to feel that the new goverment that will be best for Iraq's people will be a renovation and renewel rather than a totally new one. The best we can hope for is that some democratic principles might be incorprated within the new government.
A.L.M. May 31, 2004 [c558wds].
