Perejil

I've been reading Zakaria's book, The Post-American World, and I'm quite taken with him as a writer. He's a fine writer with a brilliant mind and he leads me through the tango of international relations with enormous skill and subtlty. Through him, I find clarity. I miss clarity.

He recounts one incident that struck me as very meaningful not just in terms of international relations, but in terms of basic human and family relationships.

There's a small island (tiny island) just off the coast of Morocco in the Straits of Gibraltar. It's called Leila. The island is totally uninhabited save for some wild goats who thrive on the wild parsley (Perejil) that grows wild on this rocky, barren island. In 2002, Morocco sent a small band of soldiers (about 10 or so) and they planted a Moroccan flag there. The goats could care have cared less. But, Spain and Morocco had long contested Leila. The Spanish government perceived this Moroccan behavior as "aggression". Nearly 100 Spanish soldiers were airlifted onto the island. They tore down the Moroccan flag, raised two Spanish flags, and sent the dozen or so Moroccan soldiers home. The Spanish actions were perceived as an "act of war" by the Moroccans and the government organized rallies where scores upon scores of young men chanted "Our souls and our blood are sacrifices to you. Leila!" in the streets. Military helicopters hovered over Leila and Spanish warships monitored the coast of Morocco.

The then Secretary of State Colin Powell was called to intervene. He worked late into a Friday evening and Saturday morning phoning the Moroccan king and Foreign Minister
because he decided "I had to push for a compromise fast because otherwise pride takes over, positions harden, and people get stubborn". He was under some pressure because it was already getting late in the day in the Mediterranean and his grandchildren were scheduled to arrive at his home for a swim with him. He managed to get the get the crisis resolved and got to go swimming with his grandchildren--which is precisely what a grandfather should be doing with his grandchildren.

The phrase "pride takes over, positions harden, and people get stubborn" struck me as so telling in terms of what happens not just in international relations, but what happens in families over equally absurd situations. Sometimes--almost without exception--it's far more important to forgive, compromise, love, and swim with ones grandchildren than to be "right".

Stubborn pride and being "right" are far oversold as values especially within the context of their price.