Some years ago I had the opportunity to be working in the middle east. As we all know middle eastern politics are strange, convoluted and often self destructive. I was working on a USAID funded agricultural development program in what is today Yemen (then it was North Yemen.)
Yemen is a beautifully barren, rugged, mountainous area on the southwestern corner of the Arabian Peninsula. North Yemen and South Yemen had been at war for more than a quarter century as a result of cold war alliances US vs USSR, their colonial histories (Ottoman Empire, British rule, etc.), the regional politics (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Israel)among other factors.
In truth nobody would have cared except that Yemen commands the entrance/exit to the Red Sea and the Suez canal.
Trying to understand the complexities of the area, I asked a Yemeni counter-part to explain why his people were allow themselves to be caught up in this global and regional power struggle when there were so many other more immediate issues.
"Yemen is a "Modern State" only because we are a member of the UN. Under this thin veneer of 20th century technology you see, is a 16th century medieval Arab confederation of sheikdoms." he reported.
Then he said, "Let me tell you a story -The Story of the donkey and the scorpion.
Once there was donkey who was walking along a path when he came to a rushing stream. The stream was wide but fairly shallow. The path the donkey was following lead across the stream and up the side of the small canyon. As he stepped into the water a small voice called out,
"Hey Donkey!"
The Donkey turn in the direction of the voice but saw nothing.
"Hey Donkey, can you give me a ride?"
The Donkey turned and looked until his eyes fell upon a scorpion standing in the path.
"Hello!?" responded the Donkey.
"Hello! I see you are going to cross the stream. Can I ride on your back and get across? asked the scorpion.
"No," answer the Donkey. "I don't trust you. I'm afraid that you'll sting me."
Waving his hook tail with the sharp poisonous spike, the scorpion replied, "No I won't. Why would I?"
"I don't know. I just don't trust you. Your sting can kill me."
"Why," said the scorpion, "would I want to kill you if you are carrying me across the stream? I would drown."
"True," said the Donkey. "Ok! Climb up and get on my back! I'll take you across."
The scorpion climbed up the donkey's leg and position himself on the donkey's back just above the shoulders.
"Are you ready?" the donkey asked.
"Yes!"
The donkey started out into the stream, the scorpion comfortably seated between the donkey's shoulders. They were in the middle of the stream when suddenly the donkey felt a sharp pain in the base of his neck.
"You stung me!" cried the donkey. "Now we are will both die. Why? WHY DID YOU STING ME?"
The scorpion chuckled. "Because that's what I do. WELCOME TO THE MIDDLE EAST."
This story came to mind as I read the following story in the Projo this morning. I thought, "We, the tax payers of Rhode Island, are the donkey and the Providence fireman's union is the scorpion."
U.S. Mayors' Conference in Providence
Controversy has swirled around the meeting, after a city firefighters' threat to picket led some political leaders to debate whether to attend.
http://newsblog.projo.com/2009/06/ready-3.html
Update: Firefighters fulfill picket threat at mayors' meeting
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Providence firefighters, some armed with signs, have showed up outside the Rhode Island Convention Center, the site of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which kicked off this morning. They're gathered across the north entrance, on Sabin Street.
MAYORS WELCOME TO RHODE ISLAND!
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