When does fiction become prophecy – and when does prophecy turn to reality? Can the future be changed by learning from the past?
Extract from “Queen’s Pawn to D4”, a novel of international politics by Rod Johnston –
“… Attitudes of the 21st century are not so different from the motivations of the 19th and 20th centuries. We’ve learned little from the preceding years of conflict. We Australians are still lured into foreign wars because we fear standing alone. Are we so immature that we still refuse to think for ourselves? While we instinctively revere violent political and military events as those that shape our world, one must question whether they really merit the veneration they attract. Stories of struggle, suffering and sorrow should cause us to pause and to contemplate our world. Profit-gouging by landed nobility or industrial capitalists, international intrigue by adventurers or diplomats, wars prosecuted by aristocrats or generals, empire-building by czar or president, 1825 or 2025, Russia, Germany, Britain or America … What is the difference? History tells of the cruel and indifferent exploitation by nations who believed themselves to be culturally or religiously superior. These have justified appalling atrocities, committed in the name of civilisation or religion, but really, just a smokescreen for self-interest. But this realisation is just a beginning, not the end. A new vision for a cooperative, compassionate and caring world can emerge, one in which small and middle-sized countries are instrumental as peacemakers, but only if we, the ordinary citizens, recognise and exercise our responsibilities. It’s time for Australia to renounce state-promoted violence and to promote respect, cooperation and assistance throughout the region and the wider world. Australia must step up, not as a belligerent protagonist, but as a peacemaker ….”
Buy “Queen’s Pawn to D4” – printed copy, e-book or audio-book. Contact RodJohnstonAUS@gmail.com Visit www.RodJohnston.com.au
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