If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em

One way to nullify something bad is to dilute it. In Southern California, some water departments continue the use of natural underground aquifers that have relatively been "depleted", meaning the remaining water is somewhat or even a lot brackish. Then they take the relatively clean Colorado River water brought in by aqueducts and "recharge" these aquifers. In other instances, they take the brackish water and "blend" living and dying water into a cocktail that the EPA says won't kill you or genetically modify your children -- from a statistical perspective anyway.

What would happen if an organization like Al Quaida was diluted? I am not recommending this except as a thought experiment, what if everyone in the world joined al kaida (or whatever the transliteration is of the day)? Could the bad be so diluted that it wasn't bad anymore? Would it weaken it? Would it neutralize it? Or would the bad metastasize and bring down the good?

Jesus said love your enemies. WWJD?

Note: Kurt Vonnegut visited this subject in the book (turned into a movie) called Mother Night. Vonnegut resolves the conflict from an absolutest position from an individualist perspective.

This post is an exercise in thought. Terrance McKenna and David Eisenberg both suggested that if we are going to come up with viable solutions to the "human condition" (and I think they both believe that to be in a "Daijo" way), we need to think, dance, sing, and do things that have never been thought, danced, sung, or done before. It is impossible to argue with the idea that the physical contortions you do in yoga somehow change your consciousness and awareness.

UPDATE (2/11/09): The Republicans have reportedly embraced the Taliban's tactics in their defense of the "Culture Wars".