The Humanist 1000 Summers
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| Martin again waited for the noise levels to abate, then returned to the lectern and gestured toward the large screen at the back of the stage.
"I'm told that we have two gentlemen of note attending the disarmament conference in Bonn today, who would like to say a word to us, this was recorded just one hour ago." He signaled Bent Jespersen to play the short video. The humanist logo dissolved, and the screen came alive as a television interviewer from the BBC introduced the two men together - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and US President Barack Obama, who spoke first. "I think I'm speaking for all of us here at this conference, and certainly for myself and Sec. Gen. Ban when we applaud the emergence of the humanist movement as an inspiration for peace on our planet." Mr. Obama then deferred to Mr. Ban, who continued for him. "We must all be humanists now, whatever else we might be - sharing our world and our destiny in harmony. We congratulate the Humanist Union for its vision and compassion for all of humanity, and we pledge to work with you, as you have so ably done with us, to preserve the home of our species. May we all achieve with you everyone’s dream of a thousand summers on this Earth." The delegates in the hall looked at each other with the same alacrity - what was the reaction going to be to this development, in religiously conservative America, or indeed Asia, that these two world leaders would be so supportive of the young humanist movement? The hubbub in the hall and the rising din of conversation suggested that this was an opportune time to break for lunch. McGlade was given another ovation as he brought the morning session to a close, his mind awash with the intensity of the morning’s events. 30. Home Port Evan and Marnie brought Blond Air around the last point and pointed her toward their anchored buoy in Bally Bay, on the north side of Maurelle Island. It was another sunny morning and the salon windows were all open to clear the boat of smoke, which lingered from Evan's first attempt to make camp toast. He hadn't realized that you can't walk away when you are toasting bread over an open propane flame. The heady aroma of a full breakfast cooked in the old boat mingled nonetheless, and Evan realized again that he was intoxicated with the aromas of diesel, food cooking, people, their homes and their bodies, all living together. When he had arrived at Maurelle the previous fall he had brought with him his middle class preconception that all 'odors' were bad. His short time on the streets of Victoria as a homeless person had only reinforced his distaste for the smell of humans, so deeply ingrained in him by his affluent Seattle upbringing. Now he was looking forward to the richly fragrant cabins and bunk houses around the lake, which had come to signify community and belonging to him. Marnie emerged half-dressed from the forepeak, where they had spent much of the last two days, with a look of mock horror on her face. "Is it safe to come out yet? Shit, where is the fire axe after all, I hate these drills." Evan watched his new lover step into the shower with wonderment. She had impossibly clear skin and the eyes to match, eyes that were innocent yet all-seeing, like an eagle’s they waited and watched and then flashed. He was enamored of the way women went along with everything in this man's world until it reached some sort of logical roundabout, at which time they would invariably state the obvious. Obvious to everybody except men, of course. Marnie was the very embodiment of womanhood, yet fully capable of dealing with the eventualities of a man’s world. And so it had been during this two day cruise along the brilliant paradise that is the British Columbia coast in summer. They had danced and loved - naked, drunk and high - drifting aimlessly with the tide in broad channels for two days, where loud music and bare loins would trouble nobody. His fingers were worn and painful from alternating on Marnie's Larrivee guitar, whose steel strings had taken Evan some time to get used to. He had taught Marnie some basic bossa nova chords, and she had taught him her merengue steps as they danced on the afterdeck before diving off the swim grid in late afternoon. He found his cell phone in his sea bag and turned it back on, knowing full well that there wouldn't be much reception for it until he got up to the mess hall - which he caught himself thinking - …mustn't say mess hall, he reminded himself …it's the cookhouse…Potluck Plaza. They tied Blond Air to her buoy and launched the dinghy, reserving the commune’s small dock space for incoming fishing and supply boats, possibly McGlade’s plane. They walked up to the cookhouse for one last coffee, and to solicit some assistance toward unloading Blond Air. Doug Marshall watched them come in and motioned that he would be joining them. He first went over to his sweater hanging by the door and retrieved his own cell phone, then sat down with a haughty look on his face and asked Marnie if she had heard the news - she cracked that she was ‘even more clueless than usual’. "Have a look-see here," said Marshall "this was on CNN yesterday, about your dad of course. He's not in the video but you might recognize the two guys that are." The video began with the CNN blaze of logos and then displayed the clip that McGlade had received in Amsterdam that week, conveying the congratulations of Barack Obama and Ban Ki-moon. “Wow!” declared Marnie “did they join the Union? Or was that at the convention in Holland?” "Neither," replied Marshall “the President and the Secretary-General were sending their regards from a demobilization summit they were attending in Germany. After this the Christian right in the US is claiming that Obama is an atheist, and that the UN is an antichrist organization. Something like that.” “They're probably right," he conceded, "but your dad has already pointed out to the media that the HU has no position on atheism, or any religion for that matter, so it's all good in terms of educating people on who we are, our policies. We've had a very good week - I thought you were supposed to show up yesterday morning? Jack was here and I was expecting him to do all the work, not me, unloading that old tub in the bay. I’ll get the hand trucks.” “Let's hop to it," offered Evan, "I still have half a roof to put on and it's supposed to rain in two days.” They solicited another volunteer from the breakfast regulars and made their way back down to the dock. 31. Red Stars Dmitri Vasiliev landed at Riyadh Airport with another delicate situation to manage. The Russian gas pipeline ventures, one of which was supposed to be constructed under the Baltic Sea to bypass cantankerous nations on the way to Western Europe, were in financial tatters. Both of them were less than halfway built and their future was increasingly threatened by the growing number of LNG terminals, with tankers bringing fuel from other revenue-starved nations. All of Europe was anticipating becoming independent of the fossil fuels controlled by Russia, Iran and the Saudis. Every second winter it seemed that one or another Baltic nation was freezing in the dark for a month or two as debt-bloated nations stared each other down. The European community was awaiting fusion power to put an end to this instability and strife, to add to the solar power being newly imported by German firms from their Sahara grid. Russia was in the most complex position of any of the players outside of Arabia, due to their own advanced capabilities with nuclear fusion technologies. On the one hand, they had been content to exploit their oil and gas resources, which had carried their economy through a heady period of adjustment and growth following the collapse of communism. The western recession had brought into question the ability of their client nations to justify or fund the completion or the pipelines - everything was in the shadow of the forthcoming fusion generation. It had been handed to Vasiliev to negotiate a rational path through these exigencies that would leverage Russia's resources and technical abilities. It was almost noon when his driver delivered him to Sharif Al Jaz’ah’s office tower. By agreement, Vasiliev remained in the car until the Saudi minister came down to greet him, and they would drive back out into the desert about 10 km, where they left the limousine with its bodyguards and driver to walk alone, along an irrigated avenue of grass that stood in stark contrast to the unforgiving sand. "I'm here to discuss a very sensitive proposal with you, Sharif.” Vasiliev apologized for the intrusion, but requested that they leave their briefcases behind on the pathway during their conversation. The Saudi official tried not to display his horror at this indignity, but he knew what was at stake and as a diplomat was acquainted with the sometimes over-the-top idiosyncrasies of Russian emissaries. They walked further into the desert for a few minutes more until they were surrounded by dunes and clearly beyond the reach of any communication devices save satellites and God. "Apologies again for these ridiculous measures, someday we can be sane again. We have reached an impasse in Russia around the implementation of nuclear fusion vis-à-vis our fossil fuel resources. Russia shares with the Saudis the sure knowledge that within one decade the economic drivers of our respective economies will be gone. You are aware that the United States refuses to recognize the patent of the Japanese scientist Yamanaka; at least they have done so to date. We have information that their President Obama would like to ratify its observance but that he is being constrained by the usual suspects in Texas, and apparently by a natural gas lobby as well. Our fission clients there are complaining, but… We have other information that Obama is so deeply involved in political turmoil around compliance with the UN directives that any change in American policies toward fusion power is unlikely in the short term." Al Jaz’ah nodded in ready agreement. "Russia at least has other options than oil exports, we Saudis do not - without them we shall once again come under the thumb of Western nations if they deign to grant us any notice at all. We are doomed to fall into what they call their ‘sphere of influence’ one more time, where we were mired a century ago under the thumbs of the Turks, the Germans and the British. We cannot go back there and we shall not, and we are ready to work with Russia if you can provide us with a dimension or alternatives that we do not currently have…” Vasiliev remained serious. "We are in discussions with Mr. Yamanaka around the recognition of his patent. In confidence, Russia is capable of going forward with nuclear fusion by itself, but Mr. Yamanaka's process is indisputably an advance and we would prefer to work with him rather than face a competitor. What I am here to discover is whether or not Saudi Arabia and other Arab states can join together with Russia in implementing Mr. Yamanaka's technology throughout your region. This would be a marriage of your ability to capitalize this venture by yourselves, before it is too late, of Russia's technical and diplomatic assistance to Mr. Yamanaka to build the next generation of production reactors here for you, while all three parties share in the revenues attending the production of deuterium and the licensing of the patent to all the treaty blocs. It is that revenue that can guarantee the future of Saudi Arabia as it transitions from fossil fuels to a fusion-based economy." Al Jaz’ah appeared circumspect but inside his mind was racing. He realized that Russia was on a mission here to borrow money, perhaps nothing more than that, yet at the same time here was a proposal to partner with the European commodities storehouse, within a definitive project to make this desert bloom. He might be able to diversify the Saudis beyond oil. "You are of course aware of our own present relationship with Mr. Yamanaka and the pilot reactor on the Red Sea. Are you requesting access to that facility without Mr. Yamanaka's knowledge? We already have a plan in place to fund and develop the next generation of reactors for our region, with or without the cooperation of any European or American authorities or technical teams. How would it benefit Saudi Arabia and our Arab sister states if we included Russia in our boardroom?" "I can only advise you that Russia is more advanced along your timeline right now than you might expect," Vasiliev deadpanned. "I can assure you that we are not trying to piggyback Russia into your established projects gratuitously, we have equal, identical, and in some instances superior technologies to your Red Sea implementation, as an example. What we are proposing in essence is a three-way partnership to build out legally patented processes using the intellectual and capital resources of the three parties. Nothing more than that." The Saudi raised his eyebrows slightly and queried "And what of the French - they think they own the nuclear business in this part of the world - and the US won't be sitting on the fence forever. Even the British are making overtures that their mathematical equation sets out of ITER are distinctly more efficient and safer. What are we going to make of these parties - how do they participate?" Vasiliev was dismissive, wagging his finger. "The French, the British, the Dutch, the Americans - none of them have fully come to terms with the United Nations directives yet. They're still arguing as if this was 2007. We've had a financial revolution over the past few years that dwarfs any other and I'm not confident that those countries have digested that yet. What I'm proposing is that we seize the high ground, take the high road in championing Mr. Yamanaka's patent, while defending the international patent system, intellectual property, which differentiates us from China and India and is largely unanticipated by the West. They have perhaps come to expect subterfuge from Russia, cronyism from Saudi Arabia - whatever." The Saudi was unconvinced. "And how are ordinary Russians viewing this genuflecting to the UN, this wholesale disarmament, this wave of humanism that just about everybody else that I discussed this with expects may dissipate at any moment? Why do you think China will continue to tacitly support the hegemony of the UN?" Vasiliev smiled. "That's an easy question - the United Nations represents central authority, a secular authority in service to its citizenry. For countries like China and Russia and in Saudi Arabia if I might speculate - our citizens have always been comfortable with authority, they see it as indicative of a mature society.” Al Jaz’ah turned and began to retrace their footsteps back to Vasiliev's briefcase and the car in the distance, but before they returned, the Russian made one more offer. “Russia will work with you to make Saudi Arabia the leading supplier of deuterium, right from your Red Sea reactors, and we will partner with Egypt too in your joint venture to convert it into an Arabian lake. The Red Sea will become your new oil fields.” “I shall speak to the King and contact you directly for any clarifications." 32. Grumbling The Chinese ambassador to the UN was again lunching with Ban Ki-moon, as had been occurring with increasing frequency in response to the UN directives and events in America. After the Chinese monetary reserves had fallen by more than half with the decline of the US dollar in recent years, relations between China and America had grown to be increasingly at arm's length. Often this meant negotiating via the UN on economic, political and military matters, which was not a comfortable option for the inward-looking Chinese. Li Yin was in a serious mood, Ban detected, and he decided to listen more than was usual during their amicable repasts. "First, I seeing reports of large U.S. Navy activity in mid-Pacific, and on West Coast. Their main naval base Japan at capacity with vessels, our satellites report more attack submarines at sea. At same time our diplomatic corps notice no incidents or situations account for this. So I reporting to you we having difficulty rationalizing disarmament with western powers, perhaps understand our puzzlement. This happened before, US used to play war games with Russia, no provoked, not happened for thirty years, see no reason for this." Ban shrugged to indicate that it was of concern, but the first that he had heard of such manoeuvres. Li continued in a somewhat calmer tone. "Let me thank you for UN rescheduling canton directives, or mechanisms I think describe them now. Our government has no understanding or accepting what this mean to China over time. In meantime is to elevate Tibet repatriation to fever level. This all so hard, but I bring for you China's resolve to continue process, support of UN and full funding and disarmament as first priority. We in solidarity with rest of Asia these items and feel Western Europe and South America also in accord. Once America, Russia, India, others make plain progress these matters I suppose we relax, take comfort in developments. But now military actions of America and refusal to accept your Uno, for example into IMF basket currencies to replace dollar - seems US always cause trouble somewhere." The Secretary-General sadly acknowledged his words. “The internal opposition toward the United Nations within the US is frightening and appears to be growing. I believe that the UN is being blamed for the 4N boycott simply because of our own longstanding disarmament initiatives; they preceded the Supreme Court decision that opened the door to our funding. We are being tarred with the same brush and I fear that President Obama - it's all he can do to keep things under control. I feel great empathy for that man, who is so patently nonviolent yet faced with every kind of hooliganism and vigilantism that the worst elements in America seem to regurgitate at any opportunity. I don't know if there's any precedent in history for such a fifth column to be present in such an advanced nation...” Li barely understood the more-learned man's sentences, but knew that he agreed. "I concerned about continuance 4N boycott too, we assure Americans we not participate once we absolved, ceased all sanctions any party, anyway. We sensitive to partners and those policies, show agreement for their side too. This very difficult, I hope Americans get house in harmony soon. I imagine how difficult for UN too, how threatens security revolution when just beginning." Ban’s face hardened. "I'm doing everything I can to moderate the rate of change, so that all parties can comply with our new hierarchy - it will serve no purpose for the UN to get ahead of itself. We must be patient and sensitive to all parties in these new arrangements, to their difficulties, as you mention, as we journey toward compliance. I'm glad that you are more comfortable with the relaxation of the canton provisions, those are just an appeal option now, as you do understand, for aggrieved populations - something for The Hague to deal with and not the UN General Assembly. I'm much relieved at that change and believe that we have a thousand summers to work on that process. It might take that long for Tibet..." "You congratulate McGlade I notice;” commented Li, ignoring the jibe, "and religionists in America take great offense. According them you now exposed as humanist communist, perhaps talking to me too much!" he laughed. "Yes, and Mr. Obama apparently is the Antichrist, whatever that is. I would be gratified if these people could someday understand like McGlade that humanism has nothing to do with religion, that the United Nations has nothing to do with communism, but we all have everything to do with the human community." Li noted the stern pride with which Ban delivered the simplest homilies. "You say very well, I may be humanist myself, perhaps communist too, but for sure I am human, devoted like yourself one world community. We have it!" Ban took a freshly minted Uno from his pocket and placed it by his plate as they rose to leave. A passing waiter pounced on it, was clearly puzzled by its UN logo, but gratified by its hefty weight and consigned it to his pocket. It would be the first of many more. 33. Confirmation May Biersten's decision to become a humanist arose more or less spontaneously, her tolerance driven ashore by the vitriol directed at her by American right wing patriots and jingoists. After her initiative aimed at that country's weapons culture, she had been variously accused of being godless, un-American and a traitor. As a professor of international law at the University of Washington for more than thirty years, she became disaffected by the tacit silence around world federalism, first during the Cold War and then during the recurring Republican presidencies. She explained her decision to her fellow UW faculty member Maraysha Plavsic, who was seated beside her on the morning plane from Washington to Seattle. "I had been raised in a good protestant home, but never taking too much of the good book seriously in my youth, like so many others. That's pretty much where my faith sat until I got farther into my legal, and then university, careers and I sort of had to declare my cards. The same way you had to hide your sexuality, publish or perish or whatever it took, to get along as a tenured professor. I was coping. So far so good, in fact I was sixty years old before I began to review my own identity. With the advent of the George Bush presidencies the situation became more acute; my disarmament advocacy came in for official criticism. At that time, speaking of the United Nations one day displacing the US as the prime mover in international affairs was simply anathema, but still I retained my disguise of being a little old protestant lady, and who should care whether I was a fundamentalist or not. But then one day at a press conference in Washington, a rowdy one centered on the possibility that the Supreme Court and Obama might actually consider expanding the second amendment during their fall session in reaction to gruesome gun massacres, one small thing happened to change my thinking.” Her gaze was steely. “I was answering a straightforward question about the separation of church and state, about the conflicted role of Christianity in American politics, that was so evident during those years - I hadn't even finished my preamble, as it were when a prominent, longtime member of the press corps muttered through clenched teeth that "you sound like a goddamn humanist." I was insulted by the tone of his remark, yes, but didn't really let on, I don't think. I resolved to consider what he had said, for the first time, and whether I might indeed be one. I had seen mentions of McGlade’s efforts pop up in web salons." Biersten paused with their own thoughts as she looked out the plane window at the morning sun lighting the mountaintops far below. "And what was your conclusion?" inquired Plavsic, afraid that Biersten might leave it there. "I looked up humanism in Wikipedia and then again in the Encyclopedia Britannica, which had a very palatable summary of it, from its origins back in classical Greece. I noted that it began with a sense of freedom and independence that the ancient Greeks felt, as they moved away from their plethora of gods and pantheistic icons, then it re-emerged as Renaissance humanism beginning with Petrarch in Italy, through the age of Enlightenment and the Reformation in England and finally into the 20th century versions highlighted by their various manifestos. I was impressed by the concept that humans were sensing and celebrating an essential independence from the supernatural, and from organized religion. And what was more important, moving their interest await from deities and over onto their own kind. Yes, I was excited by that fact - or was it disappointed? - that humanism is for some reason underexposed among our species on this planet. Now I’m starting to talk like I are one," she smiled. Directory: wp-content -> uploads -> 2015 2015 -> Police Militarization 2015 -> 2015 ihbb championships: hs history Bowl Round 4 – Prelims First Quarter 2015 -> Wrtp/big step · 3841 W. 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