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The Babri mosque's destruction triggered some of India's worst religious riots [File, AFP]

Uproar over India mosque report

The findings of an inquiry into the controversial destruction of a mosque by Hindu mobs that triggered bloody religious riots in the early 1990s has been tabled in the Indian parliament amid noisy disruptions from opposition members.

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Iraq war inquiry opens in UK

A public inquiry into the UK's role in the Iraq war has opened in London, with former civil servants first to appear in hearings that will climax with Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, taking the stand.

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The Philippines president has declared a state of emergency in the south following the killings [AFP]

Arroyo vows justice over massacre

Gloria Arroyo, the Philippine president, has said "no effort will be spared" in the hunt for those behind what is believed to have been a politically-driven massacre in the south of the country.

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Sri Lanka general to mount poll bid

Sri Lanka's former military chief will challenge his former boss Mahinda Rajapakse, the incumbent president, in the country's presidential election, an opposition party has said.

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Pakistani forces blame the recent spate of attacks in Peshawar on fighters in Barra, Khyber agency [AFP]

Pakistan launches Khyber offensive

Pakistan's military has launched a major offensive in the northwest Khyber agency, imposing a 24-hour curfew and a shoot-to-kill policy.

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Interethnic violence in DR Congo has claimed the lives of 60,000 people since 1999, NGOs say [EPA]

DR Congo war crimes trial begins

Two Congolese men accused of directing an attack on a village, during which at least 200 people were killed, women raped and child soldiers allegedly recruited, have gone on trial in The Hague.

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Carte Blanche said their undercover reporter was the target of questioning because of his race [AFP]

South Africa deports Israeli 'spy'

South Africa has deported an Israeli airline official following allegations that Israel's secret police, Shin Bet, have been operating in Johannesburg's international airport.

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Aug 08 2008
Is our competitive spirit hurting our civilization? | Print |  E-mail
By Rachael Bliss   
Do you think we'll ever achieve peace through nonviolence? Or, in other words, will humans ever realize that they can live a healthier, happier life if they cooperate other than compete?

Seems to me that competition is related to the Protestant Work Ethic.

And how are they similar? Both serve to create more products that use more resources and get us all just a little more exhausted.

I know a person who quit his job because he was too competitive. He wanted to call the shots consistently, and when that didn't go over too well with his bosses, he told them where to go, and started his own business where no one would draw the line on what he could or couldn't do for the good of the organization.

So to this day, that person loses sleep, cashes in all his life's savings, runs up his credit card bills, strips himself of most of his collateral, all so his new business can outshine the place where he used to work.

So folks, I think it's the testosterone in them (both sexes).  I can't imagine a world where there is no competition. Whereas, if those competitive folks would just shed a little of their pride, they may be able to enjoy life a little more. They could find joy in the fact that their group completed a feat that will help man and womankind. Or they may rejoice in the fact that a number of groups made this world a better place to live.

I really think that this competitive spirit to win, to be on top, is unhealthy. There doesn't have to be winners. In fact, there should be more sharers. People need to enjoy the wonders of this universe and this planet by deeply breathing in its wonders, by taking time from work to notice the small things, to appreciate one's family and to watch the kids grow.

Instead, our capitalistic system uses the tendency for some people to be competitive to get more from their workers, so the owners of the corporations can make more money for themselves and their stock holders, so they all can be richer and have more prestige than those of the other corporations. They basically "use" the little guy by squeezing him, draining him, smashing him (or her), just so they can at last hold that little trophy that says they gave the most and won the most.....maybe a promotion or just a slap on the back.

We could probably argue until the cows come home on whether humans are innately competitive or cooperative. So let's go one step beyond that.

How about if we just look at the facts. We have been a competitive society for a long time. Yes, there have been some successes in the meantime. But who's to say that those successes couldn't have been possible if we had just cooperated? Maybe through cooperation, more people would have survived cancer or AIDS, maybe more families would have enjoyed Mom and Dad being in the home more, maybe more resources would have been saved for the needs of our grandchildren down the road. Maybe not so many Indians would have been killed in the settlement of my country.

My suggestion: Let's try ten years of complete cooperation. Let's outlaw competition. For just ten years. If things don't improve, then we can go back to competition.

But I have a feeling that folks, once they channel their skills and talents into cooperation for just a year or two, most will say that the latter is the better. And life will improve for all of us. And our earth will thank us, along with the families and societies that live on it.

Try it. You might like it yourself. Let's do it for the next generation's sake. Don't we always tell them to share? Maybe they can keep in mind that advice as they work in the real world later on.

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