by Veritas Merit

Created on: September 08, 2009   Last Updated: September 13, 2009

Not A Drop To Drink...

All the history of the world predicts people will fight over anything. Fighting begets winners and losers, even if the warriors "settle". Damage is done, losses occur, factions on both sides differ, and the outcome remains tenuous, flawed, and suspect. We know this from the home through to international observations. History records our nature in both micro and macroscopic senses as a preternatural instinct to have not only what we need, but whatever we want.

This leads, then, to several scenarios which can be painted here in bloody and bloodless acts, schemes, negotiations, agreements, contracts, and conciliations. The final outcome remains that always, over time, some win and some lose. At times, the winners become the losers, and back and forth it goes. The pendulum swings, and history records its path.

Given this, wars will indeed be fought over water. Whoever wins, wins for a time - perhaps a long time, but eventually the tide turns and the cycle repeats. Think about how leaders have resolved things in the past. Has any "settlement", whether by aggression or negotiation persevered? Has every treaty been broken, every law turned around, every agreement nitpicked into advantage? I say Yes.

This leads the reader, perhaps, to the opinion that I predict hopelessness regarding the water resources. My point is the opposite. Even facing the reality outlined above, water, pure and clean, can be available to the many, especially to the many, many more than at present. The question then becomes what will those who control the water do to or for those who don't have a plentiful supply of water? Again history and human nature reveals the outcome.

Dependent upon the wants of the haves, the sharing of water simply will be granted, sold, shared, gifted, limited, and controlled to serve those wants. So the truth becomes history, future history, that the have nots will have only what the haves allow. For riches, power, the commodity of the day, the have nots will "purchase" water from the haves. The past, again, predicts the future.

Will everyone have water? I expect not, for in any hierarchy there is a base, a lowest level. No matter the reason, those will struggle, drown in the dryness, scrape or fail. That is what happens to the basest of the have nots. That is the history of humanity on a global scale. That is the history of the universe, if you allow me to extend my reach. Wars will be fought for water. Negotiations as well will mark the record of accomplishment. Winning and losing and the cycle of promise and despair will dictate who drinks and who thirsts.

Should science develop the technology to turn the seas into pure and healthy H2O, then it may slow the winning and losing cycle. Yet, even in this world of plenty the cycle will continue. The developers, maintainers, and business gurus who head the decision-making machines in the board rooms of world Economy will certainly set the standards, twist the arms of the leaders, and do what they always have done: turn the spigots of supply and demand.

Simply, in the land of the thirsty, the one who has the jug "rules".

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