
I attended because I felt I needed to hear and see what the world leaders are saying in order to keep my people safe. Fortunately, we have been of little economic use to anybody, so we’ve been left in peace, mostly, for that last three hundred fifty-years. The world is changing, our weather patterns have changed, I see more global violence, and because of the internet and air travel, the world is growing smaller. These are the reasons I wanted a personal look at what the great leaders have to say.
I listened to President Obama give his speech. I watched his gestures and even used opera glasses to allow me to watch his eyes. I can honestly say his speech was one of the finest I’ve ever heard. He speaks eloquently. His bearing and presence are dignified and impressive. He represents his country very well. I for one would like to see his country live up to the fine words.
As a child, I admired fine speeches. One of my hobbies was reading the speeches made by important men. As a man, I’ve learned that fine words that cover over violations of the rights of the ordinary citizens are not so fine as they seem.
I also listened to President Putin’s speech. It also was very fine although in many respects he did not present himself as well as President Obama. I confess, in my gut he seemed to me the more approachable. I found myself fanaticizing about asking him to spar with me and show me his martial arts moves, but a person such as I am does not have the opportunity to speak to the Putins, Obamas, Merkles, Hollands or Camrons of his world. I have met Prime Minister Harper on several occasions, but we are not currently on speaking terms.
As I listened and watched, I also thought about those events that were discussed openly and those events only mentioned obliquely. I began to see that we would have much less violence in this world if those who call themselves leaders could manage to adhere to a few basic principles.
The first principle is what my son calls the Prime Directive, thou shalt not interfere in the internal affairs of any other nation or culture. The invasion of other sovereign nations should be a sign that the leader promoting such an invasion is not fit to lead. Almost all of the suffering in my country has been the direct or indirect result of foreign invasions dressed up in the word colonialism. As I watch international affairs I see that much of our violence begins with one country invading another either directly or though a coup such as was directed against my government.
My second principle is that any leader or government that opens fire on the general citizenry is not fit to lead or govern. I don’t care what excuse is offered for the shelling of a village or a building or for driving armored vehicles through town shooting all who cannot run or hide. I will include hiding behind closed doors and sniping at protestors as an indication of a failed government unfit to govern. I speak as someone who governs people who consider rioting a national pastime. I have two provinces full of people who would dearly love to assassinate the people of the other provinces. Still, I have not and will not fire on those insufferable bigots.
Now, here is the part that I think many prominent leaders do not get. When a government fails to meet the minimum standard of not killing their own citizens, it is not an excuse for greater powers to join the killing. They might or rather do have a duty to seek to advise, but to forcefully overthrow a foreign government is just not acceptable. Curiously, when my own emperor was purging my city, greater powers did not even recognize the problem. No. It is only when a country is of use to those greater powers that those leaders call themselves humanitarian and kill people at rate the local government never considers.
My third principle is that civil war is unthinkable. When my people were fighting to establish equal rights, we took our grievances before the courts. It took us many years to gain equality, but I am proud of my people for making the transition peacefully. When people are of the same nation they must band together as brothers and sisters to help the whole nation prosper. Those who wish to promote their own power and wealth at the expense of the laboring class, or another ethnic group, or another religious group, or another region are traitors to their country whether or not they have the blessings of their government. These traitors should be hauled before the courts on every charge thinkable until there is equality in the land.
I shake my head and wonder at those who think they have the right to meddle in the affairs of another country simply because their country spends more on their weapons than other perhaps more civilized countries do. I will stand by my priorities to educate and care for the needs of my people. In this fashion I believe I do fight terrorism by not giving violent anger and hate a foothold among my people.
“Is that all you intend to do to fight terrorism?” you might ask. This is my way. Being a humble man from a small insignificant country, I have had at my dinner table other leaders from other small countries. These leaders like me would never find themselves at the table of a more powerful leader. We talk strategies for preventing terrorism within our borders. Where necessary, I have tried to model the type of leadership that embraces love for all my people, respect for and the need for equal rights for women, and an emphasis on equality among all citizens. These are the building blocks that prevent the societal sickness that breeds terrorism.
Finally, I’d like to thank my dear supporters Dominic Rouseff and the Corbain family for funding my trip to New York.
Also, thank you to my readers for reading my remarks and evaluating them against my record of constant striving for peace and social justice in my own nation.