In this article I’ll try to suggest how would Salvor Hardin solve the problem of the Gaza Strip people (see also The Salvor Hardin plan for Syrian-Israeli peace).
E.E. “Doc” Smith’s Second Stage Lensman, chapter 22 “The Taking of Thrale” describes how the 2nd stage Lensman Nadreck (one of the goodies) performs psychological manipulations on the people of the planet Onlo (one of the groups of the baddies). The result of those manipulations was that once provoked, all people of Onlo slaughtered each other with the exception of three commanders, who then were slain by Nadreck.
Given Gaza’s Culture of Self-Destruction, it may be possible to design propaganda, a framework of blackmailings and bribes, manipulations and provocations, analogous to fictional Nadreck’s methods, such that the Gazans will kill each other in an orgy of frenzied assassinations – as long as there are people who adhere to the self-destruction culture. This may eliminate Gaza Strip as a problem for Israel.
There are precedents from the Roman Empire – they employed the Divide and Rule strategy for subjugating rebellious people, such as the Jewish nation about 2000 years ago. However they didn’t go as far as inciting a people to commit self-genocide.
There is the question whether the Onlo solution to the Gaza problem would be moral. To settle this question, consider the following.
- The Gazans strive to kill Israelis. Israel has a right to self-defense.
- If the psychological manipulations are properly designed, they would work only on those who follow the culture – exactly those people that are dangerous to Israel.
- Neither Israel nor the rest of the world have the resources to deprogram all Gazans and peacefully eliminate their culture. So this problem is equivalent to the problem of dealing with a plague of infectious disease, for which the available economic resources may produce a cure only for very few people.
- The Gaza Strip happenings may serve as a lesson to the Moslems worldwide, getting them to reject militancy and turning all branches of Islam into truly peaceful religions. This could save more lives than any lost in Gaza Strip.
