The importance of moderation.

Arguing and losing one’s temper may be hard to avoid at times but it is moderation that brings us to our senses. No matter how spectacular the row, we can be reconciled by moderation but it requires guts, and the ability to see ‘the big picture’, to reach that point. By not understanding our duties to keep a lid on things we only cause hurt and bitterness to ourselves and others.

The people of Israel and the Gaza militants should be aware of the need to be moderate, otherwise the alternative is destruction. In recent weeks the Israeli’s have been bombing Gaza. In order to try and get a glimmer of knowledge on the problems there, it is EXTREMELY important that a moderate position is adhered to. In Dublin, last week, the Irish ‘Friends of Israel’ group marched to Leinster House only to be confronted by pro-Palestinian activists. Unfortunately there were some unseemly scenes and, even if no-one was injured, it was a sad and sorry event. Thousands of miles from Gaza, in a different country, the same factional conflict was being replicated – horrible.

The gas being brought through Europe from Russia is of vital importance to us. Even more so to the eastern European nations, closer to Russia. These countries frequently suffer harsh winters of sub-zero temperatures. If negotiations had failed, in allowing the importation of gas, many people would quite literally freeze. Moderation is essential in a situation like that.

Our neighbours in Ulster would never be co-operating together in government if it weren’t for the ending of republican violence alongside the recognition of the rights of nationalism by Unionists and the ‘peace process’ has given the opportunity for Ulster folk to take more of a responsibility for their lives. A positive development.

But not only eastern Europe and Northern Ireland have benefited from moderation, central Europe is no longer in conflict. Flanders is now at peace. In the aftermath of World War Two, a war in which many millions died, Europe was divided. It is now, in 2009, more united than ever. Most of the rowing is now not about territorial control: German – Franco relations couldn’t be closer and that is a stunning achievement when you consider the wars fought through the centuries between these two fine countries.

No, the problems Europe faces now are mainly to do with economic matters. England and France will never go to war over the ‘Common Agriculture Policy’. There are different ways of objecting these days. Indeed so united is Europe that it has its own currency in most of its member states – the Euro. We have come a distance and that is due to moderation.

Difficulties, no matter how bad, cannot be remedied without moderate ideas coming to the fore. Indeed the world will be in constant paralysis without the George Mitchell’s (NI peace process), Kofi Annan’s (United Nations) or the Nelson Mandela’s of this world – all moderate men. It is true ‘united we stand, divided we fall’. Moderation is the Holy Grail, it is not through extremism that humanity develops. If only more of us could understand this we would all be better for it. We would be free to love and not to hate.