Our Announcements
Sorry, but you are looking for something that isn't here.
Posted by admin in Dr.Mahboob A. Khawaja, OPINION, OPINION LEADER, Pakistan Think Tank Opinion Leaders Forum on March 26th, 2022
Cynicism about politics is endemic across all cultures. When intelligent people think and plan war, it negates the very human nature of reasoned mind at peace within its own consciousness and balanced tranquility. The earth trembles with continuous shelling and bombing, sirens sound alarms of coming of killer hypersonic missiles, frightening thought of deaths and destructions and common citizens wonder where to hide in safety across Ukraine. Russian military operatives deny shelling the civilian habitats but civilian causalities on the ground in Mariupol, Khraiv and Kiev speak another language as if Ukraine and Russia live in conflicting time zones being unable to understand the reality of human existence, peace and survival. The perpetuated chaos and nationalistic ideals of the few are leading to collapsed civilizations and resumption of dark ages. Could wars be ever the source of conflict resolution or peacemaking? No matter how time exists in a frozen intellect, Reason will haunt the present and future generations if war was a prelude to peace-making. What are the so called intelligent leaders of NATO, America or the EU waiting for? Is America, the EU and NATO waiting and watching how Russia and Ukraine will end up in this cruel insanity of war? Or what advanced weaponry is being used by Russia to annihilate another neighbour? Is Ukraine a test ground for any futuristic planning and administration of more insane conflicts? Surely, men who are universally hated and feared are active in this staged drama of embittered insanity against a helpless nation and people. The need of time is urgent for the Russian and Ukrainian leaders to meet face to face and stop the insanity against the people they claim to serve. Those pushing the mankind to war and destruction lack the basic qualities of rational thinking and actions.
We, the People witnessing a planned scheme of things to exterminate humanity with superior weapons hitting targeted civilian towns and daily bloodbath as a new normal. Have we not learned any lessons from the European nationalistic wars of First World War and the 2nd World War? We, the Humanity continue to argue if wars have become part of new normal – unknown and unthinkable to human civilizations and rational thinking. We, the People are entrapped and entrenched by dirty politics of the few. It needs a formidable challenge to rethink about the continuity of the current tragedy in Ukraine.
Few egoistic politicians are destroying the living beings, the earth and human habitats without any reasoning. Leaders are violating the TRUST of keeping the planet’s safety to its Nature of Things. The planet Earth is not a dead orbiting object but a living entity providing continuous nourishment to human life and existence and to all other living beings. Its governing laws are defined by its Creator. Dead things do not sustain life in this context but livings do make the difference. When individuals and nations start acting like wild beasts in complete disregard to the accepted norms of human values and ethical principles, surely, it impacts all and everything whether we acknowledge it or not. No humans can become God or act like God – a plain fact of life. We, the People are witnessing many leaders acting like beasts without any regard to protect human cultures, life and civilizations. Global politicians are increasingly showing perpetuated ignorance and wilful arrogance in their policies and practices. None of the leading superpowers appear to be heeding to warnings from God. When people and nations challenge the sanctity and limits of the Laws of God and violate all known norms and principles of human behavior, they could well become an object of unthinkable natural calamities, deaths and destruction.
All the Divine Books of the Abrahamic Faith – TheTorah, The Holy Bible and The Qur’an are full of such revelations and warnings as REMINDERS to those people who are open to listening and learning and care for accountability and the future. These are staunch warnings to change the thinking and behavior or else could face the ultimate consequences of demise as it happened to all self-claiming adventurous and powerful kingdoms, dynasties and nations of the past. Russia leading the War, not a “Military Operation”, against Ukraine, is facing critical crises of rationality and legitimacy of war for its survival and socio-economic and political future but likewise this is what most other Western leaders too lack understanding and realities of the real world affairs. Ukraine and its people must be protected and should not be allowed to vanish in the dust of shelling and hypersonic Russian weaponry.
Sanctity of human life is grounded in realization of peace, dialogue and co-existence. A rational analytic approach would compare things to figure out the difference between truth and falsehood, cruelty and piety often not combined in one character. After four weeks of warmongering, Russia and Ukraine are active, living and not destroyed. The on-going onslaught makes no sense to rational thinking and political accountability. American, European and NATO leaders appear more like spectators rather than active participants to conflict resolution and peace-making. They are not posing any challenge to the absurdity of one-sided war on Ukraine. Their lip service to aid Ukraine and its people is mere a repetitive cry for public consumption. It is a challenging time and question of survival and its urgency must be understood by those having power and influence to call for an immediate ceasefire and warn of the dire consequences for its failure.
America, Europe, Russia and NATO’s historic record is plagued with violence and extravagant ideas to have invaded and killed millions and millions across the Middle East, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and elsewhere. Lacking rationality of a just war, they have killed and displaced millions of people in Iraq and Afghanistan and Syria. Their claims of piety and credibility for the good are full of lingering suspicion and discard to be the office bearers of peace and security of the world. The need is urgent to foster a peaceful dialogue between Russia, Ukraine, America and NATO or else lack of rational imagination and action could destroy the national freedom and sovereignty of Ukraine. It is imperative that people of Ukraine should not be left to a terrible sense of helplessness, inhumanity and insanity to lose their national freedom. The voices of reason are loud and clear as global humanity cannot suffer the penalties of tyranny and war-mongering. We, the People draw rational results what we see and what we hear, therefore, we are different, we are responsible and we cannot act or live animals. There is a moral sense of spirituality and humanity to co-exist in harmony with the rest of all creations on this Earth.
Modern wars represent sadistic and cruel minds to undermine human rights, dignity and life. They destroy all that is built over the ages that we call human civilizations. All of the Abrahamic Faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam) reveal the truth of “Trust” – human beings took to be responsible and be at peace with the Nature of Things. Any favorite perversion would contradict this Trust and embark on killing and destruction of human habitats as history has witnessed during the Two WW, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and ongoing in Yemen. This TRUST and its reminder are explicitly mentioned in (The Qur’an, Chapter 33: 72):
“We did indeed offer the Trust to the Heavens and the Earth; And the mountains but they refused; To undertake it, being afraid thereof: But man undertook it; He was indeed unjust and foolish.”
The Earth is a living entity and is meant for us – the human beings. We, the People wonder who else except God created life, the Earth and the living Universe floating in space well balanced and functional since time immemorial. If Immanuel Kant’s ‘Perpetual Peace’ was taken seriously, today’s Russia, America and Europe would have been at peace and avoided the proxy war within themselves and with the global community. The sudden and inexplicable plunge into continued war will dehumanize the global culture of rational thinking and actions. We, the People of the globe reject the violent assumptions of a just war against the people of Ukraine. The crush for war is instinctively part of human ignorance and arrogance. Ferocious conceptions of a war and usage of advanced weaponry will destroy the Earth and living environment. Nothing will grow out of the bombed lands and charcoaled human communities as it reflects in Mariupol, Kyv and Khariv. Those talking of crimes against humanity are simply uttering words without actions. The essence of time and urgency calls for a reasoned dialogue for peace, not for blame games. One wonders why Russia was evicted from G-8 and why a meeting of G-20 could not be arranged in an emergency situation. The Western leaders (America, NATO and the EU) have the capacity and moral obligation to call for an immediate end of hostilities between Russia and Ukraine. The failure to hostilities must define the consequences and accountability. The atrocities of war must stop immediately and sanctity of human life and habitats must be assured by all within the global systems of political governance.
Dr. Mahboob A. Khawaja specializes in international affairs-global security, peace and conflict resolution with keen interests in Islamic-Western comparative cultures and civilizations, and author of several publications including the latest: One Humanity and the Remaking of Global Peace, Security and Conflict Resolution. Lambert Academic Publications, Germany, 12/2019.
Posted by admin in CURRENT EVENTS, Europe, RUSSIA, Ukraine on March 19th, 2022
“Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe.” – Frederick Douglass
Obtaining Situation in Ukraine
Biden has announced a $ I billion military aid package and decided to send long range anti-aircraft guns to Ukraine. NATO has increased its forces on the eastern flank of Russia in the Baltic States, but has no plans to send troops into Ukraine. Physical clashes and battle of minds are raging and both sides are slapping sanctions. Much against the expectations of Putin of a short and swift outcome, the war is dragging on and President Zelensky is not giving up. Moscow-Kiev parleys are going on, but Zelensky has not agreed to the Russian demand of making Ukraine a neutral country. He is egging on the US and NATO to send forces and is equating the situation to Pearl Harbor.
Third World Wooed
The USA and Russia are trying to win over as many countries of the third world to their side to swing the diplomatic balance on their side.
Russia and China stand on a higher moral ground to win the support of the countries of Asia, Middle East and Africa since they were not harmed by the two. China in particular has been helping the debt ridden and low income countries by providing easy loans for social programs, developing infrastructure and improving their economies.
Russia helped Iran in its missile/ nuclear programs and in easing sanctions, and had a key role in saving the Assad regime in Syria.
Both Russia and China are against the fascist and racist policies of the US and Israel, apartheid, the capitalist system and the monopoly of petrodollars.
On the other hand, prejudice, malice and discrimination against the non-whites have been the guiding principles of the western world. The only exception is India, or their close allies like Japan and South Korea. Putin has called the west an empire of lies.
Today the West has no reason and justification to cry foul and dub Russia as a war monger and an aggressor since Russia didn’t for once step into the backyard of USA, nor meddled into the internal affairs of other countries, or brought about regime changes through proxy wars and clandestine operations, or imposed sanctions on any country.
USA’s Policy of Sanctions
“Remember when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received, only what you have given, a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice and courage.” – St. Francis of Assisi
To compel Russia to pull out its troops, the US and EU took no time to impose a series of tough sanctions on Russia, and have closed airspaces for the Russian air movement. Anything Russian has been boycotted. The US has told Europe not to buy oil and gas from Russia. Russia’s $ 300 billion have been frozen. Purpose is to isolate Russia, crash its economy and bleed it to death through sanctions. Fifth columnists in Russia have been activated by the CIA to create trouble. Consequently, Russia has become the most sanctioned country after Iran.
Bugles of Pax-Americana sounded by George Bush after 9/11 have now been blown by Joe Biden. He has made it clear to the allies to submit to the US dictates or get perished. Neutrality is not an exercisable option.
Moscow-China’s Foreplaning
Russia is not wilting since in collusion with its strategic partner China, it had foreplaned how to deal with the hardships of sanctions.
Russia has amassed some $600 billion, yuan and gold in reserves, stored huge stacks of grain and other commodity items, and reduced its trade in dollars by 50%. Russia has replaced visa and master cards with Chinese cards.
China and Russia are trying to build an alternative monetary system in order to overcome the dilemma of sanctions imposed on Russian banks.
China’s central bank operationalized its digital yuan CBCD in 2015 to break the monopoly of petrodollars in trade of oil and gas through US controlled SWIFT. China’s System for Transfer of Financial Messages (SPFS) is equivalent to the SWIFT financial transfer system developed in 2014. SPFS is likely to be integrated with China based Cross Border InterBank Payment System (CIPS).
The Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) and China have agreed to design the mechanism for an independent international monetary system. China’s forex reserves are $3222.4.
Gas supply to Germany from Gazprom has been cut off by Russia.
In case Russia and China succeed in importing and exporting oil and gas in ruble, yuan and gold, it will cause a deadly blow to the power of the dollar.
Sanctions are painful but have never been productive. They proved ineffective against Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, North Korea and Venezuela and wouldn’t bend Putin.
USA’s Relations with Arabs & Iran
Some cracks have appeared in the US relations with Saudi Arabia and UAE. The two princes didn’t answer the phone calls made by Biden and have declined the US desire to increase production of oil so as to lower oil prices in the international market that have touched $ 140 a barrel. They are going by the policy of OPEC in which Russia is a key member. Saudis and UAE, the two largest oil producing countries are considering trading oil in yuan. Boris Johnson air dashed to Riyadh on 16 March on a one-day visit to convince MBS to enhance the oil production but couldn’t get a commitment. UAE, which has put the F-35 jets deal on hold has been put in the grey list by the FATF.
Iran has made the renewal of the nuclear deal with the US subject to clearance from Moscow. Iran doesn’t want its oil and gas trade with Russia to get affected by the 2015 deal to which Russia is one of the signatory. Russia is among the largest oil producing countries and is the largest producer of gas.
Contrasting Foreign Policies
Although Russia’s past is as sinful as of the west, with Stalin presiding over the massacre of 20 million people in the 1930s, however, after the USSR’s dismemberment in 1991, Russia has not embarked upon any external military adventure, nor has meddled into internal affairs of other countries, or ridiculed Islam. By and large it has pursued a peaceful foreign policy.
Likewise, China also adopted a defensive policy of peace and friendship after 1978, although it is accused of persecuting the Uighur Muslims. Xingjian is being developed at a fast rate so as to curb extremism and separatist movements.
Russia and China increased their spheres of influence in the developing world through peaceful means. Putin adopted friendly policies towards the Muslims in Russia and made Chechnya a close ally.
Conversely, the US used its military might, financial power and diplomatic clout to enlarge its presence all around the globe. War on terror was used as a ploy to rob the resources of the Muslim world and to neo colonize it.
Tools of US Blackmails Against Nations
Sanctions, embargoes, human rights, World Bank, IMF, FATF and proxy wars are other tools of coercion. The UN, ICJ and other world institutions are the US handmaidens.
Islam was ridiculed and demonized by the Western media under a calculated agenda. Caricatures of the Holy Prophet Muhammad PBUH were repeatedly published to injure the feelings of the Muslims and to undermine Islam.
The US has the biggest stockpile of nuclear missiles and well knowing that Russia has the second largest nuclear arsenal with 4497 nukes, the US has constantly been provoking Russia by militarily encircling it and breaching it’s perimeter of security.
The US administration under the hegemony of Military Industrial Complex is anti-peace and pro-war and has established over 800 military bases all over the globe. Since WW 11, the US indulged in 19 wars causing deaths to over 21 million people. It has striven to control the sea lanes in all the oceans, and Eurasia. Domination of global supply chains by the emerging superpower China is one of the major reasons for the US antagonism against China.
The US is a Bully
The US has never directly locked horns with a big power and always chose a weak country to fight and yet never won. The two glaring examples are its humiliating defeats in Vietnam and Afghanistan.
The US has behaved like a bully. It has warned China to stay out of the conflict and not to provide a lifeline to Russia. The US has also made it clear to its allies to cut off relations with Russia.
For the first time the US is provoking the two titans, Russia in Ukraine, and China in South & East China Sea and Taiwan Strait.
Biden declared that the US will defend every inch of NATO territory with full might of a united and galvanized NATO, but will not fight war against Russia since he cannot risk a 3rd WW.
The US-Russia showdown has commenced and the US-China showdown is in the making. Both Pakistan and India will get sucked into the fight of the big elephants.
NATO’s Prestige Smeared
Although the Ukraine crisis has given a new lease of life to the west and has helped in uniting the divided EU and NATO, and both the US and EU are taking punitive steps to pressurize Russia to step back, they have yet to prove whether they can stand up to the challenge and turn the tide.
Russia has exposed the impotence of NATO which has already tarnished its reputation in Afghanistan and the Middle East.
Paranoia in India
India has got hedged between the USA, Russia and China and is finding itself caught between the devil and deep sea. On one side is Russia with which it has had a strategic relationship since the late 1940s. 60-65% of India’s defence equipment is Russian origin and Russia never blackmailed India.
On the other side is the glowering USA to which it had got married in 1990 out of expediency and has been drawing huge economic and military benefits and has been helping it to become a global power. China is closely aligned with Russia and nuclear Pakistan is breathing over its neck in the Himalayas.
Today the US is demanding that India should pay back by severing ties with Russia and also become an effective member of QUAD to counter China’s assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region. For India, joining China-specific QUAD is getting highly risky.
Coming weeks will see whether India bends down to the dictates of the US, or makes another volte face, quits QUAD and reverts to nonalignment and extends a hand of friendship to China and Pakistan.
Reinvigoration of Cold War
The Cold War has reemerged with a big bang and the two belligerent camps are forming up. President Erdogan is eagerly awaiting the revival of the caliphate in 2023 that was terminated in 1924 by the European powers. War mongers and spoilers are pitched against peacemakers. The Ukraine crisis, if not defused, could lead to the worst global economic crisis which will have a catastrophic impact upon the unprivileged classes.
With so many flash points, and the climate crisis due to global warming morphing into an existential threat to humanity, the world has become a powder keg and needs a matchstick in the wrong hands to ignite. Standoff in Ukraine has revived fears of a nuclear clash and possibly a third world war.
Ground Realities
“Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable… Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
The realities that cannot be ignored are that dwarfed Russia has bounced back on the global central stage, China is the emerging superpower and the US is a declining power, and its global hegemony is unsustainable.
Unipolarism has been replaced by multipolarism.
The Zionists and extremist Jews wishing to rule the world, after pitching Christianity against Islam have now pitched USA against Russia, and will soon pitch USA against China. Depopulation of the world is also the Zionist game.
Democracy has waned and Far Right and Far Left have become stronger.
Arms industries of the big powers are contracting huge defence deals with the needy weaker countries, which is adding to the suffering of the deprived classes.
Wars, conflicts, civil strife, intrigues, deceit and lies have become a norm.
Piety, tolerance and forbearance have been replaced by immorality, intolerance and egotism. The world as a whole has become turbulent and insecure.
May Allah guide the megalomaniac powers to follow the path of righteousness, tolerance and co-existence!
Concluded
The writer is retired Brig Gen, war veteran, defence & security analyst, international columnist, author of five books, and 6th book under publication, takes part in TV talk shows and delivers talks on current issues. [email protected]
Posted by admin in INTERNATIONAL, Russia & Ukraine on March 6th, 2022
In an age of Reason, the cause of humanity calls for peace, freedom and respect for human dignity. In a hybrid geo-political culture – part human and part vulture, we are witnessing a forgotten wisdom of human courage and foresight to stand for the protection of human rights, state sovereignty and national freedom as we continue to see a catastrophic evolving war in Ukraine. The man-made emerging war against the innocent people has no place in an inexplicable antiquity and immense scale of irrational purpose for individualistic glory – all appear to be covered in mystery and unfolding irrational policy behavior in global affairs. To ensure and safeguard the vital geo-political interests of global mankind, this unwarranted war must stop on all sides. Leaders on both sides need to acquire an enlightened understanding that in crisis management, effective leaders do not rush to hasty reactionary judgments and naïve conclusions of belligerency and warmongering.
A reflective snap shot of a critical moment in time pulse and movement of history reveals absence of reasoned dialogue for the prevention of the on –going conflict causing massive human casualties, displacement of millions of Ukrainian civilian refugees across Europe, destruction of essential civic infrastructures and furious competitive edge for success in an ugly war between Ukraine and Russia. The latest being an attack on the European biggest nuclear establishment in Ukraine. Its consequences could lead to catastrophic disruption and wipe out an entire population and progress of human civilization simply to satisfy the few sadistic political minds. To glance ahead of the emerging horrifying events coming out of Ukraine, We, The People of global humanity must call for immediate halt to all war machines and lingering suspicion of one-sided peace and triumph. The sudden and inexplicable plunge into insanity of war will not produce any military or psychological gains for violent assumptions plagues with hatred, bias and false claims and counter claims of military superiority, defeats and occupation.
Reference: Image Courtesy NY Post
There are wild and inhuman sciences of Ukrainian people’s suffering and forced displacement to neighboring Poland, Hungary, Moldova and other locations. WE, the People of the globe enjoin immense bonds of understanding for equal rights, friendship and freedom and respect for national integrity of all people and states within the world systems of political affairs. Regardless of geography and history, we are One Humanity and pain inflicted on any parts of the human body gives pain and anguish to the whole body. We, the People cannot be detached from what is happening between Russia, Ukraine NATO and Europe. We must emphasize and enhance our moral and spiritual bonds to remain contacted in solidarity of the suffering masses and refocus on peace and ending the conflict through reason and dialogue. There is no reason to opt for ruthless purging of a democratically elected leader or political governance in Ukraine or Russia or elsewhere in Europe. We, the People of global consciousness must reject politically indoctrinated cynicism becoming an endemic to change the political governance in Ukraine by violent actions of military actions and unwanted war. If Ukraine and Russian political elite could face each at a table and pursue the urgent need for a reasoned dialogue to cure the sickness of military triumph, it will be a welcomed evolutionary development to foresee the end of the current conflict.
Human progress and future-making are jeopardized when lessons of history are deliberately misinterpreted and ignored by the so called intelligent people. If war is the only avenue to seek peace, we are on the wrong side of history and thinking of our future. There are fearsome and ferocious flows of blame game as often used in conflict-making and conflict -keeping situations. NATO and America are implying extensive financial and other sanctions against Russia to halt the on-going war in Ukraine. The action and reaction gamble will result in unthinkable economic, social and political consequences for Russia and America and the EU and others on this planet. Most rational analysts would agree that sanctions would not deter Russia from its stated aims and priorities of the current conflict. Russia appears to be as competent and viable militarily and politically as is America or the EU and NATO in their pursuit of political strategies and goals. The conflict envisages mutual suspicion and distrust in official policies and behavior across the board. To a perceptive eye, this is the real reasoning for the emerging war in Ukraine. It reflects a treacherous mindset to imagine that any one country is powerful enough to dominate another sovereign entity.
Is NATO being managed by people who lived in the distant past and perhaps post WW2 historic culture is still alive and flourishing? Is there any glimpse of hope for change and new reasoned relationships between America, Russia and West Europeans? The future of violence and nationalistic resentment looks embedded into the distorted strategic necessities of the current affairs, be it the argument of Russia or American-led NATO and or the EU on its own. NATO is run by the wrong people, glued to wrong thinking and doing the wrong things without any rational sense of time, people’s interest and history. The waking consciousness and wisdom would demand that Russia, America and NATO and the EU – all active actors in this perplexed game should critically analyze their strength and weaknesses, their aims for freedom and respect for state’s sovereignty, should know who they are and where they are and that global humanity is watching them if they will act wisely for peace or demonstrate abhorrent and ruthless behavior in ensuring a peaceful resolution of the current naive aims of disastrous consequences for all the living mankind.
Global news media represents the pains and sufferings of Ukrainian masses forcibly evicted from their homes and towns moving to take asylum across Eastern Europe. There could be few millions on the move without knowing any safe place or destination or hope for safety. It is self-evident unambiguous experience of human aggressive connotation by the few against the many and all – as it happened during the 2nd World War. Should America, Russia and the EU not learn lesson from the formative and living history? The unreal embodiment of good intentions and piety showed by all in this war, reminds us all that we are not inhabitants of a rational and 21st century knowledge-based civilized world. Perhaps, we are living in a dangerous world of our own making – not differentiating between evil and virtue in human thoughts and behavior. It is fast becoming clear that NATO and the EU failed to grasp the reality of the current conflict and appears unable to help Ukraine for its rights to a be free member of global political systems of states.
Russia and its leaders must realize the humane urgency to agree for an immediate ceasefire and try to resolve the issues through peaceful dialogue and certainly not by conquest of Ukraine. Any violations of mutual relationship will have volcanic consequences to dehumanize the civic Russian principles and values. When noble ideals are misinterpreted, it could drain out all the good qualities of people and leaders. Political reasoning is a shared enterprise within the global systems of governance to which America, Russia and NATO failed to observe. The sanctity of peace and values of human life will encompass open-mindedness and readiness to listen and learn from each other concerns and experience for peace, harmony and viable neighborly relationships. What if President Putin, President Biden and the EU leaders would meet in person and hold dialogue for peace-making and conflict resolution? The violent assumptions of NATO outreach to Eastern Europe and outrageous hypothesis of military confrontations will lead nowhere – certainly not to peace-making or conflict resolution. Who could gain in these mindless and extravagant ideas of power and military warfare? Certainly None. Rationality dictates objective reasons for the good of people, societies and nations. The sudden plunge to cataclysmic destruction of human societies and civilizations by the few is a misleading notion and aims, no matter how powerful they claim to be.
The equality of human beings and states sovereignty synthesizes an equal consideration and treatment of all involved in this warfare. The global awakening of human soul and consciousness demands an immediate ceasefire and return to face to face negation between Russia, Ukraine, NATO and the EU. If they reject, surely, a debacle could swept unthinkable catastrophic consequences and ends for all on this planet.
Isn’t true that intelligent leaders and people always readily accept reasoned advice?