that made me laugh, it's funny and so horribly true.

In the world of bridge, partnering is key.  If you can form a good partnership you will do well.  If you cannot form a good partnership it doesn't matter how well you play you will not win.  So how do you make a good partnership?  it's pretty simple, you need to cooperate with each other.

Shouldn't be too hard should it?  yes it is.  yes it is.  terms like seniority and captaincy should give you a clue.  North is better than South, East is better than West.  Number of points, years of playing, who you know.  They don't even realise they're doing it half the time - competing with their partner.  You can just about hear them thinking tho, damn I'm the senior partner it's my contract, and yet you need to be precise and flexible, the captaincy of one hand even can change during the bidding process let alone over all the hands.

I tell you, the people in a bridge club who are capable of a cooperative relationship with their partner are outnumbered by those who aren't.

we're talking a friendly game here.  What chance world peace?

I've just had the pleasure of a good partner, up here with his wife on Winter holidays, very experienced, definitely the senior North sitting partner.  We've been playing for several weeks and both been enjoying the unusual experience.  He had retired from bridge tournaments but last weekend we went to one, I haven't done that before and I didn't realise it was one with cash prizes either, and that had attracted quite a crew.

There was a lot of good play and the partnering much more effective, except I did feel like I'd been swimming in a vat with piranhas afterwards and I am half attracted and half dis-attracted to do it again.   

world peace?  we're still just playing a game here and it wouldn't have been big sums of money.

so yes, our only chance of world peace is down to people being at peace within themselves and not done by being lobotomised, their chemistry changed or even because their focus on their breath has become sublime.  But happened for real because the world ethos has shifted from a competitive to a cooperative model in order to support people in following their heart.

Do I think this is possible?  No I don't.  I agree with Jim that the idea itself even is more problematic than helpful because of white-anting the strength of our Western democratic societies to respond to being threatened by other groups.

And I've been to a bridge tournament now.  I've faced the sharp toothed weasels and the glint in their eye - world peace is not on! 

look I've always thought peace of mind peace of heart peace of soul is not something to be talked about so much as worked, hoped for cherished and followed.

shalom

peace out.