OTAFIIRE: The hallmark of civilization is how people resolve contradiction without violence

The greatest generals I know of are those who resolve problems without shooting a bullet.

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The full text of Minister Gen. Kahinda Otafiire’s remarks on unity in Uganda’s Parliament on Wednesday.

*****

Mr Speaker, sir, I want to take two or three minutes to talk to the honorable members of the house and say whatever the shed of our political persuasion, we have one country, and we must serve that country.

I always say, Mr Speaker, honourable speaker, sir, that when you see two people living together and they don’t disagree for a month, it means one of them is a fool. Meaning disagreement is not the problem, but how to resolve the contradiction is the problem.

The hallmark of civilization is how people resolve contradiction without violence. When you see a general who prefers violence as the best means of solving problems, then there is a problem.

The greatest generals I know of are those who resolve problems without shooting a bullet. Because in managing society we depend on information; the government calls it intelligence.

When you see what your adversary intends to do, you quickly prevent that initiative, or you change your ways of operation to prevent… to remove the casus belli, so that you do not go into confrontation.

We are in one dispensation, and we must learn to tolerate each other.

NRM you are winners… The hallmark of civilization is that those who win are magnanimous in victory, and those who don’t win also respect the winners, but they have a right to be heard.

You know, you never see how beautiful your face is or how ugly your face is until you look into the mirror, and, colleagues on the NRM side, this opposition is our mirror of reflection. I thank you, ladies and gentlemen.