Im a huge fan of butterflies, not the insect but the metaphor, and my interdependency upon the motion of their wings. In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitivity and relationship between initial conditions whereby a small change in a state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state. Whew!

Although Im not smart enough to fit too many pieces together mentally, I enjoy conceptualizing the trail of big events backward to their birthing butterfly. Of course, since there are so many threads to time and life, nothing will have a clearly defined path but on balance it isnt difficult to imagine the connections if you dont require absolutes by relying upon imagination and assumptions.

For those of you who havent yet turned the page of the newspaper to something more interesting such as an advertisement for a vacuum cleaner, this subject settled into my thoughts along with my thoughts regarding December 7, 1941. Way back on that Sunday, I was short of 10 months old but in that moment the history of what would be my world pivoted to an entirely new direction.

Of course the Hawaiian attack was simply part of the ongoing result of many separate yet convergent butterfly wing-flaps. Long before the actual attack, a thought or a concept or a wish in a garden or at a table in Japan emitted conceptual breeze, eventually spoken out loud and eventually adopted as a good idea or necessary or advisable. Regardless of motives, the idea flew and eventually blew its way through the planning and preparations and execution.

The big idea and effort didnt just spring out of nothing. Butterflies started the process and I find that concept both interesting and comforting. My point is that wherever and in whomever the idea initially gestated it changed the world my world forever. And in my personal opinion, it turned out to become an eventual blessing to global humanity.

In late 1941, Britain was under virtually constant attack by Hitlers Germany. The prevailing attitude in this country at that time was to rely upon the ocean to insulate us from what we considered a European fight. We provided the British with what covert support we could such as reporting U-boat activity and sightings and clandestine efforts not privy to the American public. The unanswered question which has always floated asked if this country wouldve stood by to see England fall? Japan made that question moot in December of 41. Japans attack brought the United States fully into the war making it a world war.

In total, its estimated about 85 million people died in World War II but it wouldve been more had we not been able to defeat Japan without actually invading their island homeland. Based upon our experiences island hopping and on Okinawa, defeating Japan using conventional warfare, foot by foot, street by street, tree by tree wouldve likely cost us a half-million lives, not to mention the millions it wouldve cost the Japanese. The two atomic bombs cost a half-million lives give or take but likely saved ten times that number.

And today when you see nighttime photos of Nagasaki and Hiroshima, the physical scars are long gone. Im sure there are mental scars remaining in some of the population but Im somewhat cynical about any remorse. In my version of reality, I have to point out that it was their butterfly that initially started the whisper of war winds (read Herman Wouks Winds of War) and that tiny ripple of a breeze eventually brought the battleship Missouri into Tokyo harbor.

And it also brought a prosperous Japan in which my daughter resides. Sundae married an excellent Japanese citizen 14 years ago and have resided in Tokyo since then. Her and Shingo and Rentaro (Bug) visit us a couple of times every year. I so enjoy talking to Shingo about history and customs and economies.

This year were all meeting in Hawaii for Christmas. One of our planned excursions is to visit the Arizona Memorial. Ann and I have been on that tour a few times but the kids havent. Its a great monument and an amazing testament to history. The monument rose from somebodys initial idea or concept. Butterflies are everywhere.

Our lives have all sorts of twists and turns, pivots and hinges, stops and starts. Everything is intertwined. There are so many threads, theres no way to know where one came from or exactly where its going. But we all know that there are tiny breezes that are going to blow our futures in different directions and even into different realities.

This political thing we have going on today is just another example of an initial wing-flap growing and expanding although in this case, I doubt it was a butterfly that caused the initial ripple. It was probably the flap of an eagle. Whatever has happened or will happen, were surfing a wave of history and Im enjoying the ride.

Like my somewhat weird view of the Pearl Harbor attack ending up as hugely beneficial to humanity as a whole, I think this impeachment spasm will likely end up hugely beneficial to people like me.

If liberal governance is effectively resisted for another 4 years, I think the benefits to the country will be lasting. Well see what happens. Therere a lot of butterflies (and eagles) flapping in the world, some in the halls of government. In my opinion which Im sure many dont share; this ongoing nonsense is just congressional flatulence that will eventually vent into the atmosphere.

But of course, wings are wings and wind is wind and history is an amazing river.

Otis Gardners column appears here weekly. He can be reached at ogardner@embarqmail.com

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Column: Pearl Harbor and the butterfly effect - Opinion - New Bern Sun Journal