Peace Through Tea?

(Tokyo) Far be it from me to ridicule anybody who seeks peace, but I came across this rather silly exchange between two noted Japanese intellectuals, Tetsuo Yamaori and Genshitsu Sen. Mr. Sen, a noted Japanese tea-master, believes that tea is the key to solving world conflicts. The Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the North Korean-South Korean stalemate, the longstanding dispute between India and Pakistan-all can apparently be solved quickly if they'd only sit down and drink tea:

"With a bowl of tea in hand, we feel like putting an end to conflicts and taking a break," noted Mr. Sen. "Its soothing effect promotes dialogue to stop wars and to help solve problems in a friendly atmosphere."

"There are coffee, tea and green tea worldwide," added Mr. Yamaori. "How about holding a summit for people related to those drinks?"

"It's wonderful," agreed Mr. Sen. "It's peaceful when we talk having these drinks."

O-kay.

If only life were this simple.