The Supertanker Theory of History
Extract from the opening of The Supertanker Theory of History by Jack Adams There should never be only one view of history, it is far too wide and complex a subject just to have one way of looking at it. The Supertanker Theory of History (STH) is not a suggestion that this is the only valid standpoint from which to assess the turbulent waters of human history. STH is merely a perspective from which to consider possibilities of interpretation; one way of looking at things. As with any idea that aspires towards having value this theory can be explained very simply and with a story. Imagine that you are standing somewhere along the coast line of South West England. Further up the coast is the super tanker port of Milford Haven where the huge cargoes are loaded and unloaded. These cargoes are of immense weight and once in motion represent a substantial mass that is not easy to stop: “Stopping is no less difficult. Even with props reversed, the steel leviathan will frequently coast up to ten miles before coming to a dead halt...” 1 In these circumstances it is not unusual for a supertanker to switch off its engines miles away from its destination and the coast under its own momentum into port. The mass of the cargo producing enough momentum to “run” the vessel over many miles. So there you are standing on the coast looking out into the southern edge of the Irish Sea and on the horizon you see a supertanker. Do you know if that tanker is under its own power? Do you know if that tanker has actually stopped its engines and is slowing down? All you see is the great leviathan coursing through the water seemingly under its own motive force but will it go beyond Milford Haven or will its journey end there? Certainty is not really a judgement you can make. This extract comes from the book "The Supertanker Theory of History: How to understand what will happen in the 21st century and stop global conflict." which will be published in January 2010. The Supertanker Theory of History is the intellectual copyright of Jack Adams M.A., Churchill Fellow and Project Leader for HumanRightsTV