Negotiation

They had called for the meeting.  We came and we sat down opposite to them and waited for them to speak.  Their leader, sitting in the center of their delegation, looked at his people and then spoke.

"Thank you for coming."

The Secretary General countered, "You offered us no choice."

The other nodded and smiled, "Yes, we are sorry to have had to get your attention like that.  But you needed to take us seriously."

"You must know that we don't respond well to threats." asserted the Russian.

"Again, we are sorry that we had to resort to such tactics," he responded trying to smooth emotions in the room.

"We came," he continued, "as your descendants, to convince you that you must change your use and consumption of the earth's resources so that our way of life would be beneficial and sustainable, and you told us that you could not cut back your consumption or you would suffer economic distress.  We told you that we offered technological assistance to make the cutbacks easier, and still you refused."

The German raised her hand.  "We understand cutting consumption in the present, smoothing out our rate of consumption, and saving for the future, but we make the cuts, and you get the benefits."  

"Yes, that is what parents do for their children, and what grandparents do for their grandchildren.  It is called sacrifice, and love."

The French objected, "But it flies in the face of our national sovereignties.  You ask us to give up too much!  We cannot do it!"

"Please understand that we came back to your time because you actually had the technology to do what we are asking without losing people, our ancestral lines.  And, we come to you trying to persuade you that you can create a sustainable economy and ecology.  Let us help you!"

The British shook her head, "No, we cannot make this much of a sacrifice!"

The Other leaned back in his chair and looked at us with now fierce eyes, and spoke in a quiet, very controlled, and even tone, "Mr. Secretary, please understand.  When we broke the time barrier, we could have changed everything that happened in our history.  We could have changed your history and your experiences, but out of a respect for every human to have ever lived we decided instead to try to educate, persuade, inspire the changes that would benefit bot you and your descendants, us.  I assure you that the changes you would be making would indeed benefit us greatly.  And I also assure you that the changes you would be making now are very minimal compared to the choices we must make in our time.  We have shown you what we are facing.  How can you deny us your love and caring.  How can you deny us your relatively smaller sacrifices?"

The Secretary General answered, "We are sorry, but we cannot agree as separate, independent nations to make these sacrifices at this time."

"Then," he said with a heavy sigh, "these negotiations are concluded.  I am sorry that you could not be persuaded.  We will do what we need to save the future that you care so little for."

We all rose.  The American in our delegation spoke.

"We assure you, we will defend ourselves!"

He smiled, "No, you will not.  But, you will not suffer either.  You will not know that we have done anything at all.  Stepping over your chance to do the right thing will be the burden we will have to shoulder."