Beyond the rainbow

I am no fan of Bill Clinton, and it has nothing to do with his personal life, but his diplomatic savvy is undeniable. He was the only representative of the USA who went to East Timor when it became an independent democracy, after 450 years. And that's when he started to creep into my line of vision as someone who might have an agenda that was grander than a growth or economic scheme.
Sure there was much going on behind the curtain to enable him to go to Korea and obtain the release of two female journalists who were headed for 12 years of imprisonment. All they had to do was say they were sorry.
For a lot of people that's an extremely difficult task. But why? let's weigh the consequences; say something, or go to a gulag. Seems simple enough. Meaningless words in a ridiculous situation can alleviate so many more issues than, say, going to war or holding a grudge. It opens up an opportunity for dialog and for some, that's actually the problem, because when it comes to communication they fear the ramifications of a lack of conflict or struggle to get to some more elevated place where thought is the precedent as opposed to mindless contention.