Cry War!

Interesting to see how many people on FB now seem to be crying WAR in light of current world affairs. Much to ponder...

Isn't it interesting how close history is coming to repeating itself - just about a century apart.....

In the early part of the last century a president who was not easily electable by today's standards (FDR with his Polio - today, it's Obama) came into office with; obscenely h...igh unemployment rates; on the heels of the worst economic disaster our country had faced; financial institutions a mess; dictators in office in other countries and democracies crumbling; Sky-rocketing poverty rates; racial tensions high; memories of one war in the not-so-distant past and another great war looming on the horizon.

Not so very different than where we are today. Only this time - the dictators have prolific nuclear capabilities and seem to be itching to use them and greater alliances have been forged among those who would be enemies.

I can't say that I love Obama's performance, but I will say that I appreciate the idea/ideal of trying to get the Middle Eastern countries to rise up and fight their own battle for a change. In World War II we didn't jump in until the world could see clearly who the real enemies of the planet - not just the US - were, and it worked (doesn't mean we couldn't have done things differently, sooner, etc. - but it worked).

Are we forgetting that Putin (apparently Russian for Hitler - who knew?) is posturing, testing nuclear weapons and threatening to retaliate if we misstep. Do we really know who the Russians are in bed with - China? N. Korea? Any number of Middle Eastern, South American - even African detractors/enemies of the "West"? If Russia gets involved we will likely see the winds of war on our own soil for the first time in a "foreign war" since we ourselves became a country - excepting the Mexican-American War and War of 1812. Are we really ready for that?

And we can blame the current administration and the war on Iraq, but this has been building on itself since Israel became a state and we began arming rebel factions in the Middle East.

This is not a simple "just go shoot and bomb these S.O.B's" situation - at all.

Growing Pains...

And so it continues....
 
I have to wonder if we are perched on the precipice of a "defining moment" greater than any we've seen to date. But I think this time is interesting in that:

By historical timelines, we (as a country) are pretty much teenagers, and frankly we've been behaving as such. We're loud, spoiled, petty, obsessed with how we look and with being the "most popular kid/big man" on campus - the prettiest, wealthiest, funniest, smartest, etc. And why not?

Just like high school, much of our power and all of our collective "self-esteem" has been derived from these things. We've even been the peer that others feel pressured to "be just like" and to "try to fit in with their (American) friend" -hence the "Americanization" of the planet. And like teenagers, now that there are "new kids" on campus, we might not be the "cutest" any more; our place on campus is no longer assured and we feel insecure (even scared). We can no longer trade on our "looks" and "personality" - the world has seen it - and in our case, given our addiction to media - they've seen a lot... warts and all... "Familiarity breeds contempt?" (Old sayings are old for a reason. )

But now, we are about to have to step up and grow up. I truly believe that what we do next will define our "adulthood" as a nation - and we are really going to have to approach it as such. While our past points to great things, it is just that - the past.

What we do now and how we do it will determine the next 100 years. This can no longer be about internal agendas and a desire to feel secure and safe - we are so far past that, but don't really want to admit it to ourselves (teenagers love denial, "It's not our fault." ).

These are big times - we need big people. And the only way for that to happen is for us all to act like and become big people.

I have a feeling the growing pains are about to kick in - BUT, it could also be the beginning of great things - again, so much to ponder, meditate on and pray about.