Well informed, balanced and personal too. Great post. I do still believe that the majority everywhere wants peace and good news, but it so easy for a minority whether terrorists, egomaniac leaders or the Media to reek havoc with our minds and daily life.
There was so much hype and compassion for the recently murdered teacher in France and rightly so, but it seemed indecent to me given the thousands that are suffering every moment in current war zones. The only way to a better world in my opinion is to take men out of leadership.
So powerful. Are we getting the leaders we deserve, or are they getting the subjects they deserve, or both?
Thirty-odd years ago I was reading this just-published book, Generations: The History of America’s Future (William Strauss and Neil Howe). There is a lot to that tome, and much of the theorizing of the two authors seems at first blush unlikely, and yet, there’s much truth there. And one of the historical patterns they noticed was that, due to the way societies evolve and devolve, there is a major crisis (or set of crises) occurring approximately every eighty years. The American Revolution, the Civil War, World War II, and next up, they wrote, beware of the 2020s. I was hoping they were wrong. But apparently they were right. The hopeful thing about their model is, if you survive the tumult, there is a better world on the other side of all that…if you can keep it.
I don’t know why hatred and fear are more powerful than the ideal of peace. Is it just easier to strike out? Because not striking out or striking back requires so much restraint and thought and hope and, really, an enormous amount of introspection?
Same with electing or adopting leaders who will thrive on ignorance, violence, and madness? And the same with not wanting to hear about good things?? (Personally I would much rather read about or view how a person walks away, step by step, out of an addiction and into some kind of light. But then again, I’m one of those crazies who loves films from all corners of the globe.)
If we can’t seem to beat Putin and Xi, do we really have no other choice but to join them on their death march?
Thanks for writing this, my friend.
This is powerful and wise, and I think one of your best posts yet. And that last line is a shocker – terrific!
Well informed, balanced and personal too. Great post. I do still believe that the majority everywhere wants peace and good news, but it so easy for a minority whether terrorists, egomaniac leaders or the Media to reek havoc with our minds and daily life.
There was so much hype and compassion for the recently murdered teacher in France and rightly so, but it seemed indecent to me given the thousands that are suffering every moment in current war zones. The only way to a better world in my opinion is to take men out of leadership.
Amen!
So powerful. Are we getting the leaders we deserve, or are they getting the subjects they deserve, or both?
Thirty-odd years ago I was reading this just-published book, Generations: The History of America’s Future (William Strauss and Neil Howe). There is a lot to that tome, and much of the theorizing of the two authors seems at first blush unlikely, and yet, there’s much truth there. And one of the historical patterns they noticed was that, due to the way societies evolve and devolve, there is a major crisis (or set of crises) occurring approximately every eighty years. The American Revolution, the Civil War, World War II, and next up, they wrote, beware of the 2020s. I was hoping they were wrong. But apparently they were right. The hopeful thing about their model is, if you survive the tumult, there is a better world on the other side of all that…if you can keep it.
I don’t know why hatred and fear are more powerful than the ideal of peace. Is it just easier to strike out? Because not striking out or striking back requires so much restraint and thought and hope and, really, an enormous amount of introspection?
Same with electing or adopting leaders who will thrive on ignorance, violence, and madness? And the same with not wanting to hear about good things?? (Personally I would much rather read about or view how a person walks away, step by step, out of an addiction and into some kind of light. But then again, I’m one of those crazies who loves films from all corners of the globe.)
If we can’t seem to beat Putin and Xi, do we really have no other choice but to join them on their death march?
Thank you, Sara, for writing this.