| u pay close attention to the news it will begin to | | | | bluffing or are they for real? Does North Korea |
| dawn on you that we are on a one-way highway | | | | really want to join the nuclear club? And if the |
| to a series of disasters that will probably alter the | | | | answer is yes, what possible reasons would they |
| course of human history in a way that will be | | | | have? Invade South Korea? Defend themselves |
| detrimental to our way of life. Vice president Al | | | | against an invasion from China or from the |
| Gore finally managed to make us aware of the | | | | American and South Korean forces protecting the |
| dangers we are facing after a long and | | | | 38th parallel? You tell me. There is a theory that if |
| hard-fought campaign. | | | | you threaten to build nuclear weapons the rest of |
| His opponents were the nay-sayers who insisted | | | | the world will bend over backwards to stay out |
| that everything was a-okay and that | | | | of your way and aid will flow in large quantities. |
| environmentalists were deranged tree huggers, | | | | Does this make any sense? Perhaps it does. |
| and of course the indifferent public who were too | | | | The list of hot spots is long and complex but to |
| preoccupied to pay attention. Isn't it interesting | | | | hammer home the point I will add a few more. |
| the way the spin doctors manage to demonize | | | | The Israelis are sitting on a powder key, and |
| anyone they dislike or oppose? "Tree hugger" | | | | every attempt at peace so far has failed. Anwar |
| why doesn't she find a boyfriend to hug? | | | | Sadat, the former Egyptian President was |
| Many years ago I had the good fortune to listen | | | | assassinated by his own military officers for |
| to a social commentator philosopher and comedian | | | | making peace with the Israelis, and of course the |
| named George Carlin, he made an interesting point | | | | Palestinian problem continues to be a intractable. I |
| that resonates especially now. He was | | | | could round it off by pointing out that the pot is |
| commenting on the raping and pillaging of the | | | | being stirred and perhaps coming to a boil in |
| environment when he said in so many words, "the | | | | places like Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and Tibet. |
| earth does not need saving, no matter what we | | | | We are destroying our environment and polluting |
| do the planet will survive." He went on to say, | | | | the very air that we need to breathe. The melting |
| "even if we wrap the planet in Styrofoam, plastic, | | | | of the snow caps in the Artic and the cyclone |
| and foil mother earth will shrug them off, evolve | | | | (hurricane by another name) that may have killed |
| a new species, and carry on as if nothing | | | | 60,000 people in Myanmar (former Burma) are |
| happened." Carlin concluded his remarks by saying, | | | | stern warnings that all is not well, many experts |
| "we don't need to save the planet, we need to | | | | are predicting that oil production will plateau in ten |
| save ourselves," so true, so prophetic. | | | | to twelve years. If this unhappy event occurs, |
| The human condition is of more immediate | | | | the oil producers will cut production and the price |
| concern, if we pause long enough to look around | | | | per barrel will skyrocket, think 400 dollars per |
| us we will discover that we are in conflict with | | | | barrel and 12 dollars per gallon at the pump. |
| each other in so many places that concern should | | | | We are into 2008 and the populations of Darfur |
| be elevated to alarm. Here are a few examples | | | | and Sudan are experiencing widespread famine. In |
| of hot spots that could boil over. | | | | other parts of the world hungry, desperate |
| Iraq, unstable and bleeding us dry in terms of | | | | people are rioting and looting anything they can |
| causalities and treasure. Kurdistan, sitting on | | | | put their hands on to feed their families. I cannot |
| substantial deposits of oil and fighting for their | | | | recall any decade following the Cold War when |
| independence, and in constant conflict with | | | | there was so much uncertainty and fear in |
| Turkey. Afghanistan, a thorn on the side of the | | | | America and around the world (911 is probably |
| coalition forces, more blood and treasure lost, and | | | | the exception). There appears to be no end in |
| by the way, has anyone seen Osama Bin Laden | | | | sight to the escalating drama of rising prices |
| recently? India and Pakistan have fought three | | | | looming inflation and the threat of the starving |
| wars since their separation in the forties. There is | | | | masses breaking out their breeding grounds in |
| an uneasy peace between these two nations but | | | | search of sustenance. Are we there yet? I think |
| we all know that it only takes a spark to start a | | | | not but we are not too far away. |
| fire, and the next time around (God forbid) we | | | | Note: The reference to Beirut was made on the |
| must remember that they are both armed with | | | | 5th April, 08 a few days before trouble erupted |
| nuclear weapons. | | | | once again in Lebanon. |
| North Korea is an enigma, are they posturing and | | | | |