While contemplating the (lack of) benefits of fame the other day, I realized, nobody really gets more than fifteen minutes of fame. The longer fame lasts, the further privacy falls away, and the more accustomed you become to worrying about judgement from imperfect critics as opposed to self-reflection. Even if you're famous for a lifetime, in the real scope of time, you will be forgotten very soon. The son of God made a visit to Earth, and forgave all of mankind for their sins, and only 2012 years later, a majority of people in the world doubt he ever existed, I mean, Jesus Christ, what does someone have to do to get some respect around here?It is human nature, to not believe in what you do not witness. Do you actually remember the Cold War? Most people in their twenties or thirties don't, even though it was a defining moment in U.S. History, only few decades ago. Many currently in the U.S. educational system believe they know everything, but see the Cold War as another part of History that without evidence simply, "won't be repeated". Well folks, time for a lesson of constant in Political Theory.
Many in top political positions make decisions based on their belief in Realism, and the idea of looking at countries around the world as threats, ones who must be outdone competitively on both economic and military levels in order to maintain Independence and legitimacy.
If Realism is the way of the world, nations will always be aiming for the top-dog, which in current times, is America. America is young in relation to other failed governmental experiments throughout History called "Nations", "States", or "Countries", and has only held sole dominance over the world economically and militarily since the late 80's and early 90's, during the collapse of the Soviet Union. This was seen as the final blow to Communism. The problem with our assumed victory in the Cold War is that Russia never really left, and Communism never died. It waited, kept allies, kept building weapons and homes, kept vast borders rich with natural resources, and still, during it's "collapse" had more money, people, military might, technological advances, and industry than a large majority of countries in the world.
Russia is back. Ex-Kremlin and KGB hold an overwhelming amount of political positions, Putin has successfully given the country a new face of political suppression, another grim Russian face without emotion, one that represents the country and people dictatorially, and their economic ideology of mixing government and industry has been successful enough to cause many American leaders to abandon the U.S. economic identity of "Laissez Fair" in order to craft a dismal, and desperate copy of Russian economic policies.
While we see turmoil domestically, Russia has gained power and influence through it's ability to successfully build diplomatic relationships with American enemies, such as Iran, but also has built strong economic ties with countries whom combined, have economic strength that dwarfs America's when combined; Japan, China, and India. Recently all of these countries made agreements to avoid use of the U.S. dollar in massive trade deals, which if anything, symbolizes a general agreement among these nations that the U.S. is in a serious state of decline. As a direct show of force to the U.S. and NATO, it was reported today that Russia, China, Iran, and Syria are going to conduct allied war games on Syrian soil, a soil currently stained with the blood of it's citizens.
As I type the Federal government is funneling weapons, communications, and money to opposition groups in Syria to help overthrow the Assad current regime. Those with campaigns funded by Israel and weapons industry interests such as John McCain, call for direct U.S. intervention in Syria. This is a Cold War stand off, one we have not seen the likes of since The Cuban Missile Crisis, especially when considering our military involvement in multiple surrounding countries; Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and Libya. Combine this fact with instability or paranoia in the region's most important assets to America, such as Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt, and there is a tectonic sized elephant in the room; this is how world wars begin.
The Ottoman Empire is in chaos, during a time when Western Civilization is weak, when the promise of Democracy is failing because the selfish and crooked keep finding themselves in positions of power inside of America. We are being attacked on all fronts. Our government stimulates war in the Middle East because Americans are running out of sand to bury their heads in.
Communism, and other countries around the world are beginning to see an opportunity to climb towards their own hegemony of the world, in the constant chess match between power-lust, the story repeated throughout History...a race to control the rest. The European Union is falling, the U.S. dollar is crashing, and the peon nations of the world who have fed off the U.S. taxpayer nipple for decades are quickly showing us that friends you buy are not really friends at all, they are parasites and bandwagon jumpers.
A short time ago the arena thought Russia would never come back, though it's been around for the better part of a thousand years. Even a thousand years is a short stretch of time when looking at the bigger picture, the seeming permanence of the world, and it's inescapable doom. In the real scope of time, The Berlin Wall fell a real short time ago, and those who remember that day never real took their eye off Russia, it is the failed education system and the younger generation that forget and overlook the Soviet Union. The American scholastic realm has no memory beyond current times, even though it is an absolute that some day, even the Sun will burn out. Because of this, soon, our beacon of light shining down on the rest of the world will too.
If we keep electing leaders whom sell us down the river for military contracts, foreign trade deals, and U.S. countries moving money and jobs across the world while seeking large tax breaks and access to the U.S. consumer market, the only question is whether our light will first be smothered by an outside presence, or blown out from the inside by the careless, the same men whom took an oath to keep it lit.
