World War III

Greeting, my fellow humans and others.

World War Three is upon us.

Now I know that people have been predicting an end to our world since there was such a thing as people. But I truly believe this, and I am far from an alarmist.

Everyone and everything is telling us there are more jobs to work, more houses to live in, more money to be earned and spent. When I look around, however, this is not what I see.

I am still unemployed. I try to work as hard as possible, but do not collect a paycheck. Not for lack of trying. I still send out one resume each month for jobs for which I believe recent experience qualifies me and which I deem suitable. Most of my friends who work hold minimum wage jobs that are far from adequate to meet their needs. Families are finding it necessary to work multiple jobs to feed their children and make their house payment, with very little if any, money left over. There are thousands of people who are homeless right here in my city, millions across the country.

Ebola ravages Africa. Measles mount a resurgence in the world (Ironic that most U.S. cases trace back to "The Happiest Place on Earth."). Honey bees are dying. Kids would rather sit in front of a computer than ride a bicycle. We don't sit down to dinner together anymore. A world leader with a possible neurological condition wages war on his neighbors, igniting a new Cold War. Other dictators in North Vietnam and China oppress millions and threaten security. Religious fanatics wage war upon their brothers and sisters. Eastern Europe and The Middle East are in a state not seen since before WWI and the creation of Israel. since WWI, we have been in a perpetual state of war at all times somewhere in the world. We don't take care of our citizens' health, most especially our veterans. Our own country is as divided as it was during our U.S. Civil War.

I don't believe one single thing will bring about our demise,  but a combination of many things, stemming from something that isn't happening as often as it must.

We are losing our love and compassion for one another. We are losing our value of human life. We are losing face to face time. We look upon the suffering of our brothers and sisters with at best a feeling of powerlessness, at worst with apathy.

If you want to talk about the demise of the "nuclear family" and "core values," some of the things above certainly contribute to their decay. Nothing says "I hate you" like an all-out invasion, occupation, or a simple air strike. War has definitely done more to harm families around the world than any human rights issue, weather, disease, and all other factors combined. As an avowed secular humanist, I will say the same of religion. Environmentally, our hunger for energy makes us physically and mentally ill, while it kills other inhabitants and greatly damages our planet. Most "food" in our stores does the same. Medicine and health care are big business, instead of the noble icons they used to be.

I think it was Albert Einstein who said something like, "I know not with what weapons WW III will be fought, but WW IV will be fought with sticks and stones. Somebody's finger is on "The Button," and it may not especially set off a nuclear device. I guess one could say we have all been pushing each others buttons over petty shit for my entire lifetime now.

In the month of Valentine's Day, I challenge everyone to become more loving, accepting, caring, empathetic and sympathetic. Share more. Do with less. Reach out. Don't wait for a tragedy. Make everyone you know aware of how you feel about them. Find something positive about a person you don't like. Do something nice for a stranger.

If WW III isn't already inevitable, if we aren't in fact already waging it, this is the only way any of us will survive.

Stay safe and stay loving ---RGR

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