Is Mass Antipathy UnFounded?

There is probably a lot of stuff happening in the world right now, much of it important, but likely not “big” enough to grab everybody’s collective attention.

Five guys are still looking for the GOP nomination and a chance to take on Obama in the fall. It’s interesting to the political junkies out there, but none of those five people inspire much hope in the American political process. They do nothing but offer up the same old policies and the same old promises, except for Ron Paul who is intriguing except for his naked abandonment of Israel.

Nothing exciting on the political front, so what is going on in foreign affairs. Well, there is a civil war happening in Syria, though no one is calling it that. There is constant saber rattling coming out of Iran, which threatens every day to close the vital and narrow Straits of Hormuz. Such action would send oil prices sky rocketing, even more than they already have with just a mere threat of such action.

Let’s not forget Europe. A few weeks ago it seemed the economic union of Europe and the combined currency known as the “Euro” was on the verge of collapse. It was in the news for a few days; the stock markets were living on the edge, quite willing to teeter in any direction.

The involved countries like Italy, Greece and Spain, made some concessions and managed to prolong the common currency for now. That could change at any moment with just a hint of a missed bond payment sending the entire globe spiraling into the economic abyss.

Back in the Middle East, there are the ongoing problems with Israel and its neighbors. Over the past few decades the tiny Jewish country’s neighbors, or in less friendly terms its enemies, have changed the narrative. They start wars against Israel, get beaten badly and lose their lands, suddenly Israel becomes an occupying force, equal to Stalin’s Soviet Union or Hitler’s Germany.

The truth is far from what the United Nations and the global media is telling people as they constantly push Israel into trading land for a peace that will never come.

Then there is Iran and Israel. Iran seems intent on developing a nuclear bomb. There are many in the American political process who seemed determined to once again put American treasure and lives on the line to keep that from happening. Israel is determined not to let the Iranian regime achieve its goal of obtaining nuclear weapons as Iran’s leaders have vowed to wipe Israel off the map. So, Israel, it would seem, has a vested interest in what’s happening inside the confines of their most belligerent and vocal enemy.

So maybe the mass antipathy strangling the country is unfounded. Maybe there is a lot for people to be concerned about in light of the threat of calamity and upheaval around every corner. Maybe not though, the Grammies and the Academy Awards ceremonies are coming up soon — we can’t let life distract us from those.