Back in March of 2022, I wrote, “Make no mistake ~ World War III has already begun.” (WWIII.htm).  That was after Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine, for which the chances of either side backing down appear to be slim.  And now, for the past year, that old tinder box in the Middle East has been burning away, like a mountain of old burning tires, and burning just as tenaciously.  The State of Israel now appears ready to turn Lebanon into another Gaza ~ smoking ruins, with the stench of rotting flesh everywhere.  Now if we add to these hot wars the ravages of Climate Change, bringing endless fires, droughts, floods, and storms, along with the overheating and death of the oceans, this world really does seem to be in worse shape than at any time in living memory, and I go back 77 years.  We don’t even need to add the threats of more pandemics to see the end of life as we know it, not on the horizon, but bearing down upon us at the present moment, as we speak.  Actually, the pandemics are perhaps a hopeful sign ~ perhaps God, in his infinite mercy, is trying to kill off the human race, so that the planet may begin to recover its former fertility after a few millennia without the destructive effects of the human race.  

     But these are not just some funny coincidences ~ all of these cascading catastrophes are related, and, taken all together, represent a very clear signal that our little world is going down.  In times like these, when things are bad and getting worse by the day, by the hour, there is a decline in consciousness, world-wide, as more and more people turn toward the extreme sharpening of right-wing fanatics and demagogues.  In good times of peace and prosperity (not coincidentally usually coming along at the same time), people tend to relax and drift towards the center, sharing the wealth and the good things of life with others in a generally leveling tendency.  But when things start falling apart, everyone watches out for one’s own interest, and the Devil take the hindmost.  In this atmosphere of increasing hostility and intransigence, wars and rumors of wars abound, threatening the survival of life on every hand.  

     That was Part I.  Everyone knows all of that, and, in case anyone has been in a diving bell under the ocean for the past 20 years without communication with the rest of the world, all one has to do, upon returning to the surface, is to look at any news summary in order to be brought up to speed with a jolt.  

     So now on to Part II.  Why is it that no one is doing anything to change this accelerating descent into madness, chaos, and death ?  Oh, my voice is lost in the chorus of voices saying the same or very similar things, but none of that is worth a hill of beans when it comes to making any changes.  The problem is deeply rooted in the fundamental structure of wealth and power that rules the world.  Everything (i.e., everything) that happens in the world, happens according to the dictates of wealth and power.  That has to change.  “Oh, please, Mr. Big, will you please stop destroying our world just so you can rake in obscene amounts of money?”  “Ha, ha ~ do you hear a gnat buzzing around somewhere?  Where’s the fly swatter?”

     And, as to war, perhaps the Israelis will wake up one fine morning and realize that they have been pursuing the wrong agenda.  They will realize that they have created the mire into which they are sinking and destroying themselves and others, so they will suddenly stop all hostilities, and devote all of their resources to rebuilding what they have spent the last 75 years trying to destroy, offering their apologies and bouquets of flowers to the Palestinian people, embracing them as their brothers and sisters.  

     Perhaps that is what will happen.  But I think a Plan B is a prudent idea, just in case the preferred solution doesn’t happen soon enough.  Plan B involves the most radical transformation of the planet in the last 10,000 years, transitioning to a system in which the wealthy and powerful no longer rule the world.  I have suggested a way forward (One Planet Makeover.pdf), but I am open to hearing any other plans.  But I do know that if everyone sticks with Plan A ~ Business as Usual ~ then we are all lost.  

I know I’ve used this cartoon before, but I think it’s pretty funny.