White, What world news is old?

It seems to me that that the quip, "Same old, same old," would best describe today in yesterday's terms. As some stand aghast and recoil from the headlines they find around the world, others make no sense at all out of yesterday's news on today's headlines or today's news in tomorrow's world. Yet maybe there is a lesson to be learned from the past few months as we drift on in time. We must try to understand yesterday today so we can try to steer a better course to our futures. Thus it is critical that our perception of the past few months become clear in the news.

Oddly enough, there are many old world celebrities from the past asserting their demand for recognition anew. What is this all about, expansionism, unhindered capitalism, a cleric's dream, nightmare or just another drama promising a premier debut on the planet's stage of the future? Scary are the ominous reverberations from the past when a neutral eye views the precarious fulcrum the globe totters on today., when the slightest quiver could send civilization sliding down Mount Doom.

What names, what celebrities, what drama and Doom!? If this isn't pure sci-fi --- but wait, there is an echo from the past in today's news if we listen.

Now, as over the past half-millennium, the population of the world keeps hearing the same names. Some came to visit and out stayed their welcome and more. Others have drifted into the background of world affairs and should perhaps stay there. Still others are newcomers and at times promise to be a pain where our anatomy meets a chair. Half a millennium? That would fill volumes and bore us much longer than our normal visit to the privy takes. Thus a condensed version becomes imperative, like the last bunch of yesteryears. Even in that short a time events become repetitive in chronicles and the faces are not always the same but the names keep coming back.

The greatest calamity to hit this planet in modern time would no doubt be World War II. Let's see, where did this titanic catastrophe take place? Antarctica? No, the penguins get a long fine. Their only argument is more fish; less Japanese factory ships. Europe? Aha, we have heard that name before. Oh yes, it was also connected to World War I, too. The Americans no doubt started them. No? No one started them; they just happened? Point fingers and let's see, France, England, Germany, Russia, Japan, Italy most of the rest of the world along with the United States.

Well who was there when the fighting started? Poland, that's it, it was Poland's fault for being attacked by Germany and Russia. Of course the Russians were there to help the Poles and stayed for the next 45 years. France and England came to Poland's rescue --- well, sort of, but the German attack through the Ardennes cut short France's participation in WW II. In two weeks the Allied front was decimated and reduced to a gigantic retreat from Dunkirk. The Americans came in late, as usual, after the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japan. History tells the rest of the story. In almost six years of fighting perhaps as many as 60 million people met their destruction.

Really think about it: Russia, Poland, Italy, England, France, Japan and of course America. Two World Wars began on the same continent among the same major combatants. There is spreading across that continent today a brand new union, in which country after country lines up to fall --- I mean join. Way to go Germany and France: not even a shot fired this time. If you can manage to take England in the same manner you will have accomplished something that hasn't been done since 1066 ACE, when William came over from France and stayed. The names really do repeat!

This leaves the Americans isolated again on their side of the Atlantic. Yay, World! The rest of us just might fall under the guns of a new European Empire and I can't help but wonder how long it will take the Americans this time. Maybe we have nothing at all to worry about. The French are going to be Germany's ally along with Italy. You would think the Germans would learn. Some time in the future Russia could even throw in with them. Naaa, on second thought, Russia would want to stay on the outside looking in so they could supply them with their natural resources, again. All will be well, until someone gets greedy!

Then in the rest of the world there is a new breed coming to power, the fundamentalist clerics. I am sure they will stand by and exercise good judgment and that can well be the scariest scenario yet. Think about it, clerics and good judgment with everyone outside their perspective belief. Get them cranked up in the middle of the EU's coming out party and we will really have to worry about World fireworks. Instead of an "Axis of Evil" there just might be Triad of Calamities that will make it complete; religion, ignorance and greed. The clerics with their radical parishioners spurred to the promise of a greater glory, having their every action blessed as they slither through the innocent to unleash their dastardly deeds and finally, the EU demanding a greater piece of the world's action. Hope in the future could become dim.

Stop, stop, stop --- nightmares and bad dreams, the things that history is made of, are enjoyable for the old to talk about, the boastful young to die about and the relieved survivors to mourn about.

Think about the flip side of these thoughts. It could very well be America, China, Japan, Russia and India destined to be the next five permanent members of a new United Nations, with Calcutta being chosen to host the new UN headquarters. How are real-estate prices there?

Is anyone repulsed by these thoughts? I hope so. We need to think about our future together in this World.

Also in this section:
Endara, Taking on the bus bosses
RSF, Panamanian journalists unfairly convicted
Khan, Toward a regional tourist security network
Weisbrot, Argentina and the IMF again
White, What news is old?
Jackson, Land invasions

opinion

What news is old in the world?