Witness the End of the Last Golden Age
Whenver I meet with friends of my cohort we sooner or later come to a point when we discuss the current situation of our planet. From this point it does not take long for us to focus on the unavoidable truth that we seem to be the last, and very fortunate, receivers of a long period of relative peace and a bounty of material wealth bestowed upon Europe and America. We are always of one mind about the facts, leading to this enormous prosperity. Foremeost of those is, of course, the industrialization of those countries, followed by the open enterprise system of capitalism and extensive trade. One factor determining success is a light hand of government. It was obvious that those countries with the least governmental intervention were doing better then others. Another factor, contributing enormously to the private fortunes of citizens, was limiting the family size. It was observed, again and again, that families with few children, on the whole, did better than those with extended clans. But the greatest factor were the Judeo-Christian principles that had, through repeated reformations been cleansed, created environs of tolerance.
Fast forward to today. The planet is bursting out of its seams with populations gone wild. Europe is overrun with the rampant African populations. Expections in individuals of exploding nations have sky-rocketet. Televison has brought the American dream into the lives of most people on the planet. In Europe, govenments, confronted with spoiled populations expecting to have all their needs met by fiat, are staggering under financial burdens and often keep doing the same things that brought on their predicament. In the Middle-East the political dams have broken and the seakers of freedon and prosperity spill into a sea of Islamic intolerance. The last reports from Israel do not bode well. Iran and Syria, hoping to save their political thrones, stirr the masses to attack Israel to deflect from their own horrid governing excesses. Where is the vaunted tolerance in the Muslim world especially since Muslims want to be treated with kid-gloves?
As we look about us, we feel relief that we will not have to deal with the political volcanos that rock almost every part of the globe. We thank our Maker that we were allowed to live pleasent lives, were allowed to pursue dreams, unfold talents and raise families in peace; and then, we pity our grand-children who will have to deal with challenges byond our imagination.
