what goes around....

Well, the Cold War seems to have rekindled. Our erstwhile allies, (that is, when they need something), Russia, has begun a series of routine bomber patrols that bring their aircraft within shouting distance of American bases or territories. While this is happening, the Russians and Chinese are conducting joint military exercises in central asia, with the unspoken intent of demonstrating that American presence is unneeded and unwelcome in the region. This of course will provoke a similarly benign response from the US, and it will spiral on from there, slowly perhaps, but it will escalate.

The script for the new conflict seems to be similar to the basic scenario of the last cold war, spend your adversary into oblivion, although the roles appear to be reversed this time. We, who were widely perceived to have been the 'good guys' last time are now cast in the role of the 'evil empire'. With our economy structured as it is, and stretched as it is across the globe, that is not an implausible scenario. I am not saying that they will win, I am saying that we had better get used to a different way of life and standard of living, not to mention a whole different idea of how we treat the rest of the world, for the forseeable future.

First and foremost, we need to offer sincere respect and compassion to all peoples, everywhere. No money, no aid, no weapons, but all the respect and good will that they can handle. Secondly, as badly as it will hurt, we need to do something about exporting our largest bargaining chip, technological and scientific expertise to anyone willing to use it cheaper than American workers.
This is not limited to weaponry and military systems, I am also talking about iPods, cars and consumer goods. This will be painful to those economic elements in our society bent on using the cheapest of labor and materials and to hell with the ramifications. It will be painful to the rest of us who will live with the price and wage shock that comes with it.

Then there is the subject of the draft. Most people think of the draft as the conscript of males in the 18-24 age demographic for compulsory military service, but that is not what I am talking about. If you want to know who is on the front lines of this war, go look in the mirror. If you want to know where much of the battles are being fought, (and go largely unnoticed), look at the map below.

The new weapon that we as citizen soldiers need to master is self-denial. For Americans, that does'nt come easy. For baby boomers and the Mastercard generations, it is that much harder. But the signs of the apocolypse are all around us. We really need to avoid, as much as is possible, shipping our consumer dollars overseas with our purchases of cars, electronics, clothing, damn near everything. Behave as though every dollar that you spend could break you, because it can, no matter how many more you have. Shopping at places like these, that specialize in utilizing the very cheapest of materials and labor in order to maximize profit while keeping prices marginally below the competition are more of a threat to our way of life than all the terrorist's in the world (and thier cousins).

Now, to end this on a relevant note, I want to hear a national candidate mention something, anything along these lines. He or she does not have to agree with me, I just want to hear it acknowledged, even if they think that I am full of something bovine and odiferous.

Bet it doesn't happen. Too much money in burying our collective heads in the sand.

I don't have a crystal ball, and, I could be wrong about this, I hope I am but don't believe so.

How do you see the next two decades shaping up, for you individually and for the country as a whole?