All over the world, there is chaos and confusion. Nations are faced with the painful challenges of natural disasters, terrorism, war, refugee problem, global economic slowdown, massive unemployment and economic uncertainty. The patience of world leaders and the people that brought them to power respectively, are wearing out…due to the desire for positive change, through the “quick fix” fallacy. This mentality has caused deep conflicts between conservatives and liberals worldwide; fighting to seize or consolidate political power in different nations, through divisive politics and the “blame game”. Unfortunately, it has also led to the rise of “extreme right-wing” and “left wing radicals”, racial tension, Islamic terror groups, and the emergence of “home-grown demagogues”.
By nature, man is suspicious and distrustful of other people who don’t talk, dress or look like him. Globalization has brought people from different ethnic and racial background together, to establish nations. However, this union of “strange bedfellows” offend conservative minds. It is the religious and political exploitation of this primitive human nature by some politicians and clerics that gave birth to populist movements and radical Islamic terror networks. Adolf Hitler and Osama Bin Laden illuminates both sides of the same coin. A true leader appeals to the best qualities of his people, not their worst attributes. Leaders have the power to ignite the fires of hate or fan the winds of serenity among their followers.
The unhealthy fight between leaders and their constituents, secular forces and religious conservatives, East versus West, Whites versus other races, rich versus poor, and the oppressed versus the oppressors has turned deadly in the past few years, leading to the overthrow of Tyrants and Dictators in different parts of the globe, especially the Middle East. The Arab spring which was once celebrated as a beacon of hope, for toppling die hard dictators in Algeria, Egypt and Libya, quickly degenerated into another theatre of war, gruesome death, massive destruction and destitution in Syria, Iraq and Libya, causing the worst refugee crisis in Europe, in modern history. ISIS quickly took advantage of the vacuum created by these uprisings and declared a deadly medieval-styled Caliphate in conquered territories, as US and her allies battled gallantly to enforce political order in the affected regions.
Humanity is threatened! What we face today goes beyond mere religious, social or political rhetoric. Nations are looking up to the “Super powers” to guide, reassure and protect the world from the impending catastrophe. Unfortunately, the natural leader of the “free world “and the “self-styled policeman of democracy” USA, is sending a wrong signal of doom to the world, due to the deep divide that presently exist between Republicans and Democrats.
Democracy should build bridges among Politicians and the electorates…not walls of division, intolerance, hatred, bigotry, violence and name-calling. America must put her house in order and show the world that democracy is a call to civility, justice and equity…a government of the people, by the people, for the people…not just a government that protects the selfish interests of a few individuals, to the detriment of an entire nation, and the world.
A nation divided against itself will not stand, it can be vulnerable to external attacks. America has what it takes to re-invent herself as the undeniable sole superpower of the 21st century, and lead the world boldly in the fight against terror, inequality, injustice, hunger, disease and global warming. This could be possible if Republicans and Democrats would unite, stop the “blame game”, and collectively embrace the American dream, where every race, creed and faith can swim together in a vast ocean of love and harmony, as they visualize the distant shores of hope, liberty and prosperity…telling the worldly loudly: ‘In God We Trust’.
And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
Mark 3:25