Problems In Our World: More Complex Than You Might Think

Many of the problems that have arisen over the past decades seem, on face value, to be about religion.  While these conflicts, such as the ones in Northern Ireland and the Middle East, do have religious tensions that lead to escalation, the problems are more complicate than that.

These problems can often be traced back to geopolitical, economic, or social issues.  In its most basic form, conflict arises between those that have resources and those that don't.  Competition for power, supremacy, resources, and many other aspects of a successful society has been fraught with conflict.  As Graham Fuller argues in his book, A World Without Islam, the world would not be too different today without Islam because of these alternate conflicts that exist.  You can hear more about this here, http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129131992, where Fuller is interviewed on NPR's Talk of the Nation.

Fuller's Book

If we realize how conflicts come about and realize that we are dealing with a very complex part of the world in the Middle East, we may have more success in our endeavors.  Problems hardly ever boil down to white and black, regardless of how they are painted to the electorate.  Realizing the comprehensiveness of the situation can be our best strategy going forward as we attempt to find peace in the Middle East.

Politicians Must Stand Up For What They Believe In

It's time some politicians got a spine.

There are many issues being discussed, and there are many people with excellent ideas about how to fix or improve our nation.  When candidates run for president or another office, however, their views somehow shift to conform rigidly to party lines, sacrificing their individuality and independence as a result.

These are the people who have brought up interesting points and have been credited for working with others, regardless of who their party is.  While this practice can get much more done than partisan bickering, many politicians resort to the safety of adherence to party lines.

Elected officials: do not sacrifice your beliefs just to get elected.  We need people to take the lead and be an independent mind in government.  We all know what the major parties think.  The people want to hear what each individual person can bring to the table.  With independence in our politicians, we can hope to fix our problems in a more timely fashion and make our country even better.

Embrace Challenges to Fix Problems in Society

Problems face our society every day.  At times, these problems seem overwhelming, as if they can't be fixed.  If we are to improve society and make it stronger, we need to embrace these challenges and fix our problems.  Many politicians shirk away from bold action when it is needed.  While there is a time for prudence and patience, there are also times when we need actions.  The status quo will remain forever, if we do not get our acts together.  We all have the power to change society.  Let's take action when action is needed most.