Who's In Charge?

I tend to use my experiences as a teacher, counselor, and school administrator to inform my beliefs about the world at large.  The last 10 years of my career as an educator were in an elementary school, and I got the privilege of being on duty on the playground.  It was interesting to watch children from kindergarten to 6th grade "play."

Play was serious work for them.  They would create games and "make believe" all sorts of things, which they took very seriously.  Their games became real to them, and important.  Friendships, alliances really, would form in play, but divisions and break up also occurred.  Arguments, fights, and rebellions flared up.  We adults would step in and remind them that it was all just a game, and that they could work out their differences, and make the games fair for everyone.

The world is a grand playground where we have been allowed to "play."  We make up the games, and all the rules, and make believe it is all real and important.  But, it often isn't fair, conflicts arise, arguments, fights, rebellions, and wars.  But, no one is in charge on this playground.  No one steps in to stop us from fighting, so we, taking our games seriously, begin to kill our opponents.  And still there is no one in charge...

Global affairs are very complex because people are messy.  We are not rational beings, and we all believe, we know we are right.  No one can talk to the others.  The best we do sometimes is shake our fists at each other.

While I would have us, the USA, take a very principled, high road in international affairs, I do believe that we would get involved in very messy games that others are playing.  I don't have any answers to foreign policies... Be strong, watch our own borders, be fair and just, and help others if we can.

It's too bad no one is in charge of our playground.