Not to 2020 and the seemingly inevitable divisiveness.
I wonder instead how the world will find a collective humanity and embrace it. How it will retreat from the trend toward isolationism, nationalism and dictatorship. We all have a national identity that is precious to us but, first and foremost, we are citizens of the world. We all share the planet and we all originated in the same way. That some of us enjoy a quality of life that others cannot conceive, let alone aspire to, is mostly serendipity.
It would be entirely dishonest to characterize the United States as lacking generosity and compassion, but it would be fair to observe that our reputation has fared badly in recent history. Leadership that encourages bad actors and cruelty by repeated example at least comes with a simple fix that we all understand.
The real issues are global, entrenched and complicated, but not intractable. Firstly, we need to adopt a world-view and what better vehicle exists than climate change to get us started? After all, if we have irreversibly destroyed the livability of vast regions of the planet, it’s game over anyway. Nations will all be at war over what is left of drinkable water and habitable land. A dystopian fantasy? No, it really isn’t. And while on the subject of fantasy, let’s recognize one we hear often. The idea that individuals and businesses are better off without external interference in their freedom to do as they wish and that everyone thus benefits. Never mind that those claiming this freedom are demonstrable hypocrites. How many hermits living off the grid do you know? Quite simply, a functioning and prosperous society needs responsive and equitably-funded government to survive.
We all need to share. Our time, our resources and our goodwill. There has been a loss of positive guidance and example around the world from secular and religious leaders alike. The treatment of women in all societies is still unacceptable, albeit on a range of reprehensible to downright inhuman. In a connected world, any form of tribalism is intolerable, including single-issue politics and religious fundamentalism. The treatment of the poor and disadvantaged has to be improved dramatically, not least here at home. The statistics on US poverty, literacy and homelessness are, given the national wealth, a disgrace. Any notion that the country can be great as long as that situation endures is absurd.
Here is a suggestion for a 2020 resolution. Let us all work to take our inclinations to be fair-minded, generous and neighborly and spread them beyond Oak Tree.
Happy New Year!
Left To Write 