Sometimes, it is easy to get lost in the insignificant details of life. We go about our business, watching sports, grinding out a paycheck, and allowing cable TV to wash over us late in the day. Some watch the news, others read newspapers, to delve into the details of the world, but few truly understand the ramifications of global politics.
Most were born, work, and reside within the U.S. and pay little heed to the events unfolding outside our borders. I presume the sheer size and seeming self-sufficiency of this country have a lot to do with that. Most other countries look toward the United States; the same could not be said of the citizenry here. Most look within, worried about the latest reality TV show, or what book Oprah is pushing. Voter turnout over the last few years shows a significant indifference with the population as a whole. Hell, hand a blank map of the world to most graduating high school seniors, and the majority cannot even color in the borders of the U.S., let alone a foreign country.
However, the recent events in Israel, the bitter feud over the Gaza strip, and the impending violence will effect our everyday lives in some manner. Things just feel tenuous. Things feel dangerous. I certainly have no corner on the future, no crystal ball acting as a harbinger of time, but it just feels wrong. Perhaps not tomorrow, or next month, but events in the middle east, specifically those centered around Israel, will send a ripple of tumult around the world. It’s coming. I hope you’re paying attention.