Our Week World

So I've concluded that as much fun as my random ramblings are for myself, they serve very little purpose for others. Thus have I decided to start posting a weekly report to give people a little taste of what transpires on the world stage whilst we mumble, bumble and stumble through the perennial 7 day cycle. Your lifespan will consist of approximately 650,000 hours, which breaks down to a little under 4,000 weeks. This number when compared with the length of human history, or the existence of our lovely little planet Earth, really isn't all that much. Sadly our subatomic structure, for some unknown reason, doesn't like sticking together for any longer. There are many ways to deal with the infinitesimal nature of our existence, the most effective seems to be the grandiose madness of organized activity. This can include just about every aspect of human society. From warfare to religion to procreation and economic activity, it all distracts remarkably well. I myself love to take in the serendipitous show, primarily because it is the only show in town worth watching in my opinion. Some people call it cruel, savage, amazing, complex and a lot of other adjectives; I just see it as breathtakingly beautiful. All those who complain about it remind me of all those art critics that can't produce a damn thing on their own yet feel justified criticizing the work of others. I have an immense amount of empathy for people, but at the same time I acknowledge that this is the path we have collectively chosen to walk down and as a result we have the modern world. I'm the first to admit that the performance isn't what many of the actors want it to be, but the cast generally doesn't write the script. As much fun as imagination and small scale entertainment is, I have yet to find the equal of the main stage. Just as in any performance, you shouldn't take the actors too seriously for the parts they play, it is just their way and given enough time it all becomes OK. The performance has been going of for several thousand years and the story is really starting to get good, so without further ado, allow me to inform you-
Americas- Political crises in Bolivia threatens to spiral out of control. President Morales' economic plan to redistribute the income generated from natural gas to his poor constituency leads to clashes. Wealthy elites of the 4 richest provinces threaten to secede if forced to share revenues with the poor native majority. In a related development Bolivia and the US have each expelled each others diplomats as tensions rise. Hugo Chavez has followed suit by expelling the US ambassador there and threatening all manner of economic and military retaliation if the US tries to interfere with Bolivian politics. Bolivia is the poorest country and the one with the largest percentage of Amerindians on the continent; it also has a tradition of having the shortest lived governments in the region (which is saying something). The battle is primarily over a desire to us the countries massive natural gas reserves to benefit the countries impoverished population, which is completely the opposite of the model used since conquest by the Spanish in 1533.
Asia- With the Occupation of Iraq and Palestine continuing, the war in Afghanistan escalating and neighboring Pakistan looking dangerously close to full scale civil war, South West Asia looks primed for a regional war. Iran's continued efforts to pursue an independent course in the middle of the US led attempt to establish military dominance, when added to newly confident Russia asserting itself in the area, threat of a full scale bloodbath seems far less like a possibility and much more like a certainty. India has also been dealing with a rise in bomb attacks and continued tension in Kashmir. Kim Jong Il of North Korea has apparently had a stroke which raises the issue of what will happen when the nuclear armed and wildly independent country whose government is based as much on a cult of personality as it is any Marxist ideology finds itself without a leader. In short, just another week in Asia.
Africa- It appears that MEND (movement for the emancipation of the Niger Delta) has decided to shun peace talks with the central government and once again take its war to the various corporations sucking up oil. Pressure has been increasing upon Robert Mugabe to start sharing some power. His continued ability to maintain control of the country amid the highest inflation rates in the world (11.2 million percent), opposition from every other country, and a record of human rights violations is a testament to the brute force his regime can exert upon its own people. This sets a crucial standard as countries all over Africa (Sudan being one of them) begin to use violence as an acceptable means of keeping power amid huge epidemics of disease and countless rebel movements.
North America- Aside from a Hurricane and the continued decline of the economy, US citizens spent more time concerned over their coming election. Both sides have now announced VP's and are launching all out media blitz's meant to mold the malleable minds of Americans to their various schemes, a large number of which are nothing but demagogic lies meant to mobilize people upon knee-jerk emotional responses to problems which the leaders have no real desire or ability to solve. Much of the rest of the world looks on with astonishment and terror as our two potential leaders each assert their ability to run not only this country, but also police the planet.