Volume 6, Issue 11
Such a scene is a metaphor for world affairs today.
The natural forces of society engaged in the affairs of nations by their interaction cause turbulence. Like the irregular heating of the earth in its rotation, these societal forces irregularly influence relations among sovereign nations. History captures and reveals the identity of these forces.
People
Individuals define security differently. Some want food, clothing and shelter provided at a certain level consistently. Others define security as freedom and flexibility. Certain people desire to work for large corporations or the government. Still others prefer small businesses or private ownership of family enterprises.
In addition to lifestyle, ethnic sensitivity is critical to specific segments of society. This community of importance would also include gender awareness or sexual orientation. Each of us has an opinion on education, government spending, heath care, and infrastructure that is required for quality of life.
Further, some of us feel strongly about national defense, foreign policy, immigration, and complexities beyond our borders.
The governance required to meet the emotional expectations of all citizens is, at many times, an objective beyond the grasp of government leaders.
Systems
To enact policy projected to provide societal progress to meet the people’s expectations requires protocol and systems of governance. The economic structure of a nation-state, how it manages its currency, and how it produces prosperity for the basic needs of a defined quality of life, is the fingerprint identity of a nation-state.
Throughout the evolutional development of civilization, the world has transitioned from chieftains to city-states to nation-states. Nation-states encompass culture and historical priorities. Religion, ethnic conflicts, and tribal competition have influenced culture.
Sovereign nations today are a reflection of their past, maintaining satisfaction in the present, and projecting hope for the future. Current national systems, coupled with people’s desires, are the substance of political debate today.
Sovereigns
The third element of societal forces, contributing to natural political turbulence, is the leadership of sovereigns. Government leadership today is the composite of people’s desires, filtered through the analysis of systems constructed in the context of the nation’s historical culture.
The two great powers facing each other economically in the world today are the United States and China. The government perspective, based on the history and personality of their people, could not be more stark in comparison.
We in the United States, in part, define happiness as personal freedom. We demand from our President the respect for all of society.
China is a culture of emperors and communist totalitarians. They are a society that defines happiness by the attributes of life. Freedom is not a priority. Democracy is not even a consideration. President Xi has amended their constitution to allow for himself to be president for life. There has been little backlash from the public. Their question is simply, will they have a better quality of life in what they receive materially?
Russia is led by a former KGB operative who believes in ideological manipulation. Sovereign neighbors will yield to their ideology or pay the price. Covert operations are the rule rather than the exception. The people define happiness by the perceived omnipotence of Mother Russia. Almost like a sports fan who is happy when their team wins, regardless of the circumstances of their personal existence.
Central European government leadership is pursuing a government strategy to compete and survive in a western world led by the United States. They are anchored by the historical weight of the landlord-tenant relationship. In Medieval Europe, the peasants lived to support the king. The king managed all resources for the livelihood of the people. Europeans today define happiness as the provision of basic needs. Citizens clamor for egalitarianism and an increased standard of living. Yet they are somewhat at ease with hereditary titles and rights. Government is important in their perspective. The Crown is still respected in Great Britain.
The developing world and the Third World struggle to find their place economically and systematically as they continue to emerge from colonialism. Comparative advantages of the First World established after the Industrial Revolution are still prevalent. Happiness is defined by the people as a better quality of life.
These natural forces constituting people, systems, and sovereigns, are autonomous. Yet they are integrally connected. Any nation-state flying in this meteorological complex environment will always be faced with the prospect of natural turbulence. Trade, foreign relations, and policy priorities are prone to chronic amendment and adjustment.
A nation’s diplomacy, in a sense, is the captain speaking over the intercom, alerting the people to the fact that turbulence lies ahead, and a different altitude must be sought. Staying with the aviation metaphor, a plane may even be required to divert course to avoid a thunderhead. But the destination of the airport sought as the objective is never abandoned. In other words, by careful navigation and competent piloting, the plane arrives at the airport desired, even if it is a little bit late. And, so it is with nations.
Leaders of nations today find themselves in an unsettled incongruent world. Their purpose is seeking policy that will deliver expectations to the people through a system and culture with which they are comfortable. Governance is an effort to conduct a journey through political turbulence to a projected place of future hope.
This has always been the case of nation-states in history.
President Donald Trump today fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Details have not yet emerged on the underlying reasons. The past week of the President’s administration has been tumultuous. Several resignations have occurred, including Gary Cohn, his top economic advisor. The world’s chief adversary, Kim Jong Un of North Korea, is requesting a face-to-face meeting with the President. President Trump, as leader of the free world, will make determinations on the course and altitude of the United States of America in reference to foreign policy and international trade.
The question is, will he speak over the intercom to the nation to adequately comfort the passengers?
What is important to every citizen is to know implicitly their own definition of happiness. Secretary of State Tillerson, in his farewell speech today to employees of the U.S. Department of State, stated the one purpose in life on which most people of the world agree. “All of us, we know, want to leave this place as a better place for the next generation.” The successful measurement of this universal decree depends upon one’s definition of happiness. For in that definition advanced, the generational objective is met.
Throughout history, societies have tolerated imperfect government leadership if, in fact, its citizens’ definition of happiness was achieved, at least in perception. The level of tolerance reflects society’s attitude and understanding of the government policy strategy.
In determining the level of tolerance for imperfect government leadership today depends upon one’s definition of happiness and one’s commitment to pass that present hope on to our children. How one defines a better future is one’s mission statement for the generations.
Changing altitudes for the journey’s course may seem unorthodox. The limits of trust, and therefore tolerance, of uncustomary leadership is determined by whether the mission statement of leaving this world a better place for our children is being realized in truth.
In making this determination, one must incorporate leniency and grace in allowing for people, systems, and sovereigns.
As for me, what I want for my children is freedom and liberty.
What this means is that I want a future in which they can pursue happiness as an unalienable right as defined by their personal convictions in God’s purpose for their lives.
My name is Marc Nuttle and this is what I believe.
What do you believe?