Terrorist and extremist groups in the Middle East. Child Soldiers and civil war in Africa. Communism and nuclear warheads in Asia. Drug cartels and gangs in South America. Harsh memories and fear from the past in Europe. Homelessness and corruption in the United States of America. Ours is a world in turmoil.
Chaos swarms throughout the Middle East. Egypt has recently experienced violent revolts and rebellions asking for their president to step down. Iran’s leaders claim that their nuclear capabilities are peaceful, yet many nations and organizations have expressed their discomfort over Iran having nuclear technology. Iraq is attempting to rebuild after years of bombings and gunfire ripping their cities to shreds. Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain is the current hiding place for extremist groups and their leaders, such as Osama bin Laden. The United States of America’s “War on Terror” has been a controversial one, and current president, Barack Obama promises that he will start to pull troops out of the Middle East, and leave the innocent citizens of the area to fight for themselves.
Africa’s current situation is probably the most ghastly and horrendous of all. National flags with AK-47’s on them. Rebel groups brandish these weapons of choice. Bombings, civil war, riots, and the regime of oppressive governments cover Africa like a plague. But what really murders one’s soul, is the story of Child Soldiers. African rebel groups are no longer receiving support from a population tired of war. In order for these groups to replenish their ranks, they abduct children from villages, orphanages, and schools across Africa. (The preferred age for these Child Soldiers is 8-14 when they are small enough to sneak into orphanages and schools, yet they are big enough to carry their AK-47.) These children are forced to kill. Their peers are killed before them for crying or talking back. The Child Soldiers are taught how to kill efficiently, and they do, for no one wants to kill a child. Starvation, dehydration, and battles for resources silently pull the African people to death.
North Korea has on numerous occasions threatened the United States of America with their nuclear warheads. The communist government enslaves the population to work in factories and on farms. They kill those who do not obey. No one is allowed out of the country. North Korea has also harassed South Korea with shellings and supposed sinking of battleships. China’s government censors the Internet and any form of media in the country, also controlling their population under communism, and surrounding their country with an iron curtain.
Drug cartels and gangs are the government of fifty percent of South American countries, unofficially. Drugs control everything. Poverty and mass corruption are the ruling forces in South America.
The fear of the past is very real and pertinent to this day in Europe. On most occasions, a look into the past is a very painful one, as World War II is still a fresh wound. Nazis managed to gain control starting in impoverished Germany, and meticulously slither into other countries, while destroying and wounding countries that tried to stop them. Jews were killed violently, soullessly, and systematically. Although the past is grim in Europe it has perhaps the brightest future of all other areas of the world.
Slowly yet steadily, and beyond the view of most, one of the greatest world powers is beginning to sink; the United States of America. The Roman Empire comes to mind. The United States of America has amassed such a huge and depressing deficit, most Americans today can’t tell you how much their great country is in debt, nor do they want to. An end is not in sight at all, and many wonder if America will ever come out of debt. Most frightening of all about the deficit though, is who we are in debt to. Two of the three countries that we owe the most to are the USA’s allies, yet one of them is not. The USA owes most of its debt to China, a communist country who most Americans view with slight distaste, distrust, and a little bit of fear. Furthermore, America’s once great economy is falling quickly, and while it falls, the level of homelessness and hunger rises. To add to the slight fears in Americans’ hearts, their elected officials usually never do anything with the country in mind, but their own agendas.
The world is falling apart. I do not mean to be a dooms-dayer, nor am I trying to say that the end of the world is near. The point I am merely trying to get across is that the world needs new priorities. The world’s population needs to be able to give to make things better. The world needs new leaders that will be firm and courageous, and the world needs to slowly start turning in a new direction.
