Big Picture Focus

Bits and more bits make up a piece of the big picture. Many pieces gathered together in order and place build the big picture. When all pieces are in place, the big picture comes into focus. That’s how we complete a picture puzzle.

In real life, however, the big picture is rarely in focus. It is comprised of billions of pieces, maybe trillions. Keeping all of that in focus is mainly impossible. But we try.

The United Nations was built to keep that international big picture in focus. Decades later the UN remains unfocused. Its outcomes are in disarray, and we are perilously close to World War III. I think the UN lost its way by focusing on near-term tasks and easy to do work. Hoping all of these would add up to a full solution to a complex problem was not productive. It was, in the end, distracting.

The UN is not an international government. Each member nation is its own boss. It gives up no sovereignty to the UN. They come to the table to talk and share. The hope is talking and sharing will lead to understanding, cooperation, collaboration and peace. In so many ways and instances this has been true. But the future is an endless continuum. What we complete today only clears the deck for the task for tomorrow, and the next tomorrow until the end of time.

Too bad the UN doesn’t have armaments or military troops. If it did, it could quell Russo-Ukraine hostilities with a snap of the finger. Any single nation doing this is Russia’s immediate enemy in WWIII. Simple as that. If other nations collect their actions (like NATO), they then become the Russian enemy in WWIII. We say Putin has backed himself in a corner. He has to a degree. But to a much larger degree, he has backed the rest of us into our corners where we essentially do nothing.

Economic sanctions hurt Russia and the rest of us, too. In the end they will have a lasting effect on Russia, but in the meantime, Russia has the freedom to do as she wishes in the world community unopposed by might. That is our corner we inhabit. Putin must be smirking in his private safe rooms. We are powerless to respond militarily to Putin’s aggression. And the people of Ukraine pay the price.

They need our help. They need the help of the UN. They need the help of NATO because it is in our interest to protect NATO nations from Russian aggression. Or China’s. Or anyone else’s military activity.

That is the big picture, isn’t it?

My question is: who and when will Putin’s aggression be answered? So that peace will again break out?

April 15, 2022

 

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Intimacy

As we mature, we become deeply involved in relationships. Some of this is basic family relations – siblings, parental – and the like. Next is friends who enter our homes and we theirs. Neighbors, classmates, mutual hobbyists and so forth. Then we develop friendships that go much deeper. We comfort one another when we are hurting physically or emotionally. We discuss the matters of life and learn much more about ourselves and each other. We can even anticipate how others will react to various situations and stimuli. Good friendships do not spread to everyone we know. No, good friendships are special, close and deeply personal. We focus attention and brainpower on these few friends. Some special relationships focus on specific topics of interest and importance. Yes, we have specialized friendships. Most common. But one day, we get to know one person very well. An emotional connection forms with deep roots. A need to know the person more fully expands in personal ways. We sense this b...
Read more

Bits & Pieces

Pie: Apple pie more specifically. With Thanksgiving just passed, many of us enjoyed a good apple pie. Sure, there was pumpkin to accompany the turkey, but in our family multiple pies are offered in the holidays. Apple is surely one. Pecan, pumpkin and others, too. But I almost always choose apple. When I was in college, I was asked what kind of pie did I eat most often. In front of my mom, I answered apple, because I was always looking for a pie as good as mom’s own. Of course my mother was pleased, but it was a true statement just the same. When I was married, Ann’s pie was darned good. Her mother’s recipe. But we fiddled with the recipe until it took on its own generational name, and boy, was it good! Today I still order apple pie for dessert because I am always looking for a great pie to challenge our family recipes. I rarely do find such a prize. Do others do the same? Do you search for a great pie of choice, continually? If you do, what’s your story? Why do you do this? ...
Read more

Remembering Tom Sherlock

Tom Sherlock died on Wednesday, April 3rd. He was 65 years old and did not survive a heart surgery. That was his unexpected end and sad enough. But there is more to his story. Tom joined Dan Schuyler and George Safford to create what became the Village Chronicles, a weekly newspaper serving Warrenville, Illinois. That paper expanded to serve Winfield and then West Chicago. The paper published for eight years and built a good reputation for itself. Tom served the paper in several ways. He was our information technology guru, provided hardware and software to support the paper's operations. He was our sole bookkeeper, accountant and financial manager. He designed our distribution process and provided office space for meetings and layout and typesetting. His efforts supported the work of 32 volunteers who wrote and reported on the communities we served.  The newspaper broke even financially most of the time, but it was a struggle. Tom managed to find money to keep the newspaper afloat...
Read more