New York City

March 28, 2014

It is very easy to blame and criticize but much harder to build what is necessary for all to have a better life.

I've been reading recently about Russia, or maybe I should say Putin's, recent actions "annexing" Crimea; a land mass that was until recently part of Ukraine. I read how the Russian army quickly took over the area after a group of "rebels" (so they say) took control of the Ukraine government, ousting what supposedly was a very corrupted president.

It's hard to say what is really going on as most news media outlets usually want to promote their own version of the events they are covering. For example do you believe Russians feel the same way about what's happened in Ukraine than americans? I don't think so. Mr Putin's popularity soared after his actions to take over Crimea.

In the eyes of the american media Mr Putin is intransigent, corrupted and almost a dictator. He may be, but I am not sure that's the only way we should look at these events if we want to get a more wholesome perspective. How do you think the Russian media views what happened? How do you think they view americans?

Each person has their own point of view about what's going on, and I don't believe either one is right or wrong. What is troubling to me is that there's a country that has used his might to take control of another. They have used their military muscle to threaten anyone that would oppose them. This is Russia, one of the biggest countries in the world! It is not Iraq, Iran or Myanmar.

I can't help but to think of Germany under the rule of Hitler justifying his actions to take over other countries. Yes, in Crimea there was a referendum where the population was asked if they wanted to join Russia, which is different than just taking over a country, though they were already surrounded by the Russian army. How much choice did the people living in the area had? What about the people that didn't agree? What happened to them?

I thought that these type of events only happened in the past. I wanted or want to believe that these type of actions were only done in the past, when humans were primitive. I have wanted to believe that we have learnt our lessons and that the world is not that primitive anymore. I've wanted to believe that "World Wars" only happened in the past. I believe I was wrong.

I'm not saying that we are going to have a world war anytime soon, no, what I'm saying is that we humans don't seem to have learned our lessons. What I'm saying is that people's ethics and don't seem to have improved that much, specially in the people that seek to have positions of power in the governments they want to control.

Look at what's going on in Venezuela. A country governed by what seems to be a man that doesn't care about freedom. He has incarcerated leaders that oppose his ideas and the leaders of opposition movements. Doesn't matter that people don't have enough food to eat. His predecessor shut down the only TV station that had the courage to not submit to his wishes. As he also expropriated many companies under the justification that the "evil capitalists" were abusing the population.

Look at what is going on in Argentina that seems to be ruled by another populist government that seeks to "take from the rich and give to the poor". This is an old and very useful marketing tool if you want to take control of a government through fear and blame instead of worthwhile proposals to improve a country.

Look at what's going in Turkey with its leaders trying to block Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Google. What! This is Turkey! which until recently was close to be part of the European Union. All in the attempts of trying to stop the free flow of information that is portraying the President and his allies as corrupt and immoral. I don't know if what they say is true, as often these avenues of communication are used to spread lies. But to seek to block these important human connection tools is a very serious affair. And I wonder, do they actually believe they can get away with it? Do they actually believe they can isolate their people from the rest of the world? I believe they do.

Look at China. From what I know their internet and news sources are heavily controlled by the government. Many Chinese believe americans are immoral imperialists (like many other countries do) and should be kept at bay. Again, that may be true, but that doesn't change that blaming americans for anything wrong in their countries or in the world only creates alienation and hatred. This seems to be the same tactic used by the US against "terrorists" that usually come from the Middle East or are muslims.

I see these events and I need to remind myself that all of these actions are made by people, and the people that are making these actions act like little children fighting to have what they want. They fight to take control of their toys blaming each other on the way. Each has its own excuse and they all want to look as if they didn't do anything wrong. We are so petty!

Not because they wear suits means that they are mature.

I wonder if the leaders of these countries mindfully ponder about the state of the population they lead. Do they care about their well being? Do they care truly for their health, for their joy? It is very easy to blame and criticize and much harder to build what is necessary for all to have a better life. But we need to earn this. Let's not succumb to hopelessness believing that we humans can not change. I don't believe this is true. To do so is to give in to despair and justify us not wanting to do something about it, us not starting with ourselves.

If we want the world to change we need to change ourselves.

I know the above quote is simple and used often but it is very true. When I see whats going on in the world I ask myself: How am I acting just like the president of Turkey? Do I want at times others not knowing what I am doing? Are there times where I have felt so afraid that I prefer to lie rather than been honest? Have I wanted to hide my actions from others by means of controlling information?

Where have I been like the president of Venezuela? Have I ever wanted to get rid of my competition? In my business and personal life? Have I ever wanted to blame others for my problems? Where in my life do I not care about how others are affected by my actions? Has there ever been a time when I preferred material possessions or power instead of others's well being?

How have I acted in my life like the president of Argentina? Have I ever wanted to lie about where I am? Have I ever wanted to hide or just change the facts a little bit for my own benefit? Have I ever criticized others that are doing better than me?

I don't know about you, but I can say yes to many of the above questions and I can easily see where I have been the same as they are now. What does that mean? It means to me that I have a lot of room to improve and that if I want to change the world I can for sure start with myself. Or do I want to see myself as powerless? Do I want to believe that there's no way a single individual could really influence the world for the better?

Well, what if Gandhi thought like that? What if Martin Luther King Jr never stood up agains his comfort and the apathy that was troubling his community? What if Jesus didn't act like he did for fear of being killed? What if Mandela didn't oppose the oppressing regiment of South Africa?

And imagine if the internet, Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and Google had never been created by hard working people? Would we have had the "Arab Spring" movement towards more freedom? Would we have the privilege of communicating with each other in seconds instead of weeks like it used to be when the United States was founded? Would people have access to so much knowledge? Would we have the potential to organize ourselves for a common good?

I believe we can all play a roll in making the world a better place. We each choose in which way, but no matter what each chooses, we can all improve the way we are and the way we behave with ourselves and with others. The current state of the world could become a reminder of our inner and outer work to be done.

Let's all participate consciously and pro-actively. If we do so, I believe our life would become more meaningful. Why? Because we would know (even if no one else does) that we are doing something about "it". We would know that everyday is a challenge to improve and be better. We would know that every circumstance is an opportunity to be like the rulers we don't approve of or a chance to become the person we would like them to be.

Edgar Boone

Childish Leaders