No vision or decisive action


Anger continues to grow towards world leaders around the globe. We see it following so-called free elections. It surfaces at climate conventions. In piazzas in Italy. We feel it in our own living rooms as we sit and watch CSPAN cover an inept U.S. legislature. We see so-called representatives blatantly disregarding the desires of the majority of a population wishing to have better health care.

Suggestions for helping resolve the world climate crisis are nothing more than pathetic near-term solutions having inconsequential long-term effect, amounting to nothing more than "spin."  With such puny measures, coupled with the arrogance of those arriving in their private limos and jets, there may not even be a "long-term" to worry about. The suggested half-measures of buying credits while allowing pollution, condones behavior known to be unacceptable, and favors the rich.  Money is not going to turn down the world's thermostat. Money is not the cure. It is the problem.  Businesses believe they will lose money if there are any measures of substance taken to resolve our climate issues.

And the anger over health care?  Polls vary slightly, but all indicate that the majority of  the U.S. population wants to have a "public option" for health insurance (but not a government-run system for health care delivery).  The legislature does not appear to be listening.  Seemingly willing only to serve the interests of the private insurance industry, they are constructing a nightmare of mandated coverage, policed by the government on that industry's behalf.

No proposed solution has directly dealt with the fact that the key reason most Americans lack insurance is because rates, set by this industry, are simply not affordable.  Currently, neither premiums nor "shared costs" (those not covered after one's premiums are paid) are within the reach of those who are "uninsured."  It is why they are uninsured.  This seems obvious. However, in both House and Senate bills, suggested premiums, deductibles and uncovered amounts will be based on "industry input."

Amanda Knox may have done "suspect" cartwheels in a police station in Italy.  But does anyone, other than Howard Dean, think that the insurance industry isn't doing a few cartwheels of its own at this point?

Climate and health care issues directly and deeply touch all world populations.  Currently, there is too much focus on finding short term "solutions" and then "spinning" them to gain acceptance.

People are tired of platitudes and politics.  We need someone to be bold and lead.  Leadership does not mean sitting on top of the heap. Leadership is not positioning, or a photo-opportunity, or great individual press coverage. It is not throwing money at someone else and telling them to go solve their problems with it.  It is impelling others, through both inspiration and action, through both articulated dreams and decisive deeds, to take actions themselves that align with the better vision for all.

Leadership must answer to the population it serves, be it national or global. To poorly paraphrase Nietzche: "To command is nothing, if no one obeys."  A corollary: "To follow is nothing, if no one is leading."