Chronically Short Horizons

There seems to be a pack of very dim bulbs out there who are convinced that today is the end of the world. And if not today then maybe next tuesday or whenever.

In the same way, a bunch of bulbs with middling wattage are convinced that whatever economic report comes out next Tuesday will show that everything is basically fine with the economy and that there's essentially nothing to worry about. Our system (whatever that means to them) is still the best and strongest in the history of God's Green Earth. And they are armed with charts and graphs and statistics that prove their case. Meanwhile they laugh at and mock the other dim bulbs who claim the world ends today.

And in exactly the same way another bunch of dim bulbs are consulting focus groups and very recent polls to figure out what to say today to all the other dim bulbs in order to remain in public office. It doesn't matter to them at all whether they claim the world is about to end, or everything's just fine, as long as it gets them re-elected.

The problem that these low-wattage types all share is that their Horizon is very tiny. Anything beyond this moment, this weak, this year, this decade, the post-war period, or at best, this century, is completely outside their perspective.

Unfortunately, in the real world economic cycles, shifts of political power, evolution of knowledge and spiritual awakenings play out over very long periods of time. And the force of these cycles is irresistible.

How this simple fact of life has escaped the consciousness of our culture is a fascinating question, and beyond the scope of this blurb. But certainly there are two points to keep in mind with regards to this mass personality disorder.

Point 1: The two cultures with whom we are currently at odds - the Chinese and the Arab Nations - whatever their political and economic shortcomings - they look at events, culturally, in terms of generations. This puts them at a very real advantage in terms of how they will influence events that play out over generations.

Point 2: Over the course of human history - but for a few brief blinks of the eyes - Gold has always been money. We are currently residing within an eyeblink. The question of how long that blink will last is irrelevant. What should concern everyone who cares about expanding their tiny horizons, is what happens when the blink is over.