Here, at this moment in time,
Before the fall of experienced time from weeks or days, which is the way we humans have lived it in the Modern Era, and still do (barely),
To ITT, Instantaneous Twitter Time, when there will never be any time for reflection because everything is happening right now, and we have to react and have opinions about it right now, before the possible madness and thrashing as every country and person reacts against every action or speech, every threat, immediately because otherwise it might be too late, when finally humanity literally tears itself apart in a world war like none of the others, with billions dead,
Before the Fall,
We have this "unfolding event" in Egypt.
What will we call it?
The Friday of Anger, as a headline at the New York Times termed earlier?
The Egyptian Civil War , with cities decimated and no outcome in sight?
The Mubarek Crackdown, when Mubarek the President became Mubarak the Out-and-out Pharaonic dictator?
The Loss of Egypt, when our staunchest Arab ally next to the nuclear tinderbox of Israel fell to an Iranian-style Al Qaeda-supporting junta of ... who?
The Middle Eastern War, with Israel attacking Muslim Extremist Egypt?
Or something Else ... but what?
What do you, at this moment is time, think it will be called?
Whatever we will call the "unfolding event", we will call it that before the 2012 elections arrive. (Fox is probably sifting out inflammatory monikers as you read this.)
And Obama had to make a speech to the world about the reaction of the US to this event.
This is the speech he made.
What did you see?
Before I read anyone else’s response at all, before I even look at the titles of the "Top Rated Diaries", her's my immediate reaction.
I saw:
A calm consideration
A willingness to wait for more facts before forming an opinion
A request for reflection before decision
A pause before decisive action to balance the consequences of various actions
A firm declaration of the Rights of Man.
I saw qualities I am relieved to see in the man who is the President at this moment in time.
What did you see? What is your belief about time and political events world events?
None of us can see tomorrow.
What has happened to the collective ability of the human race to make collectively wise decisions, in an age of Google, blogs (yes, even The Daily Kos), emails, 24-hr-cable news, newsfeeds, Facebook, Twitter, IMs, instant updates? Can we even see today?
I believe that until we learn to pause to consider the virtues of pausing and considering, none of us will even be able to see today, must less the past.
That is why, n this moment, before what happens, happens, I am grateful, to whatever Universal Force or Power there is, that we have a man of thoughtful responses, rather than of immediate reactions, as the leader of the greatest military force the world has ever known, possessing 5,113 nuclear weapons as of May 2010.