Flooding in Europe[/caption]Carol Forsloff ---The provincial nature of America's thinking has produced problems for the country since the inception of its independence from Great Britain as a separate nation. The fact that colonists from Europe, and immigrants from other countries over the years, made the choice to emigrate to the New World never meant that the values of the Old World should all be left behind, like the tatters of a less than amicable divorce. It is time for America to get over its fixation on itself and begin to think globally as a fair partner as opposed to a self-righteous population where only the chosen few might prosper.
Isolationism historically has been inspired by the notion that America is somehow better at everything than everyone else. Yet the rest of the world has produced great scientists, great literature and inspired thinking. Those best known for their moral principles, like Mother Theresa and Mahatma Gandhi, also brought to international attention the need for global thinking with individuals making considerable sacrifice to shine a light on universal needs.
Today's news on American television's major network NBC reported only briefly on the flooding in Calgary, France and Switzerland, part of the massive events that have occurred in many places throughout Europe. Devastating, torrential rains have driven thousands from their homes, while places like India continue to struggle with increasingly treacherous weather conditions. All of this is happening as Alaskans enjoy warmer temperatures than anyone has experienced in recent decades during the 2013 summer. This, combined with the scientists predictions over much of the past 20 years, reminds us that climate change is producing food scarcities, economic problems, social and political unrest and a host of other issues that are addressed locally, when the whole world is experiencing common problems. And it is America's biggest barrier that its isolationism has meant years of denial and a method of dealing with an international problem by addressing only the impact on areas of the United States most dramatically impacted, like the Eastern seaboard and the Midwest following the storms of 2012 and 2013.
The mainstream news today, mentioning only briefly the storms in Europe, Canada and Asia, said nothing about climate change. Instead the name North West given to the newest addition to the Kardashian saga, a baby born to Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, provided news networks with much of its major attention.
The Kyoto protocol has been an effort to address climate change on an international scale. Whereas the United States eventually approved the agreement to reduce carbon omissions, Congress refused to sign that agreement. The Kyoto Treaty emphasized the reduction of greenhouse gases, coming on the heels of world scientists' admonitions that the continuing explosion of fossil fuels into the atmosphere would have terrible consequences to world climate. Yet America, who presents itself as a world leader, offers little leadership in addressing the problems created by climate change. Those who declare the United States' value as a democracy with moral values have yet to declare their allegiance to helping the world's people in the effort to address the world's problems related to climate change.
While President Barack Obama deals with the problems of immigration and gun control, the biggest barrier to America's social and political progress is scarcely mentioned in most of the President's speeches. That global thinking that scientists have hoped might occur as they, as a community, have addressed the problems as of international concern, remains the necessary step towards America's serious leadership in global affairs. The country whose arrogance makes its pronouncements as separate and therefore unequal to the rest of the world's problems means its friends will continue to lack trust in America's leadership, as the unified solutions remain beyond the concerns of the major world contributors, such as Russia, China and the United States, in any real or determined way.
