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''ifl were
President..."
C
AN
any
man - or for that mat–
ter,
any
government of men -
come to grips with and
SOLV.E
the weighty problems confronting
mankind today?
Is it, in fact,
hmnanly possible
to
solve today's ills?
The sobering answer is-
IT IS NOT.
And it is imperative that we come to
understand
WHY.
Yes, WHY?
Any man ( or: woman) stepping into
an office of rulership over others is
immediately confronted by a set of
conditions and events already in
motion, which the incoming person is
in effect powerless to reverse.
Most governments, especially those
of the Western wodd, are today
founded upon huge bureaucracies.
Those who staff these labyrinthian
offices often are not brought in direct–
ly by the new head of state. They are
not necessarily bound to follow loyally
his thinking. A newly elected or ap–
pointed leader finds that, besides hav–
ing to frequently battle against the
tide of public opinion to achieve goals
he feels are important, he must often
struggle as well against those within
his own governmental structure.
And, too, there are always those
of opposing parties or factions that
seek to replace an "opposition" leader
with one from their own ranks. This
type of partisanism is the antithesis of
the dynamic unity within and between
38
nations so urgently needed to accom–
plish rightly desired goals.
President for a Day
Jt is difficult to go through life
without occasionally getting involved
in a traditional "politics" debate with
friends, fellow workers or neighbors.
No doubt we've all heard- and from
time to time expressed - the predíct–
able grumbles and gripes about "those
in Washington" or "Whitehall" and
how from our vantage point they con–
tinually seem to be inept in doing
their jobs. Wait long enough and
someone will step up and pontificate
on "what l'd do if
1
were President"
or "Prime Minister."
But really, what would you do if
you were Prcsident? Where would you
go, to whom would you turn to seek
peace in our time? What steps would
you take if suddenly the hideous
weight of all the ugly, imponderable
problems faced daily by the heads of
state around the world were placed
on your shoulders? Would
yo11
have
the answers? Does
anyone?
Put yourself for a moment in the
setting descríbed above. Now
)'OII're
tn
command, and the ponderous
weight of office is on
yottt'
shoulders.
What's your first move? What road do
you take to force nations to return to
their own borders, content to live
peaceably? What words will you speak
to selfish workers, equally selfish busi–
ness leaders, and selfish consumers to
bring happy agrcement and perpetua!
economic peace and unity on the
domestic front? Have you ever thought
through these problems - really?
Or if the settíng seems too far off
in the future, let's stop and take an
honest, dear-headed look at life as it
is today.
A Mountain of Sttife
For openers, there's the Vietnam
War, the Iongest war in U. S. history.
It has proved to be the most divisive
influence upon U. S. society since the
Civil War. Many argue that the
United States had no business in–
volving itself in that conflict in the
beginning, while others retort that to
have backcd away would have ínvited
the spread of Communism throughout
the entire area.
One thing is certain: This war, like
all wars, has exacted a dreadful price
from the opposing natíons in men and
materials - and even though the U. S.
is "de-escalating" its role, no actual
end to the fighting is in sight. Answers
have been painstakingly sought, many
methods have been túed in an attempt
to bring lasting peace and prosperity
to this troubled area.
All have failed.
Why?
Next, considcr the tuibulent econ–
omy. The mere thought of a devalua–
tion of the once-mighty dollar only a
few short years ago would have
bwught cries of anguish and indigna-
PLAIN TRUTH Moy 1972