Up until the last 7 days there has been a global storm ravaging our planet, which appears to have quiet suddenly disappeared.
Mexico City brought to a stand still (and for good reason). L.A. a State of Emergency declared. In Egypt, 1000’s of pigs ordered to be killed sparking a civil uprising. In China; indeed in many Countries airports, perfectly healthy people were being detained in fear that they may be infected.

Certainly there have been deaths, and we pray for them and their families. Certainly we feel discomforted by the potential for yet another serious global threat. Certainly I felt comforted by seeing the Authorities taking decisive and prudent actions to protect their people.

Whether Swine Flu is or was a real global threat, I don’t know.
The answer too many questions are often only clear in hindsight.

What many did find disquieting were the number of Civil, Business and Political faces that appeared within minutes of this event being born. Who it appeared, took action not for the good of their people, not for the good of their country. But rather took action for the good of their own agendas.

Some of these voices were loud and seemingly authoritative, some stalked quietly through the corridors of decision. Never the less they were transparently motivated by personal gain.

I’m sure that it’s obvious to you as it is obvious to many that Leaders who rally a population to a common cause for the good of the whole, come from a totally different level of values than the Leader who incites a population for pure self interest.

Post event we could claim moral outrage or ignore them and let it pass. Or we could confront and demand accountability or some other course. But that’s not really my question.

My question is who did you follow? The Calmer, or the Catastrophiser. The Meddler. The Profiteer, or the voice of reason.

The leaders who show courage and good judgment.
Or the ones inciting blame rage and fear.

Can you see that it’s not just what they do that’s important; it’s what we do that tips the balance.

There are lessons for us here. There are choices we can make for the future.

And those lessons and choices are not just about how to better handle potential crisis. But also lessons about whom we trust to follow. Do we follow those that give us the thrill of fear or those that help us to be better people?

To some the thrill of the rollercoaster will always be more exciting than the value of doing the right thing.
The difference of course between a rollercoaster and a manipulator, is that you can always get off a rollercoaster.

The History of many Nations screams at us that it is not so easy to escape the latter.

I believe that we need to be vigilant to the potential for threats of any kind. Be it disease, terrorism war manipulation or monopoly. Not so paranoid that we pull the trigger on innocence and not so accustomed to the “wolfs” cry that we ignore the Wolfs scent.

Just being sensible if that’s possible.

In my view the world needs more great men and women and it is my belief that that potential lies within every man and woman.

warning: comic profanity at bottom – read no further if small fluffy cartoon characters blaspheming offends you…..

One of the philosophies I like to live by is to minimise on the amount of “negative” input in the form of main stream media.

If we all spent our time worrying about all the things that the press so freely share as being the “current events” - we would
never try new things, take risks or even leave our homes for fear of the worst….

Much of what we see today has already happened to (some of us baby boomer types at least) earlier in our life times and certainly in the time of our forefathers, parents and grand parents - the press has very short memories - I guess there would be little news if they could point to the pattern of “oh this is just like what happened back when……”

For instance - one fact the press has yet to report on (that I’m aware of at least because I don’t watch that much….. ;-)…. is the fact that during the great depression of the 1930’s more millionaires were made than any other time in that hundred year period. In markets like that (and now…) opportunity abounds!

Another fine example - the current “swine flu” pandemic that everyone is getting all het up about - is pretty much the same scenario we had in 1977. The world did not end, millions did not die and once again the resilence of the human race (let alone our ingenuity, scientific ability etc) came to the fore….

Here’s an interesting video from Congressman Ron Paul that discusses how history is repeating itself in this regards.

“>Another view on the recent swine flu

and, as an added bonus, here’s something that made me laugh earlier today…. a different view also on our childhood favourite, winnie the pooh!

Does winnie the poo believe in the swine flu?