All the World's a Stage...and it Looks a Mess!

It seems particularly ironic to me at the moment, given that I'm unemployed, when, whilst applying for various positions, I am obliged to take many tests- seemingly to ensure that the company isn't left with someone working for them who is unreliable and could make a mess of their company. But it seems that those who have surely passed the greatest tests, and become our leaders, seem to be failing quite spectacularly in a lot of ways to keep the world functioning at the moment. Believe it or not, I'm not one of these who usually seizes every opportunity to criticise politicians: I appreciate that they have a difficult job, dealing with many complex issues and trying to keep many people happy. But when I stop and look at the world today, I think that surely they can, collectively, do better: - Worldwide, there has been a recession, affecting different parts of the world to varying extents, for the past 5 years. - In Europe, though steps have been taken to reassure the world that the European Union will do its utmost to uphold the Eurozone, on the whole Europe remains plagued by a toxic combination of recession in the private sector and overwhelming debts in both the private and public sectors. - The USA, the world's foremost power, seems stifled by debate between Republicans and Democrats, President and Congress, to agree an overall strategy when it comes to public spending and taxes. For months, responsibility has been ineffectually passed back and forth between those running the US, undermining confidence in the government and consequently the country as well. - In the Far East, while Japan struggles to overcome decades of debt build-up and economic stagnation, it has also devoted a lot of wasteful time and energy, along with China, the so-called superpower of the future, to sabre-rattling over a small group of islands- jeopardising the stability and progress of the region as a result. Meanwhile, the juvenile routine of neighbouring North Korea launching massively-expensive rockets to a chorus of international condemnation has been continued by Kim Jong Un from the days of his father, Kim Jong-Il. - Instability and civil war still hinder optimism and progress in many parts of the Islamic world and Africa, with governments attacking their own people, or nations fighting each other within a single state. - The town where Osama bin Laden was assassinated in Pakistan has apparently tired of its negative association with this incident, and is consequently planning to develop a theme park to change the area's reputation! Most countries have had at least a few generations of leaders to overcome their countries' problems- and still economic crises, military antagonism and ethnic conflict continue the undermine global stability and progress, to the benefit of very few. Let's hope they all get their act together soon!