World views

I’ve been in “big idea” mode lately, trying to fit small pieces into a larger framework. Rodin’s descendants won’t be making a statue of me, but I have been doing my best impression of “The Thinker.”

I’ve been mulling the way the community is growing. I’ve been pondering the political system as the election cycle heats up. And I’ve been wondering and worrying about what the state of the world will be when my 6-year-old niece, Abijah, reaches the age when these sorts of issues will weigh on her.

Why the deep thoughts?

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m engaging in serious conversations as I learn more about Chico; and the convention I attended in mid-June featured two heavy-hitters in the realm of public policy: retired Gen. Wesley Clark and former President Bill Clinton.

I don’t want to bore anyone, so if you’re totally invested in your world view, skip this and catch me next week. But if current events have put your personal paradigm to the test, perhaps you’ll get something out of what I gleaned in Little Rock.

Clark, during a speech fit for a 2008 campaign stump, talked about our country lacking an “organizing principle.” After World War II, he explained, we had a collective goal of avoiding World War III, and this permeated American life. With the fall of the Soviet Union, that focus diffused.

Wait, was the old general pining for the Cold War? No, no—just something more overarching than the global war on terror. His suggested approach: Use our national pre-eminence to tackle international challenges.

In a case of accidental synergy, Clinton built on the idea of a unifying theory. His watchword was “interdependence”—within communities local and global. We need to form partnerships accepting of differences rather than take divisive, simplified stands. The private sector can fill needs not met by the public sector, with mutual benefit. Concerns over oil supplies and climate change make clean energy a golden opportunity for cooperation.

Fuel for thought.