At a talk some years ago, I heard the speaker, someone who moved in diplomatic circles, say that the three leading causes of death in the world were:
- Actions by a foreign government.
- Actions by your own government.
- Actions by your own family.
Not ever having been an academic, I didn’t know what numbers he based those statements on, and I haven’t had the inclination to check them out myself since that time, but they sounded quite plausible, so I left it at that.
Know where Gallipoli is? Why was it so important?
About an hour ago, Geopolitical Futures mentioned something about Russia suspending grain exports, and the image of the video “Grain, Globalization, and Gallipoli” came to mind. Do watch it. I found it fascinatingly instructive and you might, too.
Now, we might say that our decisions and actions determine our future, including our approaching demise, but there are things which are quite outside our sphere of control. How should we then conduct ourselves? By taking charge of whatever we can take charge of, and by engaging with others in order to influence them towards the greater good as much as we can, of course. Recognizing that life is much more complex than we could ever imagine, and that there is no single factor to explain it might be helpful, too.
Do write and tell me what you think! I’m also embedding the video referred to, which is by the Hoover History Working Group, below.
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