Do We Need Superman To Come To The Rescue?

Listening to the great Superman movie theme composed by John Williams elicited the thought that we might just need Superman to come to the rescue. Rescue from what?

Well, the list is far too long to dive into in one modest post. But highlights would have to begin with the war between the U.S. and Iran as it now appears to expand with accelerating speed to a wider Gulf conflict. And let's not forget Israel's military operations (war?) in Lebanon, close enough to the Gulf to perhaps be part of that overall conflict. It appears the threat of expanding conflict may result in...well, not sure what comes next, but it sure does seem to be something that we not only can't ignore, but may even spill over into our personal "Worry Box."

Then there's the war between Russia and Ukraine. Is there any end in sight? Even accepting - as we must - that this one was precipitated by Russian massive invasion of Ukraine, and that this fact may cause our sympathies to lie with the Ukrainian people who have suffered the Imperialism of Russia for centuries, the escalation of lethal attacks with missiles and drones threatens to spread mayhem beyond the two countries to...well, not sure about this. But, again, it's gotten to the point where the "Worry Box" has one more item to weigh it down.

These items must be at the top of the list because they present an existential threat to a wider circle of citizens of nations that are not directly involved in these conflicts. Existential = threat to life itself.

World War III anyone? 

It's not an original idea. Others have broached the subject for a while now, including Ray Dalio, whom we cite from time to time due to his exhaustive studies of economic, financial, and social cycles. While a WW III can (some say already has come) in various "flavors," there remains this startling quote from the book The Fourth Turning Is Here. 

Recall that we have referenced the progenitor of this book, The Fourth Turning, many times in the past. It laid out the basic structure of long-term historical cycles that predicted, in general terms, the mess we appear to be sinking into now. This more recent book, authored by Neil Howe, co-author of The Fourth Turning, attempts to not simply update his original work, but to wake us up to the clear and present danger that this now-arrived Fourth Turning could bring upon us.

So here's that quote: 

(NB: WMD stands for Weapons of Mass Destruction - as in nuclear weapons.) 

“At worst, should at least one desperate country resort to WMDs, the outcome of a great-power war could prove to be even more devastating than that of a civil war. The toll could be almost unimaginable – with multiple cities destroyed, many millions killed, and many tens of millions displaced – all perhaps triggered by some ill-fated combination of the wrong leader making the wrong choice at the wrong time.” – Neil Howe – The Fourth Turning Is Here 

Let's hope that if World War III is coming, or is already here, it will not be in the extreme form described. However, it would foolish to totally ignore this possibility.

We would note here, that this description, however dire it looks and feels, it only describes some sort of "limited" WMD attack. But when it comes to nuclear warfare, if you bother to study how things are set up by the countries that have the weapons, a limited strike - in this author's humble opinion - would seem unlikely - which raises the stakes to staggering numbers, if not total oblivion for mankind.)

Which brings us to Superman. Those who have followed the Man of Steel since his first appearance in comic books in the 1940s will appreciate the sentiment that we could use him now. Sadly, that's never going to be the case. But we can, for the time being, indulge our fantasy with the theme from the first Superman movie - the one where our hero is portrayed by the late Christopher Reeve - arguably the best of the genre.

Indeed, we consider this one of the greatest of movie themes, one that under any circumstances can lift up your spirits as the day begins. See if you agree...