I really don't know how to feel about the idea of World War III.

On one hand, the toll on humanity would be horrific. We've got nukes and high-tech weaponry which will make merely existing on this earth an unpleasant ordeal after a major global conflict. How people can choose to not care about that is beyond my ability to conceptualize. Misery would likely be all we have for generations. Assuming we survive.

On the other hand... no more having to worry about whether I left the stove on.

Or anything else.

I've been lucky enough to travel all around this remarkable plant of ours, and the one thing that's stuck with me more than any other is how remarkably similar we are. Regardless of nationality, race, religion, sexual identity, belief, or any other classification you can name... the vast majority of people on earth just want to live in peace and have the resources they need to help the people they care about. Or, in my case, the cats I care about.

That's it.

And what's so totally wild is that all of humanity could totally have that. Sure it would involve some compromise... a little give-and-take on just about everything... but, other than that, all it would take would be for people to want it bad enough. Want to live in peace so badly that the compromise would be worth it.

And, oh yeah, you'd definitely have to remove any horrific individuals with deep resources and vast influence available who don't want peace to happen. Because those with wealth and power who are only ever interested in wealth and power aren't going to sit idly by and if it means they'll lose even one fucking nickel. History is replete with examples that back this up. They're an unavoidable obstacle, because they'll gladly watch the world burn before they will compromise on anything.

And so here we are.

Hate makes for a great distraction. You can't see what's happening right in front of you when you're too busy hating somebody somewhere else because you've been convinced they're the problem... despite the fact that all they want is to live in peace the same as you. And so long as we let ourselves continue to be manipulated like this, the only possible outcome for this planet is World War III. What else can it be? Ever-escalating hate is unsustainable. It's all got to come to a head sometime.

I'm old. Over half my life is over. If I wake up tomorrow to nukes raining down around me, then I'd go back to bed with my cats and be just fine taking my leave of this universe.

But I'd still be overwhelmingly sad for kids who never got to know the beauty awaiting them in the world. All the wonderful things that nature has to offer. All the cool stuff that humanity has brought forth. Nope. After all too brief a time, all most of them would see on earth is suffering and death. And it's so unfair.

Which is why I hope people come to their senses before it's really too late.

Because that day is nigh, and nobody can stop it but us.