I should probably stop watching the news for a while

The headlines of late being what they are, I spend a great deal of time thinking of the challenges that face my generation. Iran is continuing to defy the world community with no real fear of penalty, Islamic militants continue to target our soldiers and innocent civilians in Iraq, millions of people continue to stream unchecked across our borders, government programs teeter on the edge of collapse because of the eroding tax base.

The general method my generation seems to be using to deal with these problems seems to be, well, ignorance. Not ignorance in the sense of being uneducated, but ignorance in the sense of ignoring vital issues in the hopes that they will somehow magically cease to be vital issues.

In dealing with Iran, the preference seems to be to defer the responsibility to an impotent world organization whose mode of operation consists mainly of toothless declarations and resolutions, half-hearted sanctions and general incompetence. Many seem bent on avoiding armed conflict at all costs -- apparently even if it means allowing a religious fanatic set on hastening Armageddon to acquire the most destructive weapons this world has ever known.

When it comes to Iraq, even though the casualty numbers are substantially lower than any other major conflict in which the U.S. has engaged, many have deemed the sacrifice unacceptable and seem perfectly contented with simply withdrawing and leaving the region to its own devices regardless of what broader consequences it could imply.

On immigration, we seemingly feel guilty asking people to come into this country legally and fairly, not to mention assimilate into our society.

Government programs such as medicare and social security are on the verge of collapsing under their own weight, but any effort to reform them is met with either a yawn or violent backlash against reform. People seem to be operating under the assumption that things will just continue to go the same way they always have, regardless of declining birth rates, increased numbers of recipients, etc.

We live in a country that has, in less than 250 years, become the single most powerful nation the world has ever known. But I'm afraid we've become victims of our own success. Americans, and Western people in general, are a comfortable people. We don't like to be bothered with unpleasantness. We would much rather leave others alone and be left alone rather than seek out confrontation. As social scientist Charles |\/|urray once said of socialist Europeans, "the purpose of life is to while away the time as pleasantly as possible." This sentiment is becoming increasingly applicable to Americans, particularly those under 35.

Our propensity to avoid all things uncomfortable has the potential to atrophy the American spirit. And that atrophy could then be exploited by those who wish to do us harm or simply exploit us. Most Americans likely have a hard time comprehending that there's a group of people that would happily detonate a nuclear weapon in one of our cities. But that is an issue that we're going to have to face -- hopefully before we see the smoldering ruins of an American city. (I have a particular existential interest in this, as the most recent tape released by Al Q@eda showed the Capito| building -- a landmark across the street from my office -- in flames.)

Most Americans also don't realize that American power is the only thing keeping the Middle East from totally erupting and that our presence there is for the good of our national security. If it seems chaotic now, just imagine what it would be like if they were left to their own devices. People like to claim that our presence there is actually aggravating the situation, but that just provides a convenient excuse.

On the subject of immigration, Americans are so afraid of being labeled bigots that they're afraid to stand up and demand that those who come here do so legally, and take steps such as learning English to better function in and contribute to our society. The fact of the matter is that an uneducated, easily exploited class of immigrants is a lose-lose situation for both the country and the immigrants themselves.

And Americans simply don't want to be bothered with the idea that our social programs are bankrupt and will require massive tax increases or devastating benefit cuts to remain (or even become) solvent. In its current form, social security is at a 3:1 payer to recipient ratio. That is to say, the benefits of one recipient are divided among three tax payers. When the program was first implemented, the ratio was somewhere in the neighborhood of 12:1. In the coming years, particularly when the flood of baby-boomers begins to retire, the ratio will drop to 2:1. Meaning there will be fewer tax payers to pay for an exponentially increasing bill.

Unhappy thoughts, all. But all issues that will need to be confronted sooner rather than later. I can't help but worry that we're going to wait longer than we can afford to confront them.

Our grandparents' generation came to be known as The Greatest Generation for stepping up when they were needed. I can only imagine what our generation will be called if we don't.