Let’s see — how goes it on the global play yard? Even while distracted by the need to threaten the execution of his own, Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad continues to desire that the Mediterranean Sea lap the Western borders of Jordan and Syria while continuing the funding of Hamas and Hezbollah in order to keep alive Palestinian unrest with the Palestinians as the chosen losers.

Israel is not silent toward those who menace. President Shimon Peres warned this year that if Ahmadinejad does not relax his nuclear posture, “we’ll strike him.” Anthony Cordesman, a strategist at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., said Iran will be the biggest loser in such an exchange as Tehran, with its nearly 15 million people, “is a topographic basin with mountain reflector. Nearly ideal nuclear killing ground.”

Pakistan and India continue to face off while al-Qaida and the Taliban make violent grabs for control of northwest Pakistan with the greater goal of taking control of Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal — ever plotting and moving toward who can guess what creatively destructive action.

North Koreans continue to sing the ever-popular and catchy tune, “Without You There Can Be No Motherland,” to Kim Jong-Il while he, lacking the aloha spirit, not unexpectedly defies everyone while keeping a close eye of Taiwan, the United States, Japan (with the occasional missile flyover), India, Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Russia and NATO. Russia still has the world’s largest nuclear stockpile, making any of the above potential or existing arsenals look like baking soda and vinegar volcanoes. And is anyone ever sure with whom they are aligning? These are some of the big players.

Lest we forget the small fry whose differing factions vie for control within their own sphere, conflicts continue in the Central African Republic, Burma (Myanmar), Niger, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan with sectarian conflicts simmering beneath the surface in numerous other nations. Listed among the “improved situations” by International Crisis Watch are — oh, none.

Meanwhile, back home in this wondrous experiment in liberty called the United States of America, we carelessly continue on our way obsessing over just how indulgent a life we can lead. We are fat, lazy and whining, consumed with finding blame and desiring that someone other than ourselves rescue us from self-inflicted problems. (And our salivating politicians are more than willing to promote the illusion that they are just the ones to launch such a heroic rescue — at our expense.)

We strain at gnats and swallow camels as we recycle with a religious zeal while we wink at the family unit falling apart leaving our children lost and empty — and our enemies watch. We stumble around thinking our personal gratification is all that matters while the tyrants of the globe plot painful adventures for us — and doubtless recycling and sex are not among their plans. We appear to have lost our understanding of the nature of man, thus impairing our ability to accurately interpret our own and the actions of others, either at home or abroad.

There is nothing particularly new here other than our increasingly sophisticated means of killing each other and faster ways of finding out about it. Do I care? I care only as far as it is grievous to see the United States, once predominately a land of the intrepid and self-reliant, shooting herself in the foot, if not the head, due to increasing ignorance and self-absorption, blinded both to what she once was and what she can still be.

Is it any wonder that one may wish to retreat within that which is beautiful and quiet — into a world of simplicity; stealing away to the comfort of family and into the peace of faith — far away from this caterwauling cacophony of imprudence and foolishness?