The path of Enlightenment

If I am honest, I was never much interested in politics as a youngster. Or, for that matter, as a slightly oldster either; even if you are interested in politics, there never seems to be very much you can do about the day-to-day decisions made anyway, so my thinking was, “why bother getting involved”.

But, as you get older still, you realise that politics permeates into just about everything which has anything to do with your life.

Now I don’t believe that politics is a very good topic of conversation when you don’t know your audience very well. I would also argue that my musings here, with a (hypothetically possible) worldwide readership constitutes an audience that I don’t know very well and, for that reason, don’t think that discussing my personal politics here is a very bright idea.

The bottom line being that I could alienate those who read here regularly, thus losing much appreciated visitors.

So I think it’s best to leave it.

Don’t mention anything.

Just let it go.

Forget it.

But I can’t.

I have to be honest and admit to thinking (as I'm sure, many Americans do), that certain US Presidents leave a great deal to be desired in the savoir-faire department.

Please don’t be offended. We all know that British politicians can be downright cringe-worthy at the best of times but right now, I am talking about the person occupying the most powerful position in the world.

I’ll come straight to my point.

I have just finished reading a book entitled "Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid", written by former US President Jimmy Carter and I must say, I am bloody impressed.

Many heads of state take a back seat after their official duties have wound down but this man seems to have been working tirelessly in a bid to find a solution to the “Middle East problem”, as it is often referred to.

I also have to admit to having learnt more in the past month of reading this book than I have in the years since I left college, it has been truly eye opening.

For new visitors to these pages, my wife is Lebanese, hence my having a vested interest in that most troubled of regions.

Mr Carter; not only have you taught me much and changed my views on your chosen subject completely, you have also shown me that the men that were once President of the United States are not intrinsically crass or stupid.

Thank you.