On the Brink

I finally decided to delve into the Mad Men series. It's a quality show, quite nuanced and masterful in how it ties current events of the time into the characters' daily lives. Last night's episode featured the Cuban Missile Crisis. In the background in people's homes and offices were news clips and footage of JFK explaining the situation as it developed. The phrase "on the brink of nuclear war" came up often. I noticed this because that was the second time brinkmanship came up yesterday. The first was in an article about the debt ceiling debate.

Back then it was us vs. them. We had a foreign enemy, and worse we could destroy each other. Now our latest use of the word brinkmanship is reserved for our own internal affairs. Our credit rating and financial health was threatened not by some far away country but by our own compatriots. What happens when the largest threat to our country's well being is internal? Embarrassing as it is, we no longer need the Soviet Union, we apparently can push each other to the brink.

This period in history will be remembered for the Arab Spring, but more broadly it seems now is the time we see people demand improvement in internal politics. England, Spain, Greece, the Arab world, and now even Israel continue to witness mass protests about issues inside their borders, issues that can only be resolved between a government and its people.

I am not suggesting that America take to the streets, but surely it is time we too focus on our own internal threats. As Jon Stewart said in a rant about the Tea Party, "government isn't perfect, but some people want it to be better, not gone." As our ideologies become more steadfast and the stakes rise ever higher, let's remember that no matter what other security threats we face around the world, we can be our own worst enemy.