Larry D. Lauer

This week I have been at Chautauqua in upstate New York listening to speakers on the state of foreign affairs. Different parts of the world were discussed, but one theme emerged loud and clear: The current hostilities, from Ukraine to Gaza to Iraq, are the result of a thousand years of conflict between rival groups… and there will be no quick solutions.

In past blogs I have argued that the problem we face understanding each day’s events is that we lack knowing their “contexts.” This is especially true in our 24/7 breaking news world. The more complex the situations the more we need to know their context in order to fully understand them. And so daily statements from the White House (or anywhere else) offer little insight into what is really going on.

I wish everyone could spend at least a week every year at a place like Chautauqua. Providing context for complex problems and issues is what this place does best.

Imagine a small village with an extremely diverse population where everyone was interested in ideas. Each week during the summer a different theme is examined, and gaining a broad understanding of the history and background of that theme is generally what happens by week’s end.

And Chautauqua also surrounds this experience with enrichment for the whole family. There are concerts, theatre performances, films, short courses, and special interest events. There are recreation facilities and programs, including plenty of activities for children and teenagers. And many religious faiths also provide programming and housing for those who want them. You can do all of this… or as little as you wish.

So at this week’s end here are my foreign affairs conclusions: Little insight can come from “official” government statements about  each day’s events in the Middle East or Ukraine. These problems are hopelessly rooted in ancient history and won’t go away soon. Periodic U.S. interventions are not likely to solve much of anything either. So explaining these hard lessons of history might be the better approach, along with repeated reminders of what America really stands for.

Oh, and we must also try our best to avoid making things worse!