The views and opinions expressed in this editorial article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of Salina Post or Eagle Media. The editorial is intended to stimulate critical thinking and debate on issues of public interest and should be read with an open mind. Readers are encouraged to consider multiple sources of information and to form their own informed opinions.
By: RICHARD A . FRENCH
As the world edges deeper into 'geopolitical instability' and 'ecological uncertainty', Bill Gates is once again raising his voice. The philanthropist and Microsoft co-founder offered a blunt message:
"Humanity is at a crossroads, and the decisions made in the next two decades will echo for generations."
Gates’s tone carries a different urgency this time. He’s responding to a rapid unraveling of global society. From rising white Christian nationalism to shrinking research and development budgets, he sees the pillars of international cooperation beginning to seriously crack.
Back in 1990, more than 12 million children under age five died every year. That number had dropped to 5 million by 2021, thanks to major gains in "vaccination, sanitation, and maternal health." Today, we have a president who is destroying all our progress!
As a small example, Trump canceled $660 million in Local Food for Schools and Child Care (LFSCC) funding, as a result schools can no longer serve nutritious meals along with new rules that cut families off SNAP.
Why, in God's name, would a President of the United States do this?
“Technology alone is not the answer,” Bill Gates exclaims. Innovation must be paired with 'smart' public policy, 'international cooperation', and an insistence on 'fairness.' Without equitable access and good governance, even the best ideas risk becoming tools only for Oligarchs!
Yet, his warning is more than a diagnosis of decline. "It’s a call to recommit." Gates, who plans to donate nearly all his remaining fortune to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation believes the tools to fix what’s broken are still within reach—if the world chooses to 'wake up' to the dangers and honesty commit to use them.
One of the obstacles to a better world is Donald Trump! Our President calls us "the enemy within," yet he is the one destroying our country.
Dr. Richard A. French, retired President and business owner, a humanistic scholar, a former Executive Director of the American Cancer Society, High School Principal and teacher, Glendale, CA, 626-806-4596, prefer: [email protected] to communicate.