Global Drama on Repeat: Why Extremism Feels Like the New Normal

Funny how I first wrote this back in 2012:

"I’ve just woken up to a loud beat that echoes Chapter 4 in my book “The End.” CNN just flashed it across the screen: five American men arrested in Pakistan on suspicion of terrorism. And honestly, I’m not the least bit surprised."

Back then, I had this strange sense of déjà vu. It felt predictable—as if we were all extras in some global “plant and pay off” drama, performing our roles with zero clue about the final act. And of course, if the claims were true, history was about to repeat itself.

Fast forward a few years, and now the phenomenon has escalated. We have an alarming number of Western jihadists—Caucasian natives joining conflicts against their own countries. The most striking—and perhaps troubling—part? It’s becoming normalized. It no longer shocks us the way it used to. We scroll past the headlines, maybe shake our heads for a second, then move on, as if extreme lifestyles and radical choices are just another part of modern life.

It’s a curious shift. What once seemed extraordinary—people abandoning their homes and communities to fight in faraway conflicts—is now treated almost like routine news. And therein lies the question: are we gradually accepting patterns of behavior that, a decade ago, would have been unimaginable? Are we desensitized to global unrest?

History has a way of repeating itself, but human memory seems to have a short attention span. Maybe that’s why I keep noticing the same patterns echoing through headlines, decade after decade. And maybe, just maybe, the story isn’t about surprise or scandal—it’s about recognizing the cycles we let repeat, often without learning anything from them.

So here we are: a world where déjà vu is just the new normal, and where predictability feels like fate wearing a familiar face. Will we ever truly break the cycle, or are we content with rehearsing the same global play over and over again?

 

 💡 By the Way....

Most of my recent work now lives at The Skywatcher’s Journal. Come join me there as well. In the meantime, circle back here for updates on this old blog—I’ve come to realize that sometimes, old is gold.

🎥 Oh, and if you enjoy video storytelling, check out my YouTube channel. 

 

The Movie Star Cannot Die, right?

Think of life as a movie, but not just any movie — a blockbuster that every civilization has tried to review. The star of the film is humanity, and whether the director is called Yahweh, Allah, Brahman, or simply “the Universe,” the plotline always circles back to the same question: will the protagonist rise, or will the antagonist steal the show?

Take the Bible’s Job story: Satan strolls in like an arrogant film critic. “Of course Job worships you,” he sneers. “You’ve given him everything. Take it away and he’ll curse you.” God allows the test, and Job becomes the world’s first documented stress-test dummy.

Islam echoes the same theme: this world is dunya, a temporary exam hall. Wealth, hardship, politics — all are questions on the divine sheet. Even Iblis admits his wager: he’ll mislead mankind, except for those who stay tethered to their Lord.

Hinduism stretches the metaphor into an endless franchise: karma tallies the reviews scene after scene, life after life, until you finally graduate into moksha. Buddhism points out we don’t even need a Lucifer — our own desires and egos are enough villains. And African traditions remind us that ancestors and spirits keep score as well; a greedy man in famine may not just face guilt, but ancestral displeasure.

Different accents, same refrain: this is a test.

And hovering in the background? A bet. Lucifer watching like a smug critic: “They’ll fail.” God, the patient director, lets the film roll. Humanity—the lead actor—fumbles lines, trips on props, forgets cues. But the role is too important to waste. Movies where the villain wins don’t sell well.

So why not dolphins, ants, or elephants for this starring role? Simple: they weren’t given the toolkit. They don’t wrestle with morality, power, greed, or eternity. The burden — or the blessing — of choice was reserved for us. To whom much is given, much is demanded.

Sometimes it feels like God is “ruining our weekends” with endless workshops—losses, trials, catastrophes. But like a tough employer pushing you to grow, the pain of the drill is meant for the prize of the performance. Maybe the Creator is nudging us back to the original plan—without Lucifer being able to say, “They only followed because You forced them.”

That’s why the story matters: the star cannot die. Evil winning forever would be like a cinema where every movie ends with the villain dancing on the hero’s grave. Who would keep watching? The universe itself demands a redemptive arc.

And here’s the uncomfortable truth: we’re not extras. We’re not background noise. We are the lead cast. Whether you quote Job, the Qur’an, the Gita, or your grandmother’s proverbs, the script is clear: wake up. Stop letting the antagonist steal the spotlight.

👉 The call is simple: don’t let the movie star die in your case.

 

 💡 By the Way....

Most of my recent work now lives at The Skywatcher’s Journal. Come join me there as well. In the meantime, circle back here for updates on this old blog—I’ve come to realize that sometimes, old is gold.

🎥 Oh, and if you enjoy video storytelling, check out my YouTube channel. 

Creation Versus Evolution--Who Is Right

Here’s my take: one need not spend sleepless nights cracking their brains over this unanswered question. If a truly powerful being exists, then it’s entirely possible—actually quite easy—for such a being to exist and not exist at the same time. Think about it: if they can achieve that, they’re living proof of unlimited power.

Otherwise, we start pinning limits on what they can or cannot do—and then, by default, we deny them omnipotence. I’ll be sharing a more detailed supporting argument soon, but for now, just consider the idea: fret less about who is right or wrong. It’s like dying of hunger because you insist on only eating blue bananas—utterly pointless.

Truth is, just as antibiotics were discovered to solve real problems, the truth about creation or evolution will eventually emerge, one way or another. And, given all the end-of-the-world scares, from 2012 predictions to modern doomsday theories, it’s possible that the truth is already making its final lap, quietly running the last stretch while we argue at the starting line.

This reminds me of a recent heated—but friendly—discussion I had with a brother from the Middle East. Though neither of us wanted to spoil the conversation for the sake of argument, it became clear that our worldviews were so divergent that changing each other’s minds was like trying to convince lions to eat grass or zebras to eat meat. Impossible, yet amusing to watch.

The beauty of it all? These debates highlight the limits of human perspective. We want concrete answers, clear definitions, and winners and losers—but the universe, or perhaps the Supreme Being, may operate on a level far beyond our linear thinking. And maybe that’s exactly the point: that we should focus less on certainties and more on curiosity, exploration, and humility.

Imagine this: a lion, wearing a little scholar’s cap, paces back and forth while a zebra takes careful notes. The topic: Evolution versus Creation.

The lion roars: “Clearly, I evolved to be the king of the jungle! Survival of the fittest, everyone knows that!”

The zebra flicks its tail, unimpressed: “And clearly, stripes are a divine design. You’ll never convince me that evolution alone gave me this level of style.”

A curious monkey in the back raises a hand: “What about me? Am I a bridge between the two? Or just here for snacks?”

The lion and zebra glare at each other. The monkey shrugs and tosses a banana.

Moral? Just like the lion and zebra, humans often argue over things we may never fully resolve. Sometimes the real lesson is to watch, learn, and maybe chuckle at the absurdity—because some truths, like stripes or roars, exist outside our need to classify them.

So, my advice: stop overthinking the debate. Whether you lean toward Evolution, Creation, or something in between, remember that the universe is bigger than our categories. The answer may be closer than you think.

 💡 By the Way....

Most of my recent work now lives at The Skywatcher’s Journal. Come join me there as well. In the meantime, circle back here for updates on this old blog—I’ve come to realize that sometimes, old is gold.

🎥 Oh, and if you enjoy video storytelling, check out my YouTube channel.