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The Guardian reports, “The United States and other western countries are losing the race with China to develop advanced technologies and retain talent” (March 2, 2023). The Australian Strategic Policy Institute reported that out of 44 technologies tracked, China leads the world in 37, such as “electric batteries, hypersonics and advanced radio-frequency communications such as 5G and 6G.” According to the report, the U.S.

In a recent speech to the United Nations General Assembly, Secretary-General António Guterres gave the following somber warning: “We have started 2023 staring down the barrel of a confluence of challenges unlike any in our lifetimes” (The Guardian, February 6, 2023).

No one wants to be labeled a fool, sluggard, or liar, yet there is ample evidence that those fitting these negative labels cause much of modern society’s conflicts and confusion. As pandemic restrictions wane and folks resume normal activities, it seems that troublesome problems in homes, businesses, and academia have worsened dramatically.

That is how much fentanyl was intercepted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) in 2022, according to a BBC article. Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid designed for use as a pain killer. It is highly addictive and roughly 50 times more powerful than heroin. The DEA has called fentanyl the “deadliest drug threat facing the US.” Just two milligrams of the drug—about enough to cover the tip of a pencil—are enough to kill a person.