Marking Period 3: Synthesis

David Ignatius focuses his writing on world issues that have effects in many countries. Because he has a wide range of topics and looks into the actions of many countries, his outlook on society is a little more optimistic. He sees countries that cycle in and out of power and believes that success doesn't last forever, a point brought up in his discussions about the dictators of the Middle East. He is optimistic in the sense that he believes in the ability of humans to correct their mistakes (as he outlines in Article 3). He has seen political and economic disasters that were corrected because of people's ability to adapt to difficult situations. Therefore, his advice to society would be to listen to the elders, the people who have experienced the same crises that we are experiencing today (spoken about in Article 1). Overall, Ignatius does not believe that society is doomed, but he thinks that our situation can only be changed by action, especially by the people.