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The Strong Interest Inventory (once known as the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory) and the Kuder Preference Record were staple vocational tests administered to high schoolers by guidance counselors. My own results insisted I should become a forest ranger. It wasn’t until years later—after meeting fellow social workers and psychotherapists—that I realized we had all been marked for the same path: destined to climb a lookout tower and gaze across the entire forest rather than inspect individual trees. We are macro thinkers.
While stats suggest roughly 80% of the population focuses on the micro details, the big-picture view remains critical.
As summer comes to a close, daily focus inevitably shifts back to the micro level—work deadlines, academic schedules, and the upcoming midterm elections. But the forest ranger in me still has binoculars raised, scanning the horizon for bears, spot fires, and the unwitting family setting up a picnic right in the path of danger while rescue teams and Canadian Mounties stand at the ready.
I read widely across Substack—some writers offer a detailed micro view, others a macro overview. Both are valuable, but we cannot afford to lose sight of the big picture.
An Exercise in Conceptualization
Consider this post an invitation to draft a play in your mind. Your role is to conceptualize the scenes, establish the setting, and assign the roles:
The Family: Occupants of a nation trying to go about their lives.
The Bears: The geopolitical leaders.
The Fires: The mounting crises closing in on the campsite.
Below is a collection of excerpts published between March and August 2026 to help inform your script. Read through them, reflect on what is at stake, and consider sharing your perspective in the comments.
Possible Titles for Your Play
The Little Engine That Could
The Three Little Pigs
The Little Red Hen
Scene Materials & Background Context
Vadim Shtepa | March 2, 2026
Russian Economy Collapsing While Officials Enrich Themselves
“An economic inversion is taking place in Russia. Independent experts have calculated that the Russian economy has suffered a record-breaking collapse over the past year…. As the war enters its fifth year, Russia’s economy will likely continue down this path….History teaches us that in such situations, civil and regional protests become inevitable. The current record-breaking collapse of the Russian economy will only hasten them.”
Alan Wm. Wolff (PIIE) | July 16, 2026
Is this the end of America’s hegemony?
“The United States has been the unequalled world power since at least the end of World War II. It was challenged by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) for a while, but that entity rather spectacularly imploded in December 1991. Now the United States is being challenged by China. But, if America’s time as hegemon is ending, which certainly seems to be the case, it is due to its own actions, not from some external force.”
Alfred W. McCoy | August 26, 2026
“US President Donald Trump’s many poor choices in office show the American empire is declining. His policies squashed the Biden administration’s investments in green energy, running counter to the international shift toward green technology. As China rises to take its place on the global stage, the world might come to miss Pax Americana and the US-led order.”
PBS | August 23, 2026
Carney warned about economic coercion. Now Trump is testing the Canadian prime minister
“Carney tries to hold the line as anger grows among Canadians toward Trump. Ian Bremmer, president of the Eurasia Group, said Americans underestimate how angry Canadians are with the Trump administration. ‘Taking a hard line in response to U.S. policy perceived as predatory — even with major economic cost to Canada — is popular among most Canadians,’ he said in a social media post.”
Frank A. Rose | August 29, 2026
Ukraine’s Democratic Feedback Loop Is a Weapon
“Ukraine’s defense innovation has emerged from a broad ecosystem of frontline units, technology companies, volunteers, engineers, government reformers, and civil-society organizations. Soldiers identify problems on the battlefield. Engineers modify drones or software. Small companies test solutions. Successful innovations spread, while unsuccessful approaches are discarded or redesigned. This decentralized and often improvised process has allowed Ukraine to adjust with extraordinary speed in unmanned systems, electronic warfare, battlefield communications, artificial intelligence, and digital command and control.”
Robert Kagan (Guest) | Hosts: Jonathan A. Czin and Ryan Hass | July 21, 2026
Will China replace America on the world stage?
“China has not moved to fill the vacuum left by the U.S. in the Persian Gulf during the Iran war, since Beijing sees no urgent need to; this restraint may change”
Reuters | August 27, 2026
Iran endures 6 months of US strikes as Trump’s war goals hit ‘dangerous impasse’
“The Iran war has reached its endgame: a costly stalemate. Six months after US and Israeli forces attacked Iran, killing its supreme leader and maiming his son and successor, the Iranian government is under economic siege, but it still holds power and believes it has time on its side.”
Time’s Up
Put your imaginary pens down.
Which title best fits the play you see unfolding? Drop your choice—and your thoughts on where these scenes are heading—in the comments below.
Enjoy these final days of summer before we dive back into the real work.
Lil’ Blue Riding Hood…
vital, big-picture wide view.
Or death in webbed woods.