HC....
I suppose it?s all a matter of perception. Afghanistan and Iraq have always been wild and wooly places. And without 9/11 and the ugly reality of world terrorism on the plate, I doubt if anyone would give a rat?s butt if they were perennial shoot em up Dodge City?s, forever. But the current prevailing wisdom says that ya go do battle where the enemy lives and there we are. If the count had gone differently in Florida I?m sure there would be a different prevailing wisdom and that might look like negotiate till ya turn blue in the face and let terrorist controlled States grow until they become totally vicious monsters and own all the important real estate and the Islamic world population. My prevailing thought is that I?m surprised things have gone so well in both Afghanistan and Iraq for if either one or both gets the motivation, it will be a horrid, hideous blood bath. But in both places we see a very small percent of the population actively engaging in age-old and traditional bloodletting and butchery. My trepidation with the Iraq war was that I felt if we weren?t careful we would be exchanging one bloody monster for an even bloodier one, but that fear hasn?t come to fruition, yet. ?Yet? is the key thought in all that.
At the same time I?m no Pollyanna and absolutely know if we take the thumb pressure of either place there will be civil war in both places and I know the would be World Emperor /Caliph Osama bin Laden; or someone like him, would set out to be the neo- Salidin and then we got some real trouble on the plate, big time. So anyway, that?s my opinion and what I see. And of course, I?m as frustrated as you with all the serendipity playing out while we should be paying attention to the important stuff. So good thoughts and important paradoxes pointed out.
Scamp
|