There is an Old Testament principle that applies here, I think. When a king did not know what to do, he would call for chief counsel: a prophet. It was the prophet's job to go to the Lord on behalf of the king and return with the Word of the Lord for the given situation. When this would go down, the king had better obey the word that the prophet received for him. To not follow it was to invite defeat. I hope that is not what is happening with this situation -- not that the Iraq Study Group is prophetic or anything -- just that the principle seems present.
I read a great quote today: "Mountains appear more lofty and majestic the nearer they are approached. Great leaders resemble this quality not at all." -- Meyers S. Cooper
Thank you for listening to a bit of political rambling on my behalf. I picked this pic up on the Web. It cracked me up. Check out the TV listings on the major networks immediately following Wednesday night's speech.
2 comments:
Jay - I would have to agree that sending more troops is not the wisest idea. On the flip side, a cut and run would have just as negative an impact.
I think what we are seeing is the result of the US manipulating intelligence information and proceeding even when they are called out and confronted with the truth. As I tell my kids " Nothing good ever comes out of a lie. One lie leads to another."
Don't get me wrong, dismantling the Saddam regime was a nifty idea, but there is plenty of injustice within our own borders and there are other tyrannical governments which could better utilize some of that troop surge.
(Disclaimer - THIS IS ONE DUDE'S OPINION)
Were we the American public not told that our soldiers were training the Iraqi soldiers to prepare them for our eventual pull out ? What happened to that? In my opinion, the basis for continuing this war has become financially motivated. Not to lower oil prices, but to increase the cost of goods in this country. The economy in the US is doing well, due to the opportunistic companies seizing this as a chance to drive their profits, by a imaginary "war time" increase in demand. In preparation for this, the government played a part by giving tax breaks (refunds) two months before the holiday season. (Remember that $300 check?)
I think the reason we continue to see a lack of progress in the Iraq situation is that ending the conflict is like curing cancer - there is no money in the solution. I am sure that on the troop surge spending bill, there with be an embarrassing amount of riders that the American public will feel only as after shocks and wonder "Why does it seem that the foundation of this country is crumbling?"
To that I respond "In God we trust. Really?"
I agree that more troops is not the answer at this point, and at the same time, I have no idea what would be the best way to exit, after already having made blunders and errors. The consequences of the choices that have been made by our leaders in reference to the war, may be something that we deal with in our own country and internationally for years and years. When I read some info on our government having hired a large international PR company to "sell" us the war, I realized how much manipulation took place, and continues to. That is why I tend to not take in information from one source of news. Things are not as they seem. Intentions are very mixed.It is sooo important to learn to be a good thinker, to question, to process, to ask for discernment, and to pray. The media is a strong "swayer", and manipulation and PR is a studied science. My prayers are with the troops (and their families) who are over there, their fear,confusion, hopelessness,traumas both physical , emotional, and spiritual, and their mis-placed faith in leadership that has mixed intentions.
Post a Comment