We seemed to be fighting a ghost, until a few months ago when finally, after nine plus years the U.S. actually caught and killed Bin Laden. It was a quick strike procedure carefully carried out in the dark of night. Success was vital (we had not had many successes lately, especially in this type of a campaign.) It really was a feather in Obama’s cap. He did what no one felt he could. He made the decision to move forward. This was a great day for the world to rid this terrorist from the planet. But, what led up to this illustrious moment was quite taxing and I believe ill fated. The Iraq War and the Afghan Wars were handled poorly on all fronts by both Presidents and Congress. The U.S. needs to learn from this so as not to dive head long into this type of hornets nest again. (You would have thought Vietnam would have taught us something) First, we need to realize that a war is meant to be won or lost and fought against an enemy combatant. The overall expense, loss of life, length of time spawned a division of the nation and the politics made this affair difficult to swallow. If it is War… Declare It, legally and go to war to win. Unleash the hounds (so speak). This idea of surgically removing the enemy, in a nation that really did not seem to care, nor was very helpful in identifying the bad guys is way to hard and dangerous. Secondly, if these nations want us there; let them ask for help and be willing to foot the bill for us to send our troops, equipment and technology over to their shores. Also, they should be thankful we are there. We will leave it better than we found it. Probably, we will rebuild it, at our cost, before we leave. We have to look ahead to how to end these types of wars. The people are liberated but are not prepared to rule themselves and they are not about to let us rule. So, provisions should be made for our exit plan or else all hell will break loose. (Pretty much like Libya, Syria, Egypt and the rest of the Mid East boiling pot has exploded.)So much is now at stake that maybe could have been spared through negotiations, embargos and other diplomatic activities instead of the wars. (I firmly believe that was part of Bin Laden’s plan to bait us into a series of wars that we can not win but will continue to fight at an incredible expense of life and money.) He knew our ego and our compassion to rid the world of such terror would drive us to finish the job. Well we got him, but the job is still not done… Or is it? Where do we go from here?
I say enough is enough… Time to Look Inward and fix our problems! Use that money, effort and experienced personnel to rebuilt our core, protect our borders and to reshape the broken cities from the natural disasters of recent times. Our military has rebuilt many parts of Iraq, yet New Orleans is still in ruin. Our military chases militants through out the world yet gangs rule many of our cities. Our young people die defending people that don’t love nor respect them for what they do; bring them home , bring them to the many bases we have around the world to protect, defend and reinforce the America that we possess. Don’t get me wrong! I greatly admire and respect every military person that does go forward to do the duty for which they are charged. They deserve more, respect and thanks for what they do. They deserve to be treated better upon their arrival home. They deserve the top care available. (Say a medical life insurance plan for life similar to that of Congress, how about a suitable pension plan, how about job training to acclimate them to civilian life. They get very little pay for what they do… we need to do more for these individuals that put so much on the line for us.) For, if we are in a better place today than ten years ago, they are very much the reason that we are safe and secure.
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Friday, September 9, 2011
911 remebered... are we better off today?
The Economy
Wow where do we start on this roller coaster! Following the unexpected catastrophe, I thought the world economy would immediately be devastated. But again, somehow the economy seemed to flourish. Businesses rebuilt, moved to new locations and the U.S. seemed to get stronger for a time period. Housing markets went ballistic, growing at an unbelievable rate. We had some very good years. But, then you know what hit the preverbal fan. Half way through the decade everything began to unravel at an alarming pace. The snowballing effect became an avalanche. The cost of two wars, the housing bubble burst, the loss of U.S. Companies overseas and the eventual unemployment reaching 9+%, 15+ % underemployed, the union vs. nonunion vs. management has created an unrest in a country (not to mention the world) that has possibly never been seen before. Was this part of the Osama scheme? Was he that intelligent that he could predict the high cost of war, the long duration of fighting would lead the U.S. into such financial turmoil? Or was this all predetermined and part of Bible prophecy. (Money will be thrown in the streets Ezekiel 7:19) The huge ponzi schemes that destroyed many individuals from the middle class to the most wealthy. We have truly spiraled into an abyss that is very difficult and confusing of which to pull ourselves out.
How we right the ship is still to be seen. I have my opinions;
First the jobs that were lost due to technological advances will never come back; companies have leaned to be more effective, efficient and streamline the work force. The companies that left the U.S. to overseas are not being allowed to return without paying huge sums of money toward the income they made while abroad. (If there needs to be a stimulus package, then here it is… bring the American companies home, provide them a tax amnesty and put Americans back to work!) The government can not be the major employer because the cost of operations falls solely on the tax payer. (The governments
Needs; i.e. roads, damns etc should be put out to bid for private contractor to perform the work at a competitive cost) The long term benefit packages, the social security system and pensions need to be changed or in many cases eliminated.
We are not in a better place now than we were ten years ago; the hope of this writer is that we will improve over the next 10 years! I have 4 children that hope will an easier time than I have had. I hope that heir children will have it easier and all can be more productive than I. I think we all wish these things for our kids. The question is; can we put aside our Childish infighting and move in a positive direction.
Wow where do we start on this roller coaster! Following the unexpected catastrophe, I thought the world economy would immediately be devastated. But again, somehow the economy seemed to flourish. Businesses rebuilt, moved to new locations and the U.S. seemed to get stronger for a time period. Housing markets went ballistic, growing at an unbelievable rate. We had some very good years. But, then you know what hit the preverbal fan. Half way through the decade everything began to unravel at an alarming pace. The snowballing effect became an avalanche. The cost of two wars, the housing bubble burst, the loss of U.S. Companies overseas and the eventual unemployment reaching 9+%, 15+ % underemployed, the union vs. nonunion vs. management has created an unrest in a country (not to mention the world) that has possibly never been seen before. Was this part of the Osama scheme? Was he that intelligent that he could predict the high cost of war, the long duration of fighting would lead the U.S. into such financial turmoil? Or was this all predetermined and part of Bible prophecy. (Money will be thrown in the streets Ezekiel 7:19) The huge ponzi schemes that destroyed many individuals from the middle class to the most wealthy. We have truly spiraled into an abyss that is very difficult and confusing of which to pull ourselves out.
How we right the ship is still to be seen. I have my opinions;
First the jobs that were lost due to technological advances will never come back; companies have leaned to be more effective, efficient and streamline the work force. The companies that left the U.S. to overseas are not being allowed to return without paying huge sums of money toward the income they made while abroad. (If there needs to be a stimulus package, then here it is… bring the American companies home, provide them a tax amnesty and put Americans back to work!) The government can not be the major employer because the cost of operations falls solely on the tax payer. (The governments
Needs; i.e. roads, damns etc should be put out to bid for private contractor to perform the work at a competitive cost) The long term benefit packages, the social security system and pensions need to be changed or in many cases eliminated.
We are not in a better place now than we were ten years ago; the hope of this writer is that we will improve over the next 10 years! I have 4 children that hope will an easier time than I have had. I hope that heir children will have it easier and all can be more productive than I. I think we all wish these things for our kids. The question is; can we put aside our Childish infighting and move in a positive direction.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
A Time to Reflect
Watching TV this morning started me thinking about 911 and the past decade. What a wild ride it has been. Some good , some bad and most notably very different for this American society. I have broken my thoughts down to 4 or 5 catagories, they are intertwined yet separate issues that have effected each of us every single day.
First is the attitude of the population. Second is the economy and it’s cycle. Third is the wars. Fourth is a look at the past and the prognosis for the future should all things now remain unchanged. Lastly, a personal look at myself and family over the past 10 years. I also ask one final question ‘ Are we better off today than we were ten years ago? (I am going to break this down into segments because I am afraid if I published this all at once it would seem like ramblings of an old man. So here goes the first section;
The attitude of the population!
Prior to that fateful event of 911, I can remember the buzz around was whether a boy that was playing in the Little League World Series (a pitcher) was of the legal age and should he be allowed to pitch? Before that was decided the planes crashed and so we thought would our lives. Not so unbelievably, an outpouring of American pride, nationalism and undaunted support rose from those ashes. It was like a bully punched your sister, (it was ok for you to take a poke at your sister, but god forbid if some one else took that shot. You would step up to protect her at all costs!) The nation rallied around the flag, it’s leaders and each other. Whether Republican or Democrat; Black or White, Rich or Poor, the Americans were not going to be pushed around by anybody, any group, no way no how! That was ten years ago! Well what has transpired is pretty amazing. We rallied at the crucial moment but that quickly waned. I feel like we as a nation have regressed back into the late 1960’s early 70’s. We are a nation fighting an unpopular war with no real end in sight. We are now a nation that is so divided, class warfare is imminent, (do not be surprised if there is riots similar to the Chicago riots) It’s the rich vs the poor (not the haves aiding the have nots). The employment or rather the unemployment is staggering and still growing, with no great solutions in sight, The national debt is screaming out of control ; but that is a later subject. The Unions vs the non unions, the Republicans vs the Democrats. (Please do not even get me started on the media, and the bias reporting on both sides that is acting like a lever trying to pursued, influence and control our thoughts. They may be the most offensive, overstepping their bounds of reporting an analysizing the news to becoming the leaders of controversy. The rheteric and interpretation is so slanted from both sides is a major source of division. Shame on them for they should not be planting these seeds of destruction and division, their job is to report the news!) No one is trying to find a middle ground. This me vs. you attitude has got to stop. This me first attitude is not how I was brought up and I venture to guess that is not how you were brought up. The art compromise has been replaced with back door wrangling, pressure tactics and even worse name calling. (I said it this way ‘name calling’ because it sounds childish) Mostly because that is the way we are acting! CHILDISH!!!! SELFISH LITTLE BRATS! If I acted that way with my friends, classmates, teammates or the general population my dad would have swatted me in the ass, send me to my room and made my life a living hell until I decided to apologize and straighten out my act. Again, I when I have a job to do, I am expected to act responsibly, represent the employer and service my customers and clients. I am not supposed to dictate to them, misrepresent nor intimidate . For that I would have be fired.
People, stop and look around; I want some one to tell me that we, as a group are not acting childish. That; ‘what’s in it for me attitude’ (which as always been prevalant) has changed to the worse to ’what’s in it for me to get ahead at any costs.’ We need to dig deep down and find that spirit of brotherhood, not the rally around the flag spirit, but that spirit of God, the spirit that moves you toward acts of kindness, toward one another, giving freely with out looking for material gains, the spirit that moves a body to be respectful, decent and generous to his fellow man. Only then when we have found that will we be able to move forward, the ability to agree to disagree and to work out our issues in a fair and just way.
First is the attitude of the population. Second is the economy and it’s cycle. Third is the wars. Fourth is a look at the past and the prognosis for the future should all things now remain unchanged. Lastly, a personal look at myself and family over the past 10 years. I also ask one final question ‘ Are we better off today than we were ten years ago? (I am going to break this down into segments because I am afraid if I published this all at once it would seem like ramblings of an old man. So here goes the first section;
The attitude of the population!
Prior to that fateful event of 911, I can remember the buzz around was whether a boy that was playing in the Little League World Series (a pitcher) was of the legal age and should he be allowed to pitch? Before that was decided the planes crashed and so we thought would our lives. Not so unbelievably, an outpouring of American pride, nationalism and undaunted support rose from those ashes. It was like a bully punched your sister, (it was ok for you to take a poke at your sister, but god forbid if some one else took that shot. You would step up to protect her at all costs!) The nation rallied around the flag, it’s leaders and each other. Whether Republican or Democrat; Black or White, Rich or Poor, the Americans were not going to be pushed around by anybody, any group, no way no how! That was ten years ago! Well what has transpired is pretty amazing. We rallied at the crucial moment but that quickly waned. I feel like we as a nation have regressed back into the late 1960’s early 70’s. We are a nation fighting an unpopular war with no real end in sight. We are now a nation that is so divided, class warfare is imminent, (do not be surprised if there is riots similar to the Chicago riots) It’s the rich vs the poor (not the haves aiding the have nots). The employment or rather the unemployment is staggering and still growing, with no great solutions in sight, The national debt is screaming out of control ; but that is a later subject. The Unions vs the non unions, the Republicans vs the Democrats. (Please do not even get me started on the media, and the bias reporting on both sides that is acting like a lever trying to pursued, influence and control our thoughts. They may be the most offensive, overstepping their bounds of reporting an analysizing the news to becoming the leaders of controversy. The rheteric and interpretation is so slanted from both sides is a major source of division. Shame on them for they should not be planting these seeds of destruction and division, their job is to report the news!) No one is trying to find a middle ground. This me vs. you attitude has got to stop. This me first attitude is not how I was brought up and I venture to guess that is not how you were brought up. The art compromise has been replaced with back door wrangling, pressure tactics and even worse name calling. (I said it this way ‘name calling’ because it sounds childish) Mostly because that is the way we are acting! CHILDISH!!!! SELFISH LITTLE BRATS! If I acted that way with my friends, classmates, teammates or the general population my dad would have swatted me in the ass, send me to my room and made my life a living hell until I decided to apologize and straighten out my act. Again, I when I have a job to do, I am expected to act responsibly, represent the employer and service my customers and clients. I am not supposed to dictate to them, misrepresent nor intimidate . For that I would have be fired.
People, stop and look around; I want some one to tell me that we, as a group are not acting childish. That; ‘what’s in it for me attitude’ (which as always been prevalant) has changed to the worse to ’what’s in it for me to get ahead at any costs.’ We need to dig deep down and find that spirit of brotherhood, not the rally around the flag spirit, but that spirit of God, the spirit that moves you toward acts of kindness, toward one another, giving freely with out looking for material gains, the spirit that moves a body to be respectful, decent and generous to his fellow man. Only then when we have found that will we be able to move forward, the ability to agree to disagree and to work out our issues in a fair and just way.
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