Change Of Perspective

I keep hearing people talk about how the Iraqi people aren't stepping up. The problem really is deeply seeded in past experience and expectation. Let me try and put some perspective on it.

For decades, if not centuries, the people of Iraq have been under the boot of dictators and military tyrants. Never has there been a time when they had a freedom of choice, unless you call death an acceptable choice. Saddam made it perfectly clear that you do what he says or be killed. This was clearly demonstrated in daily events.

Small pockets of resistance managed to develop in Iraq waiting for opportunity to take the country. Along comes the US in the early 90's and out they come. The taking back of Kuwait and the assistance of the US, they take action relying on the US to fully help them take there nation. The US goes halfway but doesn't fully fulfill the needs of the resistance movement. Saddam now fully aware of those who oppose him, have them eliminated in the most visible and horrible ways possible. The boot once again is fully pressed against the throat of the people.

Saddam and his sons rape murder and pillage for another dozen years before the US returns. This time we are serious about regime change. Should the people of Iraq believe us? Saddam avoids capture and unrest and foreign terrorists move into the vacuum of leadership. Religious factions, militias and terrorist organizations all vie for supremacy. The people want to be saved but they don't know who to give loyalty. They don't want to risk their lives on the wrong dominate group.

We are the dominate group in the area but we already have a trust issue. We ran out on them before and our congress keeps threatening to run out on them again. After four years of congressional waffling we are finally seeing some of the Iraqi citizens choosing our side. We have finally been there long enough doing what we said we would do that trust is starting to return.

I don't think it was the surge that made the difference it was the commitment of more troops instead of pulling them out that allowed the Iraqi to finally believe we are going to see it through. They finally had a reason to believe we were going to stay and win. I know the US congress tried hard to convince them otherwise. Seemed everyday they were attempting to pass some non-binding resolution about troop removal.

Now we hear from Bin Laden that his terrorist organization is loosing in Iraq. I know that only a couple of media outlets actually reported on this but it is true. Our liberal minded citizens are still chomping at the bit for us to give up and go home but the Iraqi people are now finally reaching out and taking hold of the gifts of freedom we offer.

What Do We Have Left?

I have been observing the educational process over the last couple of decades. I have seen family members and friends as well as my own children going to and from school. Yet, I don’t see education occurring.

Basic fundamental things are missing. Math, language, sentence structure, reasoning, science, finance and so much more, are severely lacking. Even basic organizational skills have eluded many who have graduated from the process.

Then consider creativity and innovation, many of our young have nursed on the television for all their creative sources. Gone are the dreamers and expanders of our future. Are there any original ideas left?

I can remember reading a book and with the help of the author being able to fully create the world and characters in my head. Feeling so at ease with what I have imagined that it was if I knew them as well as any member of my household. I could draw pictures of them as if they were alive standing before me. I even remember once having an argument with a friend who had read the same book and had the nerve to create an entirely different group and world.

Now, you hand a kid a book and they will ask if there is a movie on it. They have no interest in the type written word. If magnifies even more when you hear some of our young attempt to read out loud. They are so detached and show little understanding of the words as they fall slowly from their lips.

What about math? Have you seen the look of terror on the face of a person who hit the cash drawer button without having the machine tell them the change? Have you seen a person wave the same thing across the scanner ten times hoping the machine would know what it was? I can’t imagine the horror of a black out and having to calculate the sale by hand.

How many people do think actually can keep a check register? I don’t mean writing stuff down (That is a challenge in itself.) but actually doing the addition and subtraction line by line. Then, there is tipping, I know common courtesy is almost dead, so maybe this isn’t that important, but can they do 10 15 or 20 percent in their heads? I keep seeing people break out calculators and little reference cards.

What has happened to our educational system and to our people? Even American History sounds funny when my kids bring home assignments. I find myself in teaching mode, adding excitement and perspective. My boy wishes I would come teach the class. I have great passion for our nation and its humble beginnings. It gives me great pain to see and hear what is passed as American education.

They keep telling me that we are advancing but I am warning you that the foundation has gotten a lot of cracks and gaping holes. We need to take steps to patch and improve or collapse is inevitable. We need to stop moving them along because it would look bad. The job market is really going to suffer and they are going to be incapable of taking the daily rejection if they don't know how to deal with it when it is simple and fixable. We are failing to educate our children now but what is worse we are failing to prepare the next generation for the common difficulties of life that keep this nation and all others alive.

The Invasion Is Real

Special Thanks to Debbie at Right Truth for pointing this out.

We are being invaded and our leaders are doing nothing. It was only a couple of weeks ago that Nancy Polosi was telling us how wrong we are to build a fence on our border. She is partially right, we don't need a fence we need a mine field and a military presence. I am good with automated chain guns.

Border Security

Building a Border Fence

Iran Is Prepared

Iran is bragging about its new weapon capability.
Here is the Article - IRGC Ground Force Equipped with Smart Ammunition

Commander of the artillery and missile unit of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) ground force, Mahmoud Chaharbaghi, pointed out that his troops can now target moving objects, like cars, with high precision by using smart rounds, adding that the defense ministry has taken long strides in designing and manufacturing smart ammunitions.

I guess this is supposed to give us reason to pause after Our top military leaders point out that we are fully prepared to strike Iran if asked.
Adm. Michael Mullen told reporters at the Pentagon on Thursday: “From a military standpoint, there is more than enough reserve to respond if that, in fact, is what the national leadership wanted to do, and so I don’t think we’re too stretched in that regard.”

Looks like the war of words is starting military leader to military leader. This should be interesting.

"You ain't gonna like losing."

Author unknown.

President Bush did make a bad mistake in the war on terrorism. But the mistake was not his decision to go to war in Iraq .
Bush's mistake came in his belief that this country is the same one his father fought for in WWII. It is not.
Back then, they had just come out of a vicious depression. The country was steeled by the hardship of that depression, but they still believed fervently in this country. They knew that the people had elected their leaders, so it was the people's duty to back those leaders.
Therefore, when the war broke out the people came together, rallied behind, and stuck with their leaders, whether they had voted for them or not or whether the war was going badly or not.
And war was just as distasteful and the anguish just as great then as it is today. Often there were more casualties in one day in WWII than we have had in the entire Iraq war. But that did not matter. The people stuck with the President because it was their patriotic duty. Americans put aside their differences in WWII and worked together to win that war. Everyone from every strata of society, from young to old pitched in. Small children pulled little wagons around to gather scrap metal for the war effort. Grade school students saved their pennies to buy stamps for war bonds to help the effort.
Men who were too old or medically 4F lied about their age or condition trying their best to join the military. Women doubled their work to keep things going at home. Harsh rationing of everything from gasoline to soap, to butter was imposed, yet there was very little complaining.
You never heard prominent people on the radio belittling the President. Interestingly enough in those days there were no fat cat actors and entertainers who ran off to visit and fawn over dictators of hostile countries and complain to them about our President. Instead, they made upbeat films and entertained our troops to help the troops' morale. And a bunch even enlisted.
And imagine this: Teachers in schools actually started the day off with a Pledge of Allegiance, and with prayers for our country and our troops!
Back then, no newspaper would have dared point out certain weak spots in our cities where bombs could be set off to cause the maximum damage. No newspaper would have dared complain about what we were doing to catch spies.
A newspaper would have been laughed out of existence if it had complained that German or Japanese soldiers were being "tortured" by being forced to wear women's underwear, or subjected to interrogation by a woman, or being scared by a dog or did not have air conditioning.
There were a lot of things different back then. We were not subjected to a constant bombardment of pornography, perversion and promiscuity in movies or on radio. We did not have legions of crackheads, dope pushers and armed gangs roaming our streets.
No, President Bush did not make a mistake in his handling of terrorism. He made the mistake of believing that we still had the courage and fortitude of our fathers. He believed that this was still the country that our father s fought so dearly to preserve.
It is not the same country. It is now a cross between Sodom and Gomorrah and the land of Oz. We did unite for a short while after 9-11, but our attitude changed when we found out that defending our country would require some sacrifices.
We are in great danger. The terrorists are fanatic Muslims. They believe that it is okay, even their duty, to kill anyone who will not convert to Islam. It has been estimated that about one third or over three hundred million Muslims are sympathetic to the terrorists cause...Hitler and Tojo combined did not have nearly that many potential recruits.

So...we either win it - or lose it - and you ain't gonna like losing.

America is not at war. The military is at war. America is at the mall.

Cutting Your Path

There was this exploratory company ran by two guys. The first guy did the preliminary work as he was the older more experienced explorer. The second guy, the younger one, would follow once the initial ground was covered. This particular hunt was to take place deep in the jungle of the Amazon.
The first guy flew out gathered up a team from the local villages and took them to a certain spot in the river and started in. It was a very dense jungle and the use of machetes was heavily necessary. After over a month of hard effort the team had hiked and chopped their way in what was now a week’s walk back for supplies.
After all that work, success was finally realized and the second guy was called in. The first guy pulls out the satellite phone and gives him his GPS coordinates and explains what he needs to know to find him. The second guy after getting off the phone pulls out the maps of the area and plots the location of the coordinates. He was already aware that it would take a week to hike in bringing the extra supplies and fresh crew to continue their hunt. Not wanting to waste any time, he notices on the map that he could start from a different place in the river and the distance would be less than half.
When he arrives he gathers up his gear and a second crew to help in their quest. Instead of going to the trail cut and well worn by his predecessor, he takes them to the new location he had found and they begin the hard task of cutting their way into the heavy jungle. The men of the village attempt to persuade him to use the other path for they knew of the first expedition. Yet, his mind had been made and he was paying them for their work so they continued on the course directed by this man.
Almost three weeks later they arrive at the coordinates beaten and tired short on supplies and out of time and money to continue their adventure. Beaten by pride and foolishness the two men are forced to come home.

Are you like the foolish young man? When given sound advice by someone who has already blazed the trail do you still seek your own way? Why do you seek to re-invent the wheel when a clear path is laid before you? Seek out the wisdom of those who are more experienced and give heed to their advice. The path is easier then you think and you may not survive cutting a new path.

What If Hillary Wins?

I have a hard time wrapping my brain around this question. I know it has a good chance in going that way. I also realize that our congress could fall fully to the Democrats as well. Would there be an United States of America four years after?

None of the Democrats have a spine. They jump when the left demand it. They beg when the terrorists threaten. Do we the majority have any real power in government anymore?

Hillary pretty much has a lock on the nomination. Unless she self destructs it looks like it is hers to win. Will any of us be ready for what comes next?

I can't take the pain any longer. That brief glimpse is more then anyone should endear. So what are we going to do about it?

The third party idea is being floated but no third party candidate has ever taken any substantial following. They serve more as a spoiler than a real candidate. They serve to bring ideas to the table. They redirect policy and ignite competition. Yet, in the end few remember who they were. Unless a major landslide of voters separate themselves from both parties a third party candidate is only a dream.

I am afraid that that leaves us with only one choice, the Republican Nominee. We have the next six months to make a choice of epic proportion. The candidates have put their hat in the ring and we need to vet this out. None of them are perfect. We can not afford the other options and still have our precious country. We need to pick now and support NOW. We need to pay up, pray up and stay up to push our candidate to the front of the pack. Donate to the candidate that matches your ideals. Pray that the Lord grants this person wisdom. Get out there and talk up your candidate. The media isn't going to help a single Republican get elected.

If the media was to help they would choose the most liberal of the bunch to protect what they want. We are going to have to go door to door. We are going to have to Mail and Email. We are going to have to persuade and convince. We don't have a choice. The conservative voting block is about 70% and we can decide this race, but it will take a huge effort. We can not afford a single member sitting this one out. Every race and every office must be won by conservatives. We need to restore our nation. We are flying fast toward the cliff and we can't wait any longer to apply the brakes.

Look them over carefully. This may be your last chance. We can't afford to turn away.

Article of Interest