Very busy this week--maybe you're enjoying it more because of the absence of long interpretive posts. Somehow we managed for three of our children to have birthdays on the 8th, 9th, and 10th of September. Not good planning!
Also there were some major events this week in the possibility of an MDIV and seminary at IWU. We moved significantly closer to seeing this become a reality this week. Nothing certain and no promises, but the snail moves along.
I heard part of an interview on NPR with Bob Woodward on his latest book having to do with Iraq. He suggested that the violence was decreasing for four reasons:
1. The shift of allegiance from Al-Qaeda to the US by various Sunnis in Al-Anbar province (that is, homegrown Al-Qaeda in Iraq that didn't exist at the time of invasion). This of course happened before the surge. McCain misspoke on this one during some interview.
2. The decision on the part of Muqtada al-Sadr to tell his cronies to stop attacking US troops. Again, this had nothing to do with the surge. If anything, he did it on the advice of Iran.
3. The surge. Clearly with so many troops on the ground, violence is going to be down. The big question is what will happen when the troops lead. We have to hope it will stay down.
4. A secret weapon. Apparently it is classified, but with Woodward talking Manhattan Project as an example of technology making all the difference, apparently we now have something that makes it easier to target people. The Bush administration has confirmed.
I don't personally feel like I have enough information to know whether to pat anyone on the back for the surge yet. I'm willing to. I won't in any case pat Bush on the back since it was an act of desperation to clean up a mess he caused in the first place.
Another interesting item in the news is the new particle collider in France-Switzerland. Certainly I hope it doesn't destroy the earth, but am excited about this sort of stuff. Part of me wonders why this thing is in Europe and not in the US. I hope we're not in the twilight of our culture, where we're fat and enjoying the benefit of past hard working generations without realizing that others are passing us and will leave their children the next prosperity.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Also interesting in the news: Bhutto's widower becoming president of Pakistan; Kim Jong-Il's possible stroke; Thai prime minister fiasco.
As a side note, I think Red Bull should run an ad taking credit for powering the entire 2008 presidential election.
I think that the Iraqi war is only due to Cheney's 'outside interests' and not wanting to listen to Colin Powell and his experience. Powell's desire to carry out diplomatic efforts, were "over-ruled" it seems. And, poor Condalessa, who, as a smart woman was useful for the "powers". But, that is what usually happens in politics...those with experience must bow to those who know how to politic or have the money to rule over the experienced ones...I guess the ones with experience are not respected for they usually play by the rules to get the experience...and therefore don't move up too quickly and usually take jobs that are not prestigious, so power does not respect that kind of person..at least these days in America...
As far as America, I too am concerned about what our priorities are. Money drives everything, and yet, we cannot function without it...can we.? I think that Iran is very dangerous, especially in light of their president (I can;t spell his name). Americans are so naive about the world (I am certainly part of that world)...we think that others want the same thing we do, which IF they experience it, they WOULD...certainly fundamentalists could lead a more enjoyable (and productive) life, if it weren't for their anality.....
I think you're right about Europe. Man, that thing was such a monstrous feat - we should've built one with all the money we borrowed from China.
And what's even more depressing is that we were actually building one almost 3 times as big in Texas--and were several billion into the project--when Congress killed the funding about 10 years ago. So instead of us being the world leaders in the cutting edge of our knowledge about the universe, instead we are shutting down the Fermi lab outside Chicago because this European lab makes it completely redundant.
I think I'll go watch America's Got Talent to drown my sorrows.
Post a Comment