Chopping Off Heads

Has the fact that ISIS is chopping the heads off of Christian children turned you into a terrorist?  Does it make you want to do the same thing to their children?

The answer is no, for sure, because people in the civilized world do not chop the heads off of children for any reason--religious or otherwise.  No matter how ugly it gets over there, chopping off heads simply will never be in our repertoire here.

Yet the argument constantly is made that we should not get involved in that part of the world because doing so only “breeds more terrorism”.   If their savagery in Iraq doesn’t breed savagery here, why is it that our involvement there is supposed to breed terrorism?  

The argument that American involvement “breeds more terrorism” is asininity pure and simple.  Nothing that the West did, nothing that the civilized world did, nothing that Bush did or that Obama did, makes these thugs chop the heads off children.  Atrocities are caused by the people who commit them.

The vast, vast majority of people around the world just want to live in peace, raise their kids, and generally be left alone.  This is true for Muslims and Christians; for Africans, Indonesians, and Iowans; true in the First World, true in the Third World.

The fact is that these ISIS folks are something other than civilized.  We didn’t make them that way and we can’t change them.  The only hope, short of killing them, is to scare them into inaction.  At some point they will have to be dealt with.  The savagery will spread until it meets resistance.

Just stop it with the “American involvement breeds more terrorism” argument.  Outside involvement certainly didn’t breed this horror.  And neither did we.

Anbar Chooses Peace

Yesterday, the U.S.turned primary security operations over to the Iraqis in the western province of Al Anbar. That's the 11th province of 18. More importantly, it's the first Sunni majority province to be turned over.

"Iraqis - like countless other Muslims across the world - witnessed al Qaeda's brutality first-hand and rejected it," said President Bush in a short statement.

Like 'most anything else of such consequence, there are many factors that led to the turnover, a turnover that would have been unthinkable just two years ago--the surge, the change in American tactics, the Anbar Awakening, the death of so many insurgents. Who knows how much secret diplomacy has been going on out of sight of world press? (The Saudis, Jordanians, and Syrians all share borders with Anbar.) It's never one thing but this is certainly a good thing.

So now's a time to celebrate peace in this troubled corner of the desert.

For the life of me, I can't understand why this in not front page of every newspaper in the country. No matter, it's still cause for celebration.

Masterpiece 3--The Thousand Mile Stare

This picture of Lance Cpl. James Miller was taken by Luis Sinco during the battle for Fallujah in December 2004.

It's a masterpiece.

How timeless is that look, that fatigue, that momentary comfort found in a cigarette. "If ya got em, smoke em."

It's begun but it's not over. And it ain't easy.

On this Memorial Day, may we all be thankful for the sacrifices made by those who serve.

Go here to read Sinco's story behind the picture.

Parade for Petraeus

America should hold a parade for General Petraeus and the troops.

Not a victory parade but a parade of thanks. Let's not repeat mistakes of the past: let's say thank to those who have served so successfully. Now is the time and what is more patriotic, more appreciative than a parade?

A parade down Pennsylvania Avenue on the Fourth of July or Veterans Day would give everyone who supports our troops—Democrat and Republican, pro-war and anti-war—a chance to show that support, a chance to say thank you for your service and sacrifice.

So . . . how do we do it? Send your ideas, let's see if this can grow some legs.

Will