Last evening there was a program on MSNBC that really caught my attention. I have to say up front that I am not a fan of MSNBC. I believe that network to be a mouthpiece of the far political left; a member of which I sure am not. However, when channel hopping, a program stopped me.
The program was called, “Hubris — Selling the Iraq War”. It was based upon a book by the same name. I will be purchasing this book.
If even half of what was presented during the program and attributed to the book was true; George Bush II, Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, Condoleezza Rice, and Colin Powell should all be in jail. They were traitors to the United States. They took this country into a war through lies and deception. The cost was billions of dollars and the lives of thousands. Many of our warriors were killed and others maimed so badly that their quality of life will be forever damaged. And this says nothing about the over 100,000 Iraqis who lost their lives and the over 6 billion dollars that was “lost” and has never been accounted for.
Now the results of our intrusion into the Middle East are coming home to roost. Iraq is in total chaos. Islamic radicals gained stature and power in the Middle East pushing against Western ways. This goes back a long time into colonial days when European powers carved up territory in the Middle East at whim. It did not and does not work. The United States cannot now fix what we went a long way to break.
Our only real interest in the Middle East has been and is OIL. If there was zero oil there, we would have about as much interest as we did in Rwanda or now have in parts of Africa or Asia. If there are no resources to exploit, we have no interest, really. Always been that way and always will be. We are not the world’s policeman. It is up to others to manage their own countries. Oh, we may posture like we are the superior ones in power and ideals but it is smoke and mirrors. That may not have been at one time in history, but it has proven to be so now.
It is time for us to come home. We have enough problems in this country. We are broke. We finance everything we do on debt. We have our own to feed and clothe. Yes, we must do what is necessary to keep our nation safe, but it is time for other countries to step up to the plate for their own security. Where is India or China or Russia or the European Union or Japan or Australia….. forget about Africa who has no really stable country except for South Africa with limited armed forces.
The slope down is a slippery one… and we seem to be headed down it.
Indiana VS Same Sex Marriage
The Kokomo Tribune today reported that Indiana has filed an appeal with the United States Court of Appeals in Chicago to stop same-sex marriage in Indiana. The Indiana law banning same-sex marriage had been declared unconstitutional by a federal judge several days before. Many same-sex couples were married on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday last week following the unconstitutional declaration from federal court.
The appeal is smoke and mirrors…. and a gross waste of taxpayer money. It has become crystal clear that the opposition to same-sex marriage has become impotent. A United States Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit in Denver which consists of a 3-judge panel earlier last week declared same-sex couples have a fundamental right to wed. This upheld a lower court ruling that had nullified law in Utah that banned same-sex marriage.
The whole issue will wind up in the hands of the United States Supreme Court. Several states have said they will continue appeals until that happens. There is no doubt where this will end. Marriage for each person will be declared a right whether one wishes to marry a person of the opposite or same gender. The only folks that will gain from this whole fiasco will be the attorneys. The end point is inevitable.
Certainly, it is the right of any religious faith not to allow “marriage” ceremonies within their own denomination or faith. No one would question that. However, for those who choose to ban same-sex marriage, it is not the right of religions to dictate to others what they permit or don’t. The biggest issue in this country seems to come from the more fundamentalist religious Christian right. Several Christian denominations other than those already marry persons of the same gender. It is time for all to recognize that religious belief of one does not mean belief for all. In the United States, there is separation of church (dogma) and state. All persons are to be treated equally under the law.