Sometimes you just gotta chuckle

I just got back from church a while ago, and was taking about an hour to catch up on the events of the week. I've been trying really hard lately to stay focused on the many tasks that I have to accomplish during the week, and not concern myself with the happenings elsewhere, but as many of you may have gathered already, I like to be and stay informed. So I jump to MSNBC, my favorite source for news (that in and of itself does not make me a conservative, evern tho it is a conservative network . I just like it because it's Microsoft, and everyone already knows that I'm a Microsoft whore).

Anyway, I was reading an article about how North Korea is signaling a change in their posture over their whole "we lied about having nuclear (Bush calls them "nukeular") weapons, but are holding you responsible because we are great and blameless" temper tantrum. The reason? Gulf War II has them "petrified". Take a look:

"Nicholas Eberstadt, a Korea expert at the American Enterprise Institute, agreed that the timing of North Korea’s statement could be linked to the collapse of the Iraqi regime. Watching statues of Saddam fall to the ground in Baghdad is unsettling for the North Koreans, who fear they could be America’s next target, Eberstadt said. 'There’s no more Saddam Hussein,' Eberstadt said. 'By my count, that leaves two members of the "axis of evil"'."

I just have these mental pictures of an "Axis of Evil" poster in the Oval Office, and Bush happily drawing a giant red "X" through Saddam's face. It strikes me as very amusing.

But the ripples of war continue to change the world. Ariel Sharon today said that he is willing to make "painful concessions" for peace. Now, it's hard for me to understand why the US is so hell-bent on backing Israel at any cost. My personal opinion is that Sharon is the biggest warmonger since Hitler (strangely ironic), and that the whole situation is nothing more than a stupid, childish temper tantrum. I was the scene played out in my family many times. My twin sister Kristen hits me, so took her ice cream. My youngest sister took Kristen's shirt, so Kristen takes her shoes... It's all just retarded. And who is to blame for all this? The guy that assassinated Itzak Rabin. It's like asking the question: what would the world be like if Kennedy was never assassinated (I think the answer is clear: it would be a much better place).

At any rate, I think it's great that Gulf War II has got the oppressive regimes scared. They're next, in every sense of the word. I said it on September 11, and I'll say it again. I'll say it again: I'm glad Bush is president. He got more electoral votes (our system is flawed but oh well, we're human), which is, for some strange reason, the basis of the anti-war movement. People are still pissed off about the 2000 election, yet he has maintained an astronomical approval rating throughout his term. And guess what? He's a decent family man who is committed to his wife, committed to his values, and has a character that is admirable and al,most commands emulation (not the greatest off-the-cuff speaker in the world, but again we all have our shortcomings). But I digress.

Why did the Saddam regime crumble so fast? Because it was built on fear and ethnic separation. Why does America work? because it was founded on far-reaching hopes and sound moral concepts. Regardless of whether or not the majority of the population adheres to those ideals or not, there are still a few people who strive to meet those goals. And as long as there are some people still trying, progress will always be made.

I'm proud to be living in this time. What's right is rarely ever what's popular. I hope and pray that people continue to make the right decisions for the right reasons, regardless of popular opinion, and I hope that there are still people out there that dare to change the world. It can happen.

8 Comments

  • Going to disagree with you there. Israel is wrong in occupying the West Bank and Gaza. I don't care what the Palestinians do to them.... it is wrong. Sharon is a warmonger who only wants to finish what he started in the 80's when he was Israel's defense minister battling Arafat. The fact that he wants peace now is outstanding, but there is HARDLY justification to create settlements in Palestinian territory... whether it has anything to do with ancestral land or not. A true friend will point out when you're wrong. We can stand by them and still say that they're wrong for doing what they're doing. But you don't see that happening do ya?





    Further, the path to peace has NOTHING to do with ANWR. That is specious reasoning. Removing dependance on foreign oil is great, but not that way. How about through Fuel Cell technology, which NASA has had for 20 years, yet it's never made decent inroads in the private sector. Why? Because Big Oil wants to keep their power. We we don't use oil any more, most major countries and companies lose their income. Oil is Iraq's only resource (besides WMD).





    I do agree that we can't do what the Founding Fathers did with slavery and pass it on for another generation to deal with. We have to deal with it now, wherever it may be.

  • By the way, I never said Sharon was Hitler. I said he was the biggest warmonger SINCE Hitler.

  • And the West Bank situation IS here in the US. The American Indians were here first. They are a series of soverign nations within our borders. You don't see us rolling tanks thru their towns, and we wouldn't even if they did have suicide bombers. It's called Posse Comitatus.... look it up.

  • It would not affect our peace in the least. And it is specious reasoning because we'vr destroyed enough of our land... it's protected for a reason.





    Duh, the Indians aren't blowing themselves up. You missed the point entirely. I don't see the majority of the Palestinian public calling on the gods to destroy us all so they can put their own dictatorship. Back away from the extremes man. A small minority of Palestinians and other Arabs are attacking their occupiers. Go back and read my statements in their entirety. I was hoping you would come back with a valid argument and all I got was hyperbole.





    I think you're a little out of whack man. You cannot destroy everyone because a few people go crazy. The Arab world thought we were gonna do this in Iraq. Well we didn't and look what happened. Besides that, you don't destroy the people, you destroy their capability of doing anything. You humiliate them to the point that they go back home in tears with their personal view of their manhood in question.





    Finally, I'm done discussing this because it's pointless. I don't like arguing with extremists, and your point of view is a little too extreme for my taste. Now, I hope that doesn't mean you're gonna stop reading my stuff, it's just that I'd rather discuss coding then argue over garbage that doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things anyways.

  • I couldn't agree more - this is best chance at middle eastern peace in 50 years. On the Palestine/Israel issue: Bush is going to stick it to Israel, and he will stick it to the palestinians as well - he has already said there will be no negotiation on the peace plan Powell is working on. Sharon's statement is huge, because the administration is putting so much pressure on him, he has got to capitulate and he did/is starting to. This is good - both sides need to have major pressure applied for any settlement to come about. Bush get's the 'Brass Balls' award in my book - leadership is hard and sometimes unpopular, but he is doing the right thing, and the changes that he has set into motion are going to be incredible and positive over the next 20 years. When people start to realize what he has done (this will take a while), he will have a landslide election in 2004.

  • Extreme...?


    Lose a friend to a terrorist and then talk to me.





    I am intelligent enough to realize that it is the fringe who has these attitudes; but the unfortunate problem is that in far too many of these cases, the fringe has the loudest microphone, the sit in the halls of leadership and rally their people to their radical and extreme beliefs.





    ...'Besides that, you don't destroy the people, you destroy their capability of doing anything...'





    I agree totally; but you cannot take away the ability for Hamas to tell their followers to commit suicide. You cannot humiliate UBL to the point he would just go away. These extreme leaders must be taken out.





    My problem is not with palis or arabs in general; my quam is with the radical islamic cleric who tries to manipulate the minds of the average muslim. It is with the pawns like Yasser Arafat who is a willing puppet of the terror groups.





    ..."it's protected for a reason":


    What reason is that? The Caribou? It's pretty? Hey, I am all about saving the environment too pal but have you seen the plans? We are not exactly sticking a pole in the ground and letting crude pour into the pristince lakes. ANWR is almost 20 million acres and only about 2000 would be directly affected. That area is virtually uninhabitable, it is dark more than half of the year and reaches more than 50 below.





    About 30 years ago there were similar cries regarding Prudhoe Bay. That area which according to environmentalists would only yield a few months of supply was the largest deposit in North America…and the threat to the Caribou – the population grew by almost 10 times over since that point.





    Dont quit talking about this; I enjoy civil debate...it helps me to learn things.


  • Keith,





    I apologize if I was a little harsh in our exchange. I value and respect your opinion, even if it differs from mine. You can at least explain your opinion without resorting to name calling.





    The fringe will always have the loudest microphone. Why? Because they are so insignificant that they will do whatever it takes to be heard, no matter the cost. It is no coincidence that these people are usually the biggest fools.

  • Being European it strikes me as odd that self criticism is something Americans find difficult to express. We are a lot more modest (even realistic, I would say) here in Europe.


    We know that we are only a small part of the world and we have no right to force our ideas on others. Don't get me wrong I am not saying the US just does the opposite, but I have a feeling that Americans have difficulties with anyone who says that not everything in the USA is 100% perfect.


    The world greatest democracy? The world biggest democracy for sure. The 2000 elections is still something that keeps us wondering how such a modern society can be stumbling with very old, defective (or not) voting machines.





    To wrap up: I think that the war in Iraq is in a way the right thing, but maybe not at the right moment or for the right reason. It is still hard to defend with no WMD found.


    I think the US (the coalition) now have a difficult job to get Iraq up from the floor. Even they can pull that trick off, with almost the same ease as they took over Iraq, that would be a real achievement and it might make the world a better place in the end.

Comments have been disabled for this content.