Bucky,
It is convoluted, isn't it. I can't disagree with your concern about the extraordinary costs. Unfortunately, I fear we need to resign ourselves to the reality that we will be spending that money one way or another until the world changes.
The press and Congress are at times naive about what is at stake and to that end can be less than helpful to the pursuit of a solution. Certain members of the press sensationalize only because they seek the celebrity status of Woodward and Bernstein whether it's Nixon or Clinton that they try to take down. And we all know that Congress switches religion only when they sense that the public demands it, or they perceive it can enhance their electability. But sometimes the choice for a President isn't war or peace as they would have us believe. That's a bit simplistic. It's war on your terms, with a chance of winning, or war on the other fellow's terms - when he doesn't intend to give you any chance at all.
Seems to me we have two hopeless options. a) Spend billions to reconstruct our cities when they conduct guerilla hits in the US (as they probably would if we left them alone); or b) spend the money to take the fight to them ... in other words, play offense instead of defense. A third and preferable (but unlikely) option would be to convince other countries of the inevitability of the spread of this cancer, and hope that they will agree to share the costs to eliminate the threat. Right now, the world silently hopes that we will shoulder the military and financial burden successfully like we have always done. In fact, some publicly condemn us for engaging in the fight hoping that by doing so they can avoid being the next target of this hatred.
But this war is different. There is no "government" or organized body from which we can demand an unconditional surrender after militarily dominating them. As a result, we CAN'T continue to wage these wars without going broke as you suggest. But we can't NOT try to stop them either or perhaps an even worse fate awaits. That's the enemy's current advantage with asymmetrical war and our challenge to develop new strategy and tactics to neutralize that huge advantage.
We can only hope that it's not too late when the remainder of the world recognizes the extent of the threat. The civilized world had better hope that when their "wake-up call" occurs that the US isn't too financially bankrupt at that time to provide any meaningful contribution to the internationally collective response that should be happening right now.
These scenarios make a rational person wonder why ANYONE would want to be President of the US. The fact is, those that want the job probably have psychological problems that should disqualify them from office !! Yet they all wait in line for their chance. <G>
Pat |
