This may have come as a shock to many of you, as over the last seven years I have, perhaps as you, been confused and perplexed at the various positions and direction that the Bush Administration has taken, and I fear I have that familiar feeling again.
After his trip to Israel, Bush stopped by our very trustworthy Allies in Saudi Arabia, then promptly dropped a $20 Billion contract for weapons to the Kingdom. This of course is to maintain Saudi Arabia as a regional check on the Iranian bid for power. It just seems odd that Bush feels nothing but contempt for checks and balances stated by the Constitution at home, yet thinks it can work in the Persian Gulf.
The United States has benefited greatly from its hard work tenacity, idealistic principles, and quite frankly stupid opponents. Miscalculating their advantages and misunderstanding the circumstances that surrounded the military engagements throughout our history.
Enumerating this list would take more work than I am able to do, since it is a dreary Monday. Suffice it to say that a great deal of luck benefited the United States at very critical moments in our history. Luck, however is a fickle mistress, and her retributions can be harsh.
Providing weapons to Islamic people who wish to drive off a common enemy of both the United States and the Islamic people we are aiding did not go particularly well in Afghanistan. Despite the knowledge/Faith/Hope that God was on our noble side.
So we are now giving more aid to the country that 15 of 19 hijackers were born and raised on. A country whose government is founded upon the spiritual clout of the Wahabi Islamic teachings, the back to the old way style of Islam.
All of this to put a strangle hold on Iran, who by my reckoning does not have nuclear weapons, and yet we do nothing with regard to Pakistan, or North Korea, that do have nuclear weapons. Bush’s own rhetoric is the driving force for a country that is ideologically opposed to US interests, to gain the technological check on American influence in the region.
I wish I could see the world through Bush’s eyes and in that way gain an insight on what it is h is trying to accomplish. I could understand Tony Blair, and see the vision he was attempting to bring to life. But then I am the worst of all things: a moderate liberal, articulate when I want to be, cynical in our battered political system, and growing more apathetic to its false hope of change. Its got to get better, Sunni or Later.
