Short for "GeologicalScienceBlog", subjects will include Geology, Climatology, Environmental Science, NASCAR, Beer, Property Rights, Politics from a Christian Conservative/Libertarian viewpoint, and random thoughts. My background is two degrees in Geology (BS, MS), 8 years of geology/environmental employment and almost 8 years of teaching Geology and Environmental Science on a Junior College level. <68>

Friday, May 27, 2005

Memorial Day Thoughts

To some of us, everyday is Memorial Day and Veteran's Day, i.e., we carry a constant respect for those that serve our nation, past, present, and future.

No doubt the MSM will do some programs this weekend honoring the fallen and the living members of our armed forces, but there will likely be some subtle or not so subtle jabs at the Bush Administration. This is not to say that a few jabs are not justified, as no effort is perfect. But are the jabs intended toward a better prosecution of the War on Terror, or is it just more residual anger over the 2000 election? Is it just more ways to discredit President Bush? I think the answer should be clear to most thinking persons.

When the issue of the toll of the War on Terror comes up, we need to remember that this is still an asymmetrical war, i.e., our civilian death toll from 9/11 and the first WTC attack are still higher than the death toll from the battle theatres of Iraq and Afghanistan. This is not to focus entirely on numbers. We were told on September 20, 2001 that this war was going to be different, that there would be different theatres, and it was going to take a while.

I want each reader to go back and think about your thoughts on the afternoon of 9/11. I know I was thinking "What's next?". I fully expected further attacks across the country as the day progressed. If someone had told you that afternoon that there wouldn't be any more attacks for at least the next 3 and 1/2 years, would you have believed them? We may not know for years all of the reasons for this period of relative homeland peace. Is it because we have thwarted every effort or are they just waiting for the right moment?

We are at a disadvantage in this war. We are fighting a zealous enemy with no rules. Despite our flaws, we are a good people, a good nation. In a large city, you can open the "yellow pages" and select the church of your choice. Can you do that in any Muslim countries, besides perhaps Turkey? Our individual cases of prisoner "mistreatment" at Gitmo and Abu Ghraib pale in comparison to the worst cases of torture in Iraq under Saddam Hussein. Most of the people in custody in those places are there for good reasons. These are not common street criminals.

Past responses to acts of terror have largely been a few bombing runs and cruise missile strikes. 9/11 forced President Bush to have to take more reactive and proactive responses to punish the past attacks and more importantly, prevent future attacks.

When we hear pundits ask "Is the cost worth it?", we have to ask "What is the cost of the future?" Preserving "our way of life" is not just about the United States. It is about the larger issue of preserving the "natural yearning to be free" that is most exemplified in Western thought, but can be embraced by other cultures. It is about preserving other cultures (besides our own), where citizens are allowed to elect their representatives and leaders. It is about preserving other cultures that have some sort of positive future outlook.

At the same time, we have to look at our own culture and what we "broadcast" to other countries and cultures. When the MSM focuses time on such trash as Mary Kay Latourneau (sp.?) or we have businesses such as Carl's Jr. and its Paris Hilton ad, some of this gets overseas. And some of these other cultures take our tolerance (free speech) to be the same as endorsement by our Judeo-Christian culture, i.e., things like this make us look corrupt.

I am not promoting censorship nor Puritanism, but to paraphrase Michael Savage, "we need less sex and more religion and the Muslim world needs more sex and less religion." The hedonism that some celebrate (and many of us have practiced in our youth) is catering to the animal instincts in us. What passes for TV (and other) entertainment and cultural mores in Europe (and elsewhere) is not being progressive, it is a sign of cultural rot.
Posted by: on-the-rocks / 8:22 AM
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