Some may consider this one just the opinion on a senior citizen. I hope the questions make you think about where we are going. Make no mistake, I love this country and I believe we can be better than we are. All of us.
Good Morning,
I’m sitting here waiting for Joe, my son-in-law to come by for an early morning bicycle ride. About this same time nine years ago I was watching the television most intent. At Michael’s prompting we had turned it on just in time to see the second plane, UAL Flight 175 crash into the South Tower of the World Trade Center. The next two hours would bring an end to the quasi-innocence I and we, as a country, had enjoyed for so long. Not since Pearl Harbor, 60 years prior, had we been dealt a blow so impactive on our own soil. Not that we as a country had not wreaked havoc on plenty of other countries in the interim, all for the sake of democracy and pushing our beliefs.
I guess my question is, looking back after WWII had ended, are we a better country now for being involved in Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Iraq and now Afghanistan? We certainly have a better military arsenal, and have lots of field proven weaponry. We also have thousands upon thousands of lives lost in the process. We are now hated by millions upon millions of people around the world and the numbers seem to be growing. Why do you think that is? Did we stop communism or did communism just hunker down for a while and will eventually re-emerge in Russia and the Far East?
I’m convinced and it seems to be pretty well stated that 9-11 would have never happened had we not stuck our noses in the Middle East. After all, it is our presence there that has spawned the fear and hatred from the Muslim community. Let’s face it; we are there because of our addiction to foreign oil and for no other reason. It certainly is not for human rights, although we have been lead to believe it. We have made some of those countries very rich and opulent with our need. Our presence there is to protect our interests alone and people there know it. Why should they respect us when they know our reasons are self-serving? I have little respect for others when I know that what they want from me is purely self-serving with little regard for my welfare. Why should it be any different between countries?
After reading “Dying to Win” it was pretty clear to me that the majority of terrorist attacks are directed at governments and peoples that threaten to impose their beliefs and culture of others and occupy their country. If you really think about it, that is what we are doing in the Middle East, with our presence there. As long as we are there, in the capacity that we are, we will continue to be a target here, for terrorism. It is what it is. To me, fighting terrorism is about as productive as playing “Bop–A-Gopher”. Until we eliminate the real cause, there will be no end.
How wonderful it would be if we as a people could focus our resources, technologies and monies on alternate energy sources instead of creating and fighting wars we cannot ever seem to win. By doing that, we could pull out of the Middle East and let the people there continue to kill each other as they have done for millennium. I’m sure they can sort it out without our help or meddling given a few thousand years.
I want to be clear that this has nothing to do with the bravery, commitment and service our armed military have shown and the sacrifices they have made. Everyone should be proud of that. What I am not proud of, is the way we as a peoples have selfishly consumed and created so much of our own problems in doing so. Isn’t it time that we woke up? Isn’t it time we looked inward at our own problems and shortcomings rather than trying to “fix the world” to be the way we believe it should be.
My heart goes out to all of the families and the nationals of over 70 countries that were killed in the 9-11 attacks. They are still suffering after these nine years. The 9-11 attacks should have been a wake up call that we were doing something wrong in our foreign affairs. Instead, we attacked another country. It seems to be the norm. I guess we had to put a bullet up someone’s ass, after all it’s “The American Way”.
Love, Dad