AND THEN ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE

Richard Engle, NBC’s Chief Foreign Correspondent who has covered the Middle East for the past twenty years, has just put out a book titled:

AND THEN ALL HELL BROKE LOOSE,

This is a must read book for anyone wishing to understand the complex issues of the Muslim world that seriously affect the rest of the global community. 

Engle begins with a history of the Middle East and the factors that have led to the religious fanaticism that has co-opted the Muslim faith.  

He accounts a fascinating story of his own immersion into the Arab culture; and reveals his understanding of the political, social and religious beliefs driving the violence of today’s complex and diverse Middle Eastern Muslim societies.

Usually when I am reading at night my mind will start to blank out and I know it is bed time.  I started Engle’s book and had to force myself to lay it down and go to bed at midnight.  

Again; a must read to be intelligently informed on a part of the world that is holding hostage, with a threat of violence, all free thinking people. 

the Ol’Buzzard 

BRING BACK THE DRAFT II

I am some sick of seeing people who have never been to war crying out for expanding the war in the Middle East. 

 

It also pisses me off to see Vets line up in a knee jerk reaction protesting people who are protesting wars (Women in Black were protested by a veteran's group in Farmington, Maine.) 

I am of the band of brothers; but I am also a rational thinking individual.    Supporting the military does not mean that you have to support wars – especially not unnecessary wars.

  

In Vietnam we lost 58,479 military brothers and sisters for absolutely nothing – we lost that war.  Now, the death toll is climbing in the Middle East with exactly the same predictable outcome.

The Middle East is enmeshed in a religious war between Sunnis and Shiites that date back over fourteen hundred years – there is no resolution that can be achieved by American military might.

 

The new drive by the Republican hawks in Congress is for a war with Iran (the last invasion worked out so well.)  Their ‘all or nothing’ demands for negotiating a nuclear build down of the Iranian nuclear armament program is aimed at scudding the talks.   Like most Tea Party brain farts the results has not been thought through.

 

Our volunteer military is stretched to the limit with back to back deployments that destroy military families and result in high percentages of PTSD among our active duty as well as veterans.

  

If our politicians are insistent on escalation and redeployment of troops then we should bring back the draft so that everyone has a commitment in the fight.   Only then would we see politicians reined in by an outcry from the people. 

the Ol'Buzzard

    

SUNNI vs SHIITES

Shiites and Sunni have been at war for the past fourteen hundred years, but for the last fifteen years the United States (motivated by oil interest) has inserted itself into the fray; and in the process destabilized the entire Middle East. 

CBS Sunday Morning gave a quick overview of the religious/ geopolitical factions involved and the crazy alliances the US has committed itself. 

  

This is a Religious Civil War that needs to happen; but we cannot extract ourselves, because our commitment is not to one side or the other - but to oil.

It doesn't have to make sense: it is Religion. '
the Ol'Buzzard