Food For Thought Might Do Well As Pub Grub

We have much in common with our friends across the Pond. One is enjoying the camaraderie to be found in an English Pub or, in our case, a local bar. Like "Cheers", often every one knows your name and if you're a stranger when you enter you are not when you leave.

Hub and I have a favorite or two we visit whenever we're in the neighborhood. One is gone. The gentrification of Whitechapel, Jack the Ripper territory, has caused many to close including our favorite, The Alma.

Another is for the same reason many of our local establishments are thinking of applying for bailout money. The smoking ban. The health police are telling us it's for our own good and cite the hazards of inhaling second hand smoke. I don't know. I don't smoke. Haven't for years and as an adult, if it worries me that much I don't have to enter. Somehow a bar without a smoky haze just isn't a bar. It's a generational thing I suppose.

Europeans seem to smoke a lot more than we do and the ban has been devastating to the pub business and its workers! According to a letter in the Financial Times the smoking bans can kill pub workers! While true many workers may have been spared the "possibility" of getting lung cancer 40 years down the road, research is showing that the stress from job loss is causing severe consequences now!

It is pointed out that with 50 pub closures a week, each employing about ten, results in a five year loss of 100,000 or so jobs. A study several years ago found for each 1% difference in income resulted in 21 deaths per 100,000 per year. It went on to point out that if those 100,000 had their incomes cut by 50% for the five year period, that would result in over 1,000 extra deaths per year.

The statistical claims rationalizing the smoking ban was 100 lives possible saved 40 years down the road.

Statistical fluctuations no doubt apply, but the thrust of the letter is that the smoking ban in England and Ireland is killing the very people it was meant to save. To add to an already grim story, it is suggested that the politicians who voted the ban in were well aware of the studies and what they showed.

It would seem politicians abroad are as inept as our own when it comes to looking at the full picture before passing legislation. It's a continuation of the mind set revealed in my post from yesterday about recalling all the toys not certified lead free. It is no comfort to share that commonality!

It makes me wonder if our lawmakers were aware of these studies in their rush to ban smoking. If you excuse them for not knowing because the studies were not American studies, think again. The gentleman who wrote the letter is Michael J. McFadden, Philadelphia, PA, US - author of Dissecting Antismokers' Brains.

I wish he'd write one entitled, Dissecting Politicians' Brains!

SOMEone Has GOT To Stop Shooting!

The Israelis are smart all right. The timing of their retaliation against the rocket lobbing of Hamas was designed to take place during the transition of power in the U.S. so no clear cut policy was in place.

Even though Obama has stated time and again there is but one President at a time, it hardly seems so. He's getting all the face time and news conferences yet Bush still holds the office. Therefore it has been a convenience to him to say little about the conflict in Gaza other than to protest the killing of civilians.

I'm not laying all of this on the Israelis. Nor do I blame them for taking advantage of the timing to try to end the attacks once and for all. They are unlikely to succeed.

I do ache for both the Israeli and the Palestinian citizens who are bearing the brunt of the mayhem. Military casualties are either being under reported or both sides are far better than I'd expect. It's the civilians; the women and children who are starving, denied medical attention because of the lack of supplies and facilities and being slaughtered.

I don't envy Hillary Clinton the task she will be facing in a few short days. The war, as one might expect has escalated. Hezbollah, the other "H" word, has raised it's ugly head from Lebanon. Hamas and Hezbollah. Brothers under the skin. They use similar tactics to keep the citizenry in line. They provide schools and hospitals and the like out of one hand while lobbing missiles into Israel out of the other. Now they've joined forces.

Lebanese militants lobbed three rockets into Israel today. Of course Israel returned fire. Eleven more people were killed in Gaza bringing the total to nearly 700 over thirteen days.

Now what? As much as I'd like to believe diplomacy will work there is no evidence that it has a chance. If it is undertaken at all it seems to do little more than provide breathing space, allowing all side to regroup and strengthen. That Israel, with all it's superior military power, is unable to eliminate it's adversaries, perhaps it's time to let them fight it out to it's ultimate conclusion without our intervention or our money.

Drastic times call for drastic measures. Yes, for those of you who will remind me of all the accords granting Israel the right of a homeland, I understand that. They have it now. They've had our financial support in the billions of dollars. Should we not expect to see some positive results?

It's harsh. I know. But as I sit here listening to all the hype about the new administration and it's hope for change, I'm well aware of where some of those aid dollars could be put to better use. Here. For us.

What's the saying, "Money doesn't buy happiness"? It doesn't buy peace either. Maybe it's time we realize we cannot babysit the rest of the world while our own are wanting!

With Friends Like These...

Hamas lobs missiles into Israel. Israel retaliates with air strikes. People die. If not killed instantly, their deaths can be agonizing. Many are women and children. Why? A dispute over land. Each seems determined to annihilate the other. Nice neighbors.

Here in the 'hood if one neighbor doesn't like another they pretty much ignore one another, knowing full well neither is likely to change. Maybe nations should take a lesson from neighborhoods.

Frankly I'm tired of the whole mid east mess. We cannot negotiate nor legislate that they like one another. The history is too sordid and deep. You'd think we would learn. It's tough to sit back and watch it without your blood boiling no matter where your sympathies lie. Maybe it's time, though, that we do just that.

It's always the Israelis against everyone else yet no one has the guts to stand up and point out their part in the conflicts. In particular the establishment of illegal settlements in the West Bank and cutting off life lines to Gaza. Why is it that they are always the victim and no one else can lay claim?

It concerns me that we pour billions of dollars into Israel because they are such a strong "ally". Yet we turn a blind eye when they blatantly use those dollars in counter productive actions against everyone else in the region. What, exactly, have we received in return for that aid to warrant calling them "ally"?

Everyone else in the region is accused of wanting to drive Israel out of existence. Remember they are the ones threatening military action against Iran and guess who they'll expect to come to their aid? Us. As in U.S. They have a stronger, better armed military than any of it's neighbors. Is it not time to let them fend for themselves? They resist all our efforts for peace talks, they rattle their sabres with great abandon and they are as guilty as their adversaries of killing hundreds and thousands of people who are guilty of nothing more than the unfortunate fate of living in the region.

Both sides have their arguments. Neither are totally justified. Neither will compromise.

It's time for it to end. Full stop. A lasting full stop. Or hit them where it hurts the most. In the pocketbook. Oh, and in the spirit of the season, this is hardly what I'd consider the Holy Land. It's more like Dante's Inferno.

You've got To Wonder About Politicians!

When you come right down to it, our politicians are a pretty tame bunch when it comes to mass public embarrassment. Oh sure, you have those who have affairs, and who chase after pages be they male or female, and those who hide tens of thousands of dollars in their freezers, but they seem to be one off indiscretions. Nothing like the fisticuffs we've seen that occur among some governing bodies.

But, wow! Nothing like Australia! According to Reuters, some of their politicians may have to take breathalyzer tests before they can vote on legislation! It seems that in New South Wales one lawmaker resigned after shoving a female colleague after a Christmas party.

That doesn't seem too bad. I guess it depends on how hard he shoved her. I hate it when details are sketchy!

I guess the final straw was when the police minister did some "dirty dancing" in his underwear over the chest of, again, a female colleague after a drunken post budget office party! Now that must have been something to see! And I wonder what the budget looks like!

We haven't seen the likes of that kind of behavior in this country since Fanne Foxe, the Argentine Firecracker, fled congressman Wilbur Mills' car and jumped into the D.C. Tidal Basin back in 1974!

I try to picture some of our august legislators cavorting in such a manner and find it most unsettling!

I've never thought our legislators needed much more then an I.Q. test! This breathalyzer suggestion has me wondering if the Aussies, too, might benefit from one.

Rather than administering the test before they enter Parliament to cast their votes, how about after the parties that seem to follow the meetings? Or cut down on the parties! Or the meetings!

Maybe there is something to be said for our "two party" system! If you get my drift.

Bill And Hill - A "Two For" Again?

I'm beginning to worry about myself. I think I may actually have morphed into a full fledged political junkie. I'm finding the post election intrigue absolutely fascinating.

The Washington Post , among many other sources, has reported that Hillary Clinton is being considered for Secretary of State. I doubt that she'd take it if offered because two women have already held the position, but the idea of it is rife with possibilities.

Especially if Bill should become the Special Envoy to the Mid East. Add to the mix Tony Blair who holds the same position for the European Union! What a power play.

Just think, Bill would be able to truthfully say he has the Secretary of State's ear. Hillary would be able to say she has the Special Envoy's ear. They both, of course would have the President's ear. And remember Tony and Bill got along famously before he went on to become Bush's "poodle"! Think of the "bad cop, good cop" scenarios that could play out! If this duo and Blair couldn't bring all those pesky factions into line, they could sure confuse the bejabbers out of them!

It could be economical too. They could share a plane! Ah, the Clintons. The world is their stage. I wonder how many curtain calls they have left!

Should This Administration Be Taken Seriously?

The answer is a resounding but qualified "yes"! It should be taken seriously by us! Mostly because a lot of the rest of the world does not.

Let's see why. We have a President who has given up golf for the duration of the war in Iraq out of respect for those who serve, those who have died, and the families who wait in anguish on a daily basis.

Now there is a widening affront by Russia on an independent neighbor. Pictured is our President at the Olympics having a fine old time. Before this photo was taken and before Putin left for the front, Bush, according to the AP , is said to have voiced his concerns about the aggression by the Russians on an American ally. Yep. Putin headed home to oversee the military action. Bush stayed at the Olympics and played.

You may feel my thinking to be a bit harsh. After all, what could Bush do? Well, if it had been Israel would he have stayed?

The article quotes Bush as saying, "I was very firm with Vladimir Putin..."

Meanwhile Vice President Cheney told the pro-American president of Georgia that "Russian aggression must not go unanswered..."

Just what is the under manned Georgian army to do? Even the troops pulled out of Iraq will have little impact.

Bush has now ended his Asian trip and is headed home while calling the violence unnacceptable. The Russians have widened the war by bombarding another region of Georgia that has a population of Russian loyalists. Understand the Russians aren't nearly as concerned with these two rebellious regions as they are intent on destroying the independent nation of Georgia.

George is talking. Cheney is threatening. Is anybody listening?

We've Lost Our Moral Authority

The thought of what is going to happen next fills me with apprehension. We are now witnessing what happens when an administration squanders the moral authority that once made us the most powerful country in the world.

It has been diminishing for years now. A war begun under false pretenses. The destruction of our constitutional rights which had made us the envy of the world. The condoning of torture; holding prisoners with out charging them and now stating we may not let them go when their sentences have been served. Spying on our own citizens with no recourse. Bullying everybody.

Our allies are slowly but surely leaving the Iraq mess to us as their own domestic problems become more demanding. Such as the situation in Georgia.

Now Russia has reared its ugly head again. Remember when Bush looked into Putin's soul and saw a man who could be trusted? I wonder what he'd see now.

So here we are. The Iraqi's have gotten their act together to the extent that they're telling us to get out. Israel is threatening to attack Iran to prevent it from happening to them first. Guess who will be expected to clean up that one should it occur?

The Shiia and the Sunni's will never co-exist peacefully no matter how much we want them to.

Now Russia has launched a full scale attack on the tiny independent state of Georgia. It's intent is to destroy it; not repatriate those of the population who hold allegiance to Russia in tiny South Ossetia, the disputed self-proclaimed state within Georgia's borders. Georgia is pro western and pro U.S. Guess who will be asked to help bail them out?

But we can't now, can we? We haven't the troops available. Most other countries have no taste for another conflict and are unlikely to step up to the plate.

And here we are with absolutely no clout what-so-ever. I would like to see the media press the candidates on this; pin them down as to what they feel our role should be when our allies, those we still have, get into trouble. Not just Iraq and Afghanistan, but across the board. What will U.S. policy be?

More importantly, what is their plan to regain our status in the world community? If they don't have one I foresee a domino effect. Every petty dictator who wants to flex his muscle will be able to do so because the U.S. has become a toothless tiger.

It's not a comforting thought.

It's Over! Maliki Says So!

So where are the headlines?? In the Coeur'd Alene Press a two inch squib squeezed between an ad for the Schweitzer Bluegrass Festival and above another for an Internet service on page A12 is a two inch column headlined Iraqi PM: Government has defeated terrorism. Wow! I'd think it deserved more than that!

Everyone from the International Herald Tribune to just about every broadcast outlet and blog news aggregator I can think of had this news. It's of huge importance. It means we can leave! They've done it. They've been telling us for quite sometime that we are not wanted nor needed.

The implications for the upcoming Presidential election are monumental. Who do you go with? One who would extend our military presence to infinity or one who would begin an orderly withdrawal of our troops?

Oh, if it were only that simple. Never-the-less, don't miss the point of what Maliki is saying - again. We're not wanted. They can deal with it - in their own way and in their own time.

We should know by now force feeding our goals on those who don't share them leads to disaster. The spin on this by the administration should be interesting as will how the candidates will interpret it. Will it be debunked, heeded - or like our local papers have handled it - for the most part ignoring it?

The Globalization Of Our Landmarks

According to the New York Post Abu Dhabi is buying the Chrysler Building. This bit of news got me to thinking whether Homeland Security is on the right track worrying about illegal aliens crossing the Mexican border rather than worrying about who is buying up our landmarks and who happens to have an issue with those buyers.

Japan is a huge player. Japan based entities have interest in, if not outright ownership of, such icons of American culture as Tiffanys, Manhatten's Algonquin hotel and Exxon headquarters in Rockefeller Center, the Dunes Hotel in Las Vegas, even St. Clement Winery in the Napa Valley.

Our friends, the Brits, are in on Almaden wines, Ballpark Franks and French's Mustard not to mention part ownership of the Watergate complex in Washington D.C.

The West Germans are in on Allis Chalmers and Doubleday. Dubai owns New York's Essex Hotel.

We've been stewing for years about foreign automakers not only taking over our markets, but also our manufacturing facilities. We've also been stewing for years about the loss of our jobs to overseas operations that are more economically attuned to the bottom line.

Just think of it as a plus when it comes to keeping the homeland safe. I think the repercussions would be interesting if a bunch of renegade Arabs decided to smack a plane or two into the Chrysler Building!

However, if someone gets ticked off at the Brits or the Japanese would we have to worry about what's in our wine or hot dogs and mustard? We'd be okay with Nestle products because they are Swiss owned and the Swiss don't fight with anyone.

Now I'm wondering - what's going on with our tomatoes?

CNN Delivers Thanks To GPS

Fereed Zakaria's Global Public Square. I was stretched out on the couch this morning waiting for a pain pill to kick in when this program came on. Somewhat weary of the usual Sunday morning line up of talking heads and the question of the day about what Hillary will do next, I decided I would give this new program a look.

I'm glad I did. Too much is being made about the banalities of our presidential campaign while too little is being examined as to what the world sees and expects from the new President and, as a whole, what the issues will be that will be confronting him over and above the war.

I first became familiar with India born Zakaria, editor of Newsweek International, as a frequent and popular guest on, of all things, the Daily Show. He is now hosting his own Sunday morning show on CNN. Today's panel included Irshad Manji, Ugandan born and Canadian raised, author and commentator perhaps best known for her book The Trouble With Islam Today. Christian Amanpour, London born to a British mother and Iranian father, a CNN correspondent. Former Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Natan Sharansky and former Mexican Foreign Minister, Jorge Castaneda. What a great selection for the outlining and discussion of global issues! Not an American born in the group. Very savvy!

Last week the special guest was Tony Blair, today it was Henry Kissinger and upcoming will be Salman Rushdie, among others.

This will be must see TV for me as the election nears. I will watch with interest to see what foreign nationals consider the issues to be, how well the candidates grasp them and whether or not their thinking is in sync. It is a refreshing bit of programming. The timing could not be better. The panelists come from different parts of the world and hold a variety of positions; they have differing agendas and widely diverse viewpoints on some things yet not on others. It is enlightening to say the least.

Most heartening, however, is they seem to have one thing in common. They seek peace for their peoples and they expect the United States to be, once again, the major player in the process.

Let's dare to hope.

"Money" Talks!

We were told our forces would be greeted as liberators. Wrong. Since then they have been asked to do more they have not been trained to do than what they have been. Police, diplomat, good Samaritan. For the most part the troops have responded splendidly.

Six years of war, however, is taking its toll. Suicides are at an all time high. The powers that be are trying to redefine Post Traumatic Stress Disorder because the financial burdens that come with the diagnosis are taxing the system.

It would seem a lack of clear thinking goes all the way to the top. I'm not talking about the double speak we and the Congress hear every time General Petreus gives a report or the rosy picture Senator McCain would have us believe about the success of the surge. I would guess it's the next level down. The names we don't yet know. Just like the names we never heard during the Abu Ghraib scandal.

This involves Marines distributing coins that promote Christianity. Not only are we looked at as hated occupiers, now we're acting like missionaries! A wire story from the McClatchy News Service tells of Iraqis being handed coins that read "Where will you spend eternity?" on one side and on the other "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16"

This just after a sniper used the Quran for target practice.

The military prohibits proselytizing any religion, faith or practice. So how is this happening? Someone had to have the coins manufactured, supply them to the Marines and order their distribution. That it is being investigated tells me no one is sure who is responsible.

It seems to me not only is the war itself out of control but that those who manage it are also losing their grip. It is time to bring it to an end before we dig ourselves in deeper from sheer fatigue and an inability to think clearly. We tried to shove democracy down their throats. That isn't working well. Now we're promoting Christianity in the Muslim world? Are we nuts?

It's like going into a synagogue and handing out rosary beads!

Chasing Votes

With apologies to the late Al Capp, this illustration reminded me of Hillary in West Virginia chasing votes.

She is expected to win both West Virginia and Kentucky. They are Clinton strongholds. Largely white and working class. Miners. Hard scrabble work. Good people. Older. That's the key word. The young who can, leave.

Even with a lopsided victory tomorrow, it will do little to help Clinton's effort. The party elite figure as long as she does nothing to hurt Obama's chances, she can go where ever and do what ever she wants. Okay. I'll buy into that.

However, an article in today's Financial Times adds a disturbing dimension to the story. It quotes a retired coal miner, a life long Democrat, who vowed to vote for McCain if Obama is the nominee. Why? "I heard that Obama is a Muslim and his wife's an atheist."

This, after all the Jeremiah Wright flap. Do these folks live in a vacuum? Well they do have the lowest college graduation rate in the country, mainly because they can't afford to send the young to college.

Then again, a school administrator had this to say, "If he is the nominee, the Democrats have no chance of winning West Virginia. He doesn't understand ordinary Americans." Whew! Like I said. A vacuum.

Even one of the younger set had this to say, "I want someone who is a full blooded American as President."

Are the campaigning Clintons doing anything to correct this misthinking? Oh, I don't think so. Not when Bill tells them Hillary represents "people like you, in places like this", to send a message to the "higher type people " who are trying to force her out of the race.

This from a Rhodes Scholar, graduate of Georgetown University and Yale Law School about his Wellesley/Yale Law educated wife. Yep. Just ordinary folks.

If ignoring false impressions and creating false impressions aren't a way of doing harm to Obama's chances I don't know what would be.

Then too, I had to read the Financial Times to find this. The London Financial Times.

Royal Pain

Maybe it's over now. Maybe Diana, Princess of Wales, can rest in peace. I can't think of a more lovely place and it is time.

The ruling from the inquest finds the Princess and her friend, Dodi Fayed, were "unlawfully killed through the reckless actions of their driver and the paparazzi". Better than ten years have passed. Fayed's grieving father could not let go of conspiracy theories. The CIA did it. Prince Philip had a hand in it. And so it went.

More than $6 million was spent to lay all the theories to rest. Six months of testimony took place in front of a jury of six women and five men. More than 240 witnesses were heard. It is time.

A driver who had several too many. Obnoxious, over exuberant paparazzi pursuing the car like sharks after chum. Nine were charged with manslaughter but the verdict was thrown out. Three were convicted of invasion of privacy. Why such a small price to pay for "unlawfully" killing three people? Now that the conspiracy theories have been disallowed, is it time to find out?

I have little patience with celebrity that thrives on public adoration. I have even less patience with the paparazzi piranhas that school around them.

None of it is worth a life. Nor two or three. None of it is worth the pain left behind. That pain and grief has taken the senior Fayed's life as surely as the "reckless actions" took his son's.

It is time to for those left behind to embrace life. It is time.

Two Sides To Every War Except In Iraq - It Has A Multitude

Snow up to our knees took all the ambition out of us Saturday so we cratered in front of the tube and watched the excellent PBS Frontline presentation Bush's War.

The timing was good. The headlines of unrest are popping up with renewed frequency and General David Petraeus is due to give another update soon. We already know plans for troop withdrawal have been cut. We're hearing one presidential candidate tell us he would like to keep troops in Iraq until it becomes a peaceful, democratic nation. Right.

The current uprising is in Basra, an oil rich Shiia stronghold where Shiite militias are facing off against Iraqi forces who are also Shiia. In what is one more U.S. appeasing show of "toughness", Maliki has demanded the militias give up their weapons. Is that what the picture shows? No. It shows the Iraqi forces handing over their weapons to al-Sadr's Mahdi militiamen. Ooops!

Today's news informs us al-Sadr has pulled his troops off the streets - but who has the weapons? He has made his own demands of the Maliki government to maintain a quieting of violence.

Back to Bush's War and why it is timely to watch. With controversy among the candidates as to how and when to end this conflict, I found a refresher most helpful. The program takes you through the entire time line from 9/11 to when Rumsfeld was forced to resign. It has interviews with many of the major players and speaks to the head games they played with one another. It makes quite clear that Dr. Rice has made a wise decision to not seek the presidency nor accept an offer of the vice presidency. It brought to mind details I had long forgotten but are vital to the decisions that the next president will have to make.

The link above will take you to the site and you can view the entire program online if you have the time and inclination. Most of you won't I should guess because it is long. What it does do, though, is reaffirm how out of sync our own leaders were with one another, how we were duped by ambitious Iraqi exiles, and how totally ignorant we were - and are - about how the Iraqis themselves feel.

As long as we are on their soil we will be viewed as the occupiers. They will resist us and those who support us. Would we not do the same if the tables were turned?

Blarney

Ah, Hillary, you kissed that stone didn't you?

Okay, okay. The Democratic presidential primary is now looking for kindergarten candidates. One's who understand the need for rest periods and potty breaks. The name calling has sunk to levels that should make everyone but the Rush Limbaugh's of the world blush. Rush, I think, is so in love with the sound of his own rhetoric he no longer hears what he himself says. Just so he hears that voice.

That the candidate's surrogates have chosen to follow a similar path isn't surprising. It's one of the more embarrassing facets of American political campaigns. I'm sure the world often wonders why we elect any of the candidates that have such surrogates speaking in their behalf.

Here we have Barack Obama having to explain away words he never spoke. Not only the Reverend Wright but retired General McPeak who likened Bill Clinton's tactics to McCarthyism. The insinuation that only McCain and Hillary are true patriots was less than subtle. That is McCarthy-like considering the witch hunts McCarthy went on in his relentless search for Communists.

I'm not keeping score but I think the Clintonites are ahead in the mudslinging and name calling department. There was the 3 a.m. phone call commercial, Geraldine Ferraro's comment stating Obama would not have risen to such heights had he not been black. Bill's likening Obama to Jesse Jackson after the South Carolina primary and now James Carville comparing Bill Richardson's endoresement of Obama to being Judas.

Wow. Every evening when I tune on the news I sit with baited breath wondering what will be revealed today. One would like to think this race would be decided on how each candidate understands the issues and how likely their solutions are to work but so far the mudslinging reigns.

I can tolerate that for awhile longer if I must. I listen to the pundits debate which attack is going to do the most damage and most agree these are little more than minor misteps and will soon be forgotten.

They have included in that Hillary's exaggeration of her foreign policy credentials. I can't let this one go quite so easily because she is the one who claims she is tested and ready to be commander-in-chief on day one. If true there is no need to make "mistatements". But she's made a beaut.

On going to Bosnia, with Chelsea, Sinbad and Sheryl Crow it seemed more like a first lady led USO tour. If it was more than that she should have been up on charges for child endangerment for having put Chelsea in harms way! As you'll hear in the video clip, she recalls quite clearly "landing under sniper fire. There was supposed to be some kind of a greeting ceremony at the airport, but instead we just ran with our heads down to get into the vehicles to get to our base."



She now claims she made a mistake. Right. You'd think if the candidates can't, their staffs would remember there is video out there of virtually everything!

It makes me wonder what else she has misspoken about. Or has she spoken candidly about anything in her lust for power? She told reporters today, according to the AP, "So I made a mistake. That happens. It shows I'm human, which for some people is a revelation."

It's a revelation all right. But not about being human.

Stout-hearted Men

...and women. All sizes, ages and shapes. 4000 of them. Fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, friends and lovers. Gone.

I find the timing of the fifth anniversary of this war, the 4000th lost American and Easter an interesting convergence of events.

Unlike the legend of Easter where Christ rises from the dead, these 4000 will not. They are lost forever to their families and to their country. All the potential they carried within them, all the life not yet lived, lost - forever.

That these lives are being lost at a slower pace than before, that there are far fewer of them than in Vietnam or Korea is of little significance. They are still gone. Others step forward to fill their space. That we have such men and women in this country that choose to do so is a testament to the inherent decency of our people. We are indeed fortunate to have that decency as part of our moral fiber.

What might be well remembered, however, is the majority of these warriors are our young hailing from modest backgrounds. Far different from those who created the circumstances in which they find themselves.

We are told the cause is just and that success is vital. I wish I could recall just what that cause is and just what success is so vital. It's partially why I've chosen to look at a new brand of leadership for my country. One that will not take us into an unprovoked war, one that is not driven by personal ideology. One that recognizes those for whom we're sacrificing our soldiers don't care enough about that "cause" to take it on themselves nor agree that "success" means just that. Taking it on themselves.

It's why I agree it's time to end the carnage. Yes. It will continue after we are gone. That is their will. We cannot change that. Perhaps it is time for the rest of the world to step back and let the region deal with it's own demons. The rest of the world seems far more willing to do this than we are; they are far more proximate to it, have lived with that proximity for as long as the conflicts have existed and perhaps understand far better than we that there are some things, no matter how unjust they may seem to us, that we cannot change.

Billions of our dollars have gone into this war. How much better could it have been spent within our own borders? It is lamented that we've never been asked to sacrifice for this war. Go shopping. Yet we can't afford the gas to get to the stores. We can't afford the goods or the foodstuffs when we do get there and can't afford the mortgages on the homes we want to return to. Our phone conversations and e-mails can be intercepted with impunity. We can't board a plane, enter or leave the country without the indignity of searches. You think this is not sacrifice? And when you write a post such as this you will be branded in some circles as being unpatriotic.

One thing we do still have, however, deep down in, is that spirit of goodness and decency. Just look at the 30,000 or so veterans who have come back from the horrors of war mentally and/or physically altered for the rest of their lives. They fight once again, odds many of us would consider insurmountable, because of who they are as individuals and who we are as a people.

Those of you who would be our leaders, look at them, see them, thank the Almighty for them but do not abuse the privilege of leadership by misinterpreting the power of war over the power of peace.

From "New Moon" by Sigmund Romberg/Frank Mandel/Laurence Schwab and Oscar Hammerstein II

Give me some men who are stout-hearted men,
Who will fight, for the right they adore,
Start me with ten who are stout-hearted men,
And I'll soon give you ten thousand more.
Shoulder to shoulder and bolder and bolder,
They grow as they go to the fore.
Then there's nothing in the world can halt or mar a plan,
When stout-hearted men can stick together man to man.

Ah, yes. As is often the case lyrics can be inspirational and true. But be cautious, those tens of thousands are dwindling rapidly!

Senior Moment Or War Mongering

We know John McCain is tied to the apron string's of George Bush's war policy - but to what extent? A lot has been happening on the Democratic side to divert our attention away from candidate McCain.

We best multi-task for awhile. We know he intends to keep troops on the ground long term. We know he thinks anything less than "victory" is unacceptable. What we don't know is just what "victory" is. His view of victory is probably unattainable as long as the current government in Iraq retains power. On the other hand, the Iraqi government's view of victory is to get us out of their country. That they want to annihilate one another is their business, not ours, and one day they will proceed.

What we need to keep an eye on, however, is what he articulates. The AP reported McCain mistaken on Iran and al-Qaida. "Al-Qaida is going back into Iran and is receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran." Yeah. Right. Iran is Shiite, al-Qaida is Sunni. That they despise one another is putting it mildly. Even Lindsey Graham had to wince at this one!

Okay, I'll admit keeping all the warring factions straight takes some doing. On top of that we have to keep track of what deal we've made with which war lord to keep our guys alive. Whew.

What troubles me is he made the statement twice. The quote is attributed to a news conference in Jordan, but he made the same statement earlier to a talk show host. Only after Joe Lieberman, who is travelling with McCain, whispered the error to him did McCain correct himself.

I'm not sure if Lieberman is seeking another shot at the Vice Presidency or maybe Secretary of Defense, but wow. He's nearly 65. McCain 71.

Knowing he will not discount war with Iran, knowing he has a penchant for gaffes, I'm wondering if he truly wants the war to continue because it's what he knows best or if he's trying to remold the Grand Old Party into his image - Geezers On Parade might work.

Are We Still A Nation Of Racists?

It would have been naive to think Barack Obama would not have had to make the speech he made today. Or one similar to it. No matter how much we may think he can transcend his racial heritage; we have shown that as a country we cannot.

He spoke eloquently about the deep divides that exist. Still exist. How we can remain mired in them or move beyond. Yet it is not just a Black/White issue. It is a White/Hispanic issue; it is a Black/Hispanic issue; in some cities it's a Korean/Hispanic/Black issue. No matter where in the country one resides there remains an under currant of racism. I can remember years ago hearing my mother-in-law deliver a diatribe on Blacks. I was stunned. She lived the majority of her life in Montana. She was a well educated and accomplished woman. There were few Blacks living in the state and at the time, none in her town. Where did that come from?

I find it one of the great mysteries confronting our society. If someone looks different, speaks differently, dresses differently they are somehow suspect. Why is that? Are we so uncomfortable outside our personal comfort zone that we eye anyone who differs as a threat?

Remember these lyrics from South Pacific?

YOU'VE GOT TO BE CAREFULLY TAUGHT

You've got to be taught
To hate and fear,
You've got to be taught
From year to year,
It's got to be drummed
In your dear little ear
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught to be afraid
Of people whose eyes are oddly made,
And people whose skin is a diff'rent shade,
You've got to be carefully taught.

You've got to be taught before it's too late,
Before you are six or seven or eight,
To hate all the people your relatives hate,
You've got to be carefully taught.

I find myself wondering if this is the way it happens or if it's so ingrained in our psyche that it's now an inherent part of our nature. Is this why we seem so intent on imposing our way of life, our way of governing, our culture on others who differ in each of those areas to the extreme?

Here we are, at one time the greatest nation in the world because of what we stood for. Here we have a man running for President who personifies that, personifies the American dream. If we are to regain our stature in the world it seems starting at home with some deep introspection about ourselves and our attitudes about our own are in order.

We have a choice. We can choose a brave new world or we can stay slumped in the comfort zone of business as usual.

Attention Span And Fatigue

Our economy is on the verge of collapse. Terrorist activity in the Mideast is on the upswing. The Chinese are crushing the Tibetans. Wars, or the threat thereof, are popping up like weeds where the snow has melted.

We are in the midst of the most crucial presidential primary season in recent history. Yet I fear we are back sliding into the "politics as usual" mode. I read an article, As campaign drags on aides put lives on hold. As I read I realized the people quoted aren't concerned about noble causes but more about how the campaigns have disrupted their lives. It struck me that their commitment was to the money they could make or the rush, maybe, rather than about belief in the candidate for whom they are working.

At any other point in the history of campaigns this probably wouldn't have caught my notice. This time it does. I browsed the headlines on the Drudge Report and found these: Many voting for Clinton to boost Republicans, Obama Clinton teams exchange barbs, Former GOP Senator rips Hillary as Bush enabler and my favorite Why does Hillary wear such bad clothes...! Do I care?

Well, you know, I'm tired of it too. I'm tired of the rancor and the meanness of spirit. That can be an end result of fatigue, I grant you. Yet the candidates soldier on. We who are interested soldier on. Aides are finding that the attention span of a two year old isn't enough. This whole process is meant to be something other than their own personal lark.

I must say, however, this is the media's bread and butter. If they didn't cover the spats and the trivia with such glee perhaps there wouldn't be so much.

I don't really care that Hillary isn't a fashion maven. I care very much how she feels about Achmenijad's party retaining power in Iran and what, as commander-in-chief, she would suggest be done about the situation concerning China and Tibet. I care about how Obama feels about both also. For starters.

Commander-In-Chief - Of What?

As the returns of yet another defeat rolled in last night Howard Fineman, Newsweek, talked of how Hillary's campaign staffers were bickering among themselves as to placement of fault. Not a good sign.

Today they've come out with a new strategy - the Commander-in-Chief Offensive. Mark Penn, her chief strategist, is quoted as saying "She is the only person in the race who is both ready to be commander-in-chief and would end the Iraq war and start to bring troops home within 60 days, compared to both Senator Obama and Senator McCain."

Wow. Where did this come from? At the outset she talked of keeping a presence in order to have an orderly withdrawal, etc., etc. Forget the fact that no one knows what the status of the war will even be if and when she takes office.

But desperation calls for desperate measures. She's tested and ready to go from day one. There was a time I'd refute that but in looking at the situation, she may well be tested and have experience. She's falling further and further behind. Her campaign is in chaos, her team is fighting amongst themselves, she never could and still can't control her husband.

Such circumstances would test anyone and she is certainly getting "experience" in dealing with it. The upshot is we're not looking for a Commander-In-Chief of Chaos. We already have one!

What we do need to be wary of is guerilla warfare. It's a fighting style we have yet to master. The Clintons are known for their ability to get down and dirty; I hope our "hope" doesn't get mired in muck.