Could You Eat Him?

Sometimes you just have to wonder! Did you know that it is legal to eat man's best friend in 44 states? I didn't either. Kind of makes you wonder why the remaining states have declared it otherwise!

One of my more consistent themes in writing this blog is the disconnect between our culture and those of countries into which we try to insinuate our own. It usually has to do with human rights. Like stoning people to death or lashing them to serve as an example. I hadn't really given their culinary peculiarities much thought until recently. There has been a spate of articles suggesting we ought to consider having pets we can at some point in time consume in order to neutralize their carbon footprint. I don't care if it's a cat or a rat, if it's a pet I couldn't eat it.

I realize that what we consider domestic pets are often eaten by people of other cultures and have been since the beginning of time. I guess one man's delicacy is another's heartburn. Like sheep eyeballs. If I didn't know what I was eating, would I consider it a delicacy? I have no idea and hope never to find out. The closest I've come to culinary bravery was pig snout while in France. I doubt I'll ever rid myself of the image of those nostrils staring up at me from a daintily garnished bed of greens!

Those of you who follow me know I'm a huge softy when it comes to animal welfare. That being said, I have to tell you I was shocked to see the following article in today's Wall Street Journal , Let Them Eat Dog - A modest proposal for tossing Fido in the oven. Yikes!

Halloween Day! The time of year humane societies forbid the adoption of black cats! Here's an article that not only goes into vivid depictions of how dogs have been consumed past and present, but even a recipe!

Having read through all the unsettling descriptions, the summation points out that the prospect of consuming Fido is likely repulsive to everyone reading the article and that's what's most important.

Perhaps. I have to question the timing, number one, and any socially redeeming reason for the article in the first place, number two! I guess the saving grace, and don't misconstrue "grace", is that not a lot of strung out types looking for new horrors to explore on Halloween are likely to be reading the Wall Street Journal. Nor this post. I hope.

Politics ~ Theater Of The Absurd

Nancy has brought forth her health care reform that includes everything including the kitchen sink. It is bound to fail at some point. Obama is about to stiff the military and the fight against al Qaeda for political gains rather than victory.

Then there is the man in the picture. His name is William Bryk. He's an attorney who lives in Brooklyn. While living in Brooklyn he ran for the vice presidential nomination in New Hampshire in 2008. And won. New Hampshire law specifies one only need pay a $1,000 fee and have lived in the United States for 15 years. He won.

Now he has popped up as a challenger for our Senator, Mike Crapo. He's never been to Idaho. The closest he has come is Buffalo, New York! Not exactly in our back yard!

It seems he thinks Crapo, who had no challenger other than a write in last time he was elected, should not go unchallenged. What a noble thought.

It's not that he doesn't have some good ideas. He ran before because he was upset with Bill Clinton's personal conduct. I'm not sure what he planned to do about it.

He's worried about the decline of people's personal liberties. Boy, that fits well with this administration! Look at health care reform!

He said he's also alarmed about the nation's "arbitrary exercise of authority" and "interventions into countries that don't want them."

"I think we need to stop, slow down and think about what we should be doing."

That's all fine and dandy as far as generalities go, but he knows nothing about Idaho nor it's citizens. I should think an attorney could find better use of his time than this absurdity. He could run for office in New York state. What a novel concept. Run where you live!

Candidates come in all shapes and sizes and for a myriade of reasons. We have one race where the challenger admits to knowing nothing of the needs of the facing the district. Is willingness to learn enough?

I fell into the trap of no experience with Obama. I'm leary of it now. Especially on the local level. New blood is one thing, but knowledge of the issues is a whole different thing. A requirement I should think.

So. Mr. Bryk. Just stay home. If we want some one to challenge Mr. Crapo, we can find him on our own. If we want an out-of-state challenger we can look at Arnold Schwarzenneger! At least he has a home in Sun Valley.

Then again, if Mike Crapo has no challengers, just maybe it's an indication he's doing a good enough job no one figures they can beat him.

By the way, Idaho. You might consider tightening up that requirement to prevent more of this idiocy. There are too many important issues to concern ourselves with!

What? Two Karzais?

No wonder the administration wants to see how the run-off works out in Afghanistan! There is a problem. There are two Karzais to deal with! If Hamid loses what will we do with Ahmed? According to The New York Times little brother Ahmed has been on the CIA pay roll, in essence, for most of the past eight years! He denies it, stating any help given to the U.S. was his duty as an Afghan. Right.

Like his big brother, Hamid, he is reputed to be as corrupt as the day is long. He's heavily involved in the country's major export - drugs. So. How do we win the trust of the people if we're supporting the likes of these men? Hamid will undoubtedly win the run-off. So we will still have him and his brother, who seems to me to be a double agent, to deal with.

I don't envy Obama. He's already made it clear complete withdrawal is not an option. So now we'll have a third front. Not only the Taliban and al Qaeda but the Karzai boys.

I know what I'd do. I'd send the troops the Generals want and wipe up the whole mess as quickly as possible. Inclusively. Then get out. That would give the opposition time to strengthen, the security forces time to be trained and we'd be gone along with the Taliban, al Qaeda and Karzai and his cronies.

I hate war. I hate it. But since we're in it, as I've been saying, if we're going to do it, let's get it done.

By the way, whatever happened to the Obama who said he'd listen to his Generals? You hoo! They're speaking to you! They've been speaking to you!

Mixed Message From The U.S.

Anytime you see these three together expect trouble! President for Life wannabe's Manuel Zelaya, deposed President of Honduras, Daniel Ortega, about to be President for Life in Nicaragua, and their mentor, Hugo Chavez, successful President for Life in Venezuela.

Mr. Ortega recently packed his Supreme Court with like minded judges who circumvented their constitution limiting presidential terms to two. He then declared the ruling could not be challenged. The door is now open for him to run as often as he wants, and like Chavez, literally become President for life.

Our State Department and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, to their credit, wasted little time in questioning this action.

Mr. Zelaya tried to do the same thing not so long ago in Honduras. The Congress and the Supreme Court of that country put a stop to it. Their duty was to uphold the Constitution of their country and they did. With the help of the military Mr. Zelaya was escorted out of the country and though back on Honduran soil, is less than welcome.

The U.S. soundly condemned legal activity in Honduras calling it a coup. I have yet to figure out why. The military, from all I've been able to find, had no role in the decision to remove Zelaya from office yet the U.S. is calling it a coup.

We've even gone so far as to cut off aid.

We now have two anti-American dictatorships brewing in South America. Why is it we aren't supporting the country that rejected it? Legally? According to their laws and their constitution? It was not a military coup!

It makes me wonder just what side we are on and why. Do you suppose entire countries may be wondering the same thing?

The Other Consideration - The Afghan People

There are three people who I listen to knowing they tell it like it is because they are in the midst of everything going on and have been since the outset. They are CNN's Michael Ware, NBC's Richard Engel and CNN's Peter Bergen.

Mr. Bergen had some interesting observations today on CNN.com .

We already know the American people have little taste for the war in Afghanistan. For that to change the President is going to have to leave the golf course and step up to the plate and make a decision on our mission there. Not only to satisfy the American people but, as is Mr. Bergan's second point, to provide the Afghanistan people a degree of security.

He points out that the last time they had any was under the oppressive rule of the Taliban. Otherwise they are subject to the whims of roaming gangs of ethnic and tribal factions engaged in their own civil wars.

The problem is, no matter who wins the run-off election, there are no Afghan forces anywhere near ready to provide that security. Thus it falls into our lap. Since al Qaeda has a friend in the Taliban, we're really fighting to hold back both factions from regaining ground in Afghanistan.

If this is the mission selected it's going to be a long, difficult slog, but at least the mission would be clear. To the American people, to the troops and to the Afghan people. If the commitment is made and the necessary troops deployed, the Afghan people may be more inclined to side with us for there will be tangible hope.

Perhaps it's time to suck it up and do what is necessary to stop the Taliban and al Qaeda aggression in it's tracks. It will be a long, difficult haul but at least an end will have been defined; a mission explained. Pussy footing around the issue has gotten us little but frustration and lack of morale. Not only from us and our troops, but the people of Afghanistan. It's time for the Americans' to be all that we can be, if the Army will permit me to use their phrase, and do it right. If it means more troops, then let's do it. What's the popular adage? Lead, follow or get out of the way. That's the American way. Or at least it used to be.