Thursday, April 6, 2006

Almost...

Thursday is here and the sun will soon be out…I know it will, I know it…I know it! I saw the sun yesterday afternoon and it was beautiful; just as I remembered it to be. Blue skies and puffy white clouds. And today we should see even more of it. Until tonight…when it is supposed to cloud over and begin raining once again.

Despite the blue sky and sunshine, I see trouble ahead. I notice from the news reports that attention is starting to be focused on the flags that immigration protesters are carrying. Nothing riles up the neo-cons like flag waving does. Especially if it isn’t the Red, White and Blue that’s being waved. These are usually the same people that think it’s OK to wear flags as clothing. Not!

And on a patriotic note, I just read Stephen Ambrose’s book, The Victors. Eisenhower and His Boys: The Men of World War II. A great story, but I also found it to be disturbing, as in chapter after chapter, the brave men who fought those battles described how they felt abandoned by those who were supposed to be aiding them in this epic fight. Supplies that never showed up. Material that only came as far as the rear echelon and never to the front lines. It was epidemic. Yes, we won. But no thanks to those who treated the war as “business as usual.” And of course it was Eisenhower who warned us of the military-industrial complex. He knew!  

“…   In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist.
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together…”

2 comments:

  1. I like Ike, I wish people would remember his warning about Pax Americana. How quickly we forget the past.

    I can't stand America haters but I also have little tolerance of the manifest destiny crowd.

    I hope you are well Steve.

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  2. I'm just fine, Dave...thanks for asking. Hope all is well with you and your family.

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