“The real problem is not that we are different, nor that we disagree and have conflict. It's that most of us automatically view conflict as something negative rather than as a tool God can use to help us better understand ourselves and one another.

--Robert Ricciardelli”

Friday, November 09, 2007

11/9 Morning Report

(...be warned...today I just felt like going on a rant...I've been nice for too long...)


It’s really sad that all the MSM can do is recognize how bad some things are. You would think, somewhere along the way, they would recognize successes. Like the report 3 days ago that IED deaths are down. Some estimates say by about 50%! What does the media report? There was this NY Times article that proclaimed 2007 deadliest year for troops. It is a true statement. However, the Times blames the increase on the surge. Ground commanders say the surge has worked, to a degree. Some independent journalists are saying there has been a significant change among Iraqis that is making a difference. Michael Yon has done a good job of pointing fingers in all directions during the conflict. He was among the first to see a civil war brewing. Now, he reports that various local insurgent groups are joining the government, and American forces, to get rid of al-Qaeda. A month ago, he said something profound in his dispatch Hunting al-Qaeda:
Their end goal still includes getting us ushered out the door: something they are clear about. This means we have further common interests; we want to walk out that door just as fervently, but we don’t want to watch the house full of kids burn down behind us when we leave. Neither do they.
The question for our nation will be did we run away and let the house burn down, or did we make every effort to do right by the Iraqi people? Given the changing political winds in Washington, I suspect that will prove to be THE question that defines the next Administration and the Congress.

(…by the way, if you re not reading Michael Yon, you should be…)


Speaking of things the Liberals should have to answer for: Illegal Immigration. More specifically, they should answer for refusing to control it. 23 were found working at O’Hare Airport. Many in sensitive areas. And, yet, Liberals decry any attempt to control the problem. The claim of discrimination is absurdly placed as an overarching concern, when in fact, it really isn’t the issue in the first place. Certainly, it appears from time to time. And, it should be dealt with accordingly. However, the issue is ILLEGAL immigrants. And, frankly, I don’t see why the one is discriminating against the other.


But, then of course, they would also have to respond to the latest moves of the Liberal darling Hugo Chavez. Portrayed as the benign, loving dictator of Venezuela, his supporters re apparently pretty violent, killing two after the anti-Chavez rally the other day. Funny thing…I didn’t catch much about it in the MSM. Nor do I hear any cries of dictitorialism for his moves to consolidate and perpetuate power. But, here in the US, the Liberals are going after various conservative icons again. With their return to power, they are back after televangelists. Do I believe they live extravagantly? Yeah, they probably do. But, who said they have live in poverty? And where do you draw the line? And…more importantly…why is the line more sharply drawn for Christians and preachers than other groups?

(…now there is a question Liberals should have to answer…think they ever will?...)


And, for those that want to use Yahoo to help our troops, Any Soldier now has a Yahoo toolbar available. When you use it, it helps keep that site alive. They exist because people give to the site, as well as the troops. Do what you can. They are more than worth it.