Proverbial Wife: A Counterculture of Death
A few months after my birthday, Roe v. Wade turns another year older, making us the same age (now we're both 32). Legal executions in the womb began with the slaughter of my generation, known as "X," perhaps because so many of us were x'd out.
The masses who succeeded in securing abortion rights for the nation would not have existed if their own parents had believed so strongly in so-called "choice." Had the murder of the unborn been legalized one generation earlier, numerous defenders of reproductive freedom wouldn't have had any voice at all. I wonder if they ever think about it that way...
The baby boomers (I'm generalizing, I know) obviously didn't value the sacrifices their parents made to birth them and raise them because they weren't ready to make those same sacrifices for their own children. Instead, many chose to dwell on the dysfunctions and repressions of what they attributed to a "patriarchal" society.
The end result was that one of the biggest generations in our history (my parents') produced one of the smallest (mine). They boast of what their "revolution" accomplished and fret that we "slackers" aren't overthrowing the culture like they did. It takes numbers to start a movement...and to stop one.
That was all I had written from my time in the waiting room during my last pre-natal appointment, and I was hoping more would come to me for this momentous and tragic day, so that I could actually make some sort of meaningful point, but as it turns out, it had to come from my mother, herself a poster child in many ways for the 60s--Berkeley student, boyfriend one of the ringleaders of the Vietnam protest, Mario Savio groupee, and later...after I was born...a heroin addict who aborted my two younger siblings.
Her drug addiction was relatively brief (and induced by my now deceased stepdad), though she did almost die from an overdose (was brought back to life by a counter-injection), but her anguish over taking the lives of her children took many years of grieving and healing prayer. It was also bittersweet that when they did want another child, she couldn't conceive again. For anyone in her place, I suggest the novella Tilly which I haven't read in years but it comforted me when I mourned the absence of siblings in a home with a tyrannical parent where I longed for solace and comraderie.
But as I shared with my mom today about what I had sketched out for this post, she brought up something that hadn't occured me, but that her own life testifies too. The people from her generation weren't just out for themselves, but actually out to get themselves. So many of her peers kept on the path of self-destruction and ultimately took their own lives by their drug use, like my stepdad whose Hepatitis-C, transmitted via needle in the late 60s, and alcohol abuse destroyed his liver. My mom said it was like they had a deathwish. So many of her generation have died prematurely as a result of their choices.
It's also ironic that they were so impassioned about protecting the lives of invisible people half way across the world in Vietname, yet felt no sense of obligation to preserve the lives of invisible human beings within their own borders...and bodies. "A woman's right to her body" somehow extended to include her unborn baby's body as well, but it almost makes sense in a culture where those same bodies are being pumped full of drugs and alcohol and other toxic substances. And then we encounter yet another irony. The whole natural health movement initiated by hippies like my parents were. My stepdad died having taken several dozen different vitamins every day, a protein shake, wheatgrass juice, you name it...all while he was still taking methadone, a.k.a. legal heroin.
It's not realistic for me (or anyone) to try to cover all aspects of the abortion controversy and its connection with the counterculture, both of which have long and complex histories, but I thought it was at least worth posting a window into these overlapping worlds on this day when I, a survivor (merely because I was wanted), and Roe v. Wade coincide in the length of our existence.
Check out the timeline I wrote last year on this day detailing my experiences with this issue since my birth.
January 22, 2005 at 04:31 PM in Abortion | Permalink
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In the United States, over 45 million pre-born boys and girls have been killed since the Jan. 22, 1973 Supreme Court Decision that legalized abortion. Each year, nearly 20,000 abortions are performed after the 21st week of pregnancy.
Saturday, January 22, 2005
Hal Lindsey: The ultimate tragedy
WorldNetDaily: The ultimate tragedyThe ultimate tragedy
Posted: January 13, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Hal Lindsey
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
The sheer enormity and scope of the Sumatra earthquake-tsunami catastrophe has dominated the thinking of people worldwide. It has caused almost everyone to confront the ultimate reality of the "fragility of life."
At least 150,000 lives were suddenly snuffed out. A shocking percentage of them were under the age of 12-years-old. This disaster has forced nearly everyone to confront the uncomfortable issue of sudden and unexpected death.
Yet there is one thing in life we must all face – we are all going to die. We may hurl charges against God that He has unfairly allowed such catastrophe to snuff out the lives of so many young people. But, in the end, death is a certainty to us all.
Because most people today act as though this life is all there is, death is viewed as the ultimate tragedy. Especially if those who die didn't have a chance "to get the most out of this life." To them, death is the ultimate tragedy that is to be avoided at all costs for as long as possible.
Interestingly, people who normally do not believe in God nevertheless pour out outrage at God for allowing such "unjust tragedy" to happen. God is brought in to blame when convenient. In one-way or another, most the world charges "Why does God allow such horrible things to happen to good people?"
In view of all this, I am going to present God's perspective to this question from the Bible.
First, God declares that He created all men to live forever. But because of mankind's rebellion against Him, man now has two destinations in eternity. Every person who does not restore his relationship with God will spend eternity away from God in a place of isolation, torment and outer darkness. This consequence is so great that God Himself stepped out of eternity into time in the person of Jesus Christ in order pay our penalty for rebellion. On that basis, God offers each person who will receive it a free gift of pardon and eternity with Him.
The most familiar verses in the Bible are based on this reality:
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. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged. He who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
– John 3:16-19
You see, from God's perspective the ultimate tragedy is not the timing or nature of your death. The ultimate tragedy is for you to die without resolving where you will spend eternity.
Now I know that this is not a popular idea for the world to confront. But truth is truth no matter how much man chooses to deceive himself about it.
Second, when you look at life from the perspective of eternity, what may be considered a tragedy to the world may not be so at all. God says this world is only a preparation for eternity. Therefore if a person dies suddenly at a young age, it may be a blessing rather than a curse.
The Bible teaches that if a person dies before the age of accountability, he is automatically covered by the atonement of Jesus Christ because he didn't have the ability to make a decision. There are many people in Heaven from the tsunami that wouldn't have been if they had lived out their lives.
In great catastrophe, true believers in Jesus Christ are killed along with those who are not. However this is not a tragedy to the believer. God says, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints." (Psalm 116:15)
To the world, such a statement is incomprehensible. But the Bible teaches that every believer is a saint in the eyes of God. The word in its original language means "one set apart as God's possession." So when he dies, it is a homecoming. All pain, sorrows and tears are over. God says:
Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord – for we walk by faith, not by sight – we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home [literally, "face to face"] with the Lord.
– 2 Corinthians 5:6-8
Third, the one who understands life in view of eternity lives with a different purpose. He realizes that there is no guarantee on the length and condition of this life. He agrees with God's assessment:
Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills ... we will live and also do this or that."
– James 4:14-15
Each one of us is blazing a vapor trail across the sky of time. God tells us that the only things we can take with us into eternity are the good things we do for others out of thanksgiving to God. God will remember all of our acts of kindness we do by faith in Him – and He will reward us for them.
Such catastrophes as the Sumatran earthquake-tsunami should be viewed with humility and compassion. Apart from God's intervening grace, we could all fall victims to "natural disasters." The Bible teaches that such catastrophes are the result of an Earth that is living under a curse resulting from man's fall.
We live in "Cosmos Diabolicus." The Bible says, "We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the Evil One." Jesus warned that Satan is "The Ruler of this world." (John 5:19 and John 14:30)
The book of Job reveals that Satan has the authority and power to unleash great "natural disasters." Jesus also warned that as the time for His return draws near, natural catastrophes would increase in frequency and destructive power. He particularly mentioned great earthquakes and paralyzing fear because of the "roaring of the waves of the sea." We live in the time of these signs that Jesus called "birth pains."
Therefore the greatest priority is to win as many people to faith in Christ as possible and to grow in faith so as to be able to face the crises that surely are coming. The time is at hand. Make sure that you have accepted God's free gift of pardon through Christ's death in your place. Pray right now and receive Him. Tell Him you want Him to come in and change your life to His will. Your eternal destiny depends upon your decision. If you miss it, that will be the ultimate tragedy.
Hal Lindsey is the best-selling author of 20 books, including "Late Great Planet Earth." He writes this weekly column exclusively for WorldNetDaily.
Posted: January 13, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Hal Lindsey
© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com
The sheer enormity and scope of the Sumatra earthquake-tsunami catastrophe has dominated the thinking of people worldwide. It has caused almost everyone to confront the ultimate reality of the "fragility of life."
At least 150,000 lives were suddenly snuffed out. A shocking percentage of them were under the age of 12-years-old. This disaster has forced nearly everyone to confront the uncomfortable issue of sudden and unexpected death.
Yet there is one thing in life we must all face – we are all going to die. We may hurl charges against God that He has unfairly allowed such catastrophe to snuff out the lives of so many young people. But, in the end, death is a certainty to us all.
Because most people today act as though this life is all there is, death is viewed as the ultimate tragedy. Especially if those who die didn't have a chance "to get the most out of this life." To them, death is the ultimate tragedy that is to be avoided at all costs for as long as possible.
Interestingly, people who normally do not believe in God nevertheless pour out outrage at God for allowing such "unjust tragedy" to happen. God is brought in to blame when convenient. In one-way or another, most the world charges "Why does God allow such horrible things to happen to good people?"
In view of all this, I am going to present God's perspective to this question from the Bible.
First, God declares that He created all men to live forever. But because of mankind's rebellion against Him, man now has two destinations in eternity. Every person who does not restore his relationship with God will spend eternity away from God in a place of isolation, torment and outer darkness. This consequence is so great that God Himself stepped out of eternity into time in the person of Jesus Christ in order pay our penalty for rebellion. On that basis, God offers each person who will receive it a free gift of pardon and eternity with Him.
The most familiar verses in the Bible are based on this reality:
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. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged. He who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
– John 3:16-19
You see, from God's perspective the ultimate tragedy is not the timing or nature of your death. The ultimate tragedy is for you to die without resolving where you will spend eternity.
Now I know that this is not a popular idea for the world to confront. But truth is truth no matter how much man chooses to deceive himself about it.
Second, when you look at life from the perspective of eternity, what may be considered a tragedy to the world may not be so at all. God says this world is only a preparation for eternity. Therefore if a person dies suddenly at a young age, it may be a blessing rather than a curse.
The Bible teaches that if a person dies before the age of accountability, he is automatically covered by the atonement of Jesus Christ because he didn't have the ability to make a decision. There are many people in Heaven from the tsunami that wouldn't have been if they had lived out their lives.
In great catastrophe, true believers in Jesus Christ are killed along with those who are not. However this is not a tragedy to the believer. God says, "Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints." (Psalm 116:15)
To the world, such a statement is incomprehensible. But the Bible teaches that every believer is a saint in the eyes of God. The word in its original language means "one set apart as God's possession." So when he dies, it is a homecoming. All pain, sorrows and tears are over. God says:
Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord – for we walk by faith, not by sight – we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home [literally, "face to face"] with the Lord.
– 2 Corinthians 5:6-8
Third, the one who understands life in view of eternity lives with a different purpose. He realizes that there is no guarantee on the length and condition of this life. He agrees with God's assessment:
Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Instead, you ought to say, "If the Lord wills ... we will live and also do this or that."
– James 4:14-15
Each one of us is blazing a vapor trail across the sky of time. God tells us that the only things we can take with us into eternity are the good things we do for others out of thanksgiving to God. God will remember all of our acts of kindness we do by faith in Him – and He will reward us for them.
Such catastrophes as the Sumatran earthquake-tsunami should be viewed with humility and compassion. Apart from God's intervening grace, we could all fall victims to "natural disasters." The Bible teaches that such catastrophes are the result of an Earth that is living under a curse resulting from man's fall.
We live in "Cosmos Diabolicus." The Bible says, "We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the Evil One." Jesus warned that Satan is "The Ruler of this world." (John 5:19 and John 14:30)
The book of Job reveals that Satan has the authority and power to unleash great "natural disasters." Jesus also warned that as the time for His return draws near, natural catastrophes would increase in frequency and destructive power. He particularly mentioned great earthquakes and paralyzing fear because of the "roaring of the waves of the sea." We live in the time of these signs that Jesus called "birth pains."
Therefore the greatest priority is to win as many people to faith in Christ as possible and to grow in faith so as to be able to face the crises that surely are coming. The time is at hand. Make sure that you have accepted God's free gift of pardon through Christ's death in your place. Pray right now and receive Him. Tell Him you want Him to come in and change your life to His will. Your eternal destiny depends upon your decision. If you miss it, that will be the ultimate tragedy.
Hal Lindsey is the best-selling author of 20 books, including "Late Great Planet Earth." He writes this weekly column exclusively for WorldNetDaily.
Friday, January 21, 2005
Mudville Gazette
Mudville Gazette: "The Washington Post:
An overwhelming majority of Iraqis continue to say they intend to vote on Jan. 30 even as insurgents press attacks aimed at rendering the elections a failure, according to a new public opinion survey. The poll, conducted in late December and early January for the International Republican Institute, found 80 percent of respondents saying they were likely to vote, a rate that has held roughly steady for months.
'Despite the efforts of the terrorists, Iraqis remain committed to casting their vote on election day,' IRI President Lorne Craner said in a statement. The organization, which is funded by Congress through the National Endowment for Democracy and the U.S. Agency for International Development, commissioned the poll, which surveyed 1,900 Iraqis in all but two of the country's 18 provinces. Poor security made two in the far north, Nineveh and Dohuk, inaccessible. The margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points."
An overwhelming majority of Iraqis continue to say they intend to vote on Jan. 30 even as insurgents press attacks aimed at rendering the elections a failure, according to a new public opinion survey. The poll, conducted in late December and early January for the International Republican Institute, found 80 percent of respondents saying they were likely to vote, a rate that has held roughly steady for months.
'Despite the efforts of the terrorists, Iraqis remain committed to casting their vote on election day,' IRI President Lorne Craner said in a statement. The organization, which is funded by Congress through the National Endowment for Democracy and the U.S. Agency for International Development, commissioned the poll, which surveyed 1,900 Iraqis in all but two of the country's 18 provinces. Poor security made two in the far north, Nineveh and Dohuk, inaccessible. The margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points."
Tuesday, January 18, 2005
80 MM Christians in China?
Christianity Today, Week of February 16
The Dick Staub Interview: China's Christian Syndrome
David Aikman, author of Jesus in Beijing, says in 20 years Christians could have a major impact on China, and that could change the world.
posted 02/18/2004
David Aikman is former senior correspondent and bureau chief in Eastern Europe and Beijing for Time Magazine. His latest book is Jesus in Beijing, which discusses the rise of Christianity in China and what a Christian China might mean for global Christianity and world politics. Aikman is chairman and founder of Gegrapha, a fellowship of Christian journalists, and he contributes regularly to the to the American Spectator and the Weekly Standard.
Talk about how things have changed so dramatically since you were a bureau chief.
When I was in China in the 1980's it was just beginning to open up. The decisions by Deng Xiaoping in 1978-79 began to open China right after their hibernation during the cultural revolution. But it has taken two decades for the changes to shake down through society. Now, you still have very tight restrictions on religion and you still have persecution there, of course. But it's possible to get around China, to go to places without asking permission from the Foreign Ministry, and that was not the case two decades ago.
What are some of the dynamics that have meant that right now is a time where there can be some tremendous growth and opportunities for growth of the Church in China?
I think probably the most dramatic growth may be over. I would say that occurred in the '80s and '90s. Throughout the 1980s and then in the early '90s. Christianity is still growing a lot. I think the point is that there is a spiritual vacuum in China that for quite a long time nobody has believed in Marxism-Leninism, and people want to know what's life all about?
What is the Three Self Church.
The Three Self Patriotic Movement is an umbrella organization for Protestant churches in China, which was set up in the 1950s to enable the Communist Party, through Protestant clergy, to control Protestant Christianity. And it has, in many ways, affected the theology for a long time. In a Three Self church, if you were a pastor, even if you were an evangelical, and many of them are, you were not allowed to preach on the book of Daniel, you weren't allowed to preach on Genesis, you weren't allowed to speak about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Three Self churches claim these are the churches that are open and visible and operating on a weekly basis on Sunday.
How do we go about getting a number for the number of Christians in China?
The Three Self Church claims about 15 to 20 million people. And that's probably a fairly accurate assessment of church membership or church-going throughout China. The Christians in the House Church, or what is sometimes called the Unregistered Christian Communities are reckoned to be about three times as large as the Three Self Christians. So let's suppose you've got 15 million Protestant Christians attached to the Three Self. It's estimated that there may be as many as 45 million who attend House churches. So you were at about 50 million, and then maybe add on another 12 for the Catholics. So we're talking 70 to 80 million people here.
It is amazing when you consider that in 1949 there were only 3 million Catholics and fewer than one million Protestants.
When you try to understand the House Church movement and why it's grown rapidly, you talk about persecution, and you talk about genuine miraculous work of the Spirit of God. You feel like you're reading the book of Acts when you read some of these stories.
Certainly persecution has played a role in the growth of the Church. Christianity has flourished. It's certainly been in many ways as healthy as under persecution because they trimmed a lot of the excesses of life that's come by when things were too easy. But it's also true that for some reason which only the sovereignty of God can explain, many Chinese come into a faith experience of the Christian gospel through some form of miraculous healing, either in their own lives or in the lives of people they know well. And it is very striking. You don't have to spend much time in China to realize that lots and lots of people—far more I would say than you would find normally in the United States—have had first-hand experience of what seemed like miraculous healing.
There's another aspect of the House Church that was fascinating. And that is the degree to which they are a combination of fairly supportive of the United States, and also their call to the Islamic world. They feel the call to be part of what God might do with Muslims.
They do tend to be pro-American, obviously, because they know that in America Christians are free and they get a lot of help from the United States churches, so they're very grateful for that. And also they take a view of America as having had on the whole, a very good influence all over the world. Which countries are first always to provide emergency aid after earthquakes and volcanoes? It's always the Americans. So they appreciate that.
In the case of the Muslims as a movement in the Chinese churches, particularly the House Churches, it's called Back to Jerusalem. And essentially this is a sort of nation-wide concept that the destiny of the Chinese church is to complete the great commission insofar as reaching the Muslim world.
One of the most strategic forward-looking aspects of the book is the way it talks about a "Christianized China."
Well, I make it clear in the book that there's lots of things that could go wrong in China. You could have a sort of alpha-nationalist reaction against all of the Western contacts just as you did during the Boxer Rebellion in the year 1900. But at the present rate of growth in China, it's possible that within 20 to 30 years, 20 to 30 percent of the Chinese will be Christian, which would take place about the same time China is emerging as a number two superpower in the world.
When you have 20 to 30 percent of any country that are Christian believers, and not just nominal Christians but quite serious committed Christians, you find them showing up throughout society in places of influence, including eventually politics. And if that happened, then China as a major power would have the same kind of view of itself and its global responsibility that say Great Britain had in the 19th century and the United States—although it certainly made a few mistakes—has honestly tried to pursue in the 20th century and now in the 21st century.
We've been talking about how Christianity could change China. How might China change the movement of Christianity in the world?
Well, there's an interesting book by a scholar of missions, Philip Jenkins, called The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, in which he shows that there is a shift in the center of gravity of Christianity from north to south because there are more and more Christians in the southern hemisphere, in South American and in Africa, and increasingly large numbers in Asia. Now, if that's happening, and if China is going to be emerging as a country with perhaps the largest number of Christians anywhere in the world, you can be quite sure that China's Christian presence is going to play an influence in the development of global Christianity.
The Dick Staub Interview: China's Christian Syndrome
David Aikman, author of Jesus in Beijing, says in 20 years Christians could have a major impact on China, and that could change the world.
posted 02/18/2004
David Aikman is former senior correspondent and bureau chief in Eastern Europe and Beijing for Time Magazine. His latest book is Jesus in Beijing, which discusses the rise of Christianity in China and what a Christian China might mean for global Christianity and world politics. Aikman is chairman and founder of Gegrapha, a fellowship of Christian journalists, and he contributes regularly to the to the American Spectator and the Weekly Standard.
Talk about how things have changed so dramatically since you were a bureau chief.
When I was in China in the 1980's it was just beginning to open up. The decisions by Deng Xiaoping in 1978-79 began to open China right after their hibernation during the cultural revolution. But it has taken two decades for the changes to shake down through society. Now, you still have very tight restrictions on religion and you still have persecution there, of course. But it's possible to get around China, to go to places without asking permission from the Foreign Ministry, and that was not the case two decades ago.
What are some of the dynamics that have meant that right now is a time where there can be some tremendous growth and opportunities for growth of the Church in China?
I think probably the most dramatic growth may be over. I would say that occurred in the '80s and '90s. Throughout the 1980s and then in the early '90s. Christianity is still growing a lot. I think the point is that there is a spiritual vacuum in China that for quite a long time nobody has believed in Marxism-Leninism, and people want to know what's life all about?
What is the Three Self Church.
The Three Self Patriotic Movement is an umbrella organization for Protestant churches in China, which was set up in the 1950s to enable the Communist Party, through Protestant clergy, to control Protestant Christianity. And it has, in many ways, affected the theology for a long time. In a Three Self church, if you were a pastor, even if you were an evangelical, and many of them are, you were not allowed to preach on the book of Daniel, you weren't allowed to preach on Genesis, you weren't allowed to speak about the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The Three Self churches claim these are the churches that are open and visible and operating on a weekly basis on Sunday.
How do we go about getting a number for the number of Christians in China?
The Three Self Church claims about 15 to 20 million people. And that's probably a fairly accurate assessment of church membership or church-going throughout China. The Christians in the House Church, or what is sometimes called the Unregistered Christian Communities are reckoned to be about three times as large as the Three Self Christians. So let's suppose you've got 15 million Protestant Christians attached to the Three Self. It's estimated that there may be as many as 45 million who attend House churches. So you were at about 50 million, and then maybe add on another 12 for the Catholics. So we're talking 70 to 80 million people here.
It is amazing when you consider that in 1949 there were only 3 million Catholics and fewer than one million Protestants.
When you try to understand the House Church movement and why it's grown rapidly, you talk about persecution, and you talk about genuine miraculous work of the Spirit of God. You feel like you're reading the book of Acts when you read some of these stories.
Certainly persecution has played a role in the growth of the Church. Christianity has flourished. It's certainly been in many ways as healthy as under persecution because they trimmed a lot of the excesses of life that's come by when things were too easy. But it's also true that for some reason which only the sovereignty of God can explain, many Chinese come into a faith experience of the Christian gospel through some form of miraculous healing, either in their own lives or in the lives of people they know well. And it is very striking. You don't have to spend much time in China to realize that lots and lots of people—far more I would say than you would find normally in the United States—have had first-hand experience of what seemed like miraculous healing.
There's another aspect of the House Church that was fascinating. And that is the degree to which they are a combination of fairly supportive of the United States, and also their call to the Islamic world. They feel the call to be part of what God might do with Muslims.
They do tend to be pro-American, obviously, because they know that in America Christians are free and they get a lot of help from the United States churches, so they're very grateful for that. And also they take a view of America as having had on the whole, a very good influence all over the world. Which countries are first always to provide emergency aid after earthquakes and volcanoes? It's always the Americans. So they appreciate that.
In the case of the Muslims as a movement in the Chinese churches, particularly the House Churches, it's called Back to Jerusalem. And essentially this is a sort of nation-wide concept that the destiny of the Chinese church is to complete the great commission insofar as reaching the Muslim world.
One of the most strategic forward-looking aspects of the book is the way it talks about a "Christianized China."
Well, I make it clear in the book that there's lots of things that could go wrong in China. You could have a sort of alpha-nationalist reaction against all of the Western contacts just as you did during the Boxer Rebellion in the year 1900. But at the present rate of growth in China, it's possible that within 20 to 30 years, 20 to 30 percent of the Chinese will be Christian, which would take place about the same time China is emerging as a number two superpower in the world.
When you have 20 to 30 percent of any country that are Christian believers, and not just nominal Christians but quite serious committed Christians, you find them showing up throughout society in places of influence, including eventually politics. And if that happened, then China as a major power would have the same kind of view of itself and its global responsibility that say Great Britain had in the 19th century and the United States—although it certainly made a few mistakes—has honestly tried to pursue in the 20th century and now in the 21st century.
We've been talking about how Christianity could change China. How might China change the movement of Christianity in the world?
Well, there's an interesting book by a scholar of missions, Philip Jenkins, called The Next Christendom: The Coming of Global Christianity, in which he shows that there is a shift in the center of gravity of Christianity from north to south because there are more and more Christians in the southern hemisphere, in South American and in Africa, and increasingly large numbers in Asia. Now, if that's happening, and if China is going to be emerging as a country with perhaps the largest number of Christians anywhere in the world, you can be quite sure that China's Christian presence is going to play an influence in the development of global Christianity.
C 130 Pilots Naration of an Adventure
C-130 Pilot's Story
***************************
I am forwarding this to you since it is a good story particularly if you lust over mixed metaphors. This is from a colorful writer from the 1st Marine Air Wing based at MCAS Miramar, (The guy ought to write for a living.....> This is my nominee for 'Best of the Month.)
8888888888888888888888888888
There I was at six thousand feet over central Iraq, two hundred eighty knots and we're dropping faster than Paris Hilton's panties. It's a typical September evening in the Persian Gulf; hotter than a rectal thermometer and I'm sweating like a priest at a Cub Scout meeting. But that's neither here nor there. The night is moonless over Baghdad tonight, and blacker than a Steven King novel. But it's 2004, folks, and I'm sporting the latest in night-combat technology - namely, hand-me-down night vision goggles(NVGs) thrown out by the fighter boys.
Additionally, my 1962 Lockheed C-130E Hercules is equipped with an obsolete, yet, semi-effective missile warning system (MWS). The MWS conveniently makes a nice soothing tone in your headset just bfore the missile explodes into your airplane. Who says you can't polish a turd?
At any rate, the NVGs are illuminating Baghdad International Airport like the Las Vegas Strip during a Mike Tyson fight. These NVGs are the cat's ass. But I've digressed.
The preferred method of approach tonight is the random shallow. This tactical maneuver allows the pilot to ingress the landing zone in an unpredictable manner, thus exploiting the supposedly secured perimeter of the airfield in an attempt to avoid enemy surface-to-air-missiles and small arms fire. Personally, I wouldn't bet my pink ass on that theory but the approach is fun as hell and that's the real reason we fly it.
We get a visual on the runway at three miles out, drop down to one thousand feet above the ground, still maintaining two hundred eighty knots. Now the fun starts. It's pilot appreciation time as I descend the mighty Herk to six hundred feet and smoothly, yet very deliberately, yank into a sixty degree left bank, turning the aircraft ninety degrees offset from runway heading. As soon as we roll out of the turn, I reverse turn to the right a full two hundred seventy degrees in order to roll out aligned with the runway.
Some aeronautical genius coined this maneuver the "Ninety/Two-Seventy."
Chopping the power during the turn, I pull back on the yoke just to the point my nether regions start to sag, bleeding off energy in order to configure the pig for landing.
"Flaps Fifty!, Landing Gear Down!, Before Landing Checklist!" I look over at the copilot and he's shaking like a cat shitting on a sheet of ice.
Looking further back at the navigator, and even through the NVGs, I can clearly see the wet spot spreading around his crotch. Finally, I glanc at my steely-eyed flight engineer. His eyebrows rise in unison as a grin form on his face. I can tell he's thinking the same thing I am.... "Where do we find such fine young men?"
"Flaps One Hundred!" I bark at the shaking cat. Now it's all aimpoint and airspeed. Aviation 101, with the exception there' are no lights, I'm on NVGs, it's Baghdad, and now tracers are starting to crisscross the black sky.
Naturally, and not at all surprisingly, I grease the Goodyear's on brick-one of runway 33 left, bring the throttles to ground idle and then force the props to full reverse pitch. Tonight, the sound of freedom is my four Hamilton Standard propellers chewing through the thick, putrid Baghdad air. Thehuge,one hundred thirty thousand pound, lumbering whispe pig comes to a lurching stop in less than two thousand feet.
Let's see a Viper do that!
We exit the runway to a welcoming committee of government issued Army grunts. It's time to download their beans and bullets and letters from their sweethearts, look for war booty, and of course, urinate on Saddam's home. Walking down the crew entry steps with my lowest-bidder, Beretta 92F, 9 millimeter strapped smartly to my side, look around and thank God, not Allah, I'm an American and I'm on the winning team. Then I thank God I'm not in the Army.
Knowing once again I've cheated death, I ask myself, "What in the hell am I doing in this mess?" Is it Duty, Honor, and Country? You bet your ass.
Or could it possibly be for the glory, the swag, and not to mention chicks dig the Air Medal. There's probably some truth there too. But now is not the time to derive the complexities of the superior, cerebral properties of the human portion of the aviator-man-machine model. It is however, time to get out of this shit-hole. Hey copilot , clean yourself up! And how's
'bout the 'Before Starting Engines Checklist."
God, I love this job!"
***************************
I am forwarding this to you since it is a good story particularly if you lust over mixed metaphors. This is from a colorful writer from the 1st Marine Air Wing based at MCAS Miramar, (The guy ought to write for a living.....> This is my nominee for 'Best of the Month.)
8888888888888888888888888888
There I was at six thousand feet over central Iraq, two hundred eighty knots and we're dropping faster than Paris Hilton's panties. It's a typical September evening in the Persian Gulf; hotter than a rectal thermometer and I'm sweating like a priest at a Cub Scout meeting. But that's neither here nor there. The night is moonless over Baghdad tonight, and blacker than a Steven King novel. But it's 2004, folks, and I'm sporting the latest in night-combat technology - namely, hand-me-down night vision goggles(NVGs) thrown out by the fighter boys.
Additionally, my 1962 Lockheed C-130E Hercules is equipped with an obsolete, yet, semi-effective missile warning system (MWS). The MWS conveniently makes a nice soothing tone in your headset just bfore the missile explodes into your airplane. Who says you can't polish a turd?
At any rate, the NVGs are illuminating Baghdad International Airport like the Las Vegas Strip during a Mike Tyson fight. These NVGs are the cat's ass. But I've digressed.
The preferred method of approach tonight is the random shallow. This tactical maneuver allows the pilot to ingress the landing zone in an unpredictable manner, thus exploiting the supposedly secured perimeter of the airfield in an attempt to avoid enemy surface-to-air-missiles and small arms fire. Personally, I wouldn't bet my pink ass on that theory but the approach is fun as hell and that's the real reason we fly it.
We get a visual on the runway at three miles out, drop down to one thousand feet above the ground, still maintaining two hundred eighty knots. Now the fun starts. It's pilot appreciation time as I descend the mighty Herk to six hundred feet and smoothly, yet very deliberately, yank into a sixty degree left bank, turning the aircraft ninety degrees offset from runway heading. As soon as we roll out of the turn, I reverse turn to the right a full two hundred seventy degrees in order to roll out aligned with the runway.
Some aeronautical genius coined this maneuver the "Ninety/Two-Seventy."
Chopping the power during the turn, I pull back on the yoke just to the point my nether regions start to sag, bleeding off energy in order to configure the pig for landing.
"Flaps Fifty!, Landing Gear Down!, Before Landing Checklist!" I look over at the copilot and he's shaking like a cat shitting on a sheet of ice.
Looking further back at the navigator, and even through the NVGs, I can clearly see the wet spot spreading around his crotch. Finally, I glanc at my steely-eyed flight engineer. His eyebrows rise in unison as a grin form on his face. I can tell he's thinking the same thing I am.... "Where do we find such fine young men?"
"Flaps One Hundred!" I bark at the shaking cat. Now it's all aimpoint and airspeed. Aviation 101, with the exception there' are no lights, I'm on NVGs, it's Baghdad, and now tracers are starting to crisscross the black sky.
Naturally, and not at all surprisingly, I grease the Goodyear's on brick-one of runway 33 left, bring the throttles to ground idle and then force the props to full reverse pitch. Tonight, the sound of freedom is my four Hamilton Standard propellers chewing through the thick, putrid Baghdad air. Thehuge,one hundred thirty thousand pound, lumbering whispe pig comes to a lurching stop in less than two thousand feet.
Let's see a Viper do that!
We exit the runway to a welcoming committee of government issued Army grunts. It's time to download their beans and bullets and letters from their sweethearts, look for war booty, and of course, urinate on Saddam's home. Walking down the crew entry steps with my lowest-bidder, Beretta 92F, 9 millimeter strapped smartly to my side, look around and thank God, not Allah, I'm an American and I'm on the winning team. Then I thank God I'm not in the Army.
Knowing once again I've cheated death, I ask myself, "What in the hell am I doing in this mess?" Is it Duty, Honor, and Country? You bet your ass.
Or could it possibly be for the glory, the swag, and not to mention chicks dig the Air Medal. There's probably some truth there too. But now is not the time to derive the complexities of the superior, cerebral properties of the human portion of the aviator-man-machine model. It is however, time to get out of this shit-hole. Hey copilot , clean yourself up! And how's
'bout the 'Before Starting Engines Checklist."
God, I love this job!"
Ann Coulter- LIAR, LIAR, NOW YOU'RE FIRED
Yahoo! News - LIAR, LIAR, NOW YOU'RE FIRED
Ann C has got her facts all lined up on the Rather/Bush guard item. I Like It!!!
Ann C has got her facts all lined up on the Rather/Bush guard item. I Like It!!!
Monday, January 17, 2005
Power Line: President Bush's Second Term
Power Line: President Bush's Second Term
President Bush's Second Term
The London Times offers a balanced assessment of the prospects for President Bush's second term:
Most second-term presidencies are pale imitations of the first four years in power. They have, historically, been undercut by three factors: agenda exhaustion, personnel depletion and congressional erosion.
None of these constraints applies to this President. He still has plenty of proposals for domestic policy left in him. These range from making permanent tax cuts that were passed in his opening term and the partial privatisation of American pensions to his ambition to curtail the outrageous costs of the US legal system. His new Cabinet members are not noticeably weaker than his previous colleagues. His party runs each branch of Congress and, thanks to the November election results, with greater majorities. For the first time since 1937 a re-elected president who has been in Washington for four years starts again with congressional enhancement, not erosion.
This presidency will thus be different. Mr Bush will be more active at home than is typical of second-term chief executives. He will not be forced to immerse himself in foreign affairs and, when he does, the limitations on him will largely be practical (particularly the course of events in Iraq) and not political. He may also have a very distinct notion of what he wants his legacy to be than other presidents. Rather than engage in the implausible pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize, he might aspire to be remembered as the man who won the War on Terror.
The wild card here is scandal. It has been the curse of second-term Administrations. It embarrassed Eisenhower, triggered the resignation of Nixon, shook the Reagan White House to its foundations and led Mr Clinton to be impeached by the House of Representatives before being acquitted in the Senate. If he can avoid such ethical quicksand, this President’s final few years in office could be surprisingly successful.
Mr Bush’s personal authority, at least until 2007, may be really exceptional. Only Franklin D. Roosevelt has been equivalently placed in the past 100 years.
I'm pretty sure that President Bush won't be brought low by scandal, although the Dems will promote every "scandal" they can get their hands on. Still, while the President looks very strong on paper, my guess is that predictions about his second term are nearly as likely to be off the mark as predictions about his first term were. Events are in the saddle, and most likely, events that we cannot now foresee will drive his administration in a direction we can't now predict.
Posted by Hindrocket at 09:37 AM
President Bush's Second Term
The London Times offers a balanced assessment of the prospects for President Bush's second term:
Most second-term presidencies are pale imitations of the first four years in power. They have, historically, been undercut by three factors: agenda exhaustion, personnel depletion and congressional erosion.
None of these constraints applies to this President. He still has plenty of proposals for domestic policy left in him. These range from making permanent tax cuts that were passed in his opening term and the partial privatisation of American pensions to his ambition to curtail the outrageous costs of the US legal system. His new Cabinet members are not noticeably weaker than his previous colleagues. His party runs each branch of Congress and, thanks to the November election results, with greater majorities. For the first time since 1937 a re-elected president who has been in Washington for four years starts again with congressional enhancement, not erosion.
This presidency will thus be different. Mr Bush will be more active at home than is typical of second-term chief executives. He will not be forced to immerse himself in foreign affairs and, when he does, the limitations on him will largely be practical (particularly the course of events in Iraq) and not political. He may also have a very distinct notion of what he wants his legacy to be than other presidents. Rather than engage in the implausible pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize, he might aspire to be remembered as the man who won the War on Terror.
The wild card here is scandal. It has been the curse of second-term Administrations. It embarrassed Eisenhower, triggered the resignation of Nixon, shook the Reagan White House to its foundations and led Mr Clinton to be impeached by the House of Representatives before being acquitted in the Senate. If he can avoid such ethical quicksand, this President’s final few years in office could be surprisingly successful.
Mr Bush’s personal authority, at least until 2007, may be really exceptional. Only Franklin D. Roosevelt has been equivalently placed in the past 100 years.
I'm pretty sure that President Bush won't be brought low by scandal, although the Dems will promote every "scandal" they can get their hands on. Still, while the President looks very strong on paper, my guess is that predictions about his second term are nearly as likely to be off the mark as predictions about his first term were. Events are in the saddle, and most likely, events that we cannot now foresee will drive his administration in a direction we can't now predict.
Posted by Hindrocket at 09:37 AM
Power Line: What "gets overlooked if not ignored" in Iraq
Power Line: What "gets overlooked if not ignored" in Iraq: "What 'gets overlooked if not ignored' in Iraq
Chrenkoff has his latest installment of 'Good news from Iraq.' He prefaces this edition with a quote from Marine Cpl. Issac D. Pacheco:
[M]any service members shake their heads in frustration each time they see their daily rebuilding efforts ignored by the media in favor of the more 'sensational' car bomb and rocket attack stories. Not to say that tragedies don't happen - Iraq is a war zone - but there is so much more happening that gets overlooked if not ignored.
Chrenkoff adds:
It has been a mission of this fortnightly column, now in its nineteenth edition, to bring to readers' attention all that 'gets overlooked if not ignored' in Iraq: the advancements of the political and civil society, the rebirth of freedom, economic growth and reconstruction progress, generosity of foreigners and positive role played by the Coalition troops in rebuilding the country, and unremarked upon security successes. Contrary to some critics, the intention has never been to whitewash the situation in Iraq or to downplay the negative; the violence, bloodshed, disappointments and frustrations are all there for everyone to see and read about in the mainstream media on a daily basis. But to point out positive developments is not to deny the bad news, merely to provide a more complete picture. As voters faced with the defining foreign policy issue of the new millennium we owe it to ourselves to be fully informed about the state of affairs in Iraq. And that means both the car bombs and rebuilt hospitals.
Among the highlights: (1) the transformation of Sadr City from an insurgents' nest to a peaceful hotbed of political activity (and thus a place overlooked if not ignored by the MSM) and (2) the overwhelming support by Iraqi women for both the elections and the general American effort to create a more free socieity (a phenomenon overlooked if not ignored by most American feminists).
In addition, Chrenkoff provides the useful perspective of Carlos Valenzuela, a U.N. representative from Columbia, who knows a thing or two about holding elections in a difficult and violent envirionment.
Belmont Club has more on the Iraqi elections. The picture it presents is mixed, and identifies Mosul as the primary election-day battleground."
Chrenkoff has his latest installment of 'Good news from Iraq.' He prefaces this edition with a quote from Marine Cpl. Issac D. Pacheco:
[M]any service members shake their heads in frustration each time they see their daily rebuilding efforts ignored by the media in favor of the more 'sensational' car bomb and rocket attack stories. Not to say that tragedies don't happen - Iraq is a war zone - but there is so much more happening that gets overlooked if not ignored.
Chrenkoff adds:
It has been a mission of this fortnightly column, now in its nineteenth edition, to bring to readers' attention all that 'gets overlooked if not ignored' in Iraq: the advancements of the political and civil society, the rebirth of freedom, economic growth and reconstruction progress, generosity of foreigners and positive role played by the Coalition troops in rebuilding the country, and unremarked upon security successes. Contrary to some critics, the intention has never been to whitewash the situation in Iraq or to downplay the negative; the violence, bloodshed, disappointments and frustrations are all there for everyone to see and read about in the mainstream media on a daily basis. But to point out positive developments is not to deny the bad news, merely to provide a more complete picture. As voters faced with the defining foreign policy issue of the new millennium we owe it to ourselves to be fully informed about the state of affairs in Iraq. And that means both the car bombs and rebuilt hospitals.
Among the highlights: (1) the transformation of Sadr City from an insurgents' nest to a peaceful hotbed of political activity (and thus a place overlooked if not ignored by the MSM) and (2) the overwhelming support by Iraqi women for both the elections and the general American effort to create a more free socieity (a phenomenon overlooked if not ignored by most American feminists).
In addition, Chrenkoff provides the useful perspective of Carlos Valenzuela, a U.N. representative from Columbia, who knows a thing or two about holding elections in a difficult and violent envirionment.
Belmont Club has more on the Iraqi elections. The picture it presents is mixed, and identifies Mosul as the primary election-day battleground."
Sunday, January 16, 2005
Power Line: Islamist Murder In Jersey City?
Power Line: Islamist Murder In Jersey City?: "The brutal murder of a family of Coptic Christians in Jersey City, New Jersey may have been carried out by Muslim fanatics in retaliation for the expression of 'anti-Muslim' views on the internet. The New York Post reports:"
Power Line: The crisis that wasn't
Power Line: The crisis that wasn't: "Remeber all those stories about the Bush spending spree and the huge deficit crisis it was creating? Well, that deficit is now shrinking rapidly. And, while you're not likely to find out about this from the MSM, Lawrence Kudlow has the story in the Washington Times.
Kudlow points out that since the end of last September, tax collections have grown at 10.5 percent, while federal cash outlays have risen only 6.1 percent. At this rate, the 2005 deficit would drop to $355 billion from $413 in 2004. As a fraction of projected gross domestic product the deficit would fall to 2.9 percent from last year's 3.6 percent.
It appears, then, that the Bush deficits were product of the recession he inhertied and the slowdown caused by 9/11. Similarly, it appears that the Bush tax cuts, by stimulating the economy, has produced an explosion in tax revenues that is causing the deficit to narrow significantly. But, again, don't expect to hear this from the MSM.
In a sense, it isn't news that tax cuts have led to growth, which has produced revenue, which has shrunk the deficit. This is how it always seems to work. Still, it would be nice if the MSM briefly acknowledged the recurrence of this phenomenon before turning to the latest 'crises' of Bush economics -- the trade deficit and the decline of the dollar."
Kudlow points out that since the end of last September, tax collections have grown at 10.5 percent, while federal cash outlays have risen only 6.1 percent. At this rate, the 2005 deficit would drop to $355 billion from $413 in 2004. As a fraction of projected gross domestic product the deficit would fall to 2.9 percent from last year's 3.6 percent.
It appears, then, that the Bush deficits were product of the recession he inhertied and the slowdown caused by 9/11. Similarly, it appears that the Bush tax cuts, by stimulating the economy, has produced an explosion in tax revenues that is causing the deficit to narrow significantly. But, again, don't expect to hear this from the MSM.
In a sense, it isn't news that tax cuts have led to growth, which has produced revenue, which has shrunk the deficit. This is how it always seems to work. Still, it would be nice if the MSM briefly acknowledged the recurrence of this phenomenon before turning to the latest 'crises' of Bush economics -- the trade deficit and the decline of the dollar."
Saturday, January 15, 2005
Things are going pretty well in Iraq
Power Line: "Aiding and Abetting the Enemy": "January 15, 2005
'Aiding and Abetting the Enemy'
That's what the press is doing in Iraq, according to this superb piece by Lt. Col. Tim Ryan at Blackfive. You should read it all, but here are a few excerpts:
I just read yet another distorted and grossly exaggerated story from a major news organization about the 'failures' in the war in Iraq. Print and video journalists are covering only a small fraction of the events in Iraq and more often than not, the events they cover are only the bad ones. Many of the journalists making public assessments about the progress of the war in Iraq are unqualified to do so, given their training and experience. The inaccurate picture they paint has distorted the world view of the daily realities in Iraq. The result is a further erosion of international public support for the United States' efforts there, and a strengthening of the insurgents' resolve and recruiting efforts while weakening our own. Through their incomplete, uninformed and unbalanced reporting, many members of the media covering the war in Iraq are aiding and abetting the enemy.
Much of the problem is about perspective, putting things in scale and balance. From where I sit in my command post at Camp Fallujah, Iraq, things are not all bad right now. In fact, they are going quite well. We are not under attack by the enemy; on the contrary, we are taking the fight to him daily and have him on the ropes. In the distance, I can hear the repeated impacts of heavy artillery and five hundred-pound bombs hitting their targets in the city. The occasional tank main gun report and the staccato rhythm of a Marine Corps LAV or Army Bradley Fighting Vehicle's 25-millimeter cannon provide the bass line for a symphony of destruction. Right now, as elements from all four services complete the absolute annihilation of the insurgent forces remaining in Fallujah, the area around the former stronghold is more peaceful than it has been for more than a year. The number of attacks in the greater Al Anbar Province is down by at least 70-80% from late October -- before Operation Al Fajar began. The enemy in this area is completely defeated, but not completely gone. Final eradication of the pockets of insurgents will take some time, as it always does, but the fact remains that the central geographic stronghold of the insurgents is now under friendly control. That sounds a lot like success to me. Given all of this, why don't the papers lead with 'Coalition Crushes Remaining Pockets of Insurgents' or 'Enemy Forces Resort to Suicide Bombings of Civilians'? This would paint a far more accurate picture of the enemy's predicament over here. Instead, headlines focus almost exclusively on our hardships.
The scene is repeated all too often: an attack takes place in Baghdad and the morning sounds are punctuated by a large explosion and a rising cloud of smoke. Sirens wail in the distance and photographers dash to the scene a few miles away. Within the hour, stern-faced reporters confidently stare into the camera while standing on the balcony of their tenth-floor Baghdad hotel room, their back to the city and a distant smoke plume rising behind them. More mayhem in Gotham City they intone, and just in time for the morning news. There is a transparent reason why the majority of car bombings and other major events take place before noon Baghdad-time; any later and the event would miss the start of the morning news cycle on the U.S. east coast. These terrorists aren't stupid; they know just what to do to scare the masses and when to do it. An important key to their plan is manipulation of the news media. But, at least the reporters in Iraq are gathering information and filing their stories, regardless of whether or the stories are in perspective. Much worse are the 'talking heads' who sit in studios or offices back home and pontificate about how badly things are going when they never have been to Iraq and only occasionally leave Manhattan.
On the whole, I think Col. Ryan is too kind to the American press. I think that the press's undermining of our war effort is, in many instances, deliberate. It appears to me that many, if not most, American reporters, editors and news executives want to make it impossible for America ever to fight a war. To further this goal, I think they use their reporting to undermine our effort in Iraq. The idea is that if we are defeated in Iraq, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for us to fight another war anywhere for a generation. Is this assessment too harsh? I don't think so."
'Aiding and Abetting the Enemy'
That's what the press is doing in Iraq, according to this superb piece by Lt. Col. Tim Ryan at Blackfive. You should read it all, but here are a few excerpts:
I just read yet another distorted and grossly exaggerated story from a major news organization about the 'failures' in the war in Iraq. Print and video journalists are covering only a small fraction of the events in Iraq and more often than not, the events they cover are only the bad ones. Many of the journalists making public assessments about the progress of the war in Iraq are unqualified to do so, given their training and experience. The inaccurate picture they paint has distorted the world view of the daily realities in Iraq. The result is a further erosion of international public support for the United States' efforts there, and a strengthening of the insurgents' resolve and recruiting efforts while weakening our own. Through their incomplete, uninformed and unbalanced reporting, many members of the media covering the war in Iraq are aiding and abetting the enemy.
Much of the problem is about perspective, putting things in scale and balance. From where I sit in my command post at Camp Fallujah, Iraq, things are not all bad right now. In fact, they are going quite well. We are not under attack by the enemy; on the contrary, we are taking the fight to him daily and have him on the ropes. In the distance, I can hear the repeated impacts of heavy artillery and five hundred-pound bombs hitting their targets in the city. The occasional tank main gun report and the staccato rhythm of a Marine Corps LAV or Army Bradley Fighting Vehicle's 25-millimeter cannon provide the bass line for a symphony of destruction. Right now, as elements from all four services complete the absolute annihilation of the insurgent forces remaining in Fallujah, the area around the former stronghold is more peaceful than it has been for more than a year. The number of attacks in the greater Al Anbar Province is down by at least 70-80% from late October -- before Operation Al Fajar began. The enemy in this area is completely defeated, but not completely gone. Final eradication of the pockets of insurgents will take some time, as it always does, but the fact remains that the central geographic stronghold of the insurgents is now under friendly control. That sounds a lot like success to me. Given all of this, why don't the papers lead with 'Coalition Crushes Remaining Pockets of Insurgents' or 'Enemy Forces Resort to Suicide Bombings of Civilians'? This would paint a far more accurate picture of the enemy's predicament over here. Instead, headlines focus almost exclusively on our hardships.
The scene is repeated all too often: an attack takes place in Baghdad and the morning sounds are punctuated by a large explosion and a rising cloud of smoke. Sirens wail in the distance and photographers dash to the scene a few miles away. Within the hour, stern-faced reporters confidently stare into the camera while standing on the balcony of their tenth-floor Baghdad hotel room, their back to the city and a distant smoke plume rising behind them. More mayhem in Gotham City they intone, and just in time for the morning news. There is a transparent reason why the majority of car bombings and other major events take place before noon Baghdad-time; any later and the event would miss the start of the morning news cycle on the U.S. east coast. These terrorists aren't stupid; they know just what to do to scare the masses and when to do it. An important key to their plan is manipulation of the news media. But, at least the reporters in Iraq are gathering information and filing their stories, regardless of whether or the stories are in perspective. Much worse are the 'talking heads' who sit in studios or offices back home and pontificate about how badly things are going when they never have been to Iraq and only occasionally leave Manhattan.
On the whole, I think Col. Ryan is too kind to the American press. I think that the press's undermining of our war effort is, in many instances, deliberate. It appears to me that many, if not most, American reporters, editors and news executives want to make it impossible for America ever to fight a war. To further this goal, I think they use their reporting to undermine our effort in Iraq. The idea is that if we are defeated in Iraq, it will be difficult, if not impossible, for us to fight another war anywhere for a generation. Is this assessment too harsh? I don't think so."
Indonesia/ No thanks
baldilocks: "Go to Hell With Your Aid!" She says, among other things:
Over the last 40 years the Indonesians have used both Russian and American war materiel; the Air Force currently is flying US-made Douglas A-4 Skyhawk aircraft from the 1960s, which are overdue for replacement. The Northrop F-5 Tiger IIs from the 1970s are looking pretty long in the tooth, too; and even the newer F-16s have issues with spare parts. While most of its major weapons systems are US-made, Indonesia is under a US embargo, thanks to US disapproval of Indonesian suppression of East Timorese separatists. Even if the embargo was lifted, any arms supplied by the US would probably have strings attached limiting their utility against other separatist movements --which is the primary reason the Indonesians, beset by several such movements, want modern weapons. One Indonesian politician's response to the US embargo, in mid-December before the tidal wave brought American aid en masse, was succinct: "Go to Hell with your aid!" [bold mine]
Over the last 40 years the Indonesians have used both Russian and American war materiel; the Air Force currently is flying US-made Douglas A-4 Skyhawk aircraft from the 1960s, which are overdue for replacement. The Northrop F-5 Tiger IIs from the 1970s are looking pretty long in the tooth, too; and even the newer F-16s have issues with spare parts. While most of its major weapons systems are US-made, Indonesia is under a US embargo, thanks to US disapproval of Indonesian suppression of East Timorese separatists. Even if the embargo was lifted, any arms supplied by the US would probably have strings attached limiting their utility against other separatist movements --which is the primary reason the Indonesians, beset by several such movements, want modern weapons. One Indonesian politician's response to the US embargo, in mid-December before the tidal wave brought American aid en masse, was succinct: "Go to Hell with your aid!" [bold mine]
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Great personal account from Afganista by a US soldier!
Chrenkoff
From a reader, CSM Tim Green at the Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan:
"I have been in the Army over 27 years and have been here 15 months. My tour was a year and I extended it because I knew my first week here one year wouldn't be enough for all the work that needed to be done. Though many people here would rather be home, I have never met a troop of any service or any coalition partner who doesn't feel they are contributing something positive to the cause. I love the attitude of the troops over here.
"[We have] the pack of regular kids... that hang out at the front gate everyday. They sell their trinkets, junk, cigarettes, DVDs (bootleg), etc, to our guards and the Pakistani truck drivers bivouacking outside awaiting entrance onto the base... Last November I gave base ID cards to seven boys. The group is up to 18 boys ranging from six to about 14, and two girls, both about 12 maybe, one city slick and the other not too shy herself. It's a program to teach kids all the boy and girl scout virtues, allow them on the base to hang out and learn from Americans, pick up trash at the Friday bazaar in return for a share of the money we collect from the vendors to clean up afterwards, and recover something of a fun childhood the last few generations never knew...
"The luckiest boys in Afghanistan took tae kwon do with the Koreans and got their own uniforms, they have the biggest wardrobes of any 10 kids in Afghanistan. We pay for them to go to winter school (they take winters off since they can't heat the classrooms. We pay for three teachers and bought space heaters for three classrooms), they get to go to the dining facility every Friday before cleanup, and went on Thanksgiving and Christmas. [These kids also] act as translators for the guards, MP, and truck drivers as their English is coming alone fantastically...
Tae Kwno Do graduation Posted by Hello
"We have a mission to help the country and many of us with the time and desire get personally involved. My goal was to take a few kids and develop them into clean, healthy, educated kids that have a great hope to be influential adults in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. I take them to the doctor when they're sick; I teach them proper nutrition when we go to the dining facility, and the danger of all the damn candy people give them; they have appropriate seasonal clothing, we teach them personal hygiene... One boy in particular shows great maturity for his age and I tell him my goal for him is to become the president of Afghanistan in 30 years.
Mobarez - the future president Posted by Hello
"For the girls I bought their mothers all new kitchen ware. I set them up with a female soldier who had girls day with them every Tuesday until she left herself. Now they have two new American girl friend. They go to the recreation facility and play games or watch movies, go eat lunch, come hang out with me for a while, go shopping at the PX. And they aren't dumb, either. I took them to the PX and let them select some things they wanted or needed: new scarves, hair brush, shampoo, hair bands, t-shirt, Vaseline. My bill came to $62.00!!!!!"
As Sergeant Major Green writes, these kids - like most of their peers throughout the country - haven't had a great childhood. While it's not part of their mission, don't you wish there were enough servicemen and women over there to extend friendship to every Afghan child?
From a reader, CSM Tim Green at the Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan:
"I have been in the Army over 27 years and have been here 15 months. My tour was a year and I extended it because I knew my first week here one year wouldn't be enough for all the work that needed to be done. Though many people here would rather be home, I have never met a troop of any service or any coalition partner who doesn't feel they are contributing something positive to the cause. I love the attitude of the troops over here.
"[We have] the pack of regular kids... that hang out at the front gate everyday. They sell their trinkets, junk, cigarettes, DVDs (bootleg), etc, to our guards and the Pakistani truck drivers bivouacking outside awaiting entrance onto the base... Last November I gave base ID cards to seven boys. The group is up to 18 boys ranging from six to about 14, and two girls, both about 12 maybe, one city slick and the other not too shy herself. It's a program to teach kids all the boy and girl scout virtues, allow them on the base to hang out and learn from Americans, pick up trash at the Friday bazaar in return for a share of the money we collect from the vendors to clean up afterwards, and recover something of a fun childhood the last few generations never knew...
"The luckiest boys in Afghanistan took tae kwon do with the Koreans and got their own uniforms, they have the biggest wardrobes of any 10 kids in Afghanistan. We pay for them to go to winter school (they take winters off since they can't heat the classrooms. We pay for three teachers and bought space heaters for three classrooms), they get to go to the dining facility every Friday before cleanup, and went on Thanksgiving and Christmas. [These kids also] act as translators for the guards, MP, and truck drivers as their English is coming alone fantastically...
Tae Kwno Do graduation Posted by Hello
"We have a mission to help the country and many of us with the time and desire get personally involved. My goal was to take a few kids and develop them into clean, healthy, educated kids that have a great hope to be influential adults in the reconstruction of Afghanistan. I take them to the doctor when they're sick; I teach them proper nutrition when we go to the dining facility, and the danger of all the damn candy people give them; they have appropriate seasonal clothing, we teach them personal hygiene... One boy in particular shows great maturity for his age and I tell him my goal for him is to become the president of Afghanistan in 30 years.
Mobarez - the future president Posted by Hello
"For the girls I bought their mothers all new kitchen ware. I set them up with a female soldier who had girls day with them every Tuesday until she left herself. Now they have two new American girl friend. They go to the recreation facility and play games or watch movies, go eat lunch, come hang out with me for a while, go shopping at the PX. And they aren't dumb, either. I took them to the PX and let them select some things they wanted or needed: new scarves, hair brush, shampoo, hair bands, t-shirt, Vaseline. My bill came to $62.00!!!!!"
As Sergeant Major Green writes, these kids - like most of their peers throughout the country - haven't had a great childhood. While it's not part of their mission, don't you wish there were enough servicemen and women over there to extend friendship to every Afghan child?
Tuesday, January 11, 2005
RWN's 2nd Victor Davis Hanson Interview - Right Wing News (Conservative News and Views)
RWN's 2nd Victor Davis Hanson Interview - Right Wing News (Conservative News and Views) John Hawkins of Right Wing News interviews Victor Davis Hanson on Iraq, Fallujah, Iran, Syria, Vietnam, illegal immigration and many other topics. VDH always has interesting things to say. Good!_Joe
Shocking info on Cost of Torts
Redstate || Collaborative Republicanism for the Masses: "In 2003, according to Tillinghast, the tort system cost $246 billion -- meaning that the average American paid $845 for it via more expensive goods and services. But the really shocking thing is where the billions went. Injured plaintiffs -- the fabled little guys for whom the system is supposedly designed -- got less than half the money. According to Tillinghast's 2002 data, plaintiffs' lawyers swallowed 19 percent of the $233 billion. Defense lawyers pocketed an additional 14 percent, and other administrative costs, mainly at insurance firms, accounted for a further 21 percent. The legal-administrative complex thus guzzled fully 54 percent of the money in the tort system, or $126 billion. That's 43 times as much as the federal government has budgeted this year to combat the global AIDS pandemic."
Saturday, January 08, 2005
Letter from Iraq
This post is an excellent write telling a little of how it is from a soldier's point of view._Joe
One of the most important documents of this Christmas Season...
I know the Christmas season is over, but this email touched me and several others in such a way that I felt it must be posted. I am glad to say that the man who wrote this is a great friend and a true Christian. I have removed the last names for obvious security reasons.
manteca
All,
Merry Christmas from the other side of the world. Did a little map research the other day and discovered that I'm only 527 miles from Bethlehem (as the crow flies). This is probably the closest I will be to the holy land, at least planned. Of course I should be considerably close to where we all began, the Garden of Eden. Who knows, I may be sitting in it. I can tell you that if I am, the Lord has definitely hid it from our eyes well.
All that being said I would like to share a couple of thoughts with you because I feel everyone I'm sending this to will understand the incredibly complex situation that is unfolding here in Iraq.
On the day before Thanksgiving I was invited to a special lunch in our interpreter building. We have a nice building where our linguists hang out until we need them for a mission. These are all Iraqi nationals who risk their lives to accompany us on dangerous missions and also get threatened when they return home because they work with the American "Jews"....
This particular lunch was in memory of a very dear man who had worked with 1st Armored Division as an interpreter and also worked with us for over 8 months. He also dabbled in some contracting work. His name was Dr. Fike as we called him. He taught at Baghdad University and also did an outstanding job of writing articles for the local newspapers to inform Iraqis about the Transitional Authoritative Law. I ate dinner and visited with Dr. Fike on many different occasions. He was definitely a mover and a shaker, full of energy, loved to converse about numerous things, and very entertaining to share time with. His English was very good and like many other linguists had been to the US and other parts of the world. It's amazing that the Iraqis trying to solve problems here have been OUTSIDE of Iraq and understand what there is to gain with a democracy here.
Dr. Fike was reported kidnapped back in late September. We are unsure if he was kidnapped just for money or because he was working with Americans. Probably a combination of both. He was held for ransom, but after the ransom was paid he was shot and killed. We received news of his death about mid November.
It was decided to have a special meal in memory of Dr Fike. The meal was a wonderfully interesting selection of Iraqi cuisine. We had kabobs of beef, grilled tomatoes and cucumbers, ground lamb roasted over an open fire, fresh flatbread, and some very interesting pickles. Dessert was a variety of pastry sweets that were very unusual but very delicious. We finished the meal with tea served in the traditional Iraqi way. It comes in small tea cups, served hot, and fairly strong. As if the meal wasn't good enough the conversation afterwards was even better.
Major Andy and I stayed for the tea while some other officers who attended dismissed themselves. The organizer of the meal was a shop owner that comes in and sells various things outside the interpreter building. We call him Habibi, which is Iraqi for friend. He offered us some cigars and I accepted which provided a little entertainment for the room as they watched a novice puff on snort on a big Cuban cigar.
Our discussions led us to remember what a good man and good friend Dr. Fike was. We eventually started to discuss the tougher issues on as to how and why things like this happen. We contemplated what else could be done to help Iraq get above this type of violence. One of the other Iraqi shop owners said a prayer in Arabic over us all during this time. They all agreed that even though times are tough, it is much better to be rid of Saddam.
Andy and I shared with them the significance and celebration of Thanksgiving in our country. We explained that it was very fitting to have shared a wonderful meal with our friends in this country during the Thanksgiving time of year. They were very interested in the holiday. I also explained to them how recently on leave I shared the plight of the Iraqi people with my church. I told them how concerned and hurt that Americans are for the sufferings of Iraqis. I also explained how people in my church are praying for them everyday to have a safer and freer Iraq for them and their children. There was silence in the room after an interpreter translated what I had shared. One of the Iraqis said God Bless You, and then Habibi, with a tear in his eye, said "we thank you and your church for loving us and praying for us."
It's hard for me to describe the feeling of that afternoon. I never felt so close to people who were from such a different culture than me. I never felt more compassion for a people who have never experienced the kind of blessings and freedoms we enjoy in the US. I have never felt such love for my brothers here on earth was we struggle through our existence and through our shared pains of life.
I stayed in the tactical operations center (TOC) all day Thanksgiving prepared for an attack by rockets or mortars. We felt that because the enemy knew we would be celebrating Thanksgiving lunch that he might try to capitalize on large groups of soldiers with an attack. We were ready and waiting. I had a plan together with hundreds of soldiers and aircraft scanning areas that I knew were possible and past firing points for them. It was an honor for me to stay ready to shoot back and guard our post while others celebrated. I'm not a big crowd kind of guy anyway. Luckily that was a quiet day.
Today I played Taps for another memorial service for a great young soldier who lost his life serving his country and making Iraq a better place for it's people. I did not know the soldier, but his commander and platoon leader gave a very good glimpse of this commendable young man. He was simple, short on words, always ready for a mission, not known to gripe, and when attacked by the enemy had the reputation of being first to lay down suppressive fire and maintain a calm demeanor in danger. Not unlike many other great soldiers in our nation's history, he will be sorely missed by those who knew him, and he will be missed in a society that desperately needs more people that have such an unselfish attitude towards serving a greater good.
This soldier was killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) ripped his humvee in half throwing him out into the road. He was then hit by some heavy trucks hauling captured enemy equipment that his unit was escorting. He was still alive when medevaced and it was hopeful that he might pull through. Unfortunately, he passed away later at the hospital due to complications.
I didn't tell that story just to gross anyone out or shock them. I feel it is important to share that so that the next statement is brought more into perspective. His fellow soldiers who treated him on site said his last words were "I love you guys!" Funny how just a few words can say so much.
I suppose what I'm trying to share is that I feel these two events a very symbolic of our struggle here in Iraq and on earth. Jesus came and laid down his life for our sins. We continue to struggle in this world to live up to that gift and charge. The two men I mentioned have reminded me to live up to the sacrifice that Christ made for us over 2,000 years ago. He did so knowingly and freely for our sake. What a wonderful time of year to reflect on and celebrate that gift given to us, and one that we hope to share with others.
Soldiers in Iraq are not perfect, but we continually strive in the face of danger to maintain the moral high ground. Detainees ask to be turned over to Americans from the Iraqis because they know we will treat them more humanely. We are criticized by Iraqis for being too soft often times and that we should make more examples out of some. We strike with incredible lethality and force when need be but we continually strive to solve problems through rebuilding infrastructure and provide security for a new government constantly attacked by terrorists.
I certainly would like nothing more than to be with my family this Christmas, but I'm proud to be here serving a higher purpose. Thank you to everyone back home, who prays, sends packages, mails letters, and continues to support our soldiers. Don't forget about the police and emergency personnel in our own country who maintain our laws and protect us from harm at home. I am constantly comforted by the support of the American public and even feel guilty that the Veterans of Vietnam weren't as fortunate as I. We should remember that our country is full of people who served our great nation even when it wasn't popular and wasn't very easy. Thank you Dad for what you sacrificed when I was Sam's age. Your sacrifice and service have always been an inspiration in my life.
Thank you to all the people who make sure my family is taken care of in Hope. I am comforted knowing that I have wonderful neighbors and friends that will do anything at anytime to help out Janis. I know many of you have come even in the middle of the night to help Janis. I even have great band students like Zach and his father come and take care of my yard, it's so incredible to have such great friends help out. Thank you all for supporting the fight to help Iraq through your support of me and my family.
Thank you Mom and Janis for being military wives who hold down the home front and sacrifice so much to raise children and take care of everything while your husbands are gone. I can't imagine having to be the one on the other end waiting and praying and doing so much on your own. I am comforted to know that I have a wife that I fully trust to take care of my children, home, and finances. I love you Janis.
Just as Thanksgiving I plan on staying in the TOC with my section again through the days around Christmas. Watching vigilantly for someone to try and get a shot off at us and hopefully putting together a plan that inhibits them from being able to do so. I'll do it in honor of my fellow soldiers and do it proudly thinking of the people I love back home who have done so much for me and my family. Lastly, I'll do it to make Iraq a better place for people like Dr. Fike and Habibi who are desperate for a better place to raise their families and live in freedom.
I promise all my emails won't be this sappy in the future. Just had to share some things in my head with people I feel would get something out of it. I love you guys.
Merry Christmas,
Major Michael
One of the most important documents of this Christmas Season...
I know the Christmas season is over, but this email touched me and several others in such a way that I felt it must be posted. I am glad to say that the man who wrote this is a great friend and a true Christian. I have removed the last names for obvious security reasons.
manteca
All,
Merry Christmas from the other side of the world. Did a little map research the other day and discovered that I'm only 527 miles from Bethlehem (as the crow flies). This is probably the closest I will be to the holy land, at least planned. Of course I should be considerably close to where we all began, the Garden of Eden. Who knows, I may be sitting in it. I can tell you that if I am, the Lord has definitely hid it from our eyes well.
All that being said I would like to share a couple of thoughts with you because I feel everyone I'm sending this to will understand the incredibly complex situation that is unfolding here in Iraq.
On the day before Thanksgiving I was invited to a special lunch in our interpreter building. We have a nice building where our linguists hang out until we need them for a mission. These are all Iraqi nationals who risk their lives to accompany us on dangerous missions and also get threatened when they return home because they work with the American "Jews"....
This particular lunch was in memory of a very dear man who had worked with 1st Armored Division as an interpreter and also worked with us for over 8 months. He also dabbled in some contracting work. His name was Dr. Fike as we called him. He taught at Baghdad University and also did an outstanding job of writing articles for the local newspapers to inform Iraqis about the Transitional Authoritative Law. I ate dinner and visited with Dr. Fike on many different occasions. He was definitely a mover and a shaker, full of energy, loved to converse about numerous things, and very entertaining to share time with. His English was very good and like many other linguists had been to the US and other parts of the world. It's amazing that the Iraqis trying to solve problems here have been OUTSIDE of Iraq and understand what there is to gain with a democracy here.
Dr. Fike was reported kidnapped back in late September. We are unsure if he was kidnapped just for money or because he was working with Americans. Probably a combination of both. He was held for ransom, but after the ransom was paid he was shot and killed. We received news of his death about mid November.
It was decided to have a special meal in memory of Dr Fike. The meal was a wonderfully interesting selection of Iraqi cuisine. We had kabobs of beef, grilled tomatoes and cucumbers, ground lamb roasted over an open fire, fresh flatbread, and some very interesting pickles. Dessert was a variety of pastry sweets that were very unusual but very delicious. We finished the meal with tea served in the traditional Iraqi way. It comes in small tea cups, served hot, and fairly strong. As if the meal wasn't good enough the conversation afterwards was even better.
Major Andy and I stayed for the tea while some other officers who attended dismissed themselves. The organizer of the meal was a shop owner that comes in and sells various things outside the interpreter building. We call him Habibi, which is Iraqi for friend. He offered us some cigars and I accepted which provided a little entertainment for the room as they watched a novice puff on snort on a big Cuban cigar.
Our discussions led us to remember what a good man and good friend Dr. Fike was. We eventually started to discuss the tougher issues on as to how and why things like this happen. We contemplated what else could be done to help Iraq get above this type of violence. One of the other Iraqi shop owners said a prayer in Arabic over us all during this time. They all agreed that even though times are tough, it is much better to be rid of Saddam.
Andy and I shared with them the significance and celebration of Thanksgiving in our country. We explained that it was very fitting to have shared a wonderful meal with our friends in this country during the Thanksgiving time of year. They were very interested in the holiday. I also explained to them how recently on leave I shared the plight of the Iraqi people with my church. I told them how concerned and hurt that Americans are for the sufferings of Iraqis. I also explained how people in my church are praying for them everyday to have a safer and freer Iraq for them and their children. There was silence in the room after an interpreter translated what I had shared. One of the Iraqis said God Bless You, and then Habibi, with a tear in his eye, said "we thank you and your church for loving us and praying for us."
It's hard for me to describe the feeling of that afternoon. I never felt so close to people who were from such a different culture than me. I never felt more compassion for a people who have never experienced the kind of blessings and freedoms we enjoy in the US. I have never felt such love for my brothers here on earth was we struggle through our existence and through our shared pains of life.
I stayed in the tactical operations center (TOC) all day Thanksgiving prepared for an attack by rockets or mortars. We felt that because the enemy knew we would be celebrating Thanksgiving lunch that he might try to capitalize on large groups of soldiers with an attack. We were ready and waiting. I had a plan together with hundreds of soldiers and aircraft scanning areas that I knew were possible and past firing points for them. It was an honor for me to stay ready to shoot back and guard our post while others celebrated. I'm not a big crowd kind of guy anyway. Luckily that was a quiet day.
Today I played Taps for another memorial service for a great young soldier who lost his life serving his country and making Iraq a better place for it's people. I did not know the soldier, but his commander and platoon leader gave a very good glimpse of this commendable young man. He was simple, short on words, always ready for a mission, not known to gripe, and when attacked by the enemy had the reputation of being first to lay down suppressive fire and maintain a calm demeanor in danger. Not unlike many other great soldiers in our nation's history, he will be sorely missed by those who knew him, and he will be missed in a society that desperately needs more people that have such an unselfish attitude towards serving a greater good.
This soldier was killed when an improvised explosive device (IED) ripped his humvee in half throwing him out into the road. He was then hit by some heavy trucks hauling captured enemy equipment that his unit was escorting. He was still alive when medevaced and it was hopeful that he might pull through. Unfortunately, he passed away later at the hospital due to complications.
I didn't tell that story just to gross anyone out or shock them. I feel it is important to share that so that the next statement is brought more into perspective. His fellow soldiers who treated him on site said his last words were "I love you guys!" Funny how just a few words can say so much.
I suppose what I'm trying to share is that I feel these two events a very symbolic of our struggle here in Iraq and on earth. Jesus came and laid down his life for our sins. We continue to struggle in this world to live up to that gift and charge. The two men I mentioned have reminded me to live up to the sacrifice that Christ made for us over 2,000 years ago. He did so knowingly and freely for our sake. What a wonderful time of year to reflect on and celebrate that gift given to us, and one that we hope to share with others.
Soldiers in Iraq are not perfect, but we continually strive in the face of danger to maintain the moral high ground. Detainees ask to be turned over to Americans from the Iraqis because they know we will treat them more humanely. We are criticized by Iraqis for being too soft often times and that we should make more examples out of some. We strike with incredible lethality and force when need be but we continually strive to solve problems through rebuilding infrastructure and provide security for a new government constantly attacked by terrorists.
I certainly would like nothing more than to be with my family this Christmas, but I'm proud to be here serving a higher purpose. Thank you to everyone back home, who prays, sends packages, mails letters, and continues to support our soldiers. Don't forget about the police and emergency personnel in our own country who maintain our laws and protect us from harm at home. I am constantly comforted by the support of the American public and even feel guilty that the Veterans of Vietnam weren't as fortunate as I. We should remember that our country is full of people who served our great nation even when it wasn't popular and wasn't very easy. Thank you Dad for what you sacrificed when I was Sam's age. Your sacrifice and service have always been an inspiration in my life.
Thank you to all the people who make sure my family is taken care of in Hope. I am comforted knowing that I have wonderful neighbors and friends that will do anything at anytime to help out Janis. I know many of you have come even in the middle of the night to help Janis. I even have great band students like Zach and his father come and take care of my yard, it's so incredible to have such great friends help out. Thank you all for supporting the fight to help Iraq through your support of me and my family.
Thank you Mom and Janis for being military wives who hold down the home front and sacrifice so much to raise children and take care of everything while your husbands are gone. I can't imagine having to be the one on the other end waiting and praying and doing so much on your own. I am comforted to know that I have a wife that I fully trust to take care of my children, home, and finances. I love you Janis.
Just as Thanksgiving I plan on staying in the TOC with my section again through the days around Christmas. Watching vigilantly for someone to try and get a shot off at us and hopefully putting together a plan that inhibits them from being able to do so. I'll do it in honor of my fellow soldiers and do it proudly thinking of the people I love back home who have done so much for me and my family. Lastly, I'll do it to make Iraq a better place for people like Dr. Fike and Habibi who are desperate for a better place to raise their families and live in freedom.
I promise all my emails won't be this sappy in the future. Just had to share some things in my head with people I feel would get something out of it. I love you guys.
Merry Christmas,
Major Michael
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