Hard to believe the US/NATO has been engaged in Afghanistan for seven years already, with no end in sight. The complexities are enormous, the Taliban relentless. Now, additional fighting in Pakistan, near the Khyber Pass, and in various parts of Afghanistan. A regional approach draws in several more countries, including India, Iran, China and former parts of the Soviet Union.
Meanwhile, back in the "Middle East" . . . fill in the blank . . .
But even lesser in general American consciousness, the return of Somalia into bitter fighting, after the Ethiopian withdrawal to pre-invasion points.
Permanent war as a way of life, forever? Or cycles of war, with ceasefires from exhaustion? There are some who see the Prusso-German ascendancy from about 1866 until final defeat in 1945 as one long conflict punctuated by such ceasefires, ending with Germany's "integration." Perhaps this latest round is part of a comparable arc.
Today's Rune: Joy.
7 comments:
Eric, I can't pretend to understand war. I just wish all our troops could come home. Too many lives have already been lost.
" Meanwhile, back in the "Middle East" . . . fill in the blank . . ."
Puhleeeeeeeeze, what part of the "Middle East" matters besides Israel?
I meant what part of the "Middle East" matters besides Israel to an American politician?
I am glad the Pakistani's are finally engaging the Taliban and pushing them back. Hopefully tey will act as the anvil so the allied hammer in Afghanistan can strike a final decisive blow. This is where we should have been concentrating our efforts all along.
I don't trust Netanyahu...he is as extreme as any Palestinian ever was.
And in the past 2000 years has there been more than 50 years of peace through out the world? I have come to understand that war is our natural condition.
I'd like to believe that war is not our naturaul condition, but I'm not so sure about that anymore.
Eventually, the round of wars between Germany and the rest of Europe went on a long pause. Maybe there's hope elsewhere.
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