To honor the memory of 9/11/01

One day of blog silence.

A matter of timing?

I know, I'm a cynic. But, in watching all the disturbing news out of the Middle East this weekend, I can't help but speculate that our Israeli allies timed their military strikes to occur before The Disaster in Waiting seizes the Oval Office.

He and his minions have been disturbingly lukewarm about Israel's right to defend itself against the rocket-launching terrorists in Gaza.

All we seem to get out of them is the "one president at a time" mantra.

That didn't stop him from condemning the recent terrorist strikes in Bombay, though, did it?

Whatever the Israelis are hoping to accomplish in terms of their national security, I hope they get it done before January 20th . . .

One Day of Blog Silence in memory of 9/11/01

5 years in Iraq

Yesterday marked the 5th anniversary of the Iraq war.

The dominant media used the occasion as might be expected, following their mantra of "hide the heroes, hype the heinous." We got a reminder of the casualty figures (3,987 US troops, 170 Brits, 33 Italians, 21 Poles, 18 Ukrainians, 13 Bulgarians, 11 Spaniards, 7 Danes, 5 Salvadorans, 4 Slovaks, 4 Fijians, 3 Latvians, 2 Australians, and the list went on). We were also reminded of the cost, which now varies between 2 and 4 trillion dollars depending on which pessimist you believe.

What you didn't get was any detailed list of the successes in Iraq since 2003. Sure, you may have gotten some vague concession about the troop surge cutting the level of violence. But, certainly no specifics. And, I for one NEVER saw any media types go thru a list of the very good things that have happened since the war started.

So, to make up for the gross oversight, here's a list of some good things that have happened as a result of this war:

1. Saddam Hussein and his key henchmen are dead or out of power. His sons were also killed, extinguishing any fears of them potentially continuing his reign of terror.

2. Democracy has been established with the adoption of a new constitution in 2005. Some TWELVE MILLION Iraqis came out to vote in the first free election ever held in their lifetimes in December of that year.

3. Coalition forces now control the flow of oil. Not only is it no longer subject to the whims of a maniacal dictator, it did not fall into the hands of terrorists or their state sponsors in the neighborhood.

4. A vital toe-hold has been established in the Middle East that allows the US to more effectively wage the overall War on Terror. Coalition forces have captured hundred of extremists including key al-Qaeda leaders and operatives.

5. The fear of potential weapons of mass destruction being launched out of Iraq has been removed. Whether or not they existed at all is still a bone of contention, but at least the threat isn't there any more.

These are just one man's general observations. The real experts, the boots on the ground, have compiled more lengthy and more detailed lists in their posts back to CentCom--including the reconstruction projects that are delivering water and electricity, repairing/adding infrastructure, reviving commerce, and building schools and hospitals.

But, isn't it pathetic that you don't see any of this good news on your tv news programs or in the liberal print media?

Huckabee Shines in New Hampshire Debate

Was it just me, or for awhile during last night's debate up in New Hampshire, did it seem like there were only two men on the stage?!

The exchange between Mike Huckabee and Ron Paul was nothing short of riveting, as they argued their views on the War on Terror. And, of course, Huckabee came out on top.

I love watching Huck in these settings, because it allows voters to see him side-by-side with everyone else in the crowded field. And, he never fails to stand head and shoulders above them all. Dare I say, "Reaganesque?!"

This guy has a gift for communication, connecting with his audience in a way I haven't seen since the days of the Gipper. He actually brought a tear to the eye of this otherwise jaded observer when he reminded Rep. Paul that we are One Nation Under God, and NOT the "Divided States of America." That statement put into simple terms my own complex feelings about all the Red State vs Blue State nonsense.

If you look at the field of candidates--and I'm not just referring to the Republicans--Mike Huckabee is the only one speaking in terms of unifying the country. He needs to be the next President of the UNITED States of America.

An Empire of Wealth

That's the title of economic historian John Steele Gordon's most recent book. (The subtitle is "The Epic History of American Economic Power.") I got over my own recent economic jitteriness this weekend to actually part with some money and buy a copy, and I have not been disappointed.

How could one feel disappointment after reading anything by Gordon, anyway? I mean, the guy is such an optimist. And, I guess when you approach history from a broad perspective, it's hard not to be optimistic about the good old USofA.

Gordon has good credentials both as an optimist and an economic historian. Both of his grandfathers held seats on the NYSE, and he is buddies with Steve Forbes. Some consider his works the literary descendants of Andrew Carnegie's Triumphant Democracy.

Gordon's critics will charge that he glosses over the stumbles we've had as a nation, and perhaps they have some merit. Indeed, he concludes his ringing endorsement with the events surrounding 9/11, reminding Americans (and the rest of the world) that wars are won by money, not guns alone. And, we have more wealth in the US than anywhere else.

I wonder if he will add a post-9/11 appendix in the next edition of this book, dealing not only with the impacts of the War on Terror, the hurricanes of 2004-5, and the impending credit crunch . . .

Anyway, great book. And, if you socks out there enjoy it as much as I have, you might want to check out some of Gordon's other books:

• Overlanding - which recounts a landrover trip he took from NYC to Tierra del Fuego.


• The Scarlet Woman - a history of a whorish Wall Street during the Civil War era.


• Hamilton's Blessing - in which he exalts our first Secretary of the Treasury for embracing the idea of a national debt as a unifying force.


• The Great Game - an overview of Wall Street history from 1653 to 2000.

Of course, if you really want to read a good book, I can recommend a true masterpiece . . .