By James Hall
I am thankful that this nation”s president is taking a hard-line approach in dealing with Iran. His hard-line against meddling in other country”s internal affairs, not sending any of our young men into harms way, for reasons that fall far short of our national interests or fueling more funds to our military industrial complex, that has sapped so great a percentage of our taxpayer dollars. Those spouting their dismay over his non-use of the chest pounding rhetoric of “might makes right,” that our past leadership, of the last eight years, sold to us and the rest of the world, using lies and unwarranted fears just keep digging the hole deeper in their efforts to resell their policies that have cost so many lives of our military and innocent foreign civilians.
We are a much greater people than they give us credit for, and far braver than they are, in showing our greatness by admitting when we make mistakes, reaching down to those in need and valuing our youth, in the belief that, they will bring more greatness to our country if not wasted in special interest conflicts that we have no business being involved.
If both Iran”s and North Korea”s neighbors are not manning the front lines with both their young people and funds, and better yet, diplomatic give and take, what makes our country take the role of bully on the block for messing with two second-rate militaries that pose no real treat to this nation? We have the most weapons of mass destruction sitting in our own backyard and I am sure the rest of the world knows this. Has anyone seen a boxing match featuring a flyweight against a heavyweight recently? I would bet that the majority of fist- waving, diehard conservatives have never seen the very real horror of war, as if they had, they would be putting far more effort in being peace makers, and keeping our mighty, swift sword sheathed, unless our nation is attacked by another nation. Our nation, like all others, cannot control all of its citizens and their actions. If one of our homegrown nut groups set off a bomb on some other nation”s soil, would we, as a people, want that nation to attack us? I think not.
The power of embargoes is real, but weakened, when big business interests are put forward of the clout that they can have. When the conservatives put the wellbeing of all this nation”s citizens over those of the special interest groups that make up their ranks, they may only then bring the healthy and positive debate to this nation. Being a good neighbor is not forcing our values on others. In life, most of us have found that not everyone will like us, nor we them, but we still find ways to enjoy this wonderful life we have been blessed with living.
James Hall grew up in Clearlake Oaks.
