As I was settling into my seat at a meeting yesterday, one guy said to another " I thought about you this morning." The recipient of that remark is a native of Lebanon . He quickly responded ( not angrily at all ) that of course Syria was the only country who had a dog in that fight. I heard and respected the opinion of one who's "been there done that."

Today, I hear yammering from those who don't have a clue. The whole paranoid state of the world is focused on the Middle East vs. the US and we just sit here adding insult to injury and playing 5th grade school teacher to a bunch of bullies who have always hated each other. IT IS NOT OUR BUSINESS.

All of this began, I suppose, when some Islamic terrorists decided to hit us where it hurts on 9/11. Point taken, Jihad. The problem is in our response. It was too little too late and we still walk around playing big Ike in a maelstrom of hatred and violence that will set our country on it's well coiffed head if they have their way. We thought we were untouchable, and it was a huge shock to find out otherwise.

This isn't WWII folks. This isn't even Vietnam. This is 2005 in the US of A and we better be watching our OWN backs instead of meddling in everybody else's business. Securing our own borders is a much more fiscally sound and secure ACTION than chasing terrorists with car bombs halfway around the world is a REACTION.

Do the math. Your reservist child/coworker/friend is pulled away from the family to fight an unwinnable war against an unidentifiable enemy who bites the bomb screaming "Allah!" at the same time. The priorities and motives are different for each soldier. One with everything to lose and the other with his own suicidal agenda.

^j^