Peace is Practical

I haven't been following current events as closely as I should be, there is some crap that's going on at work that has distracted me from just about everything else. The events in Lebanon and the escalation of the Israeli aggression is truly disturbing. What is even more disturbing is the war cry of some Americans who think that the US should become involved.

Perspective is so important in these situations. There have been instances when American soldiers (or maybe they were DIA agents?) were kidnapped in Columbia, but the US never implemented a siege of Bogota. There have been kidnappings of Americans in the Philippines, but we never bombed airports or sent warships to choke off the livelihood of an entire nation because of some rouge element in the parliament. Cool heads are needed just now, I don't think that those who are urging the US to become involved are thinking about what's truly at risk here.

I had to put gas in my car tonight, that little yellow light was lit on the dashboard, and when I started the engine, it made an unusual sputtering sound, as if it were thirsty, and it didn't want to ignite. I drove to the Exxon, and I filled it up, thinking that the price of gas will from this day forward, will only go higher. I usually just slide my debit card, put the hose in the tank and flip that little metal piece on the pump so that you don't have to stand there and hold the handle. But tonight, as I watched the price go up over 40 dollars, I became alarmed, and I grabbed the pump, stopping it just before it reached $50. Did I mention that I drive a Honda Civic? I'm not really worried about getting around town as much as I am worried about the cost of sending goods to the markets, and the problems that will arise when gas is so expensive, that when I walk to the market, there will be nothing for me to buy because the expense of shipping now costs more than the products we need to sustain us.

The folks who are crying for the US to become involved should take a look today at their 401k accounts, the markets are taking a nosedive in reaction to the events in the Middle East. Lucky for us, it's Friday, and the markets are closed for the weekend, but if we don't make some attempt to contain this situation, we could wake up on Tuesday looking at some new plans for the future, and some difficult choices if we have children.

Working for peace is not just the only moral solution in the Middle East, it is the only practical resolution. Our survival unfortunately revolves around a steady supply of oil, and without it, more people will die of starvation and sickness, than will die from missiles or suicide bombs.

Work for a peaceful solution, it is the only practical thing to do.

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