Politics - It's a small world after all
I find myself in a bizarre position. I was listening to NPR and people were calling in to discuss the state of the union. Normally I would be right there with these people calling the president an idiot and saying his policies exhibit an astounding lack of rational thought, but the policy in question happens to be one that I don't entirely disagree with - sending more troops into Iraq.
I was vociferous 5 years ago about my opinion that the administration should concentrate on the problems we have right here "at home" and not go off and start wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but now, those wars are a reality. Of course I still think there are a lot of domestic issues that need to be addressed but the problems in Iraq and Afghanistan are not going away. It's important to understand that we live in the world not just the US. I don't think it would even be possible to barricade ourselves up in this country, not let anyone in or out, and never worry about what is happening in the rest of the world, but even if we could would that really be what we want.
I applied for my first passport a couple days ago and I want to see the world. Of course, I'm only going to Europe. A new friend of mine told me recently that he wants to visit every country in the world and I had to admit that there are some fears I haven't conquered yet; there are some countries I'd be afraid to visit. Another new friend is in one of those countires right now. He's in Israel. A lot of the places I'd be afraid to go to aren't places I've ever considered visiting to begin with (like Darfur for example), but Israel is somewhere that I've always wanted to go.
One of my aunts lived in Israel, briefly, on a kibbutz. I was only in 4th grade when she married my uncle and I didn't know much about Israel or what a kibbutz even was, but when she told me about living there I wanted to go. In junior high geography and history classes we learned that Israel had been barren desert but the people who settled there turned it into an oasis. If it sounds like I'd romanticized Israel a little that's because I had. At least before I found out that Israel had been at war almost constantly for its entire history. Granted Israel's history only goes back about 60 years and if you add up all the years that the US has been at war in its history it probably adds up to 60 or more, but constant wartime makes Israel a little scary to me.
So, to my friend in Israel, I envy you and I hope you are safe.
And to everyone else, of course there are a lot of problems here and the administration's domestic policy is practically non-existent and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have already cost way to much (both in money and in lives lost), but they aren't just going away and we started the problems. You can't piss on someones floor and expect them to clean up the mess unless you're a dog. Moreover, I want to see the world and I want to see it in peace time. Someday I'd like to visit Baghdad.
I was vociferous 5 years ago about my opinion that the administration should concentrate on the problems we have right here "at home" and not go off and start wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, but now, those wars are a reality. Of course I still think there are a lot of domestic issues that need to be addressed but the problems in Iraq and Afghanistan are not going away. It's important to understand that we live in the world not just the US. I don't think it would even be possible to barricade ourselves up in this country, not let anyone in or out, and never worry about what is happening in the rest of the world, but even if we could would that really be what we want.
I applied for my first passport a couple days ago and I want to see the world. Of course, I'm only going to Europe. A new friend of mine told me recently that he wants to visit every country in the world and I had to admit that there are some fears I haven't conquered yet; there are some countries I'd be afraid to visit. Another new friend is in one of those countires right now. He's in Israel. A lot of the places I'd be afraid to go to aren't places I've ever considered visiting to begin with (like Darfur for example), but Israel is somewhere that I've always wanted to go.
One of my aunts lived in Israel, briefly, on a kibbutz. I was only in 4th grade when she married my uncle and I didn't know much about Israel or what a kibbutz even was, but when she told me about living there I wanted to go. In junior high geography and history classes we learned that Israel had been barren desert but the people who settled there turned it into an oasis. If it sounds like I'd romanticized Israel a little that's because I had. At least before I found out that Israel had been at war almost constantly for its entire history. Granted Israel's history only goes back about 60 years and if you add up all the years that the US has been at war in its history it probably adds up to 60 or more, but constant wartime makes Israel a little scary to me.
So, to my friend in Israel, I envy you and I hope you are safe.
And to everyone else, of course there are a lot of problems here and the administration's domestic policy is practically non-existent and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq have already cost way to much (both in money and in lives lost), but they aren't just going away and we started the problems. You can't piss on someones floor and expect them to clean up the mess unless you're a dog. Moreover, I want to see the world and I want to see it in peace time. Someday I'd like to visit Baghdad.
posted by Beth at
11:11 AM
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