The swirls of dissension

It is a confusing time, mainly because of Iraq. Politicians in Congress, apparently following polls, are doing unprecedented things in American history. Anti-war enthusiasts and anti-Bush enthusiasts are saying and doing about anything, and it seems like they are not being challenged very often. People are talking past each other about topics like Iraq, Bush, the war on terror, the national interest, and hindsight. And the reporting and opinion writing of all this only inflames many citizens. To borrow a proverbial line, it is almost like the inmates are in charge of the American political process. But we are not in jail, nor the inmates. In this there is hope and a National Vision.

There is nothing wrong in being an American Citizen. We are so fortunate because of our parents and our birth location to be Citizens. And we deserve to be Family Oriented! I would even say selfish about preserving our Family’s safety and way of life. The immigration rates agree with this premise. To carry it to a Common Sense point, we have something worth preserving, and even fighting for. This is in our National Interest. And in the National Interest, there is Vision in how to sort out all the confusion that seems to reign today.

Between politicians running for President, the newly voted Democratic majority in both Houses of Congress (albeit barely), and apparently influential subgroups of the Democratic Party, all kinds of things are being said. What is most confusing is what was said to get elected, and now what is said and being done after the 2006 election. Most want to give politicians the benefit of the doubt, but the in-your-face maneuvers make one wonder, one might even say confuse a voter. This is almost an emotional issue to many, hence the swirls of dissension. But keep in mind talk is cheap, and the actual ability to sway majority votes in both Houses on any issue, and then get a Presidential signature, is much more difficult.

Now is the time to address one other emotional issue. It is a combination of hindsight and the now obvious mistakes made by our President in trying to win the peace in Iraq. As a former Marine, I could jump in, but enough history books have been written and will be written to satisfy most who pursue the details, which are pretty embarrassing to many, in my humble opinion. Again, isn’t hindsight wonderful. What concerns many now is the confusion caused by the hindsight reviews and arm chair generals and secretaries of state about what might have been. My mother was better than this in sorting things out.

I gain some sanity, peace of mind, and correctness of Vision, when I think of the National Interest. If I use my own judgment about what is really important, then it is much easier to ignore all the confusion and swirls of thought going on these days. And it helps me to remember we have so many domestic problems to address that are also in our National Interest. Thank goodness we voters are in charge. And we are not the inmates.