Coming home to roost

The title is associated with phrases like “chickens coming home to roost”. It is often used with the idea that some problems result from our own mistakes.

Now our nation with its present elected leadership is struggling over what to do about our future interests in Afghanistan. The reason we sent combat troops and the CIA with suite cases of cash into Afghanistan beginning late 2001, and after the 9/11attacks, was in our national interests, I believe. Now years later, the circumstances have changed. The circumstances include the morphing of the Taliban, Al Qaeda, and even our future national interests in the USA.

Other changes have occurred, too. Most are not reported by our “media”, mostly out of ignorance due to inexperience. By the way, in the old days (to me) we would say the “press” (which implied newspapers and magazines), but now so much more news seems to come via TV and the internet here in the USA.

After Vietnam, we as a nation created an all volunteer military force. This process included downsizing the overall military size, and putting much more of our national military strength in our Reserves and National Guards. One ulterior motive for the military leaders then, seldom discussed much back them, was to make it difficult for politicians to get us involved overseas in any military action since now it will take “activating the reserves”. Activating the reserves was avoided by our political leaders during the Vietnam period. And actually many Reserves and National Guard members already know this. Just look at the numbers of Americans from these groups that full time air transport people and things to Iraq, for example.

American people and businesses have all supported this, with loyalty and sacrifice. Good on ‘em.

Then things continued. After the downfall of the Soviet Union, a “peace dividend” was both pursued and expected. This further reduced our military might, mostly for good reason most thought. At the same time, the power of the dollar declined in our defense budget, for many reasons, and what we got was less and less, though more professional than ever.

Now things are coming home to roost.

While we in the USA may be the only remaining superpower, we no longer can back that up with our will. This may be OK. It is probably most hard on our State Department to try “pretend” the “old days” apply. Any astute Asians (to include Indians) understand this idea. They have their own problems, too. And the USA is not the best answer in too many cases.

But it also means things like the Tennessee reserve 278th ACR (Armored Calvary Regiment) gets activated and deployed for the first time since WWII in 2004, and now again in 2010.

And if we expand our deployments to Afghanistan to include more active duty military from the USA, like Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, then we Americans had better think this is in our national interests.

Now national interests mean different things to different people.

To the mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, children, and other relatives, thinking about our loved ones going in harm’s way can be tolerated if it is in “our” interests. If it cannot be tolerated, then it is not in our national interests. Hence the vote.

My mother lost a husband to death in WWII. I have thought about all this. And she had a child, too. My older brother.

These are momentous times. All times are momentous, but these are our momentous times.

Things are coming home to roost. Much of the world’s future will be influenced by what the USA leaders do, and who we elect to be our leaders, in the next two decades or so. But now we are no longer the dominating player in the world.

Let me end on a positive note, based on faith in humanity. Much as our human traits have hurt us in such forms as the Third Reich and Communism and now Islamic terrorism, they have been eventually dominated by humanity in the long run, and whatever that means, mostly being ourselves. Now that invites problems, too…like too many people on the earth, and too many do-gooders in the West.

But, again, on a positive note, perhaps we humans will sort this problem out, too. And I suspect, and hope, votes will in the end trump revolutions and civil wars, but we will see. Now this idea is both East and West.