I think I should be focusing my attention on the more important issues of the day. Issues like the freedoms of our women in America who continue to be the object of those fighting to deny them the right to control their own bodies. Issues like preventive wars (ie. Iraq) versus defensive wars (ie. World War Two). Issues like “We The People” versus “Total Individualism” (except as in case like World War Two where it was necessary for everyone to come together and contribute  on the basis of their ability).

Yes, I should be focusing on the more important issues of the day. Instead, I’m finding myself thinking about a wonderful film I have just seen, again. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. “The Princess Bride.” Talk about fine acting. Talk about a good story. Talk about inspirational.

I don’t deny that the threat of terrorist attacks against our America is both real and possible. But here’s a question that continues to plague me. What negative part, if any, have we in America played in creating this difficult challenge for ourselves? Many would have us believe that we are totally innocent and only trying to protect the rest of the world. I would differ with this view and argue that we have contributed significantly in terms of creating the problems we now face with terrorists.

For me, the Vietnam War is a good analogy for where we now are regarding terrorists throughout the world.

When President Kennedy ordered military advisors into Vietnam back in 1963, I supported his decision. And then, in response to a debate about his actions that began to take place in that year, I started to read all that I could about Vietnam, and I soon came to the conclusion that our president’s policy of military advisors in Vietnam would be counter productive to our own best interests. Unfortunately, in my opinion, the view that I held for the next dozen years became the minority view of our citizens, and thus, we soon found ourselves involved in a major war in Vietnam for a decade which cost us dearly in lives and money.

We lost that war. But were the results of that war as related to our international interests damaged forever? No! On the contrary, today we have a decent relationship with Vietnam, a Vietnam now controlled politically by the descendants of those who fought and won against us five decades ago.

And now, here we are again attempting to act as our earth’s police officer. And what is the cost for our actions which we have been taking for almost two decades in the Middle East? Thousands of our military lives lost, trillions of dollars spent, and all for what? So that we could turn Iraq and Afghanistan into mirror objects of America’s political and social system?

Our efforts during World War Two showed that when attacked, we had the will and the strength to resist and then overcome our military enemies. Our efforts over the past decade and longer have shown that we still may be strong enough to win military victories against anyone. But forcing other nations to become exactly like us remains a loosing proposition. Just ask the former Soviet Union officials who tried mightily to crush their next door neighbor, Afghanistan, with the Soviet’s second strongest military force in the world. Only after ten years of fighting their losing battle did they finally realize there was a better result for themselves in packing up and leaving that nation and allowing Afghanistan to fight its own internal battles.

It is past time for our America to refocus our energy on the challenge of making our national body, our people and our infrastructure, strong, healthy and safe, so that we might be better able to lead the world by example as opposed to by force.

Now, does all that I have said mean that we should ignore the terrorist threats against us currently out there? Absolutely not. I believe we were right to go after bin Laden and we should use our resources as well as we can to understand where the terrorists are and what what we need to do to combat effectively any actual planned attacks against our nation’s land and against our people. But is solving all of the problems faced by nations like Syria our job? I think not.

And there you have it. My view. Ask me in 20 or 30 years if I have been proven right. I may be able to tell you by then. And then again, maybe not.

 I always get a kick out of this time of the year. It brings back so many memories that prove that old saw that "democracy" often seems to be a terrible way to run a government, but so far, no one has found a better way to do it. So during just about every presidential election I can recall, and every inauguration that followed, I observed the supporters of Truman and those that followed him kvelling at their victory and the opponents predicting that the United States would soon be going down the drain because of the new president. 

So here we are again. I’m happy that Obama beat Romney, and I’m hoping that the next four years will be even better than the last four. I say even better, for I’m still with those that believe we should have been out of Afghanistan years ago, and I still believe in universal health care for all Americans, a belief, I acknowledge, which remains unattainable for the near future.

Oh well. Anyone remember Vaughn Monroe? This song of his always makes me smile .... and it makes my body move.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyDNnQbbkSQ

I continue to find evidence that my human brain is very similar to the very first computer created decades ago. It certainly cannot be compared to today’s Smart phone or an advanced Apple or Dell Computer.

What’s my evidence? This continuing experience. I awoke this morning with a song in my head, some words and the hint of a rhythm which reminded me of a fine male singer. But try as I could, the singer’s name would not come up. I used the A,B,C, approach several times, but still, the name would not appear in my brain. This went on for better than a half hour. And then, just as I was about to move my body toward leaving my bed and my wife beside me, lo and behold, the name Vaughn Monroe jumped into my mind and I began to laugh. Forget dementia or Alzheimer’s and just chalk it up as usual to the slow processing of an older version of the human computer brain. It works slow these days, but the good news is, it’s still working.

By the way. I think Vaughn Monroe is worth listening to even if my wife, when I told her of my experience, admitted she’d never heard of him.

Vaughn Monroe
“Riders In The Sky”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAsrj1LRF_0&list=AL94UKMTqg-9DbN1IKovsVIF_bfj0bd7oX

During a recent discussion about his book titled “Invisible Armies,” Max Boot touched on the subject of America’s war in Afghanistan and noted that during our Revolutionary War against the British Empire, our first 13 colonies played the very role of guerilla warfare that is now being played against us by the Afghan rebels. He appeared to be making the point that it is one thing for a powerful military force to overcome an opposing military force as we did during World War Two, it is another thing to assume that a military force can defeat another nation’s guerilla force tactics.

In my view, we in America have learned very little from our own history and as a consequence, we have found ourselves repeating the dire mistakes made by so many great powers in the past.

I know I am repeating myself when I suggest that it is past time for America to concentrate on repairing and making solid and secure its own national body including our infrastructure and all of our citizens. In the end, we will only be as healthy and as strong as our own internal national body allows us to be.

Of course ...... I admit I could be wrong and Pink Floyd could be right. Click on to their Youtube performance and then, you decide.
-              -            -             -               
Another Brick In the Wall Lyrics
by Pink Floyd
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VZbM_MIz4RM

I am very annoyed at myself over how easily I am distracted from important ideas and concerns. As I awoke this morning, I found myself thinking about yesterday’s Philadelphia Inquirer editorial piece on today’s high price of college tuitions. I am in complete agreement with the Inquirer’s position that the costs are far too high. Imagine! My total tuition cost for my three years at Rutgers Law School in Camden amounted to fifteen hundred dollars back in 1966. Today, a law school student at that same school will spend about sixty seven thousand dollars over a three-year period for the exact same law degree. If one does the math regarding tuition costs followed by first year salaries in 1966 versus the same comparison today, one can see that those of us going through college and graduate school in the 1960s were not nearly as burdened by tuition costs, as are the students of today. I believe that if this remains the case, our nation as a whole will pay a long term difficult price for this inequality.

So, I was ready to take on this issue until I happened to notice a Dick Van Dyke show on my television screen. And suddenly I was laughing and forgetting until just a few moments ago about what was really important to me today.

Damn that Dick Van Dyke show. Did it need to be that funny?

Now, what was I talking about?

Back in September of 1963, I knew better than anyone that President Kennedy was right to send military advisors to Vietnam in an attempt to help steer that country into a better direction. Then I made the mistake of doing some reading on the history of Vietnam and by the beginning of 1964, I had changed my mind and had become convinced that America was now on the wrong road when it came to Vietnam. Eleven years later with about 58,000 American soldiers dead as a result of our war in Vietnam, I was still certain we had made a mistake.

I have pretty much relived that experience over the past decade as America insisted that war was necessary in Iraq and in Afghanistan, and much like my earlier experience, I have been on the losing side of the argument.

But here are the reasons why I tend to take a deep breath while considering my views. My wife in many ways is far brighter than I and has helped me to enjoy life in ways that I would never have done if not for her. My four children, each and every one of them turned out to be far superior than me in school as their grades have clearly shown. My sons and daughter in law have added to our family wonderful traits that have only added to my joy. My life at work was an incredible experience made the more so as a result of being surrounded by so many competent and bright colleagues, attorneys, secretaries and investigators all.

In the end, I confess I have been one lucky guy. And as a reminder of this fact, I will attend my annual family weekend gathering beginning tomorrow and will kvel during a three day period over just how lucky I have been.

If you've been tempted to pull your hair out while listening to the current discussions and debates between our nation's politicians and pundits, I would recommend you click on the website below. Some of us have heard of Michael Bublé, while others have not, but I predict that whichever camp you are in, you'll enjoy his performance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AJmKkU5POA&playnext=1&list=AL94UKMTqg-9AmXxXk8rawm3T9fUAgvnWN

I have been watching a currently running television advertisement on behalf our American wounded warriors. The ad introduces us to a charity for wounded warriors and the ad has me wondering about just where we are in America these days.

Our military personnel has indeed placed themselves on the battlefield line in Afghanistan and Pakistan where deaths and injuries suffered by our brave men and women are a common occurrence. Likewise, many have suffered serious injuries from World War Two, Korea, Vietnam and Iraq among other places.

And how are we dealing with the needs of those who suffered mind and body altering injuries on behalf of our nation? Apparently by asking you and me and all of us in America to consider making a monthly pledge of money to help take care of our wounded veterans.

What is going on here? More importantly, where is our country when it comes to the need of our military veterans? I would have thought that our nation’s annual fiscal budget would have allowed for any and all of the needs of our brave soldiers to be covered. But apparently this is not the case if the ad for a wounded warriors charity is to be believed.

There have been moments in our nation’s history when we have all come together to overcome our nation’s obstacles. Those who could, served in the military. Others volunteered at home. And all paid taxes at levels that they could afford. That’s how we overcame World War Two. That’s how we dealt with the long Cold War.

It is time for us as a nation to live up to our ideals and ethics. It is time for us all to be there for our wounded warriors.

If you can tap on to this website (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8C2iDG5NSM), and if you can sit or stand completely still while the Isley Brothers sing their song, I believe you will have broken a world record. And .... you'll have taken your mind off of the chazerai that your favorite TV and radio pundits are feeding us all every day of the week.