Happy New Year, Al-Qaeda
When we found out no WMDs in Iraq when U.S. intelligence assured otherwise, I was both disappointed and ashamed of my nation’s intelligence failure. You might say that we acted rather unintelligently. It was a humbling moment in our nation’s history.
Thankfully, America is not shattered by a single failure. Part of being American is this uncanny ability to bounce back, to get back on the horse, to keep on fighting. It is what got us through the Great Depression; it is what got us through Watergate; it is what is getting us through our history of racisim. Essential to the American spirit is to resist being defined by our failures, to persevere in working hard to do good.
What inspired these patriotic thoughts, you might ask? My inspiration happens to be the wonderful new years gift which the CIA presented to Al-Qaeda last week. This is not a minor story; this amounts to significant redemption (in one sense of the word) for American intelligence, as well as a significant victory over the terrorist organization which bombed our nation and opposes democracy everywhere.
It’s a great way to celebrate the new year, if you ask me.
The Case for John McCain
The election is at hand, and America is reeling. Fatigued by election and economy, we have got ourselves “stuck in a moment, and we can’t get out of it.” But get out of it we must, and if we can manage to zoom out and see the big picture, we see that McCain and Obama offer two different visions for America. I believe we should go with McCain, and here are three reasons why.
First, John McCain brings the right blend of wisdom and toughness to finish this war and provide solid leadership in a post-9/11 world. He has been personally involved in every major American conflict in the last five decades, giving him a deep historical perspective which will enhance his leadership as commander in chief. He was a war hero in Vietnam, and his service in Congress stretches back to the presidency of Reagan and the Cold War era. While Obama might make a better diplomat, McCain would certainly make a better commander in chief. (more…)
America, Be Careful (Who) You (Vote) For
John McCain is not the Savior of the United States. He’s not an eloquent speaker.
He’s not a good campaigner. He’s not even truly a Reagan Republican.
He supports bipartisanship to a fault (in my opinion). He is for more regulation of the economy than most free-market conservatives are comfortable entertaining.
Yet, he is the Republican Nominee, for better or worse.
However, McCain is a hero and he deeply loves this country. He has served this country with passion and dignity for almost three decades. It is know mystery who John McCain is. (more…)
America, Politics, and Christianity
For normal, working people in America the political milieu in our overly media saturated culture is doubtlessly tiresome.
On every front page of every newspaper in our country is the latest coverage of the most recent sound byte, gaffe, or event that either presidential candidate made or attended. Talk radio won’t shut up about the election, even some sports radio stations I listen to are now talking about politics!
And, while it is understandable why many are turned off by politics, it is staggering to me how many Christians are “apolitical.” (more…)
Stewart, Maher, and a Post-Facts Society
Last Tuesday (September 30) Bill Maher appeared on the The Daily Show, hosted by John Stewart, to talk about hew new film Religulous, being released this weekend. As he opened the interview, Stewart made a very telling remark buried in his question.
Do you think at this point, in a sort of post-facts environment, that the countries just split down the middle anyway?
He, of course, is referring to the cultural divide typified in the current political battle by the professorial Obama and the Coloqial Sarah Palin. Maher, however, makes the distinction a little more blunt, calling it two Americas, one a progressive European nation and the other a nation of rednecks. Now, it is unclear how either would qualify either of these distinctions. Stewart may just be playing devil’s advocate, but he does seem to hold a degree of nostalgia for his country upbringing in New Jersey. But let’s return to Stewart’s statement (more…)
