"And I want to just thank everybody. And, in particular, God. I want to just say, we love you, God, and we love our great military. Protect them. God bless the Middle East. God bless Israel and God bless America. Thank you very much. Thank you."
Well he got his big beautiful parade. Now he has an unforced error, his own big beautiful war that he didn't inherit. So much for an end to forever wars. It doesn't appear that he consulted with anyone, and in fact ignored his own SecDef. Congress wasn't consulted. Constitutional authority? Pffft!
Pope Leo this morning: "Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility: to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss," Pope Leo said during his weekly prayer with pilgrims. " "No armed victory can compensate for the pain of mothers, the fear of children, the stolen future. Let diplomacy silence the weapons, let nations chart their future with peace efforts, not with violence and bloody conflicts," he added. Doesn't appear that anyone is listening, it seems already to be an irreparable abyss.
O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle — be Thou near them! With them — in spirit — we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe.
O Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it — for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet!
We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts.
Good analysis of Iran's allies, such as they are, and how this might play out. Am guessing that Pakistan is rethinking its reported plan to nominate Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize.
This country has zero moral stature and does not have the standing to tell anyone what to do or to bomb anyone. It’s not that we used to be good and now we’re bad, gone astray. I hate to say it but this has always been a major part of our country’s makeup. It’s just coming to a final denouement.
We are a nation that attracts and nurtures exploiters, con men, and religious fanatics. We do have an admirable constitutional system if we have the will to follow it and hold leaders accountable.
We need to reassess what benefits we get from supporting Israel, especially when a thug like Netanyahu is at the helm.
I wish the "Taco" thing hadn't got started. "Trump always chickens out". It was like a dare. You can't chicken out of dropping a bomb and getting into a war when you've already done it. He had to prove himself to be the king of the hill.
I do think the TACO thing might have actually played a part in his decision. He absolutely hates being mocked, especially when he thinks it’s an insult to his “manhood”. All of his macho posturing, his admiration for “ tough” guys, his need to surround himself with beautiful women, dumping wives as he ( and they) age all seem point to some possible insecurities about his masculinity.
The Mark Twain story and prayer is powerful. I had not heard of it before. I looked it up and according to wiki, he ordered that it not be published until after his death. He feared reprisals apparently.
For many years I have struggled with the “ just war” theology. . We are (or weren’t - maybe are now) directly threatened by Iran, so bombing them surely does not meet “just war” standards. Does attempting to prevent a worse war meet them? That might be that notable Catholic Vance’s defense of this bombing.
I have long thought that war is never justified. Except, except….how is a totally evil person like Hitler stopped - without going to war?
Gandhi brought about change in India with minimal violence. Not minimal enough on the English side though for a long time. Eventually Gandhi’s campaign of non- violence did win. But his tactics would not have worked against Hitler, or Stalin or….many other tyrants.
Well he got his big beautiful parade. Now he has an unforced error, his own big beautiful war that he didn't inherit. So much for an end to forever wars. It doesn't appear that he consulted with anyone, and in fact ignored his own SecDef. Congress wasn't consulted. Constitutional authority? Pffft!
ReplyDeletePope Leo this morning:
Delete"Every member of the international community has a moral responsibility: to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss," Pope Leo said during his weekly prayer with pilgrims. "
"No armed victory can compensate for the pain of mothers, the fear of children, the stolen future. Let diplomacy silence the weapons, let nations chart their future with peace efforts, not with violence and bloody conflicts," he added.
Doesn't appear that anyone is listening, it seems already to be an irreparable abyss.
O Lord our Father, our young patriots, idols of our hearts, go forth to battle — be Thou near them! With them — in spirit — we also go forth from the sweet peace of our beloved firesides to smite the foe.
ReplyDeleteO Lord our God, help us to tear their soldiers to bloody shreds with our shells; help us to cover their smiling fields with the pale forms of their patriot dead; help us to drown the thunder of the guns with the shrieks of their wounded, writhing in pain; help us to lay waste their humble homes with a hurricane of fire; help us to wring the hearts of their unoffending widows with unavailing grief; help us to turn them out roofless with little children to wander unfriended the wastes of their desolated land in rags and hunger and thirst, sports of the sun flames of summer and the icy winds of winter, broken in spirit, worn with travail, imploring Thee for the refuge of the grave and denied it — for our sakes who adore Thee, Lord, blast their hopes, blight their lives, protract their bitter pilgrimage, make heavy their steps, water their way with their tears, stain the white snow with the blood of their wounded feet!
We ask it, in the spirit of love, of Him Who is the Source of Love, and Who is the ever-faithful refuge and friend of all that are sore beset and seek His aid with humble and contrite hearts.
Amen.
--Mark Twain
Good analysis of Iran's allies, such as they are, and how this might play out. Am guessing that Pakistan is rethinking its reported plan to nominate Trump for a Nobel Peace Prize.
ReplyDeletehttps://theconversation.com/who-are-irans-allies-and-would-any-help-if-the-us-joins-israel-in-its-war-259265
This country has zero moral stature and does not have the standing to tell anyone what to do or to bomb anyone. It’s not that we used to be good and now we’re bad, gone astray. I hate to say it but this has always been a major part of our country’s makeup. It’s just coming to a final denouement.
ReplyDeleteWe are a nation that attracts and nurtures exploiters, con men, and religious fanatics. We do have an admirable constitutional system if we have the will to follow it and hold leaders accountable.
DeleteWe need to reassess what benefits we get from supporting Israel, especially when a thug like Netanyahu is at the helm.
I wish the "Taco" thing hadn't got started. "Trump always chickens out". It was like a dare. You can't chicken out of dropping a bomb and getting into a war when you've already done it. He had to prove himself to be the king of the hill.
ReplyDeleteI do think the TACO thing might have actually played a part in his decision. He absolutely hates being mocked, especially when he thinks it’s an insult to his “manhood”. All of his macho posturing, his admiration for “ tough” guys, his need to surround himself with beautiful women, dumping wives as he ( and they) age all seem point to some possible insecurities about his masculinity.
DeleteThe Mark Twain story and prayer is powerful. I had not heard of it before. I looked it up and according to wiki, he ordered that it not be published until after his death. He feared reprisals apparently.
For many years I have struggled with the “ just war” theology. . We are (or weren’t - maybe are now) directly threatened by Iran, so bombing them surely does not meet “just war” standards. Does attempting to prevent a worse war meet them? That might be that notable Catholic Vance’s defense of this bombing.
I have long thought that war is never justified. Except, except….how is a totally evil person like Hitler stopped - without going to war?
Gandhi brought about change in India with minimal violence. Not minimal enough on the English side though for a long time. Eventually Gandhi’s campaign of non- violence did win. But his tactics would not have worked against Hitler, or Stalin or….many other tyrants.