Going to work yesterday, I listened to NPR. Now, don’t get me wrong – I really do like NPR for giving me at least clear view of what’s going on. Are they biased? I don’t know anyone who isn’t. But, for the most part, they do attempt to do more than one side. And they don’t yet. I hate yelling. Fox News – yellers. Sometimes, though, I get so depressed listening to NPR. Somehow, it seems to highlight all the insanity in the world.

So, I’m driving and listening to a report on how many people (Sen. Joe Lieberman, members of Israeli Government, John Bolton) are calling for us to go to war with Iran. For long stretches of highway, I know I put people in danger because I was looking incredulously at my radio. War with Iran? Are these people IN-SANE? There was a voice of reason, oddly enough. It came from an unlikely source, in my book. Actually, there were several voices of reason: President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (“The possibility of war is a joke”) for one and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (http://www.jcs.mil/) Mike Mullen. In an interesting news conference, he stated that “a third front would further destabilize the region and peace…. we need to bring diplomatic policy to bear…I don’t need this to be more unstable.” A military leader with some sense. Thank Buddha!

It’s also a military leader basically saying, “Hey, numbnuts! We don’t need more war, I got my hands full as it is. Try working this out another way and leave the military out of it for once! Try, I dunno, talking?” Okay, so I’m paraphrasing but you get my drift. I’m sure everyone else with a modicum of intelligence and foresight is thinking the same thing. I hate the phrase “we rule no option out.” I know why it’s given (yes, to make sure people know we’ll carry out whatever trivial threat we propose) but it’s ridiculous. It immediately puts the focus on the worst possible scenario instead of actually solving problems.

That’s the current craziness I’m talking about – the reluctance to solve problems. Excuse me, Statin drugs for 8 year olds? Does anyone else find this alarming? First off, teach your kids how to eat right. If you don’t know, find out for yourself. Second, say no. It’s not hard. You can do it. I’ve done it. You can do it. Say no! Set boundaries. Lastly, work to change your environment if you feel it’s not good for your kids. Don’t just tell them not to do drugs – be engaged. If you’re not having kids just because you can, then you have taken on an eighteen year job of education and work. Don’t put it off on someone else – just do it.

This lack of responsibility is alarming. The lack of solving problems even more so. When we take to putting on bandages instead of stopping the bleeding, pretty soon we’re going to bleed to death. Pure and simple. We can’t find the terrorists so we’re going to go ahead and continue to listen in on you, whether you like it or not. Our civil liberties are eroding and we’re doing very little. I remember in 2003 being so incensed about the possibility of war with Iraq. I thought it was wrong then and wrong now. I also remember being ridiculed and harassed because I felt that way. I was a “traitor” and didn’t support the troops. Huh? Since when did free speech become a means to be called traitor? Generally, that charge is pretty heavy and involves prison. Do people realize what they say or do and how it affects others? Obviously not.

I digress, once more. I think that we live in crazy times. I just can’t believe we’re allowing it to become crazier. I cannot believe ANYONE would seriously entertain the idea of war, and probably another illegal war, with yet another middle eastern country. Do we have no sense of letting people have sovereignty? Do we have no sense of letting people work out their own ways? Let’s trounce on people who hate us, first, so they don’t have the chance to do anything to us. Yes, and that makes us become more loved? Are we all that crazy?

I heard once, while living in Germany, that most of the rest of the world thought of us as little children – Americans, that is. I tend to agree. If someone takes our ball, rather than ask for it back we nuke ’em.

–TDD