The federal government has really been gung-ho in putting their own mark on the long-volatile Middle East situation since they were elected in 2000. The mark they have provided is obviously not the mark we were hoping to see; then again, should we be surprised? "Blissful Ignorance" seems to rule the day where our government is concerned, and a lot of breakdowns happening recently could probably be traced to some ill-advised decisions, made without much thought and plenty of prejudice.
My friend & co-worker came from Lebanon and he has been planning a trip back to see his family since April. Though I am sure he's aware of the bad news coming from the area this past week, he is undeterred. Each day the news seems to get worse from there, and we all fear for his safety. He shrugs it off as saying it's no big deal, but we know better.
I'm not saying that a series of events take precedence over the importance of family, and I know he is concerned about them more than ever. I only wish the timing of his visit was more, well, timely.
I will only get so far into the argument to say that whatever happens in the Middle East is meant to happen - as long as our country is not negatively involved in any way. Perhaps diplomacy & democracy are not seen in the same light there as we see it here. We value democracy and it is our backbone. The other countries cannot or choose not to accept it - rights they have as an existing country. Bad blood has been shed in neighboring countries for generations and it will likely continue. Perhaps they need to be left alone with their theories for survival, and their ways of taking care of their own people, and the enemy.
I always hated the U.S. being referred to as the "world's watchdog". Our government isn't even watching what's happening in its own territory.
