Starbuck's Foreign Policy

I listened to a series of clips of the President's speech on Libya last night and I honestly have no idea what he is talking about. It reminded me of something that came out of an overly-caffeinated session at Starbuck's by a bunch of poli sci undergrads.There were lots of whirls and flourishes, but still I don't know what our mission is, who is running it, and how we know when it is accomplished. Perhaps some questions are in order.

Is a vital national interest involved? Maybe. I know that it's  hopelessly archaic to consider oil as something vital to the U.S. but think about what our country would look like if half of our oil disappeared. It shouldn't take long to figure out that it would be disastrous to our economy, which is already barely limping along. The U.S. gets about 45% of its oil from the Middle East and Africa, almost half our total usage. lugar.senate.gov/energy/graphs/oilimport.html Obviously not all of it comes from Libya. In fact, not a lot does but it goes to Western Europe and other major customers and to the extent that the supply is stopped, it will cause a ripple effect through the world supply system that is not good.

How does Libya fit into the political storm sweeping across the Arab countries and what does this portend for Western oil supplies? For example, if the Muslim Brotherhood or al Qaeda takes over the countries producing nearly half our oil, might we reasonably expect some problems? Have you checked how much oil we are currently getting from Iran?

What is our goal? Does Gaddafi go or not? The President says "yes" and others in his Administration say "no."  I hate to break it to Mr. Obama, but what you say has meaning as the President of the United States. Before you say Gaddafi has to go, you had darn well better have a plan in place to make sure it happens. The surest way to get into big time trouble is to not say what we mean and mean what we say. Think Korea. The President has probably already broken the eggs and now has no choice but to make the omelet.

Whose side are we on? Is there a player(s) we can work with? I have not a clue and I'm pretty sure the President doesn't either. He seems to think that young people yearning for freedom (YPYF) are the pony to bet on. Last Friday the New York Times reported that in Egypt it is now the military and the Muslim Brotherhood running the show, not the YPYFs that we saw in all the news clips. We already know that one of the significant factions involved in the fighting is a local al Qaeda franchisee who fought against the U.S. in Afghanistan. Since this will be like fighting a turf war with the Capone mob for control of Chicago, is there anyone besides earnest YPYFs to go the mattresses against al Qaeda once Gaddafi is out?

Do we have the military capability? Yeah. Our military is sorely used and abused, but it continues to perform magnificently when asked. Already the Libyan skies are controlled by the West. I am absolutely against boots on the ground, though, unless the mission becomes a lot clearer than it is right now. Even then, we would need to carefully assess our Army/Marine capabilities in light of current commitments to Iraq and Afghanistan. As near as I can tell, we are about 4 Army divisions and 1-2 Marine MEUs short of what we need to meet our commitments without burning our military out. 

These are some of the questions that need to be answered but weren't last night by the President. We should never openly commit American power unless the mission is well defined, we have the capability and the will to use that capability, and we are willing to see it through to the end. If we are not, then stay the heck out of Dodge - too many brave Americans get killed for nothing.

Perspective

Perhaps it is just me getting older and grumpier, but doesn't it seem like we've had a wetter and longer winter than usual? My impression was confirmed when I found our dog chasing this in the backyard this morning. At least I won't have to go far to go fishing!

All this was made more acute because we just returned from Arizona. Yes Virginia, there is a place where it doesn't rain all day, every day! Spring Training and the Grand Canyon have been on our Bucket List for awhile and both were great. If you haven't been to the Grand Canyon - go. Pictures simply do not do it justice. The size and rich colors are magnificent. We hiked the rim for 2.5 miles and the vistas are constantly changing. While doing so we heard people from various countries exclaim over the same things that we were. God does great work and it recharged our mental batteries just in time. Spring is coming - keep telling yourself - Spring is coming. 

A Stroke of Genius

Microsoft has rolled out Internet Explorer 9 - IE9 - to a not so breathlessly waiting world. We use Windows computers at work, though, so I dutifully logged onto the Microsoft IE9 site to see about downloading the new browser for our office. Surprise, surprise, surprise. Guess what does not work with Windows XP? Yup, you guessed it. And guess who uses Windows XP, along with with 40-50% of the rest of the computers in the world? Right again. So all we need to do is go out and buy Windows 7 for all our machines and we're good. Not so fast there, sonny. It turns out that we probably need to buy all new computers to provide enough oomph to run Windows 7. Interesting. The new versions of other browsers, Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox for example, all run on XP without a hitch.  Hmmm. Although I'm sure that IE9 is a good product, I foresee declining market share for Microsoft in the browser wars. Way to think it through fellas! BTW, I will be going to Apple for my next business computer because of genius like this.

Yeah, But What Do You Use for Slugs?

"Horseshoes, Herbs and Urine: All Useful for Warding Off Fairies"--headline, Caledonian Mercury (Edinburgh, Scotland), March 15, Wall Street Journal, Best of the Web, 3/16/11.

What They Really Want

As the November election fades in the rear view mirror questions have been raised about what the public "really" wants. These questions have been raised, for example, by the public union strikers in Wisconsin - as in the public "really" likes things the way they are. Well, the mayor of Miami just found out what the public really wants and we no longer have to guess.

The Honorable Mayor Carlos Alvarez (a Republican by the way) raised property taxes in Miami-Dade County Florida by a whopping 40% and used it to give raises to city/county employees. The voters were not amused and he just lost a recall election by the equally whopping margin of 88% - 12%. The next time you hear someone presume to say what the public wants - more government spending - just say, "Remember Carlos" followed shortly thereafter by "Bite me!"

latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2011/03/16/successful-miami-dade-recall-effort-fueled-money-public-discontent/

Paging Mr. Barack Obama - White Courtesy Telephone Please

James Taranto comments in the Wall Street Journal's "Best of the Web" on the President's busy schedule:

"Today, notes National Review's Jim Geraghty, quoting Politico's Mike Allen, he "will tape interviews from the Map Room with KOAT Albuquerque, KDKA Pittsburgh and WVEC Hampton Roads on education reform and the need to fix No Child Left Behind." He also "is taping his NCAA [basketball] picks today, and they'll be revealed tomorrow on ESPN."
Forbes reports that this weekend, amid crises in the Middle East and Japan, Obama will travel overseas--to Brazil.
And this past Saturday, ABC News reported, "for the second week in a row, the most powerful man in the world stepped away from the White House to hit the golf course."

Japan has taken a body blow, Libya and much of the Middle East is up for grabs, gas prices are going through the roof, and unemployment is still hovering around 9%. Would it be too much to ask for Mr. Obama to show up and DO something substantive? Anything substantive?

USAF Helps Japan

The recent tragedy in Japan is horrendous. I was still awake last week when the first bulletins of a massive earthquake hit the air and suddenly I was watching live and unedited video feeds of the subsequent tsunami devouring everything in its path as it rolled across cities, villages, and farm land.  I had the same reaction as when I saw the second jet ram into the WTC on 9/11 - this can't be happening!

Happen it did and as terrible as it was, the Japanese people are industrious and will rebuild the broken parts of their country. Hopefully, the United States and other nations will be right there with them in this endeavor. Already, American Air Force U-2 strategic reconnaissance aircraft from Korea and Global Hawk drones from Guam are flying photo missions to assess the damage that will help Japanese officials decided what to do next. Nice job Air Force! I am sure that the Navy carriers and other ships and services are also assisting in this effort. I like it when swords can be turned into plowshares, at least for awhile.  

www.osan.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123246533

(Tip 'o the hat to Al Lyons for this story)

Hablo Democracy?

Looking at the Obama Administration stumbling around trying to find its voice on the rapidly unfolding events in the Middle East, I think that they have forgotten how to speak democracy. The founders of this country did not suffer from this disability. Consider the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_transcript.html

This is language that gets people excited. Applying it to the situation in Libya, which side should the U.S. support? Not a tough call, is it?

We need to support pro-democratic elements and encourage them to support each other against Kaddafi and the jihadist tyrants. Iraq, as an example, is not perfect, but they are starting to figure it out. The message of the Declaration of Independence is a clarion call to the oppressed people of the world. Maybe it's time our government learns how to speak democracy again.

Blistering Sales Pace Continues

The transition to electric cars continues at a blistering pace. GM's January 2011 sales figures totaled 178,897 units, including - drum roll please - 321 Chevy Volts! This was down from December 2010 when it sold 326 of these babies.  The press release says that (I kid you not!) demand has been "red hot." GM plans to "build on the Volt's momentum", although how this may happen is a little difficult to see right now. All is well, though, because the Volt outpaced the Nissan Leaf's sizzling January sales of 87. I have to stop and sit down while a patriotic surge ripples through my body!

Well, there you have it, the car that is leading the transformation of Detroit and the driving habits of a nation.  Good show, jolly good show!

gm-volt.com/2011/02/02/as-volt-sales-outpace-the-leaf-gm-works-on-lowering-price/

Should Congress Investigate Lutheran Terrorism?

The House Homeland Security Committee is planning to hold hearings in New York City about homegrown Muslim jihadists. In response, an "interfaith" group is organizing a rally to protest the hearings saying that it should not target just one faith. news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110306/ap_on_re_us/us_muslim_hearings_rally  Maybe they have a point.

The media is chock full of stories about Lutheran terrorists coming here from the Scandinavian countries to commit unspeakable atrocities. The myriad stories of Buddhist monks blowing themselves up in crowded public places in major American cities will never be forgotten.The worst are Episcopalians who have brought the scourge of IEDs to America. Absolutely these groups need to be examined by Congress!

But turning to our homegrown Islamic jihadists there is, to name just one, Major Nidal Hasan. In 2009 he shot and killed 13 of his fellow soldiers and wounded 32 more at Ft. Hood, TX all the while shouting the now all too familiar refrain"Allahu akbar!" Hasan was born and raised in Arlington, VA near Washington, DC and his family is of Jordanian and Islamic origin. What caused him to go off the rails is worth knowing. Why? Consider the following:

"... a 2007 survey of American Muslim opinion conducted by the Pew Research Center. Eight percent of American Muslims who took part in this survey said they believed that suicide bombing can sometimes be justified in defense of Islam. Even accepting a low estimate of three million Muslims in the U.S., this would mean that 240,000 among us hold that suicide bombing in the name of Islam can be justified. Among American Muslims 18-29 years old, 15 percent agreed with that and 60 percent said they thought of themselves as Muslim first and Americans second. Among all participants in the survey, five percent—and five percent of the low estimate of three million Muslims in America is 150,000—said they had a favorable view of al Qaeda. Given these numbers, it is not unreasonable to suggest that the political aims and ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood represent a domestic threat to national security."  www.hillsdale.edu/news/imprimis/archive/issue.asp?year=2011&month=01

I agree. While there may be a few Lutheran or Episcopal wing nuts, and although the vast majority of American Muslims may be law-abiding and peaceful, there is nevertheless a clear and present danger among homegrown Muslims that has already manifested itself several times with fatal results. Hopefully, the Congressional hearings will give us an even clearer view of this threat.

Natural Gas to the Rescue

Gasoline is approaching $4/gallon and the U.S. is finally moving to on-shore its energy production! Well, no, as in N-O-P-E. The Obama Administration has shut down wells in the Gulf of Mexico, Congress has refused to allow drilling in Alaska, coal is bad, nukes are beyond the pale. Let's just keep buying Middle East and Hugo Chavez oil, shall we? It's enough to make you think that our current energy "policy" was scripted by the sheiks! Fortunately, someone is moving to free up available energy with new technology.

The German magazine Der Spiegel reports on new natural gas drilling technology that allow gas to be recovered from deeper levels and smaller pockets than ever before. The new process is called "fracking" and it involves injecting a water/sand mixture into deep pockets to force the gas out and into collection pipes. While it is rapidly evolving all around the globe, the U.S. is leading the pack, with Pennsylvania and North Dakota in the vanguard. In fact, did you know that the U.S. is now the leading producer of natural gas in the world on the strength of this new technology? Probably not because the media finds it much interesting to extol the "virtues" of ethanol, which is nothing more than a thinly-disguised subsidy to corn-producing states that wrecks engines and lowers mileage. Fortunately, someone is doing the heavy lifting out of the media's eye and is really helping lift the U.S. out of its dependence on foreign energy. Now if we could just accelerate the process to an electric economy with the power produced from a variety of sources like small nuclear plants, hydro, clean coal, etc., we could let the folks in the Middle East literally go pound sand.

www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,748573,00.html

What Aisle is the Lysol On?

Under the heading of "News You Can Use" here's a story to remember next time you go grocery shopping. A University of Arizona study found fecal contamination on 72% of all grocery cart handles. Pass the Lysol please.

www.usatoday.com/yourlife/health/2011-03-02-grocerycarts_N.htm

Hold On - We're Comin'

Americans were being evacuated from Libya last week by ferry because the Libyan government wouldn't give our planes permission to land. www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41762184/ns/world_news-mideast/n_africa/  So? This didn't bother the Brits who flew C-130s secretly into the Libya desert to a rendezvous and airlifted 150 of their people out. articles.latimes.com/2011/feb/26/world/la-fg-libya-rescue-20110227  I will take a wild guess that they had fighter cover close by. Apparently this is the new "soft power" that liberals are so fond of. Anybody got a Dramamine? I'm feeling sick to my stomach.