Troop Surge

Congratulations will be in order when the final successes of the “troop surge” in Iraq come to fruition. It would be inappropriate to offer them at this time. What are required now are prayers of thanksgiving for the immediate progress and for the continued success of this mission.

The results to this point, are stunning, if incomplete. In rough terms, attacks (combat action, IED, etc.) by the enemy (Radical Islam) have diminished by about 65%. The number of coalition troops killed in action has steadily diminished in monthly numbers from a July 2007 figure of 180 to about 35 in December. That’s nearly an 80% reduction in six months. Take a minute and reread these numbers to fully appreciate the success so far.

Obviously, the importance of these statistics is tightly bound to the companion evaluation of the strengthening of the Iraqi government. Viewing the overall progress requires an examination of both. If quantifying the effectiveness of a government was as simple as crunching raw numbers on battle casualties, the entire process would be simple. It is not. Attempting to unify an un-natural collection of tribal interests in a country with little actual record as a nation is a monumental task. Yes, the area has an ancient history (Garden of Eden?) but not as a nation. Statehood was accomplished by a commission of Europeans over half a century ago. Given this lack of national history, overcoming their difficulty uniting the various factions is remarkable. They deserve applause for even making the attempt.

We are besot with a collection of people who for various selfish interests choose to ignore or at least conceal these obvious truths. Mainstream media and powerful politicians (Reid, Pelosi, Biden, Murnah, Dodd, et al) continue to drone endless criticism, mindless of the facts. I can understand the media. They have a commercial interest in promoting tragedy; it’s news. We rarely hear from them about puppies, kitties, playful children, and citizens doing good deeds. Instead, it’s a steady diet of fire, flood, death and mayhem in the streets. They never saw an axe murderer who couldn’t sell more papers or boost ratings. For the most part, their agenda is clear. In their defense, it is apparent that they could not long continue without a willing audience.

The Congress and other politicos are quite another matter. Their childish refusal to acknowledge the progressive success requires probing their deeper motives. They constantly refer to Viet Nam and their successful attempt to affect a withdrawal with the resultant diminishment of respect for America (well deserved) and the ensuing bloodbath of innocents. It is exactly the same template. Their interpretation defines that which they wish for their own ends and certainly not for the good of the United States and, for that matter, the world. To repeat the above, they could not continue to advance their destructive plans without willing voters to support them.

So, in the final analysis, it is we who are at fault. If we are unwilling to staunchly defend those young men and women who put their lives on the line for liberty for all and seek representatives in government who are willing to read the Constitution as written, we will reap the just reward. It is imperative that each American take responsibility for his gift of citizenship. We live in a marvelous country, peopled, thank God, by folks with an inherent sense of goodness and resilience. All we need to do is enhance our awareness and rise to the defense of the nation in our own communities. When God provided His marvelous gifts, did He say we would never have to defend them? No, but even though as individuals we do not have to take up arms, we do have an obligation to share the truth. It is a clear function of stewardship to maintain and carefully preserve that which we have been given.

Before anyone accuses me of partisanship, let me avow that I am not. The word implies blind and determined acceptance of a cause. I have that cause, but I am not blind. I have, with open-eyed wonder, watched my country carefully for a third of its life. From the grief of the Great Depression, WWII, and the widely varying challenges we have faced as a nation, I have seen the goodness of our cause and the sharing with the world; goods, industry, charity, benevolence and general assistance. We have made mistakes and will continue to do so. There is a difference between being “of God” and being God. I believe “we were endowed by our Creator” to be who and what we are. My prayer is that each and every citizen can realize his full potential as a citizen of this great and marvelous country.

In His abiding love,

Cecil Moon