There is a minor glitch in getting on the internet, so while there is a lot I have to say, I'll just post what is on my mind at the moment and fill in the rest tomorrow. Here is the issue at hand. Why any person would willingly choose to hike over 10 kilometers on what is in no way flat, paved road, compelte with a balls out ascent up a mountain to see a monastery, all in 100 degree heat, while feeling multiple blisters form is beyond me. Why anyone would do this on only two pieces of Pita bread and brand new sandals is even more bizarre. But alas, such is the wisdom of Lettis men in a nutshell. While the city of Petra (complete with the Indiana Jones treasury-gate and the even larger monastery) is miles upon miles of tombs and staircases carved into mountains and is no doubt the treasure of Jordan, it is hard not to leave depressed. Scores of young boys and girls with bad teeth go to great lengths to seel anything they can get their hands on, including shoe-boxes full of rocks they very kindly handpicked off the ground. With a little bit of initiative and some cunning fundraising, it would appear to be very simple to set up some schools for these kids, thus making Petra even more spectacular while giving hundreds of Middle Eastern children a livelihood and a sense of dreams that most children should have (or at the very least offering them the education needed to become fully aware, pissed off, and the future of Middle Eastern terrorism).
Regardless, you have to love the Middle East. It is the only place in the world where simultaneously getting kicked in the head bu a donkey whilst getting trampeled by a train of camels becomes a legitimate threat to your well-being. Speaking of which, an editorial in the Jordan Times, whic gives a relatively basic assault on American foreign policy towards terrorism (albeit largely accurate) asks a fairly simple question: Why are Americans so afraid of Arabs? Is it becasue of 9/11? Can you imagine if we took the trillion dollars we're shelling out to battle terrorism - which is a tactic and for all intents and purposes never can be defeated - and used it for something else? Overhaul healthcare, perhaps? Invest in new energy, perhaps, thus weening us from foreign oil and making the Middle East a moot point. How about putting a man on Mars and actually sparking the intrigue of "what we can achieve when we put our minds to it" that makes America so unique? The fact this debate has been largely political theater and never taken seriously is slightly disconcerting and actually plays directly into the hands of al Qaeda who claims the desire to drag the US into a long, neverending war in the Middle East while draining its resources as a main objective.
Quote of the Day: "The United States was founded on a set of beliefs and not, as were other nations, on a common ethnicity, language, or religion."
2 comments:
I am more afraid of the Chinese than I am of Arabs. I've come close to reaching martyrdom by way of bicycle, taxi, and bus on several occasions in roughly 72 hours. Regarding the fund-raising for schools in Jordan (and in the Middle East generally) - I completely agree. Alleviating the ingrained sense of relative deprivation felt by young people may help to thwart the path to extremism before it has a chance to develop. Or maybe I don't know what I'm talking about - after all, you're the terrorism guy. Hope all is well buddy.
Use the money from the War on Terrorism to "overhaul healthcare, perhaps?" We're going to need Universal Healthcare if we stop the War on Terror. Mass casualties on the American mainland is something I've vowed never to witness again. Maybe we could continue the War on Terror and salve our wounds with the knowledge that our obesity and hypertension is self-inflicted?
Dave, be careful over there, and come back safe and well-informed. Jeff
Post a Comment