What's Wrong With This Picture?

Imagine one of your friends needed help. You went to him with a plan that would hopefully get him out of a jam. The plan called for you to provide assistance and for him to gradually, but consistently, make changes that would put him in a position not to face the same dilemma again.



Sounds like a workable scenario to me. What do you think?



Yes, well I am sure you can agree. But, here is the problem. You hold up your end of the bargain. You pour your heart and soul into providing assistance. You utilize your resources and you spend night and day trying to create a situation that will help your friend. However, your friend isn't quite as devoted to digging himself out of the depths of disparity as you are in helping him.



Now, what do you do????



Like most people you reach a point where you have to say, "Alright, I have made the effort. I can't jeopardize myself anymore for someone who has less interest in himself than I have in him." You begin to withdraw from the quagmire and eventually you let your friend sink or swim on his own. Sure, you have second thoughts. But you look around and say to yourself, "It has to be me or him, and I have worked too hard to let myself be ruined by these circumstances."



Well, I am not so sure the USA hasn't reached this crossroads. As I have said before, I supported the war in Afghanistan. In fact, I still support our actions in Afghanistan and I do so for two reasons. First, I still believe that we can either capture or kill Osama Bin Laden, and I really don't care which development works out. Second, as time progresses and turmoil continues to unfold in Pakistan I believe we need to be close by to prevent any resultant surge from that country into Afghanistan.



But, Iraq continues to plague me. We seemingly make little progress. Sure, we are told that the surge is working. Still we read daily of insurgent bombings that results in many casualties and close to 100 American deaths each month. We have well over 100,000 troops in that country, struggling against guerrilla style attacks. We have nearly 1/4th of our entire complement of our military equipment in that country. We have gone deep into national debt, paying for not only the war but the rebuilding of that nation. And we see our own nation deeply divided as to whether we should continue in Iraq or withdraw.



Now, what has Iraq done. It successfully held elections and elected a government in a democratic manner. Yes, this was one of our goals. Iraq has been the reason why our government has had talks with such rogue nations as Syria and Iran. While these talks haven't necessarily been satisfactory, at least we have talked a bit. And, there has been some progress in the development of an Iraqi police force. Still, I am not sure Iraq has lived up to its end of the bargain.



Case in point. As of the first of August, the Iraqi government is going on a month-long vacation. Yes, a vacation. What am I missing here. We talk continually about the need for Iraq to begin taking over some of its own defense and its own rebuilding, yet the law-making body of that nation decides to go on sabbatical when so much is left to be done.



I am confused. I thought we had a deal. I thought the USA would do what it could do and Iraq would make efforts to do its share. In the end, hopefully Iraq would be a great nation, governing itself without the cruel leadership of a dictator such as Saddam Hussein. But, I am not sure the scales of justice are balanced here. The USA is doing its part, perhaps at its own jeopardy, while Iraq is taking a vacation.



There just seems something wrong with this picture!!!!