Where We Are Now, a Striking Contrast — on the One Hand, an Exploding Helicopter Filled with Duty, Honor, Courage, Integrity, Teamwork, and the Sad Misfortune of War — on the Other, a Congress and President Characterized by Avoidance, Dishonor, Cowardice, Lie-Telling, Self-Dealing, and Outrageously Inequitable Personal Comfort  

© 2011 Peter Free

 

09 August 2011

 

 

Imagine

 

Imagine yourself, with your military team, in the Chinook helicopter that the Taliban shot down on 06 August, while it was en route to a firefight in Afghanistan.

 

Hear the engines, feel the vibration, “adrenalin” the anticipation, memorize the preparation, experience the waiting, and taste a warrior’s sense of the complete unpredictability of war.

 

One second too many, and Fate tips decisively against you.

 

There was probably a last flash of recognition of what was happening, for at least some of the 30 Americans and 8 Afghans on board, as their years of dedication to honing their team-oriented skills terminated in death.

 

 

Compare

 

Now contrast your Chinook imagining with the nation’s long-running political fiasco, where selfishness, dishonor, and manipulative divisiveness are pedestaled.