Author: Staff

  • Finally, A President That Can Admit Defeat

    Don’t Send Our Young Men and Women into a War We Cannot Win

    “With Taliban fighters poised to rout the U.S.-backed Afghan government — and with it the 20-year, multibillion-dollar effort to root Western-style democracy in Afghan soil — President Biden over the weekend first offered compassion for those left behind. “Our hearts go out to the brave Afghan men and women who are now at risk,” he said in a statement late Saturday as insurgents closed in on Kabul. But then Biden pivoted to the cold calculation behind his decision to pull the plug on a mission that has cost more than 2,000 American lives.” 1

    • The American War in Afghanistan: A History
      The American War in Afghanistan: A History by Carter Malkasian
      The American War in Afghanistan: A History – Available from Amazon.com

      The American war in Afghanistan, which began in 2001, is now the longest armed conflict in the nation’s history. It is currently winding down, and American troops are likely to leave soon ― but only after a stay of nearly two decades.

      In The American War in Afghanistan, Carter Malkasian provides the first comprehensive history of the entire conflict. Malkasian is both a leading academic authority on the subject and an experienced practitioner, having spent nearly two years working in the Afghan countryside and going on to serve as the senior advisor to General Joseph Dunford, the US military commander in Afghanistan and later the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Drawing from a deep well of local knowledge, understanding of Pashto, and review of primary source documents, Malkasian moves through the war’s multiple phases: the 2001 invasion and after; the light American footprint during the 2003 Iraq invasion; the resurgence of the Taliban in 2006, the Obama-era surge, and the various resets in strategy and force allocations that occurred from 2011 onward, culminating in the 2018-2020 peace talks. Malkasian lived through much of it, and draws from his own experiences to provide a unique vantage point on the war. Today, the Taliban is the most powerful faction, and sees victory as probable. The ultimate outcome after America leaves is inherently unpredictable given the multitude of actors there, but one thing is sure: the war did not go as America had hoped. Although the al-Qa’eda leader Osama bin Laden was killed and no major attack on the American homeland was carried out after 2001, the United States was unable to end the violence or hand off the war to the Afghan authorities, which could not
      survive without US military backing. The American War in Afghanistan explains why the war had such a disappointing outcome.

  • Yes, They Really Said That: Byrne, Locke

    Sister Dierdre Byrne, M.D.

    Called the vaccines “diabolic,” falsely linked them to abortion, and claimed the shots are a government plan for “total control of a populace.” 2

    Of course, the Pope is silent on this statement.

    Pastor Greg Locke

    He will kick worshippers out of his church if they wear masks, references QAnon conspiracy theories in his sermons, and even calls vaccines “a dangerous scam.” 3

  • Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents

    By Isabel Wilkerson

    Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents Hardcover by Isabel Wilkerson
    Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents Hardcover by Isabel Wilkerson – Available from Amazon.com

    In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings.

    Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people—including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others—she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their out-cast of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity.

    Beautifully written, original, and revealing, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is an eye-opening story of people and history, and a reexamination of what lies under the surface of ordinary lives and of American life today.

  • Ross Reck: Taking the Extra Moment to Show You Care Will Make You a Memorable Person

    People who care

    Often when we greet people that we encounter during our daily activities, we say something like, “Hi, how are things going?” They may respond with something like, “Fine.” “Great!” or, “Not bad.” And that’s the end of it. Now, if you want to get the most out of your greetings, when the other person tells how they are doing, take the extra moment say something that begs a response like, “Oh really.” “Tell me more.” or, “I’m sorry to hear that?” Doing this sends that person a convincing message that that you care about them which most people love to hear. As a result, you’ve not only brightened the entire rest of their day, but they’re not likely to forget about you anytime soon. For example, I was in a check-out line in a crowded Safeway supermarket near Lake Tahoe recently and I asked the checker how her day was going. She responded with, “Not very well.” Then I said, “I’m very sorry to hear that.” She went on, “A wildfire is threatening our home.” I then told her that I would pray for her and her family.” She came back with, “Thanks Ross, that means a lot,” (she had read my name when I swiped my Safeway Club Card). The next day, I went back to that same store and got into her check-out line. When she started to check-out my groceries, she said, “Things are much better today Ross. We are going to get through this. Thank you for caring.” The lesson here is that when you take the extra moment to show you care, people will remember who you are.

    References:

  • Door to Hell

    Door to Hell

    Karakum Desert, Turkmenistan

    Door To Hell
    Flicker Photo by Tormod Sandtorv – Flickr

    Where in the hell is Turkmenistan? Unless you are a political junkie, you are probably heading right to Google Maps to find out.

    The “Door to Hell” (aka Darvaza gas crater) is a small crater located in one of the world’s largest deserts.

    A collapsing drilling rig setup by Soviet engineers fell into an underground cavern where it exposed dangerous gases. These harmful gases were deliberately set on fire and continue to burn to this day which is now over 50 years.

    References: