Iraq, hot buttons and leadership

Abu Musab al-Zarqawi the top Al-Qaida leader in Iraq was killed in a strategic bombing raid last night. While Iraqi officials and U.S. officials are calling this a positive step forward in the war on terror, Al-Qaida is celebrating his death saying he was a great martyr for the cause. They will continue to come after the evil doers in the west, and they vow to continue this fight. I was pleased to see that we finally took this guy out, because I am under the impression that little by little we are taking apart their system and picking apart their spirits. Am I wrong to think that? Is every kill we make and every capture we produce getting us a step closer to ending this global war on terror, or is it just another bump along the way of the endless conflict that will consume western society for the rest of our lives. I am still confident that democratic ideas can make a positive impact on middle eastern society. With that said, I don't mean to say that these countries will become democracies, I think that will prove to be impossible (theocracies at best). But I think that the impact that freedom and free societies will have on these people can make a difference. I have no problem with the Islamic faith at the base, but radical Islam is the one doing all the talking. I think that if an end is ever to be in sight it must be a joint effort between the free democratic states of the west, and the Islamic states of the Middle East. These terror organizations are training these kids from day one. It is kind of like (although on a completely different scale) what Hitler was able to do with Nazi youth camps. Almost brainwashing children and youth to fit a purpose. The only problem was that Hitler was after nationalism and an ideology while these radical sects of Islam are based on religious principals. I believe that this capture is a good thing, I believe that we are slowly headed in the right direction, but I also believe that the direction that we have to go is to the root of Islam. We need to show these young kids that terror is not the root of Islam just like Nazism was not the root of Germany. For that we need the worldwide Muslim community to stand up.

The gay marriage debate is back at the forefront, as President Bush has made a push to get congress moving on passing an amendment, for a possible constitutional ban. I was not going to touch this one with a ten foot poll, but there have been some recent events that have changed my mind ever so slightly. Many are saying that it is not the government's job to regulate something like marriage, and that is one of those things that falls under the category of "choice." My question is isn't everything in life fall under the category of choice? This is dangerous territory which this country is embarking on. True that this technically falls into the category of choice, but with that logic so does murder. Even though it is wrong and illegal, does not make it anyless of a choice. It is human nature to have a choice such as murder or stealing. You make that choice. Gay marriage is another one such choice (granted not on the same scale, and I was not trying make a comparison just using two extreme examples to show the inherent right of choice). My point is that there are few people in this country that believe that murder is ok, because there is a higher moral standard that seems to prohibit it in most cultures (but we won't get into that at this time). However many believe that the ability for a homosexual couple to get married is not for the government to decide. Their argument often centers around examples from dystopic literature such as Orwell's 1984 or Zamyatin's We. That a government can have too much control and start taking away rights of its citizens. I can see that argument. I am a proponent for smaller government. I believe that often times less is more. On the other hand isn't it true that government is in place for a purpose? We elect these officials for a reason. Are we capable of ruling ourselves? No we're not. Anarchy is not an option. The other end of the spectrum is that what is next? If we keep making exceptions and allowing people to do what they want when they want, and allow the judicial system to keep making rulings the way they seem fit it can become volatile. It is a dangerous crossroads. Where do I stand? I can sympathize with moderate arguments from both sides. So as always somewhere in the middle.

Tomorrow, I start my series on leadership. It is something that has been on my mind lately, and I look forward to sharing some thoughts.