USA SCORES A HUGE WIN IN THE CONFEDERATIONS CUP SOCCER TOURNAMENT

The United States plays in its first major International Final Sunday after defeating Spain 2-0. Spain is the number 1 ranked team in the world and was previously undefeated. Congratulations USA

Iranian Elections

I think we have no choice but to take a "wait and see" attitude toward this one. The Iranians have at least proven that they don't have a "rubber-stamp" election process. It is also encouraging that the Supreme Council has decided to consider a recount, etc.. Iran is in a state of transition with over half their population under the age of 30. This is a great situation as the old guard dies out and the younger, more educated group begins to play a part in the political process. Who knows, could be that this could lead to a Tianimin Square type crackdown. If this is the case, it might play into the hands of the more liberal, younger element.

More on North Korea

The time is over for talk. Kim Jong iL is a madman who must be stopped at all costs. I had hoped that the Chinese would put a muzzle on this lapdog but it appears they are at a loss as to what to do. He has embarrassed the Chinese government to the point that they are willing to back sanctions against him. We must not sit by and allow him to threaten and poster as if he is the leader of a legitimate government. I am not advocating the U.S. go it alone, however, we should move quickly to forge an alliance with Russia and China to end this threat to WORLD stability. Under no circumstances should we allow this to fester while he robs from the mouths of his own people to increase his arsenal of nuclear and conventional weapons. During the first Gulf War, the United States was able to forge an alliance of nations from all over the world to fight what was rightfully viewed as naked aggression against Kuwait. The latest threats of nuclear attack issued by Kim have put the world at a much bigger risk. The time for action is now.

ISLAM AND THE UNITED STATES

Islam is the world’s third largest religion so it would be asinine for the U.S. to avoid dealing with Islamic issues. The question is, at what point do we peaceably coexist and at what point is confrontation necessary. Obviously, we have many countries in our "Friends" column which profess to be Islamic while we also have "Enemies" who adhere to the faith of Mohammed. Now, let’s be clear, most Muslims are not extreme and simply want to practice their faith in peace, however, if practicing that faith means they turn a blind eye to the evils of their extremist brethren, then they cannot be viewed as moderate nor even friendly to the U.S.. As a nation, we should continue to applaud the efforts of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and other Arab nations who are currently attempting to eradicate extremism, notwithstanding, they should be admonished when deals are made with any group professing to be Taliban or Al Qaida. As for American Muslims, they should be treated with the same respect as other religions. It would be great to see a million Muslim march on Washington protesting terrorism.

North Korea

The United States has to encourage China to take care of this situation. While US and UN pressure will help, China has the power to end the crisis right now.

President Obama and the Current State of Affairs

MY OPENING THOUGHTS

First of all, I voted for John McCain. Why, I have always been an admirer of Senator McCain and stated from the first day that he was my favorite candidate. Notwithstanding, Barak Obama is the elected President of the United States and deserves our respect. I am troubled by the continued attacks being levelled at him from the right. While I was not a fan of President Bush, I was equally upset over the way the left treated him. My main disagreement with President Obama revolves around the abortion issue. While Roe v. Wade may be "established law", it has been taken far from the original decision. Being pro-life, it is my hope that he will continue to evolve on the abortion issue. I was Pro-choice for over half my life, however, it took personal experiences with pre-mature babies and what I feel was a convicting of the Holy Spirit which led me to modify my views on this issue. This may be a lame introduction to my Blog but its a start. Please comment.