What
If….
Russia,
America, Israel, Iran, Syria, et al., Are Playing a Game?
By Pastor Ed Evans
During the
1980s, there was a very popular movie titled “War Games.” A very young Matthew Broderick played the
part of a computer-savvy youngster who hacked into a Pentagon computer that
played war games for the military Joint Chiefs of Staff and strategic planners
in the war room. But when young Matthew,
as part of the “game”, opted to launch a nuclear attack, the robot computer
really launched a flight of nuclear missiles at Russian targets. And neither Matthew nor the Generals could
shut them down. But before it reached
that point, again and again, the robot computer would offer, “Do you want to
play a game?”
The only
fail-safe was to opt out of the game before the final decisive directive was
reached.
So, if for
the sake of argument, we entertain the computer’s enticing “Do you want to play
a game?” there is just one more element from the past that we need in
place. It comes from nine years earlier.
On September
9, 1971, Apple Records released Beatle John Lennon’s second studio album, “Imagine”. Destined to become a blockbuster hit, the
song begins with “Imagine there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try … No hell
below us … Above us only sky … Imagine all the people living for today...” Indeed, how hard would it be to “imagine no
possessions” when your personal worth is half a billion dollars, as was his. Yet, there are similarities between the
imagination of John Lennon and the Pentagon/political planners.
I have to
wonder, would we be justified in calling John Lennon a “seer”, a modern day
Nostradamus, if we suggest the song “Imagine” carries with it some strangely predictive
description of today’s American political leadership? After all, Nostradamus, the French prophet and
occultic seer who died in 1566, did predict rising wars in the Middle East that
would lead to a 27-year World War III. In
fact, among his top ten predictions for the year 2016 are that Barak Obama will
be America’s last President, there will be unusual weather patterns, attacks on
Israel that will bring the West to its defense, and the melting of the North
and South Poles.
Does the
American political leadership follow the prophecies of Nostradamus? Are they aware of his predictions for
2016? Some people assiduously avoid
reading their own horoscopes because they feel the predictions may influence
their behavior. What about America’s
military leadership in the Pentagon, the DoD?
What about America’s political “royalty”?
So okay,
maybe John Lennon could take on minor Nostradamus status, but let’s get back to
the enticement, “Do you want to play a game?”
What if our elected and appointed leadership is, after all, just playing
a game. Then the real issue might be who
makes the rules? Who enforces the rules? What are the rules, or more to the point, are
there any rules?
Let us, with
John Lennon, imagine there is a quasi “game” underway, imagine that there are
no unplanned consequences that blind-sided the players, and that they know
exactly what they are doing. But don’t
lose track of that fateful “computer” in the background, operating under its
own principles, qualifications, and planned goals. And therein lies the real danger, that the
players believe they are in control, allowing untoward events to proceed,
certain they can “shut them down” whenever they wish.
Imagine that
the Generals and Admirals of the Pentagon, and the politicians of the White
House, did know all along that attempting to de-throne King Assad of Syria, one
of Russia’s prime consumers and petroleum traders, would push Russia to protect
its interests with boots on the ground and aerial support.
Imagine they
also knew and foresaw that attempting to please and play ball with both Saudi
Arabia and Iran, who are the religious enemies of not only America, but of each
other, would be to light a match in a gas-filled room.
Imagine they
knew that after deliberately and overtly disrupting Russian military dominance
in Afghanistan, this would bring Russia anxiously to the war table to do
exactly the same thing to American forces in Afghanistan through local tribes.
Imagine also
that they knew by training and arming Afghanistan Islamic fighters with western
tactics and armament that those fighters would view the American forces as much
the invaders as the Russians and build up a fledging al Qaeda army into a
formidable ISIS juggernaut.
Imagine
these American planners, military and political, knew ahead of time that by promoting
sanctuary in Iraq to the political free radicals from Turkey known as the Kurds
would anger the Turks and lead them to attack those same Kurds and their mobile
government in northern Iraq.
Imagine they
knew this apparent “betrayal” of Turkish sovereignty would drive the nation to
support an Islamic leader who would pit Turkey’s future against Christian
America and its allies.
Imagine they
knew any nuclear treaty with Iran which gives Iran the control and flexibility
of the current agreement, would further endanger not only Israel, but American
allies in the Middle East and European region, and, because of new and
far-reaching missiles, American interests, as well.
Imagine they
knew the complex crossing of the lines of historical and political allegiances,
as well as tribal, familial and religious allegiances, would eventually lead
Turkey to shoot down a Russian war plane over Syria, moving the Russian Bear’s
paw that much closer to the nuclear button.
And now,
imagine they knew that historic trade agreements between China and Qatar would
lead the Chinese to maneuver themselves into establishing bases of operations
on the Mediterranean Sea such as Camp al-Sayliyah and al-Udeid Air Base. One more match poised to ignite a gas-filled
room.
Finally,
imagine they knew that those countries with warships on the Mediterranean, such
as Russia, China, and Iran could care less about the American fleet there
because they know from inactions they have already observed, that the Americans
will not back up their threats with anything beyond trade embargoes.
“Imagine
there’s no heaven, it’s easy if you try … No hell below us … Above us only sky …
Imagine all the people living for today...”
Living for
today begins to sound attractive, for tomorrow appears to be very tenuous, to
say the least. And certainly no tomorrow
of which anyone in the West would dream.
So the
question must be asked. If, as they
claim, our American military and political planners knew, and know, what they
are doing, in whose interest are they operating? It seems clear none of these accomplishments
are in the best interest of the people of the United States, and most not in
the best interests of America’s allies.
It appears America’s traditional rejection of the military coup as a
check against political chicanery and unrestrained agendas has not served the best
interests of the American people.
Political correctness and personal aggrandizement by this nation’s
leadership have run wild in America, damaging this nation’s economy, its
standing in the world, and thereby its ability to be a helping hand to the
world’s “tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”
We must find
a way to right the wrongs we have allowed to hobble and fragment this nation,
to make us vulnerable to our enemies, to obstruct the future this world needs
America to live out. It begins in each
home with a solid set of morals and ethics, with not accepting anything
less.
It starts
with me. It starts with you. Let us, individually and together, hold high
the banner of what America is all about, refusing to allow our local, state and
national leadership to accept less, to agree to less -- freedom, liberty, and
justice: “one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Integrity, truth and public trust matter.
The Department
of Homeland Security (DHS) promotes a program of public awareness with the
slogan “If you see something, say something.”
It’s borrowed from the World War II era, but a Gallup poll two years ago
found that less than 50% of Americans were aware of the program begun in 2011.
Nevertheless,
it’s a good idea and should be in effect beyond the need to report terrorism or
suspicious activity. It should apply
everywhere the high water marks of ethics and morality apply. And when you see something that is wrong,
ethically or morally, you need to immediately notify your Congressman and
Senator. Contact your local city
representative, your Mayor and your Governor. Let them know how you feel about specific violations
of ethics and morality locally, statewide, and nationally.
In the eyes
of the world, America is always in the spotlight. Our historic beginning as a nation of
Christian ethics and morals will always be challenged by those who don’t feel
we are living up to our own limits of life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness, three examples of the “unalienable rights” the American Declaration
of Independence says has been given to all human beings by their Creator, and
for which governments are created to protect.
Even some Americans who don’t understand our history foolishly challenge
it.
However, they are your rights. Don’t give them up without a fight for their
existence.
This is no game. But
if it were, you have already been declared a winner.
