Just Maybe

When it comes to fighting the Islamic State (IS), just maybe it’s time the President followed the old adage, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”, and consider letting Russia resupply Syria with all the weapons it needs to fight and defeat IS in Syria and re-establish governance over all of Syria, and consider letting Iran’s military and Iran-backed Hezbollah militias fight IS on the ground in Iraq while we provide air support and missions against IS in both countries alongside the coalition of other Middle Eastern countries.

We’ve admitted no single military, including the US, unless we put tens of thousand fully supported troops on the ground, can defeat IS, but a coalition can, regardless of their political affliation or diplomatic ties. The Islamic State needs to be defeated, and the sooner the better, so the choice for the US to be all in, like we did before or partner with whomever wants to fight them.

The strategy about the old adage is not new. We’ve partnered with our enemies before, and there is no reason we can’t now for fighting the IS. It’s time to put ego and bravado aside and be realistic with the IS.

Food

If you want to really appreciate food, take some major, commonly used ingredient out of your diet. Say, wheat. Take everything made from or with wheat out of your diet, no matter how the amount of wheat in the food, just take the food out of your diet. From bread to prepared foods, anything with wheat. Do this for a month, minimum. Then see what you eat and decide how much you like wheat and wheat it does for the foods you eat.

Any bets you can’t do it? If you can, then remove another major food, like meat, such as beef, or starches, such as potatoes, or green/leafy vegetables, or classes of fruit, or dairy products, or eggs, or so on down the list, one group per month for a year or so. Then you’ll see how much food is a part of your life, not just your meals, snacks, etc., but how you live, shop and most of all, how and what you enjoy.

But start with wheat. Any bets at the end of the first month, the first thing you’ll eat is a hamburger on a big bun, a big cinnamon roll or stack of pancakes, or a pizza?

Power

What’s wrong with the American idea is that it’s based on the notion of power. He, and it’s always assumed to be a he, who has the power does everything they can to stay in power, including preventing the rest of society from acquiring the skills to get into and fight for power with education, jobs, access of what those in power have and know.

This requires a systematic operation to appear to be concerned about all the people and selling the dream of power to everyone at the same time covertly preventing anyone else from attaining power. And that takes money to be elected and stay in power. It’s an oligarchy disguised as a democratic republic. And it doesn’t matter the name of the political party, they’re both equally corrupt for the same goals and purpose, to get and keep power over everyone else.

And yes, it was designed from the begnning of our nation when the founders excluding minorities and women. Only white male land owners were included in power, under the guise of democracy. The rest were bought and sold a lie.

Cafe

The guy leaning against the wall outside
the bar across the street, smoking
before going back inside
after greeting a few regulars
going in for lunch.

The street sweeper washing and
sweeping the lanes of the dust
from the construction in the adjacent lot,
a crane reflected in the windows
across the street.

The locals going by walking dogs,
chatting with each other,
pushing carts of their belongings,
carrying groceries, lunches, etc.,
as on their way somewhere.

The noise of the radio station
from the speakers around the cafe,
the espresso machine and dishwasher,
the conversations between friends
sharing coffee and food.

The noise of the accordion buses
at the bus stop in front of the cafe,
people shouting greetings to friends,
cars with radios turned up loud,
sirens blaring in the distance.

People standing, waiting for their bus,
milling, then in line to step up and
pay their fare or swipe their card
for a ride somewhere as the schedule
shows in the digital board.

Riders departing, avoiding the line
of boarders, to turn and walk away
to somewhere, often in a hurry
as their time is precious to be
somewhere they planned or want.

Patrons walking into the cafe,
to stand in line and hear
the barista ask, "The regular?",
with a nod of agreement and
their money or card in hand.

Single customers, most regulars,
silently reading newspapers or books,
some working on computers,
some checking their smart phones,
and almost all with earphones.

All a dance of people oblivious to
everyone else unless they're in their way,
to be somewhere outside or already
sitting at a table in the Uptown Espresso
cafe on Queen Anne Avenue in Seattle.

Own

We don’t own anything,
even if we think we do.
We chose it,
we paid for it, and
we took possession of it,
but it is not ours,
despite our efforts to keep it,
for when we die
someone else will take it
paying little, if anything,
and think it is theirs now too.