Dear EU; Good Luck With That

(Photo/Courtesy of english.ahram.org.eg)

As the thousands try to flee the hell holes where they live;

Put to sea upon a boat that's leaking like a sieve,

Drowning by the hundreds...  Know the dangers - do not care.

Willing to risk anything to get away from there.

If you were in their position, you would flee as well.

They've come from a situation that's a living hell.

Half the region's population is a refugee.

Many leave from Libya and try for Italy.

The Italians say they need more help from the E.U.

They're now meeting, trying to decide what they should do.

Nothing that the E.U. does will change the basic fact;

Staying in the region's the more death-defying act.

No one wants to see more over-crowded boats go down.

We can't stand aside and watch more desperate people drown.

We might stop the traffickers exploiting human prey,

But we won't persuade those refugees to want to stay.

Lines In The Sand

The Middle East and northern Africa circa 1914. (Courtesy of/www.clas.ufl.edu)

Middle Eastern borders, once imposed, are breaking down.

Saudi forces bombed another Northern Yemen town.

Libya has splintered; there are Syrians "in hell."

I can't name a single country where it's going well.

ISIL's killing refugees who've fled from Palestine.

It's not safe no matter where you draw some borderline.

Mix religion, history and tribal loyalties

And you get a situation where no side agrees.

I predict it won't get better 'til it's gotten worse

Meanwhile, we're the common enemy that many curse.

Every time we pick a side we make the others mad,

Angering established allies we might once have had.

 

We aren't winning hearts and minds and I have little doubt

Only if the countries in the region sort it out

Will they make a peace that has a chance of being kept.

Wish we'd thought of consequences there before we leapt.

Foreign Policy Isn't For Dummies

(Mr. Bennett's cartoon/Courtesy of The Christian Science Monitor)

President Obama's seen approval ratings drop

Because there are conflicts in the world he cannot stop.

John McCain can name you three the U.S. should invade;

Plus another couple where he thinks we should have stayed.

I don't think he understands how that would be perceived.

When we throw our weight around the Arabs feel aggrieved.

Libyans are mad we grabbed a suspect off the street,

Hustled him aboard a ship, and sailed off with our fleet.

"Well...  It took us long enough," said everyone on FOX

(Proving true the nickname for TV - the idiot box.)

These wars are religious...  They're the kind that can't be won

And we shouldn't risk the life of one more mother's son

In a fight that's lasted for at least a thousand years.

When we've jumped into the fray before it led to tears.

Once we put our foot down innocents are always crushed.

Thankfully, this President won't let himself be rushed.

The 113th Congress - What Kind of Example is This?

Do we want to show the world that we'll negotiate

If the threat is big enough?  Well, isn't that just great?

Less than perfect timing (just to understate the facts)

Threaten world economies until the Congress acts.

With a common enemy the Arab street unites;

We're that common enemy - ignoring sovereign rights.

Two raids into Africa; a city street, a beach...

One man's being questioned but the other's out of reach.

Egypt doesn't like the fact we can't support their coup.

In Afghanistan their President is angry, too.

Karzai says he won't agree to sign a long-term deal

'cause we never stop to ask the Afghans how they feel.

Pakistan and Yemen hate that we use unmanned drones;

All the world is mad the NSA is tapping phones.

Now they get to watch and see our government not work...

Anyone who'd sign up for this kind of thing's a jerk.

The Benghazi Conspiracy? (cont.)

Lindsey Graham, Kelly Ayotte, and John McCain.  (Photo/Getty Images)

John McCain and Lindsey Graham - opposed to Susan Rice -

Went before the media to offer their advice.

Said they'd block Obama if he chooses her for State...

Personnel advice from Sarah Palin's running mate?

Both men say that, after our Ambassador was slain,

Susan Rice was wrong and thus, according to McCain,

There is a conspiracy that rivals Watergate.

They want Rice investigated... Not the head at State.

I was once a fan of John McCain's.  Not anymore.

Chose him in 2000; would have in 2004.

Not the man he was back then; now all he does is grouse.

Maybe he'd like Rice if she saw Russia from her house.

Across the Pond - FOX News and the Benghazi Conspiracy

At the next - and last - debate (my anniversary),

I would bet the candidates revisit Benghazi.

I'm not sure, exactly, what the fuss is all about;

Killers of Ambassadors are terrorists.  No doubt.

Who's behind the terrorism doesn't change the fact

President did say it was a terroristic act.

In chaotic aftermaths, in countries far away,

Sorting out the details takes you more than just 1 day.

Just like Mr. Romney's statements (his came out by noon),

President Obama may have spoken up too soon.

Monday morning quarterbacking from the FOX News booth

Claims it was conspiracy to not yet know the truth.

(You won't hear FOX mention the success of that attack

May have been related to a budgetary lack.

State Department's funding cut by G.O.P. blowhards

Means that there's less money for employing extra guards.)

One thing I am certain of - the President was clear -

We will find the terrorists who did it, never fear.

Spare me the conspiracies; I'll let the crazies rant.

FOX should interview bin Laden...  Oh, that's right.  They can't.

Across the Pond - U.S. Embassies Attacked in Cairo and Benghazi

Egyptian protestors storm US Embassy. (Photo credit Mohamed Abd El Ghany/Reuters)

Yesterday our Embassies were subjects of attack;

Stormed the walls and tore Old Glory down - hung flags of black.

Cairo and Benghazi...  Our Ambassador is dead.

Libyans blew up his car as he and others fled.

What would be the cause for these two "allies" fighting us?

What's behind the outrage?  What's the reason for the fuss?

Seems that there's some movie that nobody's even seen,

And Muhammad comes off looking bad from what I glean.

Guy who made the movie is American and so

That appeared to be enough for angry mobs to grow.

I would say that's quite enough of this and screw them all.

Leave us out of it and kill each other.  Have a ball.

Islam needs a Reformation and it needs it bad -

Speaking from experience about the one we had.

But, until they drag themselves from ignorance and fear,

I think the United States had better just steer clear.