It's difficult to know what to say or think in times like these. I still feel sad and angry about the attacks in Beirut and Paris, but of course this isn't the first time a tragedy like this has happened. Whatever my thoughts are worth, they are with those affected by the horrible terrorist attacks.
Much more important than my thoughts are what actions these horrible crimes will compel us to take to prevent them in the future. Is it possible? Is there anything we can do to prevent this?
These important questions will impact our behavior at home and abroad, and the consequences will extend beyond the air strikes we have been launching in Syria already.
As always, happy Wednesday and happy reading!
This Day in History
1987 - Congress releases its final report on Iran-Contra arms deal. Not to be confused with the Benghazi committee, the Iran-Contra committee took almost a year to reach a decisive - if ultimately inconsequential - conclusion
1991 - After four years in captivity in Lebanon, US preacher Terry Waite is released. Waite was himself a humanitarian hostage negotiator who had secured the release of numerous hostages in previous negotiations.
Given the recent attacks in Beirut and Paris, it only made sense to choose an event related to the Middle East. I picked both these examples to highlight our long and complex history with that region of the world.
Where Our Sorrows Lie
Perhaps you have noticed an abundance of tri-colored Facebook pictures lately. Perhaps you have such a picture yourself. It is good for us to show solidarity with peace-loving people everywhere, but as this article from Cheri in South Carolina shows, sometimes we are selective with our empathy (from the Daily Vox).
If we are able to prevent future tragedies, it will only be possible done together with the many good people around the world who want what we do: peace; stability; and prosperity. We mourn all those whose lives ended suddenly in the recent attacks.
A Political Sideshow
No I'm not talking about domestic electoral theater, I'm talking about America's efforts so far to combat ISIS. Until and even with the recent airstrikes, our efforts have been half-hearted at best. Articles shared by Chris in New Jersey show what our time and money have bought so far (from CNN). If that's not discouraging enough, the outcomes on the battlefield haven't been much to speak of either (from NPR).
Defeating ISIS will take a prolonged, multi-dimensional effort, not a few million dollars for a tiny, rag-tag militia. It shouldn't have taken the attacks in Beirut and Paris to show us that, but now that we've seen what ISIS will do, I hope we will learn.
Playtime with Putin
Things must be all kinds of wrong if cooperating with Vladimir Putin is a good idea, but ISIS has attacked Russian interests too, and Russia is cooperating with France to strike the group (from the NYTimes).
I don't think too highly of Czar Putin, but I can't think of anyone worse than ISIS, so I am all in favor of working with the Russians to purge the world of their existence. Military force is an important component of the toolkit we need to eradicate ISIS, but we must also utilize diplomatic, economic, and social tools effectively,
A Brief and Shameless Plug
I recently wrote an op-ed about why taking a hands off approach to Syria for the last three years was a poor decision. Into the void of chaos stepped ISIS, and now we are forced to engage where before we hoped not to do so. But timing is everything in life, so of course my piece is being published tomorrow, a day too late for the digest. I'm also working on a follow up piece to detail a new plan for engaging politically with the Middle East.
If you would like you can read my piece tomorrow via Facebook, Twitter (@wstaton85), or on Medium.
Sheep of the Week?
I promised a sheep, and so here you have him (her?)! Straight out of the pastures of New Zealand, meet...sheep. Would a sheep even respond if you called it? I doubt it, so naming them is probably pointless, and distinguishing them is a near impossibility anyhow. But they are interesting creatures, strange as that may seem, and the little ones are cute. We probably saw tens of thousands of sheep during our trip, and on one hike we did walk among them which is when this picture was taken. I'm sure this fella ran away shortly after. Sheep got all of the flight instinct and none of the fight.
Wouldn't Want to Miss This
How many emails do you get each week featuring sheep!? Probably just this one, which likely either meets or exceeds your weekly quota. But still, why don't you send a friend the opt-in form? Your friends like sheep too.
Someone recently used the feedback form to suggest that I include a bit of trivia in the weekly digest. I think that's a good idea, but I'll need to figure out how to incorporate it.
