Mulling over Daryl Stout to STEVE ASHER 26 Sep 2005

SA>Bush administration advisers are turning their minds to crafting an
  >exit strategy for the US's 140,000-strong military force by 2008. The
  >buzz word is transition, whereby the planned new Iraqi army gradually
  >assumes the lead security role.

 DS>   There was an editorial cartoon a few weeks back, looking for more
 DS> military to volunteer to go into hurricane ravaged areas to help
 DS> with recovery. The other frame showed every soldier in it in Iraq
 DS> holding up their hands screaming "Take Me!!".

:) 

 DS>   If the death toll increases markedly over there (as I fear it
 DS> will),

I have a feeling you are right with your fear, especially if Iran, Syria
& Saudi Arabia enter the mix & possibly Turkey also. I don't know when
Iran & friends will make their move on Israel, but it doesn't seem too
far off.

 DS>  and the U.S. gets hit by more killer hurricanes (40% of the
 DS> season still remains...and a few years back, a category 4 hurricane
 DS> was in the Caribbean in November), and gas prices continue to shoot
 DS> up like a rocket, Bush will end up with the lowest approval rating
 DS> in history. But, God has him there for a reason.

Yes, and America's role or purpose seems to have Christian authors &
commentators perplexed. I (not particularly knowledgeable) never saw
that the Soviet Union would fragment & abandon Marxism, though the
current ex-Soviet states seem to be unable to adopt democracy, and 
totter towards authoritarianism in one form or another. It may be
that the USA fragments like the USSR to allow the European Union
to become the iron & clay superpower, though it still seems more
likely to me that the USA will remain intact & dominant, with the 
EU nations as "kings" ruling with it.

Cheers, Steve..

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