A POOL OF IGNORANCE

I was just a college sophomore and he was a much older man. Our job was to pull a floating dock out of Lamoka Lake in the Finger Lakes area of New York. It had to be done because the lake would freeze in the winter and would destroy the dock.

We floated the dock to the shore without any difficulty, but it just wouldn’t come out of the water. There was just too much resistance from the sand and rocks on the shore. The rear wheels of the pickup we were using just started digging into the ground. I suggested that we put down two-by-fours to lessen the friction and allow the barrels to slide over them, but he was older and wiser than I. So he thought.

I got a safe distance away as he backed up to the dock and gunned the motor. When the cable became taut, the side of the floating dock exploded into a hundred pieces of splintered wood.

I think of the Obama administration in the same way as the super-wise leaders who refuse to listen to ordinary people concerning our economy. The side of the dock has already exploded, but they continue to try the same approach and are continuing to destroy what they are trying to repair.

Fortunately, my older friend was willing to listen to me and our job was completed without further destruction of the dock.

Unfortunately, President Obama and his counselors are refusing to listen to those who have experience in building businesses in the private sector. They have produced the strongest economy in the history of the world which has been brought to the edge of destruction by government loan regulations.

In other words, though the Obama administration is highly educated in the theory of economics, they are simply coming together to “pool their ignorance” to face our economic problems. And that is what they are offering to our country, “a pool of ignorance.”

THERE'S DANGER IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD

President Obama’s Afghanistan policy reminds me of the story of the man who refused to take sides during the civil war. It seems he decided to wear a Confederate shirt with Union trousers, but to his surprise, found that both sides were shooting at him.

Neither side concerned with the way to conduct this war is satisfied with the announcement of his policy.  Our President is not delivering the number of troops requested by the commander on the ground and announces to the enemy his time for withdrawal. By this choice, he is putting our men and women in the unenviable position of trying to meet a predetermined deadline without giving them the manpower that military minds determined were necessary.

On the other hand, he is displeasing his own constituency by not withdrawing as soon as possible.

He has essentially tried to please everyone and has actually pleased no one. It would be better to take one side or the other and have at least half the people on his side.

I, of course, would prefer victory by an overwhelming force, but if we are not going to fight to win, a hasty retreat would be best for our military. Unfortunately, a hasty withdrawal or a half fought war will be seen by our enemy in the same way, as a victory for the terrorists.