Salvation Army, Paradise Point, and Tension in Georgia
5 Comments Published by Dr. Beyster August 19th, 2008 in FED, Politics, San Diego.Considering the fact that Mary Ann was gone for much of the week and Ralph was gone for all of the week, I managed to find quite a few things to do. One of the charities that Betty and I give to is the Salvation Army. They have a facility out in East San Diego called the Door of Hope. This is primarily for unwed, teen-aged mothers. We spent several hours on Monday touring the facilities and having lunch with the staff. I was truly impressed how much they can do on a small budget. Of all the charities we support, they are probably the most efficient.
On Wednesday Robert Craig and I spent most of the day together working on our computers, filing in my office, and planning my next adventure. We scheduled a boat trip on Friday. Catalina was booked solid for moorings, so we were unable to go there. We therefore tried a new place in Mission Bay called Paradise Point and had lunch at the Barefoot Bar and Grill. I’m looking forward to the fall, which starts within a month and all the kids are back to school. Catalina won’t be so busy. However, the way it looks, it seems like we might be successful getting into Catalina tomorrow. At least that’s the plan for now.
I have been following with interest — as I’m sure you have — the events in Georgia and observing how easy it is for a tinderbox to ignite without a lot of provocation. This seems to be concerning the United Nations — is Russia going to behave itself in the future and should they be given favored trading status with the West? We should all be keeping a close eye on this — don’t hesitate to make your thoughts known.
– Bob
Great to see you sailing again. I too worry about Russia and where we sit in today’s world…especially with the elections as close as they are.
Please give my best to Ralph and Mary Ann.
V.R.
Al Buckles
As I read more about the events in Georgia, I find myself wondering why the world continues to place so much faith and confidence in the United Nations. In my opinion, it has become (maybe always was) little more than a forum for political posturing and grandstanding. The UN is unable to prevent or stop wars. It seems to me that the only way to stop an agressive nation is to meet it head on with a superior force. Diplomacy has no place once the tanks start rolling. Tanks are what is called for now. Once the agressor is stopped, diplomatic resolution can once again be attempted.
The advice of Raimondo Montecuccoli still holds true:
“The secret of success is to have a solid body so firm and impenetrable that wherever it is or wherever it may go, it shall bring the enemy to a stand like a mobile bastion, and shall be capable of defending itself”
We need to rebuild our “solid body” and continue to expand it around the world with more ships, more missile shield installations and more technilogically advanced systems. We need these things to enable us to continue to be a force for good in the world…protecting those nations that need it and thwarting those nations that seek to ravage others.
Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher would know what to do.
Joe: I got your message on my blog about the events in Georgia. I agree with you on what needs to be done to help our allies in building an effective force in countries like Georgia. Few countries — including Georgia — can afford a military force sufficient to deter the Russians. We just found that out painfully. It seems that a small defensive force with troops, tanks, and missiles is about all these countries can afford. I would be surprised if diplomacy coordinated by the UN will do much in the future to help Georgia, or any other country that finds itself in a similar predicament. Big-power negotiations seem to be more effective. — Bob
I can’t help but think that countries like Russia and Iran are taking advantage of the fact that the Iraq war seems so unpopular (based on polls and the animosity so many Americans seem to have for our President). It’s frustrating for me because I firmly believe that the US (along with NATO) would be able to protect a country like Georgia if only we had the resolve. Again, I ask myself what Reagan/Thatcher would do.
I think we should ask ourselves this question: How can we rely on these small countries, friendly to our interests, to lend assistance to us in the future if they don’t believe that we will use our might to protect them when the time comes?
I believe the time for diplomacy is after the Russian tanks are out of Georgia.
Joe: You’ve got to admit that we have a lame duck administration, probably afraid to make any serious decisions at this time. They therefore ignore some contingencies that should be responded to. Politically it would be suicide to start any kind of a serious confrontation with Russia. Complaining to the United Nations would get us nowhere because the Russians would veto any resolutions condemning their actions. This problem is not going to go away, but I have a feeling that McCain can handle it. I don’t know about Obama. — Bob