Losing Sleep ?

(Losing Sleep ?)

On the night of March 9-10, 1945, Tokyo was subjected to one of the most intense fire raids of the War, rivaling even the atomic missions of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The City was razed and millions were left homeless.


In any event, this morning is the time where one loses an hour of slumber as the "Spring Ahead" goes into effect. For all those who are necessarily up early, this lost hour could be telling. One has to also say that some degree of anxiety that would go beyond a loss of sleep. In the Near East, what is the dis-position of Hamas ? Or Iran ? The President did send a letter to the Islamic Republic where Trump re-iterated the U.S. demand that Iran never become a nuclear power but Trump did offer alternatives. Which the Ayatollah has outright rejected.


The destruction of Tokyo was total, but Hamas and Iran could perhaps avoid such a fate. Like the requirement that Iran never become nuclear capable so Hamas will need to surrender control of Gaza. President Trump is having his ideas about the Strip development but as for the terror group itself, the immediate problem are conditions in Gaza itself. Egypt is pitching its own re-building but while that is a long-term endeavor, it does not have a status for Hamas. In figuring that, the U.S., Israel, Egypt and Qatar are in discussions to determine Hamas final disposition. The operative word will be "final."


If cooperation is not forthcoming, however, President Trump seems willing to allow Israel to finally reduce Hamas and Trump is promising any required assistance. It has been a common theme to these Pages that diplomacy will never achieve what cannot be taken and held on a battlefield. There are military solutions to both Hamas and Iran's nuclear ambitions. President Trump on the other hand is in search for diplomatic measures that could preclude kinetic action.


Tokyo today is a large metropolis with a population in the millions. Before any of that could happen, however, the nation had to abandon its militaristic history, a softening of the bushido code. Hamas, if its membership is to survive in some fashion. will have to accept Israel and its right to exist. For its part, Iran can enjoy the benefits of nuclear power without necessarily developing nuclear weapons.


Ponder all this. And then go get some sleep.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

TEQUILA !

(TEQUILA !) Happy Cinco de Mayo or May 5th. One can hope that a lot of you out there are awash in inebriation, seeking to mainline tequila shots or enjoying a nice margarita on the patio. Or, in other words, relax. Take a breath. De-compress. May 5th as it happens is the anniversary of Mexico's victory over French "occupation" of Mexico by Emperor Maximillian, brother to Austrian monarch Maria Theresa in what has been called the Battle of Puebla. The reason France was in Mexico in the first place was that Mexico, after the Mexican-American War and a more civil conflict called the Reform War, had bankrupted Mexico City. Mexican President at the time was Benito Juarez, who repudiated all foreign debt, of which France, Spain, and the United Kingdom were all major holders. A naval expedition was dispatched to Veracruz and France's Napoleon III thought it would be a good idea to establish a French "empire" in Mexico. But, on May 5th, 1862, in the aforementioned B...
Read more

Keeping The Faith ?

(Keeping The Faith ?) Happy Memorial Day ! This is the day when the nation pauses and recognizes the contributions of the men and women that strove, and often times perished in the defense of this country. How many campaigns and battles have been seen over the years with Americans in harms way. Theirs was not a pursuit of glory, necessarily but they are remembered as such. As an example, take the Joe Rosenthal photo of the "Iwo Jima Flag-raising," February 23rd, 1945. Most people know what that is and not a few have a copy on their wall. Three of those Marines survived Iwo Jima and went on a bond tour to promote that picture. The U.S. was able to fund the rest of the War off of that drive but the Marines in question did not fare well. Private Ira Hayes, the last casualty of the Volcano Island died of exposure some years later. There was one other Marine, Rene Gagnon, and who was originally believed to be Navy Corpman, John Bradley. Since then, the "place" in the Ros...
Read more

Siege Of The Alamo

(Siege Of The Alamo) Any visitor to Downtown San Antonio will recognize the City's most famous landmark, the Alamo. An old Spanish mission that means "Cottonwood" in English was the site where the likes of Jim Bowie, William Barrett Travis and Davy Crockett and about another 185 Texians defended the Mission and its compound for thirteen days against the Army of General Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana and his 5,000 troops. The garrison was finally reduced on March 6, 1836. However, the Texian defeat at the Alamo and another one at Goliad, bought time for General Sam Houston time to fall back and then face Santa Ana at San Jacinto. There, Houston's army surprised the Mexicans and yelling "Remember the Alamo, Remember Goliad !" all but wiped out the Mexican force. Santa Ana was captured and was forced to recognize the Republic of Texas. Which is now the State of Texas and, like 1836 Texas War of Independence, there is a new invasion from Mexico. Not the armed body o...
Read more