THE DAY... It is not at all unusual for many of us to be prophets on the last day of the year known as 2006. It has been unusual in many ways. It will be one which will be remembered. Unpleasantly,too, for far too many people. The over shadowing of the war has been at the base of much of our doubts and uncertainties concerning survival. TV coverage of war in Iraq, and elsewhere, has done a great deal to show many people the horrors of war. Many people are meeting with this for the first time in their lives. They have never known a war which involve them so personal and so close. The destruction of the World Trade Towers in New York City opened many minds to the fact that wars can be almost anywhere at any time - including here. The bombing of trains, cars and planes as a daily routine have convinced many people that war is possible here at home.
The war is wider that we admit it to be.
I find otherwise knowledgeable people who are totally unaware of Ethiopia has been bombing Somalia in the oil-rich African "horn"area. They also have an invading army there and have taken and lost the capital within the last few days.
The Ethiospian forces are there are there to prevent a total take over of the Somalian government by a radical Muslim faction. Doesn't that sound like the situation in Lebanon a few, months ago.
The "battlefield" is in a multitude of varied locations and difficult to pin down.
The hanging of Saddam went rather quietly at first. There were several protest displays but none seemed to have had any real support. That will come as diplomats feel each other out and decide what actions may be possible.
On the whole, the outlook for the New Year called 2007 appears to be a rather gloomy one. We will have to wait, for one thing - for our at-home comedians to finish there up on their current line of gags about it being a "007" year with James Bond adventures ahead. That, in itself is a good omen. It is a fine thing that we can, as a nation, face up to what could be a very serious decade for all with a good sense of humor.
Andrew McCaskey amccsr@adelphia.net 12-31-06(A) [c406wds]
