Palaver from Persimmon Crossing
with Warren Faulk
APATHYGATE
I deal with a cross section of the public in a setting where people feel free to speak their minds.They talk often about the weather, now and then about political figures and almost never about our involvement in Afghanistan, pollution,CEO shenanigans or the Farm Bill. The US Civil War of the mid 1800's is a hot topic compared to any current conflict our troops are involved in. Is there still a nuclear standoff between India and Pakistan? Are we still in Bosnia?
Today I learned (World Tribune 13 Aug 2002) that we have plans to put troops on the ground in Jordan! The article makes it sound routine, but I think this is the first time we have done that. Anyway the point is made that the troops will all be gone by September 8th ... gone where? Doesn't take much to envision a scenario where Iraq is over run in a massive air and ground attack, an Iwo Jima style flag raising is held in Baghdad on September 11th, Weapons of Mass Destruction development sites are revealed and a victorious cool down takes place before the November elections. Is this good or bad? Where is the debate?
For several days I have been trying to find out what people think about our involvement in Afghanistan. I have concluded that they aren't thinking about it ... at all. It is as if this and other major issues are happening some place else, to someone else. Maybe the little people have decided to "prosper" to the extent that they can, regardless what the rich and powerful do. If a man thinks he will not be heard, he will not speak. If he believes what he does, doesn't matter, then maybe it doesn't.
Right now, in my part of the country, few would care if you started a war. Few would care if you ended one of the current ones, win, lose or draw. If our troops left Korea under cover of darkness, the burning question might be, where is Korea and how did we get involved there anyway? If we took the wraps off Cuba there would be a party in Miami ... but there is always a party in Miami ...
-- Warren Faulk
Smarr, Georgia
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