Sept. 16, 2006
 
COMMENTARY: Questions No One Wants to Ask; Fewer Want to Answer
 
By Joseph J. Honick
 
Bainbridge Island, WA (HNN) -- We have been told for some years that our men and women and those of other nations are sacrificing themselves in Iraq and Afghanistan so that we do not have to confront the terrorists or “insurgents” in our own home towns of America.
 
In the process, just we alone have expended hundreds of billions of dollars and the lives of thousands of our armed forces.
 
There are, however, questions that seem never to be raised and, when some of them are raised, no one wants to respond. So I have decided to raise a few to see if any much greater wise people who take the time to read them will provide some logical responses.
 
Question #1: if we are concerned that those terrorists would otherwise maraud through our cities and towns, how would they get here without being discovered on their voyages by sea and/or air? You may answer they were able to do so in preparation for the 9/11 tragedy, but two or three people can always find their way to almost anywhere, except at times to catch a plane through some of those security lines at airports. I doubt, however, they could send platoons or armies of insurgents to our shores invisibly.
 
Question #2: why do we always seem to be fighting and dying for nations that seem either unable or unwilling to defend themselves, mostly oil rich Arab nations? History tells us the Israelis, attacked from all sides by five nations when their rebirth was declared by the United Nations, and with a ragtag army, never asked for one single American GI to come to their rescue -- only to send money and supplies. And they have had to keep up this defense of their people through several invasions and wars of attrition and scores of other vengeful actions away from their shores for more than 57 years. And they have done this without tens of thousands of American forces to train and defend them.
 
Question #3: why are so many young men and women who have rallied in favor of our operations in Iraq and Afghanistan apparently unwilling to find their ways to the Armed Forces recruiting stations to back up their chest thumping declarations during football, baseball and other sports events, especially at a time when it is well known we have enlistment deficits? Chief, to me at least, among those cheerleaders for the war is a group of military age folks who call themselves College Republicans for the War. They even had a fun convention some months ago. When their leaders were asked if they would guide their charges right down to the recruiting stations, the interviewers were met with smirks and suggestions that other things were on the program. I sent several e-mails to the leadership of the group, asking the same questions, in the belief they may not have understood. After some many weeks, there have been no responses.
 
Could it be that the College Republicans for the War simply believe there are sufficient numbers of those less economically endowed to do the fighting for them?
 
Question #4: who is it that actually believes we can tell the Afghanistan people to destroy their poppy economy that provides the massive share of the world’s heroin addicts and makes obscene profits for the growers and their associates? Do these purists who do not comprehend the Afghan culture and history that we can replace all that stuff so many millions are willing to die for and from with rose gardens, toy manufacturing plants or whatever?
 
Question # 5: every time the Israelis shed a lot of blood and have managed to overcome those who have sought to destroy them and gained some territory in the process, the so-called “international community”demands Israel promptly return such areas? Does anyone reading this really believe this same “international community”would rise up to demand the return of Israeli lands if they lost even one war, especially since those who might overcome them have sworn to destroy their men, women and children and prove their threats so frequently?
 
Question # 6: what was it that so endeared a known and admitted abettor of murder like Libya’s Gadaffi to the so called peace loving “international community” that they so quickly welcomed him back to the family of nations simply because he gave up nuclear stuff he didn’t really need in the first place? I’m sure the survivors of those slaughtered by Gadaffi’s henchmen on Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, were just thrilled to know the Libyan is now part of their “families.”
 
I have raised these and other questions to numerous alleged authorities who seem not to want to answer.
 
Just asking.
 
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Honick is president of GMA International Ltd., the consulting firm he established in 1975. Its principal areas involved working to broaden business opportunities abroad for American companies and assisting them in preparing for such effort. He is also a regular contributor to Huntington News Network.