Monday, November 19

One wonders how the whole Afghanistan business will end up. Even at this point, well before we can know how the final government will shake out, the evident joy of so many Afghans at being released from Taliban oppression surely presents a profound challenge to a) pacifists and b) professional multiculturalists. Just as much of a challenge is the possibility, reported by Daniel Pipes in the New York Post today that our strong show of force has suddenly muted the voice and power of Islamic fundamentalism.

It is an interesting puzzle, that I hope Catholic thinkers will take seriously instead of repeating the same, tired bleats they've been spewing since Vietnam. It's a task that must be done - to go beyond platitudes and try to articulate, in a way consistent with the Gospel and Catholic tradition, the implications of this situation: expansionist, totalitarian fascist ideologies can only be stopped by force. If the present situation holds, this truth will have been demonstrated in a rather stunning fashion, especially since it would have taken such a relatively short time. What do we make of it? Continue to twitter about root causes and paint our "violence begets violence" posters, all the while enjoying the fruit of the force we condemn?

Went out this morning to do grocery shopping before it gets cold. The balmy fall weather is apparently a thing of the past, and the temperature is supposed to drop here during the course of the day. So I figured I'd try to get the Thanksgiving shopping done before that happened, not only for my sake, but for Joseph's as well.