Wagging the Dog is a Real Thing

Several years ago American songwriter Brett Dennn wrote The Holidays Are Here (And We’re Still at War). Sadly the message still applies. It's reminder that we all still have a lot of work to do in this world.


Yesterday evening, United States time, an American drone strike on the Baghdad International Airport killed Qasem Soleimani, the head Iranian general. The targeted attack took place on orders of the President. How those orders came about, no one will ever really know. The Wankmaggot might have been on his golf course at the time.

To be clear, Soleimani was assassinated. To be also clear, he was a horrible person responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Americans.

What will happen next is anybody's guess. Iran will probably retaliate. Then we will do something. Then they will. Then they will. That's why Dennen's song is sadly still applicable. It never ends.

The guy in the Oval Office campaigned on ending the endless wars and getting troops out of the Middle East. Today, however, a new battalion was deployed to Iraq. 3500 more young men and women off to war. How's that for irony?

Ever notice that it's the old guys who start these conflicts and then send off the young folks to fight? Ever notice that no one ever really knows what the fighting is about in the first place? That was the main point of Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front.

I don't know the purpose of our involvement in the Middle East. I don't think the Wankmaggot knows either. He's in trouble with impeachment. He's in trouble about the Ukraine scandal as more and more information comes out. He's in trouble if the Supreme Court rules against him in the cases regarding the release of his taxes. We don't know yet about why this assassination was ordered or what evidence exists that might justify it. It does, however, come at an opportune for him. It is a distraction, and we Americans are so easily itdistracted.

There's oil in the Mideast. Lots of it. Russia wants it. China wants it, too. I know a lot of people will claim this. I honestly don't know.  People have been arguing of territory and oil in the region for years. Muslim factions have been arguing among themselves for years. Saudi Arabians under the leadership of Osama Bin Laden attacked us on 9/11, and we invaded Iraq. Bin Laden was killed in Pakistan. Russia fought in Afghanistan and we're there now. Soleimani was killed in Iraq, but now we're going to war with Iran. In the meantime, the country that actually brought down the World Trade Center, Saudi Arabia remains unsullied in this whole mess.


Another irony from this whole episode is that on numerous occasions, the Oval Office Occupant claimed that the previous occupant was going to launch an attack on Iran. He claimed that Obama was going to do it for reelection and to make up for poor negotiating skills. Bill Clinton launched an attack during his impeachment and people accused him of wagging the dog. I'm not sure the current guy is smart enough to know what that means, but then again he is a con artist. He did get millions to join his cult and vote for him. It's not a movie, but it could be.

Another song, from further in my past, still moves me. I don't know the answer to Dylan's questions about how many deaths it will take until we know that too many have died. But I do know that I am as glad as Penny Evans at the end of this song below.

Woody's Rulin's and Mine

The list of Woody Guthrie’s list of his “New Years Rulin’s” appears around the end of the year, almost every year. I like seeing it every time it rolls around.

Some of Woody’s resolutions I can do and some of them I can’t. Some of them I do and some I don’t. I don’t, for example, take baths anymore. I don’t remember the last time I took a bath. Don’t worry. I do take showers.

While on a road trip a few years ago, I stopped shaving. I read recently that the remaining members of the Grateful Dead are the only aging celebrities who have opted for facial hair rather than plastic surgery, a choice I whole-heartedly endorse. A fine weathered face has character.

Besides the personal hygiene items and domestic chores, Woody’s list makes sense. Of course I should love everybody. Of course I should work more and better. Woody’s list is full of good ideas.

I don’t normally make resolutions. I’m 71 plus years old. I’m in decent health. I don’t smoke anymore. I don’t drink a lot, seldom drunk. I got this far and plan on going on for a few more years. That said, in the spirit of Woody, I suppose I could make a few.

1. Read more
2. Write more
3. Be a good person
4. Be a good husband
5. Be a good father
6. Be a good friend
7. Practice more

That's about it. Yes, I want to do more, accomplish more, go places, see things, meet new people. More than anything I want to go on being with and loving the people in my life.