Rudyard Kipling"
“When you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldier”
General Douglas MacArthur"
“We are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.”
“It is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.” “Old soldiers never die; they just fade away.
“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.”
“May God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .” “The object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
“Nobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
“It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
The protests in Bahrain are not the same as in Egypt or Tunisia. Rather than protesting rising prices or freedom, it appears that the Bahrain protests are mostly by the Shiite majority against the ruling Sunnis.
But it is not as if Bahrain is a wasteland of human rights. It actually has one of the best human rights records of any Arab country and it has a diverse population. Bahrain even publicly called for the Jews who fled the country to come back.(It is not thrilled with gays, though.)
In fact, the major Shiite party wants to have more discrimination! From Wikipedia:
Al Wefaq, Bahrain’s main Shia Islamist opposition party, has for several years tried to introduce racial segregation, calling for the removal of third world immigrants from predominately Bahraini areas. In 2004, the head of Manama City Council, Al Wefaq’s Murthader Bader, called for the introduction of racial segregation in the city with the removal of South Asian nationals to other parts of the country.
So far, this has not morphed into an anti-US protest, but Bahrain is the headquarters of the US Navy's Fifth Fleet, and concern is rising there. The Fifth Fleet helps keep the Gulf safe from disruptions of oil shipments that have been threatened by Al Qaeda - and Iran. Iran is of course supporting the Shiites and denouncing the ruling government. Iran considers Bahrain to be a part of Iran proper and an Iranian takeover of the country to "redeem" it is not out of the question.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia is very nervous and there are reports that it has sent its own tanks in to help Bahrain fight the protesters. Saudi Arabia has many Shiites that live in areas of the country where oil is pumped, and a revolution that spreads to the kingdom could be disastrous to the world energy supply. The knee-jerk reaction to support every seemingly popular revolution can have far-reaching consequences. Hat tip:Elder of Ziyon
