What Does it Mean?

For years, I have said that there has not been a period where peace broke out spontaneously without a war to initiate the event.  Is Egypt's overthrow of the Government by the Military mean that I will have to reshape my thoughts?  I in my simple way hope that this is the beginning of the end of wars but only time will tell. 

For those of you that have never experienced combat, I will tell you that mostly it is hours and hours of doing a job that few would choose.  Throw in moments of sheer terror and you have war boiled down to it's essence.  It is not a glorious adventure, it is simply terror mixed in with boredom.  As on of my friends said, "It is a Damned Good Way to get Killed!"  There is just no way to explain how lethal the modern battlefield has become.  Because we have become more and more expert at saving lives after wounding soldiers, we have witnessed an amplification of the ways to kill.  If shooting people at close range wasn't bad enough, we now have snipers using .50 caliber  sniper rifles and killing people at distances of up to a mile.  There are precision bombs that can be flown into a window from several thousand feet up in the air.  Sheesh. 

At least I think we have progressed from the point where Commanders were willing to trade men for space.  We now have maneuver and amplification of the lethality through firepower.  I can't imagine standing in a formation and firing at another formation of men across an open field.  Picket's Charge at Gettysburg was an all time record of the folly of such formations.  General Picket was told upon his return to the Confederate Headquarters to move his brigade in behind the lines.  He replied,  "Sir I have no brigade."  He left his command scattered in the field before the lines of the Union Army.  They converged on a strong point until there was nothing left to charge with. 

I will attempt to return to the positive note of the opening of this post.   I have almost nothing to not be happy and proud of this 4th of July.  I have my good health, enough wealth to sustain a good life style and the love of my family.  In fact, we have lots of things going on and places to be.  The really good thing is for July, we have great weather here in the heartland.  It was almost cool when I went out to fetch the paper this AM.  It will be only in the mid 80's today.  It seems almost a shame to take the day off from working on my rental houses.   But I will live with the break. 

Oh well, better cut this off here and move on. 

MUD