Smelly snake Pits and Arm Pits

Rattlin' snake Pits can a body smelly Arm Pits !

“Sam, do you remember the conversation the gang had at the poker game the other evenin’ about what’s goin’ on in Syria,”  Jethro asked his long time friend as they headed toward Sam’s old, weathered wood barn ?

“Yep.  Sure do.  Why,”  Sam answered in his usual west Texas drawl ?

“Well, I remembered you talkin’ about smelly Snake Pits and Arm Pits, but I was concentratin’ on my winnin’ hand, and I didn’t get what Rattle Snakes and Arm Pits had to do with what’s goin’ on in Syria.  And one of the fella’s told me that you actually defended Obama’s strategy of doin’ nothin’,”  Jethro announced in amazement as Sam opened the creaky barn door.

“Obama’s not doin’ nothin’, Jethro.  He’s doin’ a lot of somethin’s.  The first somethin’ he’s doing is livin’, up to his promise that he’d get Americans out of those crazy, endless Middle Eastern Wars within Wars as soon as he feasibly could.  And he’s been doin’ just that.  And he can’t do somethin’ like that overnight, Jethro, because it’s a lot more complicated Gettin’ Out of Wars than it is to Get In them,”  Sam explained as he hefted a large bale of hay onto his broad shoulders.

“Hey, Jethro, can you grab one of those bales.  Two bales and a bucket of feed should be enough to feed the horses this evenin‘.  We didn’t give ‘em too hard a work out on the ride,”  Sam requested.

“Sure thing, Sam,”  Jethro said, grabbing a hay bale and thrusting it over the back of his shoulders.  He followed Sam outside the barn door, and watched as Sam closed it with a kick of his booted foot, and slipped a large rusted nail through the lock to keep the doors closed.

“You see, Jethro, the War in the Middle East brought about by the Industrialized World’s need and greed for Oil Territories, Power and Profit, and the Middle East’s leaders need and greed for Power and Profit led all of us into makin’ some very bad decisions regardin’ the Middle East, and the rest of the World, in the long run.”

“Tribal peoples who hated one another for ancient grudges of one kind or another were already squabblin’ for Power and Profit amongst one another, and mistreatin’ one another somethin’ awful over there.”

“Then the West stepped in for their own selfish motives, and found themselves in the midst of a real smelly Snake Pit creatin’ even more fear-based, jittery, superstitious smelly and sweatin’ Arm Pits, who all decided to dump all of their past, present and future worries and woes at the West’s doorstep instead of their own.”

“We, once again, became the historical Great Satan Scapegoat for them to pin all of their sins, and our sins to boot, on.  And that has created an even smellier Snake Pit.  Are you following, me, 

Jethro ?”

“Well, I’m walkin’ right beside you back to the horses at the stable, Sam, but I can’t say that I really know where you’re takin’ me to yet, concernin’ Syria, that is,”  Jethro admitted.

“Well, tighten your saddle straps, Jethro, and git ready for a real jumpy ride,”  Sam chuckled.

“You heard about all of those millions of dollars we spent after the Iraq War trainin’ their boys and girls to fight for their own country, only to have it wasted by them runnin’ away like a bunch of yella bellied chickens when they had to confront ISIL/ISIS ?  They just turned tail and left millions of dollars in tanks, guns, ammunition, grenades and bomb materials behind for ISIL/ISIS, and other radical Islamic groups to pick up.  Everybody at the poker table kept talkin’ about how disgraceful that was, and how stupid Obama was.  Do you remember,”  Sam asked ?

“Yeah, I remember, Sam.  I was one of the fellas makin’ fun of the runners and Obama,”  Jethro answered.

“Well, Obama is doin’ the best with whatever comes his way, Jethro.  The best he can with what he can while keepin’ our military troops off of the Middle East’s blood soaked lands like he promised the American people he would do,”  Sam said brusquely.

“Jethro, most of the Middle Easterners do not have a Secular political system they can Trust.  Why should they Trust their predominately autocratic, elitist governments or strugglin‘, but not very successful democratic governments, who do a lot for themselves and their cronies and cohorts, but almost nothin’ for the vast numbers of their people ?”  Sam asked rhetorically.

“Darn tootin’, why should they Trust’ em ?  Why should they go into battle and die fightin’ a bunch of Radicals who say they are fightin’ in the Name of Allah and tryin’ to form an ancient, mythological Caliphate for all of the Muslims to experience somethin’ like heaven in ?  Why should they ?  Would you ?”  Sam asked pointedly.

“You see, Jethro, many of the Muslim folks may not believe in or trust their Leaders or the Countries they have been told are theirs by Westerners drawin’ lines on a map somewhere, after some past Middle Eastern Wars came to an unsteady end. But they do believe in Allah, and in the ancient myth of them all havin’ their own Holy Caliphate, just like the Jewish folks’ Holy Lands in Israel.” 

“So, of course they’re gonna’ drop their weapons and scramble out of their tanks when the Holy Demonic and terrorizin’ Fighters of Allah callin’ themselves ISIL/ISIS head their direction." 

"Now, usin' a little common horse sense, we all know that ISIL/ISIS and all of the other radical groups are just other plain 'ole human bein's who have been Excluded, Made Invisible, Minimized, Debased, Discriminated against, or Individually or Socially Sabotaged and Held Down in one way or another, and are probably looking to redeem themselves in some way or are lookin' for a way out of what their Life was before they joined these groups, for the most part. But, if you’re a true blue Muslim why would you fight Societies Dis-eases seeking to be Eased, callin' themselves Allah’s Army of the Holy Caliphate To Be ? That's one heck of a scary and unsettlin' proposition, that is," Sam iterated shaking his head slightly.

“When George W. Bush made the terrible mistake of callin’ the Iraq War a Jihad, a Holy War, when it was actually a War based on Blind Revenge for 9/11, Lies for Territory, Profit, old grudges and the Industrial Empires and Middle Eastern Leaders needs and greeds, another fight all together began to ensue for both sides.  He got the Religious hard liners on both sides all riled up with that ancient Holy War (East versus West) blood feud’s declaration.  And it is those very corrosive, poisonous and very World Destroyin’ and Treasure drainin’ Energies that Obama has been workin’ overtime to try and distill and pour an anti-toxin down into,”  Sam paused.

“The Holy War that the ISIS/ISIL folks keep tryin’ to goad us into even further, and keep us stickin’ around for in the Middle East to poke a stick into and let continue to fester and seethe has to be diffused.  And that takes Time and Patience and Cool Head and Hand at the helm to do that.  And that’s just what ’ole Obama has got, like it or not, Jethro,”  Sam announced more forcefully.

“If a Caliphate gets established that means drivin’ all of the Unbelievers out, and a return of Sharia Law to the strong minded hard liners and even some of the more peaceful soft liners.  It means a return to the Past where bullying men reign supreme, women are subjugated, non-career house wife queens, Slavery is cool and Infidels lose their heads.  It means that all Western ideas of Egalitarianism, Equality for one and all under the Law, Fair and Just Opportunities for one and all are dead, Jethro.  Just plain dead,”  Sam said irritably.

“The corrupt and corruptible Middle Eastern Leaders are fightin’ and machinatin’ every inch of every which a way to keep us in the Middle East as their Foil, their Scapegoat, and their paid and very well trained and armed Mercenaries.”

“Most of the thousands and millions of Middle Eastern folks are just plain sick to death of Wars, Chaos, and Death.  Just like all of us, they want to have a Chance at a Stable, Safe, Comfortable Life filled with Opportunities just like the Westernized countries they’re all runnin’ away to as Refugees.  And who can blame ’em.  If it was me and my Family, I’d be doin’ the very same thing,”  Sam admitted.

“The Middle East is just like an ‘ole smelly Snake Pit I watched for a few weeks out of curiosity, Jethro.  It was the smell and the shakin’ rattles of the Snakes that gave the Pit away, when I was chasin’ after a big ‘ole Rattler that almost bit me and my dawg in the back field.”

“When the Rattlers first infested the Pit, the varmints and livin’ critters who had lived there before cleared out as fast as they could.  They didn’t want anything to do with the Snakes invadin’ their territories.  Some got bit and eaten on their way out, but most of ‘em made it out by the skin of their teeth and mandibles.”

“Most livin’ critters just want to live free and easy, and will flee a Snake Pit quick as a greased pig to safety.  Just like the Middle Eastern Refugees are doin‘, Jethro.  It’s a scramble for Survival.”

“Now, even some of the smaller, uncertain Rattlers escaped the Snake Pit with the other fleein’ varmints.  Some went to chasin’ after the escapin’ varmints and others just wanted out of the crowded, hissin’ writhin’ strikin’ Snake Pit the same as the other escapin’ livin’ varmints.”

“There were even a couple of really big, mean Rattlers that escaped with all of the other critters to see who they could inject with poison and continue to prey upon, just like some ISIL/ISIS and the rest of their radical ilk are doin’ amongst the Refugees.  But their numbers didn’t amount to much, and some of ’em were just intent on gettin’ out, and movin’ on for a new life somewhere else, too.”

“It’s always a mixed bag when it comes to Runners.  They all have their own agendas, and how they git treated at wherever they finally land at normally determines whether they settle in or become just as toxic as the environment and the Snakes in the Snake Pit they just left.  It’s just the nature of things, Jethro.”

“But, on the whole, the Caliphate Makin’ Snakes will choose to stay right where they think all of the Action and the Power is.  In the Snake Pit,”  Sam continued thoughtfully.

“So, once you’ve got most of the Decent, Stable Life critters out of the way, and all of the really mean, Society Destroyin’ Snakes together in that one Pit Stop, the Dragons, the West’s and their Allies’ Airplanes, can move in to burn ’em out.  Dragons are giant, cold-blooded Reptiles themselves.  And it takes a Military Reptile to really git at and take proper care of another destructive Military reptile.”

“And because the demonic and destructive forces of the Caliphate Makers are elements of Hell Fire, the best weapon against them is Cold Inaction for a time, and then some very toxic doses of their very own burning, Society Destroying energies.  Because that is the only Language they truly understand.  It’s tragic, but it’s all too true, Jethro.”

“Then the West needs to help git things stabilized.  Git Assad to hand the reigns of Syria over to someone who has never worked with or for him or his murderin’ regime.  Let him and his Family out of the country safely to be dealt with later in the World Courts.  Help the new government git on its feet in whatever way it chooses - quickly.  No dawdling’ about or tryin’ to exploit their initial weaknesses.”

“If they wanna’ go democratic, fine.  If they don’t then let the stabilized chips fall where they may as long as it’s Secular and not some Religious Holy Hell Trap.  It’s gotta’ be a government that accepts and protects one and all of its peoples and the diversities of cultures and ideas of all of its peoples.”

“Let them draw their own lines for their Countries, under Global Ally Guidance, not exploitation,”  Sam said winding down.

“And let ‘ole bully boy, chest thumpin’ Putin’s meddlesome bad actin’ for his ally Assad reveal itself for just what it is over his own Territorial, Military maneuvering, Economic, and Energy needs and greeds.  Let Putin get another sample of the Snake Bite quagmire Afghanistan turned out to be for Russia last time around in Syria,”  Sam proclaimed gruffly.

“There are lessons to be learned, and mistakes made by one and all, all the way around.  When it comes to these Middle Eastern Wars, Jethro, none of us has Clean Hands.  In fact, all of our Hands are covered with the Blood and Deaths of our Children and theirs.  It’s time to stop the deadly bleed out for all of us, and move onto a brighter future for everyone involved in all of this gol durned mess,”  Sam grunted.

“Well, Sam,”  Jethro said, dropping the hay bale off his shoulder and turning to pat one of the horses who had trotted over for the first mouthful of hay, “You’ve given me a lot to chew the cud on, Pard.  Don’t know as I agree with all of it, but I’ll never take a gander at smelly Snake Pits and sweaty Arm Pits in quite the same way.  And I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.”

“Why, that’s a good thing, Jethro,”  Sam said removing his pocket knife from his jeans, and cutting the hay bales loose with a sudden flick of his wrist.  ‘Cause Life is just too gol danged complicated to be anything less.”