Our future could be greater than our past...

As a person that studies history, both military and economic, the events of September 11th have the capability of launching the U.S. and its allies into a new period of growth and more important, influence and stability around the world.

As far as our own wounds go, I'm amazed at what societies under extreme duress have done in the past to rebound. In the recent past, both Germany and Japan come to mind. We're talking huge devastation here, many thousands of times worse than what the U.S. experienced on September 11th.

In the history of the U.S. itself, the national recovery after the American Civil War was astonishing. The nation came together after the deaths of over 600,000 americans (mostly male, mostly in the prime of life, certainly many with the potential to add greatly to the country...but were lost). Plus there were hundreds of thousands more maimed to the point of not being able to contribute as much to the rebuilding of the country. Yet, the U.S. didn't just survive it prospered. This was the first glimpse of the U.S. becoming a world power.

Were there rough spots along the way? Absolutely. Many recessions and depressions. Many in the north and south still harbored ill will towards the other...yet we survived and prospered.

I'm impressed by two things so far...
1. Our military "control". We aren't bombing everything in site. We are being careful up to this point. Not only does that cement our leadership position as a nation that thinks before it acts. I guarantee you it is driving the opposition in Afgan nuts. They know it's coming they just don't know where and when...a page torn from the "terrorist" manual.

2. We are assembling quite a group of supporters. While I'm not naive enough to think that all of them are doing it out of the kindness of their hearts, it is still an impressive list. Stealing a napoleonic phrase, it's amazing what the "wiff of grapeshot" can do to a country that is on the edge of deciding if they are with us or against us.

Americans seems to have the tendancy of getting "our wits beaten out of us" in the first round...Once round two comes around it is a different story all together...Usually the "fight" is over by round three.

I don't see it going past three rounds.

Mike Winicki