As I enjoyed the 4th of July holiday (yes, just another day at work) I was reminded that 6 years ago, on the night of July 3rd, Bob Green and I boarded a plane in Atlanta, GA to begin our journey in the Middle East. We took off from Hartsfield Airport and could see the fireworks shows below as we headed to London to catch our connecting flight to Dubai. So many things have changed in the last 6 years - that very first fall in Dubai I met my future wife as she waited on me at a restaurant in Dubai Mall. Marriage can be tougher than a job, I am sure that my married friends understand, not sure that I do.
The UAE is still a stable Kingdom with a very safe environment. The police (both secret and uniformed) are numerous, and keep the peace. The rest of the Middle East has disintegrated into instability and chaos. The United States has its fingerprints all over it. We encouraged the Arab Spring, first undermining our close alley Mubarak in Egypt supporting the Muslim Brotherhood's rise to power. After the people turned on the brotherhood as they enforced Sharia Law and burned Christian churches, the Egyptian Military stepped in to retake control and protect the people. Our US Government called it a coup and demanded the Egyptian Military turn back control to the Muslim Brotherhood - thankfully the military ignored our demands.
Next we helped overthrow the Khadafy government in Libya (we know how well that's gone) - Then we encouraged Syrians to overturn their government. We abandoned Iraq, pulling everyone of our military personnel
out creating the vacuum that ISIS filled. We appeased Iran as they march towards becoming a nuclear state, bent on destroying Israel. The Middle East is a mess, and our governments fingerprints are all over it.
The irony of the above rant, is this morning I have been watching the Dallas Police shootings and realize as I hear the divisive comments from our President in Poland, that as big a mess as I have here our government appears to be failing its leadership role not only around the World, but in our homeland. I think I am safer here right now.
Quick medical update, going back to hospital tomorrow for one last procedure on my leg, surgery is tentavely scheduled for July 19. In the meantime, the busted blood clot behind my right eye is slowly dissipating, hopefully will be able to have that final eye "lazoring" later this month.
We are in the beginnings of the long hot summer, everyday it reaches between 115 and 125 degrees. The only thing hotter has been Rodz's perfume sells. honestly, she has been selling 20 plus almost every night, even reaching 44 one night. Quite the little selling machine.
Thank you for taking the time to read my rant, back to lol's next time. God bless you and God Bless America!
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