Charlie Wilson's & Alternative Energy

I am not really sure how these two things are connected, but they were both on my mind so I thought I would blog about them.

Over the weekend I watched "Charlie Wilson's War" with my beloved. If you can get around the nudity, and the constant alcohol consumption, and Lord's name being used in vain, this is an interesting tale. Like most people in America I had no idea how direct (i.e. covert support) America support was for the Afghanistan struggle against the former U.S.S.R. Hindsight is 20/20 though. Near the end of the movie Gust is talking to Charlie just after the they were watching the news report of the last Russian soldier to leave Afghanistan. Gust tells the Congressman that he needs to follow up and help the Afghans rebuild their infrastructure, while overhead the sound of an airliner can be heard. The next scene Congressman Wilson is seen asking some committee for $1M to help the Afghans build schools, it is insinuated that he didn't get the money. The quote, which I am not 100% certain is from Congressman Wilson, as the movie fades to black says, "We changed the world, and then we fucked the end game."

I am not saying that America should boast about how we help rebuild various countries around the world. I think that is something that should be expected. Those who are given much are expected of much. But in this case our failure to help provide basic assistance to a country in need directly affected what happened twelve years later - in my opinion. Yes, we covertly helped the Afghans oust the Russian army, but we did we fail to help them overtly (or even covertly) when it was all over? Since my assessment of the results are in the past I cannot speak authoritatively on if the outcome would have been any different. But I do fail it was a huge failure on our part.

We have something similar going on now. I am not going to drum up reasons why we are in Iraq and Afghanistan now. That is water over the dam and there is nothing that can be done to change it. What is fact is that we are there now. I know America as a whole does not feel this way, but the United Nations has not proven itself capable of affecting change. We need to make sure that those governments are up and stable before we just pull out. How that can be accomplished can be debated - and I'm sure will be. No matter who sits in the White House after January 2009, their Vice President should be very, very busy. Not to mention their Secretary of State. We cannot afford to let those who are unwilling to live in peace to walk in and secure a nation for them to move their plans forward.

Our leaders, whether I 'approve' of them or not, are appointed by God. My ultimate trust is in God. Until His return sin, and the enemy of our souls, will continue to ruin and corrupt our efforts. But we need to continue on, and fight the good fight, because in that final day there can be no greater reward than to hear, "Well done".

Well, I have rambled on long enough about the one thing. I will have to pick up on #2 tomorrow.
Verse for today:
Ecclesiastes 3 : 1-8, ESV
For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.