A Question of Conviction

I read an editorial by David Brooks in the New York Times this morning that is one of the best pieces he has written lately.  It asks the question whether the President has the determination and tenacity to win if he commits more troops to the war effort in Afghanistan.  While all of us listen to the arguments about troop levels and counter-insurgency and Taliban attacks, Brooks asks a simple question: If Obama commits troops, is he committing himself?  Is he going to have the determination to follow through and make this his war;  his own priority ahead of things he clearly is more passionate about like health care and energy independence? 


The debate is really about the man and what is important to him, since he ultimately will decide.  The most important meeting will be “the one with the mirror, in which he looks for some firm conviction about whether Afghanistan is worthy of his full and unshakable commitment.”, says Brooks.

That is a very perceptive take on this whole issue and is really one that all of us can relate to.  When was the last time any of us really succeeded without that firm conviction that we were following the right course of action?  I doubt we had the weighty implications that Obama has with this commitment, but we all understand that moment when we must affirm to ourselves that we have the conviction we need to succeed.  It is the point of no return.

Until that tenacity is visible to those surrounding you, everyone will hedge their bets as to what direction they each will take in the event you don’t show the conviction necessary to complete the task. 

As for me, I think we have had enough war and bloodshed in Afghanistan.  We don’t have a partner there.  We instead have a corrupt government that is only concerned about perpetuating it’s poppy crop and marketing opium worldwide!  We have a situation that will continue to devour our young men and provide us no additional security against attack.  We are spending more than 10 times the amount of our tax money in Afghanistan than we spend in Pakistan, and that is where the Taliban are actually hiding!  Not to mention the fact that Pakistan has nuclear weapons that are certainly less secure than we would like!  For eight years we have been pouring our treasure and blood into an effort that has showered only death and grief on our people.  We can’t save the world.  We can only be an example to the world.  Let us come back to that conviction!

Are our priorities backwards?  If we are going to ‘nation build’ why not do it here in the good ole' US of A?  We could sure use some of that cash!!  Let’s show some tenacity and commitment to helping our countrymen at home.

Is it time for all of us have a meeting with the person in the mirror and ask ourselves whether we have the tenacity and conviction to fix our problems here …..  starting with our own families and ending with our country’s desperate need for new thinking on race, greed, humanity and compassion, not to mention health care, energy, taxes, and the economy?