World War III

While our congress is off having cocktails with major donors- it is election season, you know- Obama continues to beat the war drum. We are now going to fight ISIS's "Network of Death" anywhere and everywhere. And oh, by the way, there was this other thing called the Khorasan Group that we bombed the shit out of the other day, too.

Um, if  World War is defined by multiple countries on multiple continents, with battles fought in multiple places... doesn't that make this WWIII? And while our congress clearly thinks sipping martinis is essential business of the country, are they not shirking their constitutional duty to debate and vote on this?

No, no, let's all talk about the lazy salute with a cup of coffee in Obama's hand. I mean, WOW. Can you believe that he was so disrespectful? And why didn't Michelle curtsey? or something?

Let's take a peek at where we are now fighting, or planning to fight. We have sent troops to Africa to fight the Ebola virus. Mind you, perhaps a dollar short and a day late, as the infection rate at this point could easily be 1.5 million by January 2015. Okay, this is a good fight and we should have been there at the beginning. I know, hindsight is always 20-20.

We are giving Russia the "one more step and we are going to lose it" look in the Ukraine. Of course, Putin continues to inch forward a little bit more to see if we are serious. No one in any country has any appetite to take on Russia in a war. Except for Ukraine, and that's only because they have to. Let's face it, they didn't mobilize their entire army to go fight. Luckily, there is an uneasy peace right now and it appears Russian troops have started to withdraw. Although as I tell my students, if you are not there? You have no idea what's going on.

Which brings me to Syria, and Iraq. No boots on the ground - just in the air, and at sea but it's not ground! I'm sorry but that reminds me of my kids holding a finger an inch away from their brother's face saying, I'm not touching you! There is not one reporter or news agency of any kind there. All of our information is coming from the military. Great. Not at all unbiased. And this Khorasan group? Just a little concern they are plotting attacks on the US and Europe.

What?

Now the politicians are telling us we are headed into a long, drawn out war in the middle east. Call me crazy, but when I look at the calendar? Seems we have been at war since September 11, 2001. That is a long, drawn out war. And hiring Blackwater to go in and do the dirty work doesn't mean we don't have boots on the ground.

What about Israel? We give billions of dollars in military aid to a conflict that my son Zachary says, both sides suck. Sure, we're not fighting there, but we are involved. Deeply.

Multiple continents, multiple battles. Seems to me that we have, in fact, entered WWIII. Add to the mix the effects of climate change- droughts, food shortages, extreme weather disasters- and I'm not exactly sure what this world will look like in ten years.

But please, Congress. Don't stop your campaigns of mud throwing and nasty to address this. Don't bother having a debate. We'll all just sit back and watch the nightly news showing the glory of our missiles leaving warships from 10 different angles.

We, the American people, are all good with it. Right?