One of my early interview-ees was retired high school history teacher,Sydney Speigel. I had read Mr Speigel's ALL EMPIRES DIE(no, unfortunately, out of print).

Sydney's book often comes to my mind - more now than ever.  Now , more than ever, as we push forward in these wars.

Oh, let's go back for another minute : O're the years, I've frequently interviewed  folks from http://www.thenation.com/article/calling-air-america" rel="nofollow">The Nation and http://inthesetimes.com/" rel="nofollow">In These Times. We oftened talked about the need to end these wars.  We did a number of 'round-table' discussions - once again - talking about Ohio, in my words : will we be  the heart of it all or the heartBREAK of it all . Often writers from these liberal publications would say something like - Louie, you're lucky to be in Ohio where you can vote for Sherrod Brown. He's one of us, he's a great liberal and anti-war. Heyhttp://brown.senate.gov/senator/biography/" rel="nofollow">,http://brown.senate.gov/senator/biography/" rel="nofollow">from Sherrod's website : 
http://brown.senate.gov/senator/biography/" rel="nofollow">"An early and outspoken opponent of the Iraq war, Senator Brown..."  My response was : Yeah, I like Sherrod, a lot,  but the closer we get to the election, the more towards the centre he moves, and I do not think that will change once he's elected...  note: Sherrod and I HAD a wonderful relationship. He did the show and praised the show many,many times - as a U.S.Congressman. It's been his choice not to return. Ah,yes,Sherrod, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObeJpmdeyQ4" rel="nofollow">remember the shows we did on NAFTA....CAFTA...?

In past blogs I've quotedhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TP3x-VdOb44" rel="nofollow"> President Obama's (and other Democrats') anti-war (yet empty) words.

Today's,04July2010, New York Times front page carries a photograph of 23 year old Brendan Marrocco, a brave soldier whohttp://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/04/nyregion/04soldier.html" rel="nofollow"> "After Losing 4 Limbs in Iraq,a Determined Soldier Rebuilds a Life...Now he is preparing for a rare and risky double arm transplant at the University of Pittsburgh...There have now been 988 service members who have lost limbs in combat since the first of the wars began in 2001...“I would close my eyes and see a head and a torso,” his mother, Michelle Marrocco, 50, said of the early days. “How much worse could it be?”...One sweltering day this spring, a Marine sat in a wheelchair outside while Specialist Marrocco practiced walking nearby. The Marine had arrived at Walter Reed in May and was waiting for a shuttle bus. He lost both his arms and legs in Afghanistan, and is the wars’ second quadruple amputee...The Marine watched Specialist Marrocco amble up an incline, determined to tame his prosthetics. “I’m hoping to be just like you soon, man,” he shouted.

I like to believe that all of us,U.S.,  KNOW that these young and not so young men and women are making tremendous sacrifices for we-the people of this nation. They,this nations's soldiers,courageously and selflessly fight in wars that our, so-called leaders, send them to fight--and they do it w/o question, for all of us,U.S.

Two  of my many  questions, on this Independence Day, are:

We see and know the courage of our soldiers - where is the courage of our 'leaders'?

We see and know that our soldiers move forward-fearlessly, selflessly and regardless of the odds - where's the fearless, selfless,forward movement of our 'leaders'?

-Louie b.

postscrpt: When soldiers are killed in these wars, the media says "they made the ultimate sacrifice..." When will the media do more than occasionally mention a local boy or girl that's killed in these wars and start  - at the very least - naming the names of those who make "the ultimate sacrifice for all of us,U.S." --- after all - would we have a free media w/o their sacrifice ?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/04/nyregion/04soldier.html" rel="nofollow">