9/11: WE SHALL NEVER, NEVER FORGET!

From Concordville.org

The morning was bright and crystal clear, blue skies, temperatures forecast for the mid-70s, with low humidity.  I decided to take advantage of the fair weather for a spur-of-the-moment canoe trip down a beautiful, fast-flowing, spring-fed river.  I had not gotten far out of town when my cell-phone rang with a call from my secretary.  She asked if I had seen the morning news or had my radio on.  I replied that no, I was totally absorbed with the prospect of a day on the river.  When she told me that planes had flown into the Twin Towers, my first thought was that there was some sort of coup taking place. But, quickly, I dissuaded myself of that; and, then, news reports began to sort out the situation.  Gradually, it became clear that our country had been brutally attacked by fanatical terrorists whose way of thinking might have come out of the 15th century.  Whether Americans wanted it or not, our country was at war with radical Islam. And it still is!

The spirit of unity was overwhelming.  Americans of all political persuasions and spiritual outlooks wanted to help in any way possible.  In the day after the attack, while we were on the road, it was common to see hill people gathering on court house squares for impromtu prayer meetings.  Every little town had its flags lowered; and, in the days that followed, blood drives seemed to be going on everywhere, although they were largely symbolic, owing to the need for blood being much smaller than the burgeoning supply.

It was one of the most horrific days in our nation's history, but, at least, we were united.  During  the 12 years since that day, we have become fractured as a nation; and, in many ways, we have become a mass of squabbling tribes, each demanding what it sees as its rights.  Sadly, our present leadership has done even more to spread the virus of disunity.

So, on this day of remembrance, let us honor the martyrs of the Twin Towers and the brave souls who "got rolling" to foil the schemes of the demented beings who hijacked flight 93.  To exploit this day for any other cause would be an abomination.

It is my hope that the so-called "Million Muslim March" planned for today in Washington will simply fizzle out.  It is not only a bad idea to schedule such an event on this day, it is also an outrage!  If the organizers of the march wish to choose an occasion to protest what they see as violations of their civil rights, let it not be on 9/11.  Consequently, one questions not only their judgement but also their motivation.  Are Muslims denied their right to vote in this country?  Are they suffering discrimination in housing and public accommodations?  Do they find prejudice in the workplace?  Are they not allowed to build their mosques?  Do they experience bias involving their dietary requirements?  In summary:  Methinks these Muslims doth protest too much!

With that in mind, let's take a look at the other side of the coin.  Daily, throughout the world in Muslim-dominated settings, Christians suffer overt discrimination.  In fact, in places like Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Pakistan their lives are literally on the line.  Christians, as I write this, are being thrown into prisons, raped, assaulted and murdered, simply because they choose to be true to their faith.  Yet, I hear not a peep of protest from American Muslims about the atrocities that are being visited upon my Christian brothers and sisters by Muslim fanatics in Muslim countries.  Just imagine what would happen in, for example, Islamabad if Christians organized a mass demonstration on Eid-al-Adha to protest their plight in Pakistan.  I can well imagine that there would be a massacre of great proportions.  But, of course, in the world of political correctness and multiculturalism, we are not supposed to think about the double-standard,  and certainly not when it comes to Islam.

9/11 should have been a wake-up call to the declaration of war that was made against Western values by the fanatics and extremists of Islam.  That war continues to this day, but perhaps in stealthier ways.  With that in mind, it appears that the best way that we can remember the souls of the martyrs and heroes of 9/11 is to reawaken our vigilance, realizing that for as long as the threat of terrorism exists, we are truly and unalterably at war.


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VLADIMIR TOTALLY DEVOURS BARACK'S LUNCH!

VLADIMIR HANGS TOUGH WHILE BARACK HANGS
 IN THE DIPLOMATIC WIND

It was just yesterday that Secretary of State John Kerry, when asked how Syria could avoid an American military strike, replied in a tongue-in -cheek answer that Bashar al-Assad "...could turn over every bit of his chemical weapons to the international community in the next week, turn it over, all of it, without delay, for a full and total accounting."  Obviously, Kerry was assuming that such compliance would never occur. However, Russia's foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, followed up immediately by indicating Russia's willingness to undertake such a mission and to transport (supposedly for disposal) the concerned chemical weapons to Russia.

On Monday, the Syrian foreign minister was in Moscow and followed up with assurances that his country was quite willing to go along with the Russian proposal.  Once again, Vladimir Putin has one-upped the U.S. president, gaining an edge in the game of international credibility, a game in which increasingly the American president appears amateurish.

So now, once again, American diplomacy has painted itself into a corner.  Plainly, Russia would not be one's first choice to dispose of its ally Syria's arsenal of chemical weapons, but now Barack Obama must at least acknowledge this masterful move in a diplomatic chess game with all sorts of strategic implications.

With Obama leading the charge of the boys and girls of what is clearly a diplomatic and foreign affairs "B" team, we have gone from demands for Assad to depart from Syria, to the "phony" red-line, to threats of a military strike, to inability to gain support at the G-20 summit, and now to a national address tonight that is mind-boggling in terms of just what the president can realistically say about his latest blunder.

In terms of a quick review of disasters, let's look back to Libya and Egypt.  In Libya, if you will recall, the words "leading from behind" emerged as questionable verbiage to describe international collaboration in terminating the Ghadafi. regime.  It has been almost 2 years since the Libyan dictator's death in October of 2011, and Libya is now in far worse shape than it was before Ghadafi's demise, continuing to exist as a North African magnet for Islamists of all sorts of radical shades.

As for Egypt, our highly vaunted diplomacy felt that it could dispense with Hosni Mubarak, the Egyptian dictator, because the "moderate" Muslim Brotherhood, after all, would be a unifying force for democracy.  After a year of the Brotherhood's incompetence, Egypt was on the verge of imploding.  And now the Foggy Bottom folks can't make up their minds as to whether a military coup has occurred in Egypt; and, if it has, what to do about it.  In the meantime, Egypt's Christian minority of 10 million has become the  focus of the wrath of the Muslim Brotherhood and other religious extremists.

Now, U.S. naval units are in the eastern Mediterranean, in close proximity to Russian war ships.  Also there is a Chinese amphibious war ship the size of two football fields in the general area. Putin has declared that Russia will provide a rocket shield if U.S. missiles are launched against Syria.  Has the possibility of conflict been minimized simply because John Kerry misspoke?  It is a bit frightening to dwell on it, but how can we count on President Obama and his "B" team, given their history of foul-ups, to keep us secure and to heed to a stable course internationally?  And, quite frankly, it is terribly embarrassing to be asking these questions.

Perhaps it's time for a presidential sabbatical.  A few weeks as an understudy to President Putin in Moscow. might just do President Obama a world of good.  We couldn't be in much worse shape with "Uncle Joe" minding the shop in Washington while Barack does some remedial work in Russia.  Maybe Vladimir could begin by demonstrating how his iron-fisted policies have worked with Russia's Muslim population, most of whom have learned by now that Vladimir is not a very politically correct fellow.  In that regard, Barack might benefit from a field trip to Chechnya.  You know, the more I think about this, the better and better the idea seems!  And it also might be a wonderful idea for Barack to return that Nobel  Peace Prize on the way over to  Moscow.

MORE & MORE, IT APPEARS THAT ISRAEL IS SURROUNDED BY SHEER BARBARISM!

If the photographs of Syrian " freedom-fighters"  that appeared a couple of days ago in the pages of Two for Texas did not turn your stomachs, dear readers, then nothing probably will.

Having spent 6 years living in the Middle East, I am often asked about the violence which swirls about that region.  My stock answer, of course, is that by the Muslim calendar this is the 15th century.  To bring home my point a little better, I invariably compare Western civilization in the 15th and 16th centuries to what passes for civilization these days in Europe and America.

SHARIA LAW AT ITS FINEST!

Over minor theological points, 15th and 16th century Christians were drawing and quartering  and burning and hanging each other. Proceeding with this historical train of thought, I came to realize one day while strolling the streets of Riyadh that, for all practical purposes, I could just as well have been in Calvin's Geneva.  In short order, it dawned on me that  Islam had yet to pass through anything like a Renaissance, Reformation or Enlightenment.

Part of my epiphany included eventually understanding enough Arabic to be able to apprehend from sermons blasting from speaker systems  attached to mosques that the sermon-givers were calling for Christians and Jews to be driven into the sea and eradicated - all for the good of the Umma. But, to be sure, not only does Muslim enmity extend to infidels, Shias and Sunnis alike revile each other with a deep religious hatred, compounded by cultural differences, which has extended over centuries.

One need only think of the cauldron of darkness and hatred and the various groups and factions caught up in the eruption of violence that is Syria in 2013. To imagine in any way that Western powers will be able to eventually engage in nation-building to set the Arab states of the Levant on a path of democracy and individual freedom is nothing short of lunacy.

And, in considering all of this, one ultimately comes to reflect on the state of Israel, a tiny country surrounded by ongoing hostility and conflict.  That Israelis must constantly be on guard is a given;  but, somehow, Israel is able to not only survive but also to thrive.

From the moment of Israel's birth more than 65 years ago on May 14, 1948, the country has drawn the ire of Arab states, socialist dictators, the old Eastern Bloc and various and sundry Third World regimes. Consequently, resolutions too numerous to count have been passed against the Jewish state through the U.N. Last year, for example, of 26 U.N. resolutions directed against assorted countries, 22 were directed at Israel.  At the same time, and to question the integrity of its proceedings, the U.N. has been strangely silent on the topic of Syrian air raids on Palestinian mosques.

Israel has been attacked 4 times by Arab armies in its history.  And, constantly, Israel must bear the Arab propaganda machine branding Israelis as practitioners of genocide.  And this smearing goes on despite the 1.2  million Arab citizens of Israel, who are eligible to vote, take part in political life and sit in the Knesset. Indicative, too, of the standing of Israeli Arabs is that more than 20% of those enrolled in Haifa University are of Arab ethnicity, hardly a sign of genocide.

Almost immediately after its independence, Israel was attacked by the Arab League, and Jews from Arab countries throughout the Middle East were expelled from their homelands.  Palestinian Arabs were encouraged by the invading Arabs to flee the new country, which resulted in a permanent refugee class still affecting Middle East politics to this very day.   Israel absorbed the Jewish refugees as well as several thousand Arab emigres. On the other hand, the Arab states gave only lip-service to the cause of Arab refugees, preferring instead to use them as pawns in a continuing campaign of deceit against Israel.

Arab and Muslim violence against Jews is nothing new.  In the post-World War I era, when Palestine was a British-controlled mandate, mosque-incited racist riots directed against sabra communities of Jews who had been resident in the area for 100s of years broke out, resulting in wide-spread death and destruction.  For example, in the riots of 1929, 133 Jews and 119 Arabs were killed, most of the Arabs being shot down by British troops attempting to restore order.

Despite sharing a bloody history with the Palestinians, Israel has shown remarkable restraint.  Enduring daily Hamas attacks on its schools, kindergartens and hospitals, Israel waited eight years to take out Hamas rocket sites.  When faced with the necessity of making retaliatory raids on terrorist forces,  Israel has done all that is possible to attack only the concerned terrorists, avoiding concentrations of civilians and even dropping leaflets in Arab civilian communities to warn of impending attacks.

As for her reputed anti-Muslim policies, when Arab states refused to take Muslim refugees from Darfur during the genocidal civil war in the Sudan, they were taken in by Israel, which proceeded to absorb them into her population.  And now, Israel is in the process of making a Muslim friend in Azerbaijan, which like Israel is concerned about Hezbollah and Iranian schemes to expand Shia influence.

Israel is home to almost 200,000 Christians, most of whom are Arabs.  In contrast, there has been an ongoing ethnic cleansing of Christians in adjacent areas controlled by the Palestinian Authority.  In 1990, Christians constituted 60% of Bethlehem's population.  Today they represent less than 20%.  Even Bethlehem's venerable Church of the Nativity has not been immune to terrorist attacks.  All told, the Christian population has declined to less than 2% in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority, which has made Islam its sanctioned faith.

 Despite Israel's perilous setting, surrounded by extremists, militants and terrorists, the small nation continues to distinguish itself through education and technology, leading the world on a per-capita basis in the publication of scientific publications.  Accordingly, in many quarters, Israel is becoming known as "Silicon Valley East."  All of this draws a definite distinction with Israel's neighbors, most of whom seem set on following a 15th century mindset into a steady descent toward chaos and bloodshed.

In observing the erratic actions of the American president during the last two weeks, I have wondered how those actions are being received in Israel, our dear friend and closest ally in the Middle East. To say  the least, they must be more than a bit unnerving. As one who considers himself an Abrahamic Christian, I cannot help but be concerned; and, in that context, I pray that Israel may continue to survive as a beacon of hope in  the otherwise morally dreary landscape of the Middle East.

THE GREAT ENERGY DECEPTION

Dear readers, are you ready for another ride on the energy roller-coaster?  Unfortunately, we are currently shackled to the vagaries of Middle East politics; and, accordingly, the rise and decline of oil prices for the U.S. is largely dictated by events outside this country.

Sad but true, if you happen to be planning a trip, your plans might be affected by what is about to take place in Syria.  Summer is winding down, and students are back in their classrooms.  However, that post-Labor Day price of $3.25 a gallon just might be on the verge of heading north.

Americans, more than ever, are being affected by the rising costs of energy.  With real wages falling precipitously in comparison with those of a decade ago, family budgets increasingly show greater proportions going to the cost of energy.

In a recent pontification, our president averred that the U.S. possesses only 2% of the world's oil reserves, but consumes 20% of output.  That's nothing short of scary! But it was also dancing around the truth. It might be a good time, then, to ask why our president is not being straight forward with us

It seems that the 2% figure only includes reserves that are presently being exploited.  And that accounts for a mere fraction of total American oil reserves.  For example, although Texas is the number 1 oil-producing state with 7 billion barrels of reserves recognized by the federal government, that doesn't tell the real story.

THE EAGLE FORD FORMATION

Have you been through Carrizo Springs, Kennedy, Karnes or Beeville lately?  These locations were formerly on my list of shortcuts of going and coming in Texas But, no more!  Those formerly sleepy backwaters are now abuzz with all sorts of traffic, owing to the boom coming out of the Eagle Ford Shale Formation, which extends through 24 counties from South Texas into East Texas.  That boom is expected to get larger and larger, further enhancing the output of "Texas tea."

So, let's examine that 2% figure more closely.  The 2% referred to in no way includes the more than 400 billion barrels of technically recoverable crude oil.  Neither does it take in more than 800 billion barrels of oil shale.  Included in these totals would be 86 billion barrels in the outer continental shelf, 48 billion in Alaska's North Slope, 12 billion in ANWR and 19 billion in Utah's tar sands.  It does not include billions of barrels in southwest Wyoming, where the surface management is under the control of our federal government.  When all of these recoverable energy resources are totaled, they come to 60 times more than the numbers recited by the president.  In fact, if we went about developing these reserves, they are more than enough to make this country oil-independent for the next 200 years.  Just imagine what that independence could do for us.  We would be relieved from much of Middle East instability, we would not be sending money to people who hate us, and we could be developing "green" energy sources at the same time.

A good case in point with regard to pursuing energy independence is a quick look at oil prices over the last several decades.  Obviously, the trend is for prices to continue their upward spiral.  Given that fact of life, is it reasonable to continue to subsidize authoritarian regimes which could at any time wreak economic havoc on the U.S. and its citizens?

                                          Furthermore, a perusal of a list of the top 6 foreign oil suppliers to the U.S. reveals 4 that we might very well wish to curtail doing business with. I could do without, for example, forwarding U.S. dollars to further the sybaritic lifestyles of the more than 5,000 royal princes in Saudi Arabia. Then, there is Nigeria, which is subject to all sorts of internal turmoil, which more often than not affects the country's oil fields.  As for Iraq, despite the billions and billions of American dollars wasted, Iraq will eventually slide into a Shia vs. Sunni civil war. Furthermore, Iraqis will never be grateful for the expenditure of American blood and treasure.  Turning to Venezuela, that oil-rich country seems perpetually trapped in the late Hugo Chavez's "Bolivarian Revolution."  Let's stop dealing with that pack of leftist blockheads!  And that would leave us with our neighbors, Mexico and Canada. Surely, between ourselves and the resources coming from our neighbors, we can head toward energy independence. So, let's get on with it!  The security of future generations depends on it!  And, above all, we cannot afford to continue allowing this country's leaders to obscure the total energy reserves that we are blessed with.  And neither can we continue to place ourselves in jeopardy over energy.

I recall a time when presidents were not afraid to reveal the truth, regardless of the political consequences that the truth might portend.  In particular, I recall a man from Missouri who was not afraid to take the heat. His name was Harry S Truman, and he had a saying which every chief executive should keep in mind:  "If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen."   In the last 5 years, we have been repeatedly duped by leaders who prefer obfuscation to clarification.  And that is particularly true when it comes to energy.  Let's set about changing that!  And, if they can't stand the heat, then by all means they should vacate that kitchen.

THE SYRIAN OBSESSION: WHEN WILL THEY EVER LEARN! KERRY IS FULL OF HOT AIR, AND MCCAIN MUST BE SENILE!

REBEL MUSLIM "LADIES AUXILIARY" SUPPORTERS DO THE
"JIHAD JIG" WITH AL-QAEDA JIHAD FLAG IN ALEPPO

Two for Texas has consistently counseled against involvement on the part of the U.S. in the Syrian morass. Despite the entreaties of Secretary of State Kerry and the desire of Senator McCain for our country to deliver a retaliatory strike at the gas-wielding Assad dictatorship, there is clearly convincing evidence that al-Qaeda has the support of approximately 50% of the forces in opposition to the Damascus regime.  In effect, Kerry and McCain would have the U.S. acting as the air-arm of al-Qaeda in Syria!  Even incompetent director of national intelligence General James Clapper has acknowledged the preponderance of al-Qaeda forces in the ranks of the Syrian opposition forces.

REBELS FIGHT AND SCREAM "ALLAHHU-AKHBAR"
WITH AL-QAEDA JIHAD FLAG

Just four months ago, the al-Nusra Front, reputed to be the most effective fighting force among the rebel units, openly pledged its undying  loyalty to al-Qaeda.  Al-Nusra, which is made up of veteran jihadis from throughout the Muslim world, has scored numerous successes against the regular army and is known far and wide for inflicting atrocities on Christians and other minority groups.

FOREIGN "OPPOSITION" JIHADIS
ENTER ALEPPO UNDER AL-QAEDA FLAG

Secretary of State Kerry's recent words equating opposition leadership and most rebel units with "moderate" Islam ring hollow in the face of reports from the European press that there is a strong likelihood that the State Department has been ignoring not only intelligence produced by the CIA but also corroborating reports coming from our allies.  Two for Texas is far from being a fan of Vladimir Putin, but perhaps he was not far off the mark on Thursday when he deemed Mr. Kerry a liar.

It makes absolutely no sense to enter a fray in such a way as to support an opposition that unmistakably favors an Islamic state, along with Sharia law.  If Secretary Kerry and Senator McCain wish to find a war in which they could intervene on the side of good facing evil, surely it would not be this one.  Thus far, this conflict features bad guys slaughtering bad guys.  There are no good guys involved in this fight.

The more the Obama administration attempts to articulate a Syrian policy, the more it becomes obvious that not much forethought has been given to possible outcomes of American involvement. For example, next to nothing has been heard about the following:

1.  What happens if an American strike results in widening the conflagration, including the direct participation of Assad's Iranian allies?  Is the U.S. prepared to fight a war which might include efforts to eradicate Iran's nuclear facilities?

2.  How will Israel be affected?  Is Israel being isolated in all of the inane maneuvering now being undertaken by the Obama administration?

3.  What will be the fate of Syria's more than 2 million Christians?  Christianity in America these days is increasingly seen as a scorned relic, but is the Obama administration prepared to see a bloodbath of religious minorities that an opposition victory would bring?

TORTURED SYRIAN SOLDIER AWAITS EXECUTION
BY MUSLIM "FREEDOM FIGHTERS" (YOU-TUBE)

If those in power are capable of making a valid case for any sort of U.S. involvement in Syria, they have much to do in convincing Americans, who are overwhelmingly against any sort of intervention.  This morning, in photographs appearing in the New York Times, more graphic evidence was displayed showing the barbarity of the so-called freedom fighters.  If we take the Muslim calendar as an indicator of  mindset, the Islamist mind is a 15th century mind, and obviously has not been mellowed by the march of time.  There is no plausible basis for American involvement in Syria, but there is a host of reasons to support a sound argument for non-intervention.

MUSLIM "FREEDOM FIGHTERS" CARRY OUT MASS EXECUTION OF
SYRIAN SOLDIERS (YOU-TUBE)

THE SHAME OF THE OBESITY "EPIDEMIC"

FROM STRANGE COSMOS

I began noticing it around 22 years ago. My favorite business suit outlet stopped carrying my size - 44 long, athletic cut.  When asked why my size was no longer available, the manager simply said that Americans were getting "bigger."  What she meant, of course, was that Americans were getting fatter.

2 years later, the suit outlet was having a going-out-of business sale.  I was curious and asked why the outlet was closing.  This time the manager indicated that Americans were becoming more "casual."  A fairly easy translation was that Americans were becoming more sloppy in their appearance.

I was raised in a family in which I was encouraged to look my best and to participate in athletics and physical exercise.  In fact, exercise is a habit that still occupies a significant chunk of my time.  Naturally, I began to take note of the human scenery I encountered over the next couple of decades, and it was clear that Americans were, indeed, getting fatter and sloppier.  I even began to notice a trend in fat people in shorts coming to church.

In many ways, the obesity epidemic goes hand in hand with the overall decline in standards in the U.S.  Not only have we had a decline in academic standards in the public schools, standards have also fallen precipitously in entertainment, at least judging by the product turned out by Hollywood.  Not to be outdone by culture-wide trends, grade inflation in higher education now results in the most common grade given in college-level courses being "A."  But, perhaps, I digress.

"Shame" is something that we seem to be short on these days in the U.S.  Nevertheless, in risking a severe breach of the politically-correct ethic, there will be no hesitation in these pages in using the word.  It is truly a SHAME what obesity is doing to more and more children.  Looked at statistically, obesity in children has more than doubled in the last 30 years, while for adolescents it has had a 300% increase  By 2010, 33% of all children and adolescents were obese or overweight in this country. In terms of an economic cost, almost 200 billion dollars, or 21% of medical costs in the U.S, are related to obesity.  With childhood obesity rates soaring, that figure will grow exponentially; and, along with it, there will be additional costs in unemployment and disability benefits.

In 21st century America, we are now informed that obesity is a disease.  That might be true in 10% of the cases, but, as for the other 90%, the condition would seem to be totally voluntary, the result of caloric imbalance in which the affected party simply does not burn as many calories in energy use as he/she takes in through diet.

In extreme south Texas, where Food Stamps are utilized by at least 1/3 of the population, most of those in grocery store lines using government programs appear grossly overweight.  Invariably, the children who accompany them are also badly overweight.  By acceptable discourse these days, they are no longer "fat people," but should be referred to by the gentler politically-correct words of "plus-sized" or even "metabolic-challenged."  As a courtesy, most large stores provide electrically-charged carts for the handicapped to ambulate and make their purchases.  However, those making the greatest use of these carts are the plus-sized people who, by dint of their dietary habits, have apparently placed great stress on their joints and, in effect, have made cripples of themselves.

Looking back, I cannot recall any childhood friends being fat.  I do recall most women of that era having waist-lines; and, these days, I would imagine that there would be many of the female population who would have a difficult time climbing into vintage clothing from the 50s and 60s.  Just think June Cleaver, and you'll get the idea.

Never in history has there been a society with more information about nutrition and health.  Never has there been a society with as many options for wholesome exercise.  Could it be that, out of sheer sloth and ignorance, we are trading our heritage for a mess of pottage and condemning future generations to painful lives and early death?  For shame!

SYRIA REDUX

Some of our regular readers will recall that last Friday our staff at Two for Texas questioned why as yet the Obama administration had not shelved war plans until at least Syria's neighbors had evidenced concern about that nation's use of chemical warfare against its own citizens ("HAS THE U.K. TAKEN THE WIND OUT OF OBAMA'S SYRIAN SAILS?" 8/30/2013).  Two days following (on Sunday), the foreign ministers of the Arab League, meeting in Cairo, issued a statement in which they condemned the Assad regime and called for international action.  Although the statement was not specific as to what sort of international action would be appropriate, it did suggest that the matter should be referred to the U.N.  In the meantime, President Obama, AKA the "Amateur," has backed off from his infamous "red-line" and has indicated that he is tossing the ball into Congress's court.

All of these developments are causing astute observers to wonder why some of these steps were not taken months ago; and, if the role of Congress is seen as a major one by the White House, why isn't Congress being summoned back now, as its summer recess is winding down?

Although the pages of Two for Texas have been, on the whole, less than kind to George W. Bush, we can't help comparing the actions of President Obama to those of President Bush, who began to put his coalition together and went before the U.N. before his tough talk led to action on Iraq.  In contrast, President Obama in "telegraphing" his intentions to the world before garnering international support for such a move, has emerged from the Syrian fiasco with much diplomatic egg on his face. Hopefully, Secretary of State Kerry has a few underlings at the Department of State with some sort of understanding about international protocols which have banned chemical warfare and are also savvy concerning the need for subtlety in gaining international support against Syria .

Owing to the use of chlorine gas in 1915 by Germany, a pell-mell rush ensued by the participants in World War I to build up their reserves of chemical weapons.  After the war, the losing parties were prohibited from producing and stockpiling chemical agents.  During the Bolshevik takeover in Russia and also in the post-war era in the Middle East, gas warfare continued to be resorted to. Despite efforts in 1925 in Geneva which produced a protocol against chemical weapons, the use of poisonous gases persistently showed up as a military option. During World War II, although the Allies and Germany possessed tons of reserves of chemical weapons, they were not resorted to, and most of these stockpiles were eventually disposed of.  Throughout the Cold War, both sides were capable of producing and using chemical weapons, but refrained from doing so.  Of course, more recently, the Iraqi government of Sadam Hussein used gas against his own people and against Iran, during their war of 1980-1988.  By the end  of the 20th century, though, the original protocol against chemical weapons had gained traction and was widely understood throughout the international community to have proscribed chemical warfare, both during times of war between nations and during internal conflicts within nations.

With the historical background and development of a world-wide intent to interdict chemical weapons, there should be no hesitation on the part of the United States to pursue its case in the court of world opinion, and this includes the U.N., and the Court of International Justice at the Hague. To belligerently posture before exhausting every possible means internationally to paint Syria as a rogue country is not reasonable.  And, right now, it would  seem more than a little plausible that the Arab League and the Arab foreign ministers should be encouraged to at least consider a trade embargo against Syria.  After all, it's their neighborhood!

For now, the U.S. should be exerting itself to regain diplomatic prestige lost in the recent debacle over Syria. If there is a lesson to be learned in all of this, it might be that our leaders should always be mindful of the need for discretion in their words; but, along with that, they should realize, as well, the necessity of having  the ability and resolve for an option of confrontation when all else fails.  I seem to recall that there was a past president who used an expression that went something like this:  "Speak softly and carry a big stick."  Perhaps this was not covered in the curricula at Columbia and Harvard.