DAILY PROMPT
Awe
Write a new post in response to today’s one-word prompt.
Shock and Awe
Awe is very powerful tool, when you combine it with shock you have a double whammy. Just the sound of the words shock and awe used together should be enough to send any enemy running for cover, to hide deep underground.
If you plan on using shock and awe as the preparation for going into battle, you better do a lot of homework first. Have a long list of pros and cons that you can study along with a group of your smartest war advisers. Include even the ones who have different opinions, don’t make them retire. Without extensive, intelligent planning, for an invasion, you better find all of the four leaf clover’s you can get your hands on. Going to war is very serious for those who fight and die. Politicians don’t do the down and dirty part, just the planning. That makes you think that they don’t fully appreciate the meaning of invading a country and going to war in a far-off land.
The invasion of Iraq, according to the war planners was going to be a shock and awe” invasion. Some advisors concluded invading would be a slamdunk. Some had the idea it would be similar to a cakewalk, the streets would be crowded with people on both sides greeting our troops as liberators. Liberating them from their dictator Saddam Hussein who was supposed to be in possession of weapons of mass destruction. That information, along with the cakewalk, slamdunk scenario was all the green light Congress needed to decide the yes vote on invading the country of Iraq. The daily questioning of their patriotism may have had some influuence!
At that time, the press was always very careful to point out to anyone who spoke out against the Iraq Invasion. Their patriotism would come into question immediately, since they were not true patriots. It turned out there was no such thing as a slam-dunk or a cakewalk, a few lined the streets at first. Saddam Hussein was found hiding in a hole in the ground, but getting him didn’t solve anything. They reversed shock and awe on us by laying low until we declared MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. Then all hell broke loose in Iraq on many fronts while we played patty cake with Afghan War Lords. They got suitcases full of cash for their allegiance.
The region is mostly controlled by terrorist groups of all kinds now. Awe is the order of the day for running refugees. “The Pottery Barn Rule.” “You are going to be the proud owner of 25 million people,’ he told the president. ‘You will own all their hopes, aspirations, and problems. You’ll own it all.’ Privately, Powell and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage called this the Pottery Barn rule: You break it, you own it.
In the Bible. Saul was chosen to be King, a true politician, he refused to go up against the giant Goliath. The young shepherd boy named David, with only a slingshot walked right up to the giant Goliath. In the back of his mind, I bet he was thinking, “I wonder how fast these sandals can get me out of this situation.”
He took a smooth stone out of his shepherd’s pouch and placed it into his sling. He sent that stone flying directly into the forehead of Goliath, who fell face forward hitting the ground dead. You have to think young David was counting mostly on his faith, but he was also counting on a very lucky shot with his sling. Goliath had been coming out every day for 40 days mocking and challenging the Israelites to fight. Can you imagine the awe on the faces of the Israelite army as Goliath’s body came crashing to the ground? David the sheep herding boy both shocked and awed the Philistine army too.
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