From this corner of the world

The week is almost over. Tomorrow is Wednesday, and we have an 8K ruck march in the morning. I have to be dressed and ready to step off no later than 0415. Needless to say, I am less than thrilled at this prospect; nevertheless, we get to shoot a little bit more tomorrow. Today wasn't too bad. It was hot and uncomfortable, but I suppose that's the nature of training. We know for sure that this course is cancelled, so it makes little sense for me to keep taking notes to pass on to future generations of ASU graduates. Some of my own graduating class have been lucky enough to avoid having to take this course. It's not a bad course, it just seems kind of pointless now that the Army has decided to get rid of it. I find it very hard not to develop a "what's the point" type of attitude and just ease through the course. I don't see that happening.

I find it very odd that I sit around and fret about this course, my use of time, and what is going to happen in my future. In the mean time, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad faces crisis in Iran with riots, protests, and widespread violence. The Arab-Israeli conflict rages on with no apparent end in sight. David Letterman has apologized to Sarah, Bristol and Willow Palin for his crude joke. All of this seems to make my situation pale in comparison. So in light of that, here are my thoughts on the situation in Iran.

Iran is an interesting thorn in the side of the United States. In the past several years, Iranian efforts to procure nuclear weapons have caught and held the attention of the U.S., the IAEA and the UN. Ayatollah Khomeini and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad have led a fairly successful cat and mouse game with the international community, and seems to be carrying out with the Obama administration as well. With the recent presidential election and the increasingly violent protests of opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, many Washington bureaucrats are undoubtedly thinking of regime change in Iran. What better time to do it really? An already unstable, radical government is undergoing massive internal strife. We might be able to pull another Kermit Roosevelt and have money left over following the regime change. Not a bad days work for the CIA.

Despite this golden "opportunity," as seen by some, President Obama has stated an unwillingness to "meddle" in Iranian affairs "given the history of US and Iranian relations." Could it truly be that a politician has examined history? Granted, the past relationship between the United States and Iran has been less than favorable and included many low points and overtly hostile periods: the seating of the shah during the Eisenhower administration with "Operation Ajax," the 1979 Revolution, the Iranian Hostage Crisis along with the botched rescue attempt, and any number of nuclear beefs between Iran and the world. In spite of this, I find it refreshing that President Obama has taken the calm road on this issue and is willing to see how this all plays out in the end. This may be a great opportunity for better political, social, and economic relations in the very near future. We'll just have to wait and see. If nothing else, maybe the Iranians will be able to expand their powers of speech and assembly. They seem to be doing an excellent job right now.