Letter to the Editor: How bad could it get?
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The world is as unstable now as it has ever been and things are getting worse. Early Saturday morning October 7, Hamas, the de facto governing authority of the Gaza strip, launched a coordinated surprise attack against Israel with a barrage of thousands of missiles and a ground invasion of Israeli settlements
Within hours hundreds of Israelis were brutally and indiscriminately killed in their homes and neighborhoods. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu declared war against Hamas, the Israel Defense Force rallied the military forces to repel the attacks and orchestrated counterattacks inside the Gaza strip.
Considering the size of Israel and the Gaza strip, this latest war should not shake the whole world. But it does. In one way or another Israel and Jerusalem have been the center of the world since God led Abraham there 4,000 years ago. Wars and historical events that happen there don’t stay there. Israel is arguably yet historically the most disputed territory on earth.
Iran has used Hamas as well as Hezbollah in Lebanon as its proxies to attack Israel. Iran is the principal instigator in this war. That helps explain why war in such an isolated little country is shaking the world. Of course, Iran has been negotiating with Russia, China, and North Korea for oil and weapons. That coalition of nations has a humongous impact on the world.
America and Israel have been traditional allies since Israel issued the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel May 14, 1948. It’s not surprising that this most recent attack and war in the small country is packing quite a load to destabilize the whole world.
The Trump administration recognized how a relatively small conflict in Israel could attract a lot of attention from a powerhouse coalition of Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea. Trump used a carrot and stick approach with the Abraham Accords as the carrot and sanctions as the stick to keep our adversaries at bay.
Unfortunately, Americans elected a man who has a long history of bad decisions in foreign affairs. President Biden did not wait to get off on the wrong foot with our adversaries. He led the disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan and displayed our utter weakness to the whole world. In fact, Biden reversed Trump’s foreign and domestic policies wholesale and created economic headaches not only in America but around the world.
In light of this latest international challenge in Israel, what will President Biden do? Higher gas and food prices are one of his legacies for America. What kind of legacy could Biden give to the world as he interacts with other international leaders who have worldwide aspirations and access to nuclear assets?
During the 20th Century America played leading roles in helping to stabilize the world in times of extreme crises. We began the 21st Century with 911 and a new kind of war against terrorism. Within our own borders we have fought more than two decades of our own culture wars that threaten to rip our nation apart. The crisis at our southern border has exacerbated both our domestic issues and foreign relations.
The world is as unstable now as it has ever been and things are getting worse. Are we living in the end times anticipating seven years of tribulation? How bad could it get?
Daniel L. Gardner is a columnist who lives in Starkville, MS. You may contact him at PJandMe2@gmail.com.
