The gathering storm

Newt Gingrich was on "Meet the Press" today. Newt is one of those characters who everyone agrees has as much chance of winning the Presidency as I do, yet he enjoys remarkable regularity when it comes to being a guest on newsmaker shows. His penchant for controversial quotes probably helps in that regard. But the most interesting quote today from Newt wasn't the typical "speak before you think" bombast...it was actually quite perceptive:

"I mean, you look around the world, the forces of freedom are on retreat, the forces that are anti-freedom, pro-dictatorship, and, in some cases, purely evil are on offense. I agree with Senator Dodd (co-guest) that we need a dramatically expanded ability to use state craft. But I think it’s—I think you got to make any Iraq decision within the framework of this larger maelstrom of dangers that are growing across the planet."

While Newt seems incapable of understanding how we got to this growing maelstrom of dangers, he is absolutely dead on with his assertion.

The happy talk of "democracy on the march" from the neocons in the White House is a distant memory. It never existed in the first place, thanks to the incredible incompetence and arrogance of the Bush administration. But now, it's becoming plain that within a possibly very short time frame, we are going to be like the Roman empire in it's very last stages. Besieged on all fronts, rotten and corrupt within and lacking any moral sway.

The rise and fall of empires is a natural course of history, but never has one country lost so much wealth and power so quickly as the United States has under George Bush and his neocon puppeteers.

Newt sees it, although he refuses to understand why. By the time the next President is sworn in, many others will also see the danger of the growing maelstrom. As Iraq continues to disentegrate, the forces of evil grow ever stronger. It will take the greatest President in the history of our country to rescue us from the awful fate that rapidly approaches.

Please, someone...any candidate..step forward and tell us how we can save ourselves.