Que Sais Je?: May 2012

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

With friends like these . . .

Pakistan has shown its commitment to harboring terrorists and defeating every purpose of the US war on terror yet again by convicting Pakistani doctor Shakeel Afridi, who assisted the US in determining the location of Bin Laden. If Pakistan really is "an invaluable ally" as we are encouraged to believe why on earth do they keep arresting the people who help us and allow to remain, or even assisting for all we know, those who are our sworn enemies. It also begs the question why we are forced, out of necessity, to cut back on our own military budget simply so we can give money to the Pakistanis to enable them to arrest our friends and hold them in prison for 33 years, as it seems will occur in this case. It also makes one wonder what exactly this money we are giving to Pakistan is doing, since they appear to be willing to do all manner of things against our own interest with little or no fear. If the money is really securing Pakistan as an ally than where are the fruits of this investment? It seems that we are only funding them until they finally decide to give up what little pretending they have been carrying on lately and launch an all out war against us, or at least go completely rough like Iran. I'd like to see someone explain why we have to cut money from our own military so that we can give it to our terrorist-harboring, agent-arresting "friends".

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Saturday, May 5, 2012

3/27/12, 15:30 EST; 3/28/12, 03:30 Beijing Time; 3/27/12, 19:30 GMT; En route to Lancaster PA from DC

We’re back in PA once more, just over 24 hours after we left the hotel in Beijing. I think can say that those of us who haven’t been able to fall asleep on this bumpy and uncomfortable bus are all very glad to be back in the good old US of A (and very glad to find that the grass is quite green many flowers have started to bloom in our absence). We had an uneventful traveling period up till now and are looking forward to being home safe and sound within a few hours.

3/27/12, 04:40 EST; 3/27/12, 16:40, Beijing Time; 3/27/12, 08:40 GMT; 3/27/12, 02:40 Local Time (almost an hour before we arrived at the airport); Over Northern Canada

We’re finally on our way home! (But I’m getting ahead of myself.) First off, we did get to see the Great Wall, and many of us climbed a significant portion thereof. (It was extremely steep in one place in particular.)

Overall it was amazing to attempt to comprehend the amount of hard work that was poured into this astounding structure. We couldn’t even get up there without a tram and the builders had to bring all of the stone, food, and other supplies up with them (we were tired enough walking a small portion of the completed wall). After coming back down the tram and pushing our way through the determined venders, we ate at a nice, touristy-looking place, which had very good food. Then we took the bus back to Beijing to visit the Summer Palace. The amount of art and sheer audacious finery in there, even after being pillaged by revolutionaries, is astounding to behold. Though we hardly experienced the vastness and beauty of the place entirely, what we saw was plenty to get the point across. The idea that a ruler would indulge in such finery is quite foreign to our American minds, but it also helps me understand why communism and equal distribution of resources have been so valued by the Chinese people in recent years. After soaking in the sites and doing our best to absorb some of the history of the summer palace being recounted to us by our guide we headed off to dinner. Finally the last thing we did was shop at the Silk Street market, where the vast majority of our party bought beats headphones for around 200 RMB (about $32.50). (I didn’t because they don’t sound that great with classical music.) Most of us didn’t sleep much/at all last night because we had to get up at 3am to leave for the airport anyway. Everything went smoothly at the airport except that my iPod decided to stay in Beijing and fell out of my pocket without telling me of its intentions and is probably back in some night market in Beijing being sold for 100 RMB (about $16.50). As we took off we got a fantastic aerial view of the Great Wall and surrounding mountains since we had a fantastically clear day for China. (This was the only flight in which we could see any part of China from the air.) Now it’s dark outside and I’m going to try to get a little more sleep.

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"Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

John 6:35-40

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because [1] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, [2] for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

Romans 8:26-30

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, 4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love 5 he predestined us [1] for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, 6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, 8 which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight 9 making known [2] to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ 10 as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.

11 In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12 so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. 13 In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is the guarantee [3] of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, [4] to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 1:3-4

“‘One word, Ma’am,’ he said, come back from the fire; limping, because of the pain. ‘One word. All you’ve been saying is quite right, I shouldn’t wonder. I’m a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won’t deny any of what you said. But there’s one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things—treed and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom or yours is the only World. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that’s a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We’re just babies making up a game, if you’re right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That’s why I’m going to stand by the play world. I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, we’re leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that’s small loss if the world’s as dull a place as you say.’”

C. S. Lewis, The Silver Chair

¹¹And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the LORD.” And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. ¹²And after the earthquake, a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper. ¹³And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” ¹⁴He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your alters, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” ¹⁵And the LORD said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. . . ¹⁸Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

I Kings 19:11-15,18

“Far from being the Great Satan, I would say that we are the Great Protector. We have sent men and women from the armed forces of the United States to other parts of the world throughout the past century to put down oppression. . . . All in the interest of preserving the rights of people. And when all those conflicts were over, what did we do? Did we stay and conquer? No. We built [our enemies] up. We gave them democratic systems. . . . Did we ask for any land? No. The only land we ever asked for was enough land to bury our dead.”

Colin Powell

“‘I was wondering—I mean—could there be some mistake? Because nobody called me and Scrubb, you know. It was we who asked to come here. Scrubb said we were to call to—to Somebody—it was a name I wouldn’t know—and perhaps the Somebody would let us in. And we did, and then we found the door open.’

‘You would not have called to me unless I had been calling to you,’ said the Lion.

‘Then you are Somebody, Sir?’ said Jill.

‘I am.’”

C. S. Lewis, The Silver Chair