As we watch history being made on the other side of the world, it can all seem very clinical, very cut-and-dried. This time, however, Bill Whittle has skin in the game: his wife and stepdaughter were in Dubai when the attacks started, and are unable to leave until… well, nobody knows. Does having your closest loved ones in harm’s way affect the way you look at things? And what about all of our servicemen and women whose families have to deal with this every time someone ‘rolls the Iron Dice?’
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Bill, I pray your wife and step-daughter make it to their homes safe and sound–along with the others in the area. I hope your wife is home for your 10th anniversary. And happy anniversary; may the best of this year be the worst of the next. Having loved ones in harm’s way really hit me when a co-worker was telling me about his family on 9/11/01. His sister worked in the World Trade Centers and his brother worked in the Pentagon. It took days but they eventually heard from his siblings–and they were safe. The sister, when having to evacuate,… Read more »
Some people are panicking about trade, shipping and oil but most of the risks of this are already priced into the oil industry insurance systems, pipelines, and the design and lay out of airbases, ports etc. The “what’s up with Shipping Channel” on YouTube has been pointing this out. Iran, Russia and China are not really in the same oil market as the rest of us.
In WW2 we lost more troops in training than the Western forces have lost this decade in all wars. Ukraine is loosing people but the numbers are far fewer than previous wars. Russia is doing badly but even then the numbers include an unknown number of POW’s. War is terrible but today it kills fewer people. Even in Iran the 30000/ 300000 people killed include hundreds of Republican Guards and Basij militia fighters ambushed and taken out by villages and local police.
Don’t Rule out that Russian’s in the middle east never go home even if they want to. Russia may alienate the UAE and the Russians with US connections may thus count as refugees. Hopefully there is no one back in Russia that needs them more. This opens an option to ask for them to count as legal immigrants to the USA. Some of the weapons in this fight are Russian and Russian diplomats have a talent for alienating people. That is good news for Bill. Check with an immigration lawyer.
As you know by now the F-15’s were brought down by a Kuwaiti F-35. But that doesn’t count against the vaunted 104-0 record for aerial kill ratio of the F-15 because these were all E Strike Eagle variants and the record is held be the A through C’s because the E is a totally different airplane.
Bill, my prayers for you and yours. I spent the first day of 1st Grade at Itazuke Air Force Base in bomb shelter practice, because we were at the closest US base to Korea during the Korean War. (My parents were missionaries.) Believe me, I understand.
I know and understand what it’s like to worry about a loved one far away. My husband and I have an unofficially adopted son in Ndola, Zambia, who is currently enrolled in theological classes at a Christian college there. In the 13 years we’ve known him, Mathews and his fellow citizens have endured flooding of their homes (his was washed away including his clothing; household goods and cell phone, local thugs who beat; rape and murder randomly; and a government that is blissfully uncaring what happens to its people. They even had their main river polluted with toxic ACID from… Read more »
I pray for your family’s safety and for your peace. Let us know when everyone is home.
Safety is an illusion, used by insurance salesmen to coerce money out of good people. That is the case from our human perspective. Safety that is caused by The One True God, is no illusion. I have added my prayers that God will be there for your family, as only He can. Jehovah Raah (The Lord My Shepherd) He can lead them to safety Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals) He can heal them of any emotional or physical harm from this experience. Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There) He is THERE WITH THEM! Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide) He can provide them… Read more »
Havent heard Jehovah Rash or Jehovah Shammah terms in a very long time.
The other names, not very recently, but more recently.
The only one I remember you did not cite was Jehovah Nissi(The Lord is my banner)He provides a place to rally for strength and celebrate victory.
Bill, I am praying for your wife and step daughter, and starting a prayer chain.