SYRIASLY

SYRIASLY 
by Andy Weddington
Sunday, 09 April 2017

Capitalism works. Michael Bloomberg

Friday morning the greeter at Home Depot said, "Welcome," and the next thing I saw was two gents about ten years my senior talking.

Heading to the paint section and still in earshot, I heard one say, "Yes, he was having dinner with the President of China and the next thing BOOM! we were bombing Syria."

Laughter. Their tone satisfaction. 

An half hour earlier I had stopped to see my mechanic. He brought up the bombing and remarked how proud he was of President Trump. 

Excited, he said, "Follow me, I want to show you what came in the mail yesterday." 

In his office, he pulled a poster from a cardboard tube. "I've been waiting for this and it's going right there on the wall - my commander-in-chief." He then unrolled an official portrait of President Trump. 

He was giddy! 

Oh, my mechanic, he's a Marine. 

I've not talked to many folks about President Trump's decision and action. 

A few readers of this forum have sent notes wondering if I'm going to opine.

I'd not really thought about it but did today while working outside.

So, yes. 

And simply. 

Bashar al-Assad is not a nice man. 

He crossed, again, the red line (use of chemical weapons on his people) President Obama drew but did not have the knees to enforce.

The red line did not go away. 

An American President drew it. 

And another American President enforced it. 

I don't much care about the debate as to whether or not President Trump should have engaged. It's done. And of course he had to.

What interests me is the economics. 

Estimates cost out the Tomahawks launched at about $60M. 

What a bargain - for punishing a not nice man, and serving notice to all the other not nice men and women.

Capitalism is driven by competition. Competition leads to better, faster, and cheaper ways to deliver goods and service to consumers/customers. 

President Trump's attack was justified - political, moral, and ethical arguments first come to mind. 

A better, faster, and cheaper way to deliver an across the globe compelling message - to our enemies, friends, and fence sitters - than spending a measly $60M (a rounding error in some budgets) does not come to mind. 

And, too, what a great investment. 

The United States is back, and in the black (at least as to respect for our power). 

That's the bottom line. 

Seriously. 

And in the case, Syriasly - a (surprised) customer.