Running country is akin to a chess match

Every country large or small will make mistakes that in retrospect were avoidable possibly even 9/11 (we will never know.) That is even true for a households or small businesses, many times there are good reasons to take totally differing paths on any problem or issue.

The only people who never make mistakes are people who do nothing and have no new or original ideas or willingness to take risk. (Beatles’ “Nowhere Man” plays.)

The classic “Monday morning quarterback” always knows how it should have been done after the fact. Let’s take the “Libyan embassy shooting” where Libyans were performing the security for the embassy, which could be safer as locals know better about what is going on.

U.S. soldiers are conspicuous, sometimes offensive to the local population, but of course will not turn tail and run and many say we should always make our presence known and show how invincible and tough we are.

We never get around to having a grown-up conversation on anything; just name calling, verbal attacks and that is why the congressional approval rating is at an all time low — 9 percent — and nothing gets done.

Job one is to pillage the other party and make it a black-or-white issue, never discuss nuance or something that is counter-intuitive. Many things in this world just do not happen like you would think they would. If you are in a spaceship orbiting the earth and want to orbit earth in less time what do you do? Put on the brakes and go slower! Running this country is a chess match not football.

DENNIS SHELLHORN

Sandpoint