If we the American people have any one weakness ... any one point at which we are vulnerable ... it is in our lack of patience. Some refer to it as a desire for "instant gratification" but whatever it is we Americans not only want action right now, we want positive results right now. If ever one wanted a perfect example of this impatience syndrome among Americans, as reflected by the American media, it carne front and center recently as we watched some amazing military maneuvers in Iraq. This country flew literally thousands of sorties, dropping bombs precisely where we wanted them in Baghdad and other places; we moved a whole army 300 miles through hostile territory and set up supply lines to serve that force; we dropped soldiers and took three airfields; we secured the Iraq oil fields; we took a port. In short, we occupied more than half of Iraq in one week before we paused to consolidate our gains.
So what are we hearing? There is rumbling in the media that says the war is going to take longer than we had thought. We actually heard some criticism that the war wasn't over with. Today's Americans are impatient. One of the lessons of American history is
that this nation was built on patience and persistence. It seems to me it would behoove us to remember that little bit of American history. Patience and persistence.
This is Gordon Sawyer, and may the wind always be at your back.
Tuesday
August 5th, 2025
7:41AM
