Introduction To Connect The Dots

Rather than put together a traditional synopsis we like to introduce novels by quoting their prologue. What follows is the prologue to the novel, Connect The Dots. If you like politics mixed with world history watch for Connect The Dots. It should publish in the summer of 2008.

CONNECT THE DOTS

Reprinted by Permission of Francis Pennyworth, Jr.

This work is scheduled to be published in the summer of 2008 and will be made available in print on demand form (trade paperback) and downloadable ebook.

PROLOGUE

When I began this project it was my intention to simply report on events in Lebanon so as to highlight certain facts about the organization known as Hezbollah. The purpose being to bring some unbiased clarity to a muddy and often misrepresented situation. However it soon became obvious that a discussion of Hezbollah in the absence of some discussion of Iran and Syria would be grossly incomplete. Of course a discussion of those two countries (as well as the major non-state actors) had to be placed within the greater context of the religion of Islam. To complete the picture it was also necessary to place the whole of the Middle East into at least a minimal historical focus. Although I have attempted to do all of this in the simplest, most straightforward way possible, a project initially intended to be nothing more than a pamphlet has grown to the size of a small novel. Of course, anything but the most cursory discussion would fill a small library.

In the process of streamlining the facts a large number of important issues have been bypassed. For example, the vulnerability of the Muslim masses and their reasons for discontent has not been addressed. Not because I view that issue as unimportant, but because it muddies the waters in this narrow discussion of identifying the real agenda of the various state and non-state actors. Where necessary, detail has been sacrificed in favor of clarity and simplicity.

This entire effort has been based upon the simple premise that submerged within the miasma of information which bombards us on a daily basis are the bits and pieces of a much greater mosaic. These telltales are the tracks left by those who would control our world and shape our futures. Usually this information is so fleeting, so innocuous, or so disconnected it barely represents a dot on our personal radar screens. But if we go to the effort of pulling together the seeming trivia of the international scene we will see an alarming reflection of the past.

Are today's events repeating history? I believe they are. In fact, I'm convinced we are watching a replay of events analogous to those which presaged World War II. I am also convinced that our intellectual conceit has blinded us to the basic realities of the world and, in the end, made us vulnerable to those who simply do not play by our rules. While we focus on the superfluous, and argue the politically irrelevant, our sworn enemies lay down their lives as evidence of their sincerity. Moreover, the bad guys don't think twice about working over their enemies with blow torch and electric drill. If they'll do that to each other what do you think they'll do to you?

Our failure to come to grips with the reality of millions of undocumented illegal aliens within our borders has literally invited our enemies to go wherever they want in our heartland. Why do we allow this? Because we neither see the handwriting on the wall, nor hear the bell tolling for our own demise. For some reason, the mental masturbation necessary to come to the ridiculous conclusion that we are responsible for 9/11 is more important to us than the clarity of why we need to control our own borders!

At the same time we tolerate, indeed encourage, the rampant idiocy of our politicians, a real army of very focused, very dedicated, bad guys practice assembling roadside bombs.

Are we worried when a young man with his whole life ahead of him decides to walk into a crowd of women and children and set off a couple pounds of explosives laced with ball bearings? Not really. It didn't happen here, and after all we're too busy insulting the office of our own President and appointing independent prosecutors to investigate unimportant trivia.

I sometimes wonder if our legislatures have enough sense to come in out of the rain. But then these people didn't elect themselves. We, you and I, elected them. And, by so doing we have approved and continue to approve their self interested behavior. There are no clear national priorities because we the voters haven't insisted on them. Our purported leaders favor form over substance because we have allowed it. And truth is consistently the first victim because our national myopia is ubiquitous, inexplicable, and truly breathtaking. We better open our eyes and Connect The Dots before it's too late.