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LIKE I WAS SAYIN’
TWO FOR THOUGHT SAME TOPIC, DIFFERENT VIEWS U.S., RUSSIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST
KELLYN BROWN
MAIN STREET CWROSSROADS
BY TIM BALDWIN
Along with the U.S., Russia has opened military
action in the Middle East in what Vladimir Putin says is an attack on the Islamic State. Reporters have noted that while the U.S. and Russia appear to have the same enemy (ISIS), they have very differ- ent friends. Will this cause an irreconcilable conflict between Russia and U.S.?
National security considered, Russia and China are a much greater threat to the U.S. than the Mid- dle East. The U.S. has played political and military games in the Middle East for decades, even though Russia has the more legitimate and obvious interest in that region given their close proximity and history. The U.S. has set leaders up and down there. Russia (and Europe) have suffered collateral damage as a result. It is only natural that our entanglements can and will lead to conflicts with Russia.
Historically, Democrats more readily criticize U.S. entanglements in the Middle East, while most Republicans, except for those like Ron and Rand Paul, encourage them. In truth, however, Ameri- cans know very little about our interests there and the damaging consequences that could result. If our foreign policy creates a military conflict with Rus- sia, it may force Americans to fight against a foreign nation that has a right and just cause against us. Pro- tect your country though it created the problem: talk about choosing a lesser of two evils.
BY JOE CARBONARI
“It’s the economy, stupid.” Hillary Clinton should remember it and Vladimir Putin should, too. If the world’s economy is significantly disrupted by some- thing like the disorder in the Middle East, we’ve got to work to restore order. If we don’t take the lead, from our position of strength, who will? Human nature teaches that when you play with the big boys you have to play big. You have to project. You have to show that you are good at what you do and that you are safe to be around. The same is true of countries and of their leaders. Vacuums are filled.
Syria, ISIS, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Libya ... and the list goes on. Islam is at war with itself. Basically Sunni (Saudi Arabia, et al) vs. Shia (Iran, et al). The Sunnis have the most oil and most of the Islamic population from Saudi Arabia to the Mediterranean and around it on the African side. It is not our neighborhood. We do, however, have to try to keep a semblance of order – to the shores of Tripoli and beyond.
The risk now is that we will miscalculate some- thing Putin does and/or fall accidentally into a serious military standoff. Let alone the death and carnage that could result, consider the sure-fire disruption of the world economy. Jobs lost. Lives diminished.
We need to deal with Putin and his boys. Who do we send? What do they say?
ITH THE LARGEST SINGLE CONTRACT awarded in the state’s history by the Mon- tana Department of Transportation, LHC
broke ground last week on the final phase of the Kalis- pell bypass. The stretch of road will wind 4.5 miles from U.S. Highway 2 to West Reserve Drive on the west side of the city in what local officials are calling a trans- formative moment in the city’s history. They’re not exaggerating.
The need for an alternative route around Kalis- pell’s core has loomed for decades, with the numerous local, statewide and federal officials diligently securing money, securing land and urging public support. Many thought it would never be completed. For a time, I was one of them. Now, construction crews are beginning the final phase and hoping to complete the road by the end of next year.
Its importance goes beyond convenience. Navigat- ing around a dozen traffic lights when traveling north and south in Kalispell will save time, especially on the bustling commercial district on the north side. It also should ease congestion on Main Street, which con- tinues to rebrand itself as a destination instead of a thoroughfare.
It also shifts the focus of downtown improvements to the potential removal of the railroad tracks cutting through the city and the future traffic configuration along Main Street, including the couplet that circum- vents the Flathead County Courthouse.
City leaders and the Flathead County Economic Development Authority have led the efforts to secure a prominent federal transportation grant, only to be disappointed two years in row. This year they applied again, and the communities chosen for the so-called TIGER grant should be announced any day now.
If awarded, the city would use the roughly $10 mil- lion to help expedite Kalispell’s Core Area Redevelop- ment Plan, which includes a first phase that would cost $22 million and the creation of a rail yard and replacing the downtown tracks with a linear park. The dynamic has changed this time around, as one of the two users of the tracks, Northwest Drywall and Roofing Supply, has withdrawn support. Nonetheless, Mayor Mark Johnson mounted a last-minute defense of the project in a letter to federal officials.
Even if the effort to win grant funds fails again, every indication suggests city and county officials will still move forward with the plan to reshape Kalispell by encouraging investment, reconnecting centrally located streets, and adding open space to the city.
The couplet’s fate is more dependent on the opin- ions of local and state officials than money. Adminis- trators at the Montana Department of Transportation have long wanted to address the stretch of road adjacent to the historic courthouse on downtown’s south end, a road that squeezes to winding single lanes on each side of the building.
Most agree the area is a congested traffic hazard, but how to change it has divided city and county officials. Flathead County commissioners have voiced unani- mous support for removing the road on the west side of the courthouse and adding four lanes of north and southbound traffic on the east side. But some city coun- cilors and staffers have balked at the idea. Business own- ers have also expressed concern about increasing the number of lanes, which could hamper efforts to reduce traffic volume on Main Street.
MDT says improvements must be made. With the bypass’ final phase underway, it’s easier to argue for fewer lanes, which could produce a quieter city center. Either way, this is truly a transformative moment.
AMERICAN RURAL DIANE SMITH SMALL TOWN SHEEPDOGS
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the tale of the wolves, the sheep, and the sheepdogs. You might recall this story from the movie “American Sniper,” although it originated In Lt. Col. David Grossman’s book, “On Combat.” As the story goes, most people are sheep; kind and incapable of intentionally harming others. Then there are wolves who feed on the sheep without mercy; the evildoers in our midst. Lastly, there are sheepdogs, those who “live to protect the flock and confront the wolf.”
I think most folks would lay their lives on the line for their loved ones without hesitation, but I don’t believe that makes them sheepdogs. The sheepdogs among us that I’ve come to know have an innate sense of respon- sibility toward others that goes well beyond the norm. They believe that life unprepared for is dangerous. They are typically vigilant, aware, and their prepara- tion for the seemingly mundane is often intense. It’s tough work being a sheepdog.
When we lived in the city, we knew some of our neighbors but none well. Our lives were mostly about work; we were pretty much disconnected from any- thing beyond our families and small group of friends.
If any of our neighbors felt particularly protective toward those of us living nearby, we had no idea.
In the small town we live in today, I’ve noticed that we seem to have lots of human sheepdogs keeping an eye on things. Maybe it’s because I’m more connected to the other people in our town or maybe it’s because we’re just more dependent on one another in rural and small towns. We’ve helped each other through car acci- dents, sports injuries, bear encounters, and weather crises. We know each other’s kids. Maybe it’s those connections that create a deeper sense of responsi- bility for each other that explains why so many small town folks seem better prepared and more willing to “confront the wolf”. No matter the reason, I’m grate- ful for it. We should take time to thank the sheepdogs living among us.
Chris Mintz, the Army vet who heroically tried to stop the gunman in Roseburg, Oregon was raised in a small town in North Carolina. Maybe his small town upbringing is just a coincidence. I don’t think so. Thank you Chris for putting your life on the line to pro- tect the flock. Thank you for being a great sheepdog. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Diane Smith is the founder and CEO of American Rural where she works to create greater awareness of the growing opportunities for those who choose to live, work and prosper in rural and small town America. Learn more about Diane by following her column here or visit American Rural at AmericanRural.org.
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OCTOBER 14, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM