The John Adams Society

Joshua R. Regnier

Chairman

Theresa R. Paulson

Secretary

G. Larry Colson Jr.

Chief Whip

Katey Haflund

Chancellor

MARCH 2015

“I myself will drive them out before the people of Israel.”

Joshua 13:6

 THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY PROMISES PLENTY. The gods preceding Abraham’s angelic visits were in the hundreds. The Lord announced his presence on Earth to Abraham and promised him a son. Sarah, impatient, gave a concubine to Abraham. In the end, the concubine bore Ishmael and Sarah bore Isaiah. Ishmael and Isaiah’s descendants have warred against each other for more than four thousand years. Both lineages claim a small strip of land that borders the east of the Mediterranean Sea. Absent divine intervention, the warring will never cease.

Every point in history has the Middle East in some form of militarized conflict. To truly find an era of peace, one would have to research the area prior to humans living there. Even then, there would certainly be conflict between the lions and the lambs. Times of peace have been militarily enforced by every previous ruling authority. The cycle is this: resistance builds to that ruling authority, resistance overthrows the ruling authority, a new ruling authority is then militarily enforced. These resistances have been caused by both internal and external forces. To charge one group as the rightful authority of the land requires the declarant to ignore other historically established ruling authorities. The best reasoning that the Middle East can never be fixed is that in the last 5,000 years the area has never been fixed. The last 60 years is actually nothing different for what the area has already encountered. In sum, there is nothing new under the sun that will ever end the Middle East’s quarrels over which group has a rightful claim of authority.

ON THE OTHER HAND, it is easy to lose hope, but it is folly to give up all hope. Only the weak minded would say that the Middle East cannot be fixed. New and creative responses to any threat can be invented and tried. Or, perhaps if we let the area go, it will fix itself and address its own issues. Even a broken glass can be made whole when it is melted and forged anew.

THE CHAIRMAN, munching on dates and reading the Torah, has called a debate to settle the question.

RESOLVED: The Middle East can never be fixed!

The Debate will be held on March 18, 2015, at the University Club, 420 Summit Avenue, in Saint Paul. The Chancellor will preside over drinks beginning at seven o’clock p.m. The debate will begin at half past seven. There is no dress code, however gentlemen who wish to speak must wear a tie; ladies are encourage to adhere to a similar sartorial standard. For those gentlemen arriving sans tie yet wishing to discourse on the resolution, the Purveyor of Ties will keep on hand several remarkable selections. Questions regarding debate caucus procedures of about the John Adams Society itself may be directed to the Chairman at (651) 321-8414 or the Secretary at (651) 321-8896.