Looking at the current situation in the Middle East, whether it’s the so-called Arab spring, the seemingly endless violence in Syria, our nation’s longest war in Afghanistan or the ever-intractable Arab-Israeli conflict, I tend to think the President does have the right long-term idea about shifting an increasing portion our expenditures (military and otherwise) to the Pacific. In the long run, we might as well focus on a region where we at least have a prayer of tangible success both at home and abroad. This isn’t to say we can afford to abandon watching out for our enemies wherever they may lurk.  But let’s look at Afghanistan . . . Now here is a culture (really a group of tribes randomly thrown together by the British Empire) that has successfully fought off every invading power since Alexander the Great. They actually have an entire part of the year literally referred to as “The Fighting Season.” And what are we doing? Trying to train them how to fight! Seriously, people?? Something tells me, that just might be something they already know a thing or two about . . .