Credit Where It's Due on Thanksgiving

As the hostage crisis continues in Mumbai (Subrookie provided a good twitter feed as well), it's time to thank the military, intelligence operatives, law enforcement officials, diplomats, and aid workers who all contribute globally to ensure that our great civilization does not grind to a halt at the hands of terrorism. The plague of suffering and violence knows no international boundaries, as Bali, Amman, New York, London, Baghdad, Kabul, Islamabad, and many more cities from different cultures and continents have all been targeted in the last decade.

The global community should be thankful for people like Hemant Karkare, head of Mumbai's anti-terror squad, who was killed in the line of duty yesterday and is being hailed as a martyr by the Indian press. We should also be thankful that the Iraqi Parliament passed the Status of Forces Agreement today, which will help facilitate a peaceful exodus of coalition forces with adequate time for transition in a country that was once at the brink. The wags who predicted the Saigon-style evacuation from a country in chaos were thankfully proven wrong.

Mudville Gazette has a comprehensive list of bloggers who are forward deployed, and we should all give them kudos, because the stabilization of troubled states ensures that the enemies of modern civilization do not have a base to spread their viral ideas. They offer their own thanks, but surely you can drop the drumstick for two seconds and give 'em some credit.

Abby Takes Care of Business