Adventures in Romania....

My globe-trotting Texas sister and her husband are in Romania this week on business. She's emailing photos and updates along the way so we can enjoy a virtual tour of that part of the world.

Something stood out to me in one of her correspondences since Americans are in a debate about Iraq and how long we should stay.

In talking about the Romanians, whom she described as "fabulous, funny and fiercely smart," she expressed enjoyment at spending time with her husband's colleagues as they all talked about the progress of Romania since the 1989 revolution ended communism. In her words:

Bottom line is, Romania's still struggling to rebuild even these many years later. It's come a long way, but even locals admit that Romania's admission to the EU may have been premature. Still, they're trying. And with more and more foreign investment trickling in and greater transparency in the public sector – as required for EU membership -- prospects are good for a rebuilt economy and more jobs.

It's a case study in the difficulties of rebuilding a country.

That last line really caught my attention ... "It's a case study in the difficulties of rebuilding a country." Their revolution occurred almost 20 years ago and, yet, they are still in the rebuilding process ... and liberal Democrats are complaining about the lack of or slowness of progress in Iraq?

Some people need a better grasp on history. Rebuilding a country does not happen overnight ... and Romania is yet another example of that.

Another snippet of her email included this Virginia note:

Romania has, traditionally, been a huge pork producer. ... So guess who’s got a big presence here with pork production? Smithfield of Virginia. Since about 2004.

American companies have always been there to help around the world, sharing their technology and experience, and this is yet another example.