Yesterday was the big Summit and, not much happened. And that figured. You rarely work out complex issues in a few hours. Folks don't seem to get that. To hear the Media, Democrats and a some Republicans comment. you would have thought that the President handed Putin the keys to the White House and the Nuclear codes.
I think they wanted Trump to slap Putin and challenge him to 2 out of 3 falls in a steel cage wrestling match. Or, more appropriately, a Russian Death match. They very obviously do not understand diplomacy,
No one is stating the obvious. President Trump did not remove the sanctions on Russia. He signed no agreements. They talked. That is all and, talking is better than arguing and threatening. Maybe these people have forgotten the nightmare of the Cold War.
The President did express some doubts about our Intelligence agencies, Well, the recent FBI issues should give cause to doubt their efficacy. A revue of CIA history creates even more doubts. Did Russia muck about in our politics. Of course, just like we have messed with internal politics in many other countries. Read history if you doubt that. And, while doing so, grow up. That is just how politics in the real world works. It is not tight, but it is the way things are and we will never change that by denying reality
Do I think Putin a great, trustworthy guy, No. But he is, for now, who we must deal with. Does he trust us? Of course not. We are witnessing a dance of mistrust and double dealing, but it is far better to dance than fight.
Showing posts with label Russia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Russia. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
Play Fair
Today our President is upsetting apple carts. Good for him.
For long years, the USA has, financially carried NATO. We pay 70% of the bill and provide an enormous amount of military supplies and personnel. By any standard, that is not fair, especially when Germany and other European Nations are doing well financially and could do a lot better if they would solve their immigration issues and stop buying so much oil from Russia and the Mid East,
NATO formed after WW2 when Stalin seemed to be threatening W. Europe That threat was not as great as we were led to believe because the USSR was flat broke. But, in a patriotic fever, we signed up and have been paying the lion's share ever since. Do we , the USA now need to fear Russia?
No. Putin is shrewd and opportunistic and may, here and there, get a bit aggressive. But, he does not threaten the USA because he is not a stupid man and he is not crazy. In the cold War days, we talked about MAD, mutually assured destruction. In short, you attack us and we nuke you into a grease spot. And vice versa. There will be no major war between the USA and Russia Threatening and blustering, yes, but no more.
If W. Europe feels they are threatened, by Russia, Iran, Korea or any one else, they should get busy learning how to defend themselves. We don't really have a dog in their hunts
NATO is of no real use to us. If we stay, it is a favor to W. Europe. It is not fair to expect us to continue to foot the bill. If Germany and the others cannot defend their own land, 73 years after WW2it ended, it is not our problem. If they want us to stay, they need to give and I am glad that our President is getting right to the heart of the matter.
For long years, the USA has, financially carried NATO. We pay 70% of the bill and provide an enormous amount of military supplies and personnel. By any standard, that is not fair, especially when Germany and other European Nations are doing well financially and could do a lot better if they would solve their immigration issues and stop buying so much oil from Russia and the Mid East,
NATO formed after WW2 when Stalin seemed to be threatening W. Europe That threat was not as great as we were led to believe because the USSR was flat broke. But, in a patriotic fever, we signed up and have been paying the lion's share ever since. Do we , the USA now need to fear Russia?
No. Putin is shrewd and opportunistic and may, here and there, get a bit aggressive. But, he does not threaten the USA because he is not a stupid man and he is not crazy. In the cold War days, we talked about MAD, mutually assured destruction. In short, you attack us and we nuke you into a grease spot. And vice versa. There will be no major war between the USA and Russia Threatening and blustering, yes, but no more.
If W. Europe feels they are threatened, by Russia, Iran, Korea or any one else, they should get busy learning how to defend themselves. We don't really have a dog in their hunts
NATO is of no real use to us. If we stay, it is a favor to W. Europe. It is not fair to expect us to continue to foot the bill. If Germany and the others cannot defend their own land, 73 years after WW2it ended, it is not our problem. If they want us to stay, they need to give and I am glad that our President is getting right to the heart of the matter.
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Here We Go Again
I have not written here for a bit. I simply had no desire to do so, but, weirdness calls.
I am old enough to remember Watergate, Iran-Contra, and Whitewater. One thing common to all? We never really found out just what happened. There is still a plethora of theories roaming around the internet, attempting to explain the true events of those disgraces, but not a one succeeds because we have never been given the whole truth. And we never will.
Rissia and Trump? Same thing, We will never get the whole truth. My guess is that the election tampering issue is a distraction. Probably it has more to do with big money contracts with the Russians, but who knows?
Take a tour of the internet and you will, no doubt, find people trying to link all of this to everything from occult workings to ancient aliens to the return of the Elder Gods. Not likely. Probably just money.
We will not get the true story, just as we will never know the whole story of the Vegas shooting. After 54 years and the release of tons of papers, we still do not have the exact story of the JFK killing.
Will Trump's Presidency survive this? Maybe, if he really gets control of himself and does what he is told to do, which does not seem likely. At the same time, the Democrats seem equally dirty, so maybe the whole rotten mess will just be quietly put to rest in the usual way, by locking up some underlings and calling it done.
As for all of us. Don't sweat it. Get on with making your own life rich and happy. These sleazy, sorry excuse for human beings are not worth your time.
I am old enough to remember Watergate, Iran-Contra, and Whitewater. One thing common to all? We never really found out just what happened. There is still a plethora of theories roaming around the internet, attempting to explain the true events of those disgraces, but not a one succeeds because we have never been given the whole truth. And we never will.
Rissia and Trump? Same thing, We will never get the whole truth. My guess is that the election tampering issue is a distraction. Probably it has more to do with big money contracts with the Russians, but who knows?
Take a tour of the internet and you will, no doubt, find people trying to link all of this to everything from occult workings to ancient aliens to the return of the Elder Gods. Not likely. Probably just money.
We will not get the true story, just as we will never know the whole story of the Vegas shooting. After 54 years and the release of tons of papers, we still do not have the exact story of the JFK killing.
Will Trump's Presidency survive this? Maybe, if he really gets control of himself and does what he is told to do, which does not seem likely. At the same time, the Democrats seem equally dirty, so maybe the whole rotten mess will just be quietly put to rest in the usual way, by locking up some underlings and calling it done.
As for all of us. Don't sweat it. Get on with making your own life rich and happy. These sleazy, sorry excuse for human beings are not worth your time.
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
America - Madness
We have become a Nation gone completely mad. Clinton, the failed candidate, seemed hell bent on starting a conflict with Russia. She was defeated. Now, we see Trump about to, yes, pick a fight with Russia. This came as a shock, nit only to me, but to the Pentagon. The big Generals seem to have been blindsided by out newest batch of threats against Assad. Assad is a monster, no doubt, and his use of chlorine gas is monstrous, but lets review some history.
Saddam Hussein used chemicals against the Iranians; we gave those weapons to him and scarcely uttered a condemning world when he used them. Thus, we have no room for any holier than thou attitudes.
Second, throughout our sorry excuse for a Presidental campaign, Trump repeatedly said that he had no interest in seeking regime change in any other Nation. Now, we are after Assad and Secretary of State Tillersin has saud that we need such change in Iran.
Throughout the last 100 years or so, we have set up the fall of several regimes. Without going over the whole long list again, let me point out that every single time it has been disastrous. We just don't seem to get it and thus, by definition, this is madness.
Worse still, anyone who can think knows that this is just a proxy war in Syria. We are fighting there as a way of fighting Iran and Russia without actually declaring war . We can fight without a lot of risk, is the thinking. The problem is, sooner or later, someone will get really pissed and then we have a massive problem. It is a really, really bad idea to play a nuclear game of chicken. No one wins.
Saddam Hussein used chemicals against the Iranians; we gave those weapons to him and scarcely uttered a condemning world when he used them. Thus, we have no room for any holier than thou attitudes.
Second, throughout our sorry excuse for a Presidental campaign, Trump repeatedly said that he had no interest in seeking regime change in any other Nation. Now, we are after Assad and Secretary of State Tillersin has saud that we need such change in Iran.
Throughout the last 100 years or so, we have set up the fall of several regimes. Without going over the whole long list again, let me point out that every single time it has been disastrous. We just don't seem to get it and thus, by definition, this is madness.
Worse still, anyone who can think knows that this is just a proxy war in Syria. We are fighting there as a way of fighting Iran and Russia without actually declaring war . We can fight without a lot of risk, is the thinking. The problem is, sooner or later, someone will get really pissed and then we have a massive problem. It is a really, really bad idea to play a nuclear game of chicken. No one wins.
Monday, February 20, 2017
America - The Fun is Just Getting Started
This is getting to be fun. Over the weekend, our President stunned the Swedish people when he spoke of their recent terrorist event. There wasn't one. True, violent crime has increased in that frozen country, but no bombs, no shootings, not even a knife attack.
We seem to have an ever expanding list of potential National Security Advisors, now that Flynn has left. We still are short a few Cabinet members. Somewhere, at someone's hands, sensitive documents are being leaked. The Russians are dominating discussions. And the fat Korean kid is growing a wee bit more dangerous every day.
The Iranians are paying zero attention to our demands that they stop testing missiles. Syria is a complete disaster and Iraq is not far behind. Afghanistan is a mystery; we seem to no longer have any say in the events there, yet we still have troops present.
We have an unthinkable opiate addiction problem yet, the Afghani government, who are supposed to be at least somewhat friendly, is doing nothing to stop the growing of poppies. I guess that money beats morality. If we want to keep the heroin out, and we have troops and equipment in place, why have we not simply burned those fields. Again, I guess money wins no matter which side you're on.
More time is being wasted on various immigration orders when, in early summer, the Supreme Court is already set to rule on cases brought during Obama's term and these will say what will and won't happen.
Today, I saw a feature on folks perusing literature with an eye on banning offensive works. They are not just talking about pornography. Remember, there have long been those wanting to ban anything not politically correct. Read Ray Bradbury's masterpiece, Fahrenheit 451. In the meantime, I guess I should hide my copies of Huckleberry Finn and Heart of Darkness, after all, they contain the dreaded 'n' word.
We have vast amounts of hard drugs pouring into the Nation by way of Mexico. We have an infrastructure that is collapsing (look at the California dam issue and the massive sinkholes in LA). We have a complete lunatic in Korea merrily building nukes and testing missiles and a barely saner group in Iran doing the same (remember, that branch of Islam is obsessed with their version of the Apocalypse. We have a President who cannot keep his foot out of his mouth and an opposition party who would attack Jesus if he returned and wasn't a Democrat.
Trump is saying that the White House has never run smoother. If you believe that, I want to again remind you that I am the only licensed realtor handling those Moon colonies Newt Gingrich wants to build.
You might as well laugh at the whole idiotic mess.
We seem to have an ever expanding list of potential National Security Advisors, now that Flynn has left. We still are short a few Cabinet members. Somewhere, at someone's hands, sensitive documents are being leaked. The Russians are dominating discussions. And the fat Korean kid is growing a wee bit more dangerous every day.
The Iranians are paying zero attention to our demands that they stop testing missiles. Syria is a complete disaster and Iraq is not far behind. Afghanistan is a mystery; we seem to no longer have any say in the events there, yet we still have troops present.
We have an unthinkable opiate addiction problem yet, the Afghani government, who are supposed to be at least somewhat friendly, is doing nothing to stop the growing of poppies. I guess that money beats morality. If we want to keep the heroin out, and we have troops and equipment in place, why have we not simply burned those fields. Again, I guess money wins no matter which side you're on.
More time is being wasted on various immigration orders when, in early summer, the Supreme Court is already set to rule on cases brought during Obama's term and these will say what will and won't happen.
Today, I saw a feature on folks perusing literature with an eye on banning offensive works. They are not just talking about pornography. Remember, there have long been those wanting to ban anything not politically correct. Read Ray Bradbury's masterpiece, Fahrenheit 451. In the meantime, I guess I should hide my copies of Huckleberry Finn and Heart of Darkness, after all, they contain the dreaded 'n' word.
We have vast amounts of hard drugs pouring into the Nation by way of Mexico. We have an infrastructure that is collapsing (look at the California dam issue and the massive sinkholes in LA). We have a complete lunatic in Korea merrily building nukes and testing missiles and a barely saner group in Iran doing the same (remember, that branch of Islam is obsessed with their version of the Apocalypse. We have a President who cannot keep his foot out of his mouth and an opposition party who would attack Jesus if he returned and wasn't a Democrat.
Trump is saying that the White House has never run smoother. If you believe that, I want to again remind you that I am the only licensed realtor handling those Moon colonies Newt Gingrich wants to build.
You might as well laugh at the whole idiotic mess.
Tuesday, February 7, 2017
America and the Global Game of Risk
I don't know if people still play the old board game of Risk,, in which the goal was World conquest, but all over the World, that game is heating up and it needs to cool down.
Old alliances are breaking down. The EU is teetering and Brexit is looking more and more sure (the House of Commons has approved it and the House of Lords seems likely to follow).NATO is splintering, with Turkey growing very close to Russia and Trump vowing to review our role in that increasingly irrelevant organization.
The UN has grown so irrelevant that the US is talking about defunding it, or at least cutting the amount we contribute.
The Mid East is torn to bits. It seems that most of the Countries hate each other and share only one thing, their hatred of Israel. Israel must be feeling a tad better with Trump in office. They are undoubtedly glad to see Obama gone, but they must be getting a wee bit nervous over the increasing presence of Russia in the area, especially the great friendship between Russia, Iran, and Turkey. If Assad survives in Syria, he will join those three and I imagine Israel will begin to sweat a little.
Especially with Trump seemingly wanting to be buddies with Russia. I certainly agree that it is better to be cordial with Russia than at each other's throats, but we need to be very cautious. Putin is playing a different game than we are, and the more I read about it, the less I believe that we should trust the man. Reach agreements? Yes. Trust? No.
And what of Asia? That may be worse. China is growing very aggressive, now claiming islands traditionally thought of as Japan's and is claiming waters thought of as International. By all accounts, tales of their fantastic economy have been greatly exaggerated. South Korea is reeling from political corruption. Thailand and Myanmar are unstable. India and Pakistan are still at each other and still remain sewers barely fit for human habitation. Japan is very jittery, in part because the insane fat kid in North Korea is still building nukes and trying to figure out how to build rockets that work (odd, it seems harder to build working missiles than it is to build nukes; peculiar).
Africa is a disaster. South Africa is relatively wealthy and stable, relatively, for now. The rest of the Continent is torn by tribal and religious wars, and is an ecological disaster, in part because of war, in part because of bad farming practices, and in part because of the whims of the Natural World. The last I heard, and this changes daily, Zimbabwe was almost inaccessible to outsiders and the Congo had 14 different armies fighting for power. The Northern Countries are worse.
South and Central America are slightly better than Africa, but only slightly. Disease, poverty and corrupt leaders, combined with ecological havoc caused by a combination of clear cutting rainforests, poor farming and worse mining procedures and Natural climate changes, have left a vastly over populated and impoverished people.
The big players, America, China, and Russia are playing Risk with the World. They are positioning troops, building industries and spending money in efforts to carve out their spheres of influence. It is fascinating to watch this game of imperialism play itself out, but it is a terrible idea. Imperialism was rampant in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries and it all played itself out in the early 20th Century when WW1 shocked the World. This led to WW2 which should have made it clear that imperialism is a really, really bad idea, but it seems that humans just don't learn. We are living in fascinating and very dangerous times.
Old alliances are breaking down. The EU is teetering and Brexit is looking more and more sure (the House of Commons has approved it and the House of Lords seems likely to follow).NATO is splintering, with Turkey growing very close to Russia and Trump vowing to review our role in that increasingly irrelevant organization.
The UN has grown so irrelevant that the US is talking about defunding it, or at least cutting the amount we contribute.
The Mid East is torn to bits. It seems that most of the Countries hate each other and share only one thing, their hatred of Israel. Israel must be feeling a tad better with Trump in office. They are undoubtedly glad to see Obama gone, but they must be getting a wee bit nervous over the increasing presence of Russia in the area, especially the great friendship between Russia, Iran, and Turkey. If Assad survives in Syria, he will join those three and I imagine Israel will begin to sweat a little.
Especially with Trump seemingly wanting to be buddies with Russia. I certainly agree that it is better to be cordial with Russia than at each other's throats, but we need to be very cautious. Putin is playing a different game than we are, and the more I read about it, the less I believe that we should trust the man. Reach agreements? Yes. Trust? No.
And what of Asia? That may be worse. China is growing very aggressive, now claiming islands traditionally thought of as Japan's and is claiming waters thought of as International. By all accounts, tales of their fantastic economy have been greatly exaggerated. South Korea is reeling from political corruption. Thailand and Myanmar are unstable. India and Pakistan are still at each other and still remain sewers barely fit for human habitation. Japan is very jittery, in part because the insane fat kid in North Korea is still building nukes and trying to figure out how to build rockets that work (odd, it seems harder to build working missiles than it is to build nukes; peculiar).
Africa is a disaster. South Africa is relatively wealthy and stable, relatively, for now. The rest of the Continent is torn by tribal and religious wars, and is an ecological disaster, in part because of war, in part because of bad farming practices, and in part because of the whims of the Natural World. The last I heard, and this changes daily, Zimbabwe was almost inaccessible to outsiders and the Congo had 14 different armies fighting for power. The Northern Countries are worse.
South and Central America are slightly better than Africa, but only slightly. Disease, poverty and corrupt leaders, combined with ecological havoc caused by a combination of clear cutting rainforests, poor farming and worse mining procedures and Natural climate changes, have left a vastly over populated and impoverished people.
The big players, America, China, and Russia are playing Risk with the World. They are positioning troops, building industries and spending money in efforts to carve out their spheres of influence. It is fascinating to watch this game of imperialism play itself out, but it is a terrible idea. Imperialism was rampant in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries and it all played itself out in the early 20th Century when WW1 shocked the World. This led to WW2 which should have made it clear that imperialism is a really, really bad idea, but it seems that humans just don't learn. We are living in fascinating and very dangerous times.
Friday, February 3, 2017
America - Look at What's Happening
This weekend we are going to have the Super Bowl. We have been hit with controversy and protests over the immigration issue and Democrats are threatening all sorts of things they cannot do to stop Trump's SCOTUS appointment. Do not pay any attention to a bit of that. Ignore demonstrations in Berkley. Give not 15 seconds thought to possible LGBT discrimination or religious freedom rants.
Fascinating issues, one and all, but side shows. Watch Russia, Iran, Israel, China and Korea if you want to see the future. We are entering a war time era. Will we see true warfare any time soon? Maybe, but even if we do not, there will be incredible tension. When? Good question. Ten minutes from now is a distinct possibility. Within 10 years is almost a sure bet. However, there is a way out, for the USA. The folks running this Administration, and how much that includes Trump I don't know and really don't care (Trump may be part of the side show), are smart and competent. Russia is playing odd games, but we can deal with them, carefully. China is desperate. They cannot grow enough food and with increasing efficiency in American industries, we really do not need them to turn out cheap goods. S. Korea is a corrupt mess and N. Korea seemingly has a suicide wish because they keep stirring the hornet's nest, even though they cannot possibly get their way. Iran and Israel will, one day, finally blow up and Iran will be no more.
But, what do we do? We seem to be moving on 2 fronts. One, fear. We are scaring the crap out of other nations while getting ready to rebuild and modernize our already awesome military. Second, withdrawal. We are closing borders, ousting illegals and making it clear that all future economic deals will favor us. Corporations are coming home and seem to understand that in the current world atmosphere, home is the safest place to be. They even seem willing to boost the sagging lifestyle of the average American, maybe because of altruism but, certainly because they know a somewhat prosperous middle class (which has been decimated by previous Administrations) is not going to be given to upsetting the apple cart.
So, again, if all goes well, things will be okay, maybe even good. But that will only happen after a very rocky period.
Fascinating issues, one and all, but side shows. Watch Russia, Iran, Israel, China and Korea if you want to see the future. We are entering a war time era. Will we see true warfare any time soon? Maybe, but even if we do not, there will be incredible tension. When? Good question. Ten minutes from now is a distinct possibility. Within 10 years is almost a sure bet. However, there is a way out, for the USA. The folks running this Administration, and how much that includes Trump I don't know and really don't care (Trump may be part of the side show), are smart and competent. Russia is playing odd games, but we can deal with them, carefully. China is desperate. They cannot grow enough food and with increasing efficiency in American industries, we really do not need them to turn out cheap goods. S. Korea is a corrupt mess and N. Korea seemingly has a suicide wish because they keep stirring the hornet's nest, even though they cannot possibly get their way. Iran and Israel will, one day, finally blow up and Iran will be no more.
But, what do we do? We seem to be moving on 2 fronts. One, fear. We are scaring the crap out of other nations while getting ready to rebuild and modernize our already awesome military. Second, withdrawal. We are closing borders, ousting illegals and making it clear that all future economic deals will favor us. Corporations are coming home and seem to understand that in the current world atmosphere, home is the safest place to be. They even seem willing to boost the sagging lifestyle of the average American, maybe because of altruism but, certainly because they know a somewhat prosperous middle class (which has been decimated by previous Administrations) is not going to be given to upsetting the apple cart.
So, again, if all goes well, things will be okay, maybe even good. But that will only happen after a very rocky period.
Saturday, January 14, 2017
America - The Donald Chronicles, Part 4
The inauguration is almost here. Woo Hoo. The long National nightmare of the 2016 campaign is over, except that it's not. The Democrats seemed to have missed the memo. Trump won.
Still, day after day, they go after him. Okay, he gets pissed off by that and I can understand that, but his solution should be to ignore them. Instead, using his increasingly annoying Twitter account, he responds. Just today, he issued a rant again attacking Hillary. Does she deserve it? Of course, but doesn't he have bigger fish to fry?
His response to all of their lame attempts to discredit and delegitimize his Presidency, should be simple dismissal. Just say that you have no time for these silly distractions and move on.
Speaking of distractions, we still have the whole Russia affair lingering. I have no idea what the truth of the matter is and neither does almost anyone else. A very few in Trump's family and business and another very few in Putin's inner circle may know, although really, it is possible that only the 2 main players, Trump and Putin, know the whole story.
Americans need to grow up. All countries that have enough wealth to have the means spy and manipulate. All of them make every effort they can to influence each others Governments. And, every one has skeletons in the closet and people trailing them who will threaten to open those closet doors. This is the way things have been as long as we have had governments. It's not a good idea. In fact, it is a wretched way to do things, but it is what it is and things are not likely to change soon.
Anyone who expects Trump and his Administration to solve all of America's problems should immediately be lobotomized. They are seriously deranged and such a view is dangerous. The American people should not trust them as far as we can toss Donald himself, and he is a pretty big guy. But, it is possible that they can and will change enough to get the Country moving again.
Then, it is up to us.
Still, day after day, they go after him. Okay, he gets pissed off by that and I can understand that, but his solution should be to ignore them. Instead, using his increasingly annoying Twitter account, he responds. Just today, he issued a rant again attacking Hillary. Does she deserve it? Of course, but doesn't he have bigger fish to fry?
His response to all of their lame attempts to discredit and delegitimize his Presidency, should be simple dismissal. Just say that you have no time for these silly distractions and move on.
Speaking of distractions, we still have the whole Russia affair lingering. I have no idea what the truth of the matter is and neither does almost anyone else. A very few in Trump's family and business and another very few in Putin's inner circle may know, although really, it is possible that only the 2 main players, Trump and Putin, know the whole story.
Americans need to grow up. All countries that have enough wealth to have the means spy and manipulate. All of them make every effort they can to influence each others Governments. And, every one has skeletons in the closet and people trailing them who will threaten to open those closet doors. This is the way things have been as long as we have had governments. It's not a good idea. In fact, it is a wretched way to do things, but it is what it is and things are not likely to change soon.
Anyone who expects Trump and his Administration to solve all of America's problems should immediately be lobotomized. They are seriously deranged and such a view is dangerous. The American people should not trust them as far as we can toss Donald himself, and he is a pretty big guy. But, it is possible that they can and will change enough to get the Country moving again.
Then, it is up to us.
Thursday, January 5, 2017
America - The Cold War is Back
Maybe I missed something. I was pretty sure that, in the 80s, after all of that Reagan-Gorbachev thing, the fall of the Berlin Wall, the Clinton-Yeltsin friendship and all that, we declared the Cold War over. I would swear that I heard all that somewhere.
Guess not, because, as I write this, our new Congress, which I would think has better things to do, is wasting a whole lot of time, holding hearings about the Russian hacking of... well, I'm not sure what.
Our President and a few others, say that those pesky Russian dudes interfered with our elections to stop Hillary Clinton. If so, they wasted a lot of time and money. Clinton was such a bad candidate that a rabid, alcoholic were wolf could have beaten her.
Still, what did they hack? The Clinton emails? Seemingly not, since no one is claiming that. The DNC emails. Well, John Podesta used the word 'password' as his password, so I would think that you could not really call that hacking. Also, who hacked the DNC accounts does not matter as much as the reprehensible contents of those emails.
No one in their right mind is claiming that Russia hacked the actual voting machines. Now, that would be an inexcusable attack, but, again, that is not being claimed. It is interesting to note that where recounts have been done, Trump's margin of victory increased.
So, basically, we are expected to believe that Russia and that dastardly Putin did something, somewhere that wasn't very nice to the Democratic Party and now our soon to depart leader, Obama, and his whiny collection of sniveling celebrities and quasi-socialist political flunkies are hysterical because they will no longer get their way. Traditional Americans, the folks who built this Country into the most extraordinary civilization the World has ever seen, have stood up and ordered these little brats back to their rooms so the adults can clean up the mess that has been made ( credit Greg Gutfeld of Fox News' the Five for that analogy).
Did Russia poke around in our business and access some poorly protected emails? I'm sure they did, just as I am sure that we do the same. If governments are not doing this to protect their people, they are grossly incompetent and should be ousted.
Everybody just chill our. Nothing of importance was changed by Russia nosing around. The bizarrely left wing Democrats lost. Trump won. And, thank God, if we ever stop all of this nonsensical whining and childish bickering, we can get on with returning this Nation to its once prosperous status.
Guess not, because, as I write this, our new Congress, which I would think has better things to do, is wasting a whole lot of time, holding hearings about the Russian hacking of... well, I'm not sure what.
Our President and a few others, say that those pesky Russian dudes interfered with our elections to stop Hillary Clinton. If so, they wasted a lot of time and money. Clinton was such a bad candidate that a rabid, alcoholic were wolf could have beaten her.
Still, what did they hack? The Clinton emails? Seemingly not, since no one is claiming that. The DNC emails. Well, John Podesta used the word 'password' as his password, so I would think that you could not really call that hacking. Also, who hacked the DNC accounts does not matter as much as the reprehensible contents of those emails.
No one in their right mind is claiming that Russia hacked the actual voting machines. Now, that would be an inexcusable attack, but, again, that is not being claimed. It is interesting to note that where recounts have been done, Trump's margin of victory increased.
So, basically, we are expected to believe that Russia and that dastardly Putin did something, somewhere that wasn't very nice to the Democratic Party and now our soon to depart leader, Obama, and his whiny collection of sniveling celebrities and quasi-socialist political flunkies are hysterical because they will no longer get their way. Traditional Americans, the folks who built this Country into the most extraordinary civilization the World has ever seen, have stood up and ordered these little brats back to their rooms so the adults can clean up the mess that has been made ( credit Greg Gutfeld of Fox News' the Five for that analogy).
Did Russia poke around in our business and access some poorly protected emails? I'm sure they did, just as I am sure that we do the same. If governments are not doing this to protect their people, they are grossly incompetent and should be ousted.
Everybody just chill our. Nothing of importance was changed by Russia nosing around. The bizarrely left wing Democrats lost. Trump won. And, thank God, if we ever stop all of this nonsensical whining and childish bickering, we can get on with returning this Nation to its once prosperous status.
Monday, January 2, 2017
America - The Donald Chronicles, Part 3
The Russians and Putin have become the almost dominant topic these days. Obama has issued sanctions because, he claims, they interfered in our elections. Trump announced that he has intelligence, that he will soon announce, that they did not. Okay, let's start with Trump.
How can he have such intelligence when he does not attend intelligence briefings? If he does, he needs to be careful because, until he takes office, he cannot go spouting what he learns in those briefings. If he does not have such information, if he is, once again. let me kind here, stretching the truth, he will get caught, and he has enough problems with credibility already.
Also, Trump needs to get away from the whole topic of Russia as soon as he can. It is widely known that after he bankrupted his third company, he could not get a loan in the USA, so he went to Russia to get one. Nothing illegal about that in the least, but, given that he is soon to be President, he might want to distance himself from that fact just a wee bit.
Obama made his announcement without spelling out how we know what the Russians did, If he is talking about it, it cannot be top security, so why not just tell us how he knows and exactly what he knows.
Someone, some where, knows the truth about this and I would hope that the American people have had about enough of this nonsense. Someone tell us what the hell happened.
I still have hope for Trump's Presidency because I like the people he is surrounding himself with, I think. They need to do one essential thing and I do not know if they can do this or if it will be effective. They need to remind Trump that the President does not run the Nation. Several of them have thought that they did, and it did not end well. Just remember Richard Nixon.
The President is, at best, a spokesman. He is not the Supreme Leader. The Donald needs to get a grip on this or he may set a record for the shortest Presidency ever. There are many Democrats and not a few Republicans who will attempt to impeach him if he sneezes at the wrong time.
How can he have such intelligence when he does not attend intelligence briefings? If he does, he needs to be careful because, until he takes office, he cannot go spouting what he learns in those briefings. If he does not have such information, if he is, once again. let me kind here, stretching the truth, he will get caught, and he has enough problems with credibility already.
Also, Trump needs to get away from the whole topic of Russia as soon as he can. It is widely known that after he bankrupted his third company, he could not get a loan in the USA, so he went to Russia to get one. Nothing illegal about that in the least, but, given that he is soon to be President, he might want to distance himself from that fact just a wee bit.
Obama made his announcement without spelling out how we know what the Russians did, If he is talking about it, it cannot be top security, so why not just tell us how he knows and exactly what he knows.
Someone, some where, knows the truth about this and I would hope that the American people have had about enough of this nonsense. Someone tell us what the hell happened.
I still have hope for Trump's Presidency because I like the people he is surrounding himself with, I think. They need to do one essential thing and I do not know if they can do this or if it will be effective. They need to remind Trump that the President does not run the Nation. Several of them have thought that they did, and it did not end well. Just remember Richard Nixon.
The President is, at best, a spokesman. He is not the Supreme Leader. The Donald needs to get a grip on this or he may set a record for the shortest Presidency ever. There are many Democrats and not a few Republicans who will attempt to impeach him if he sneezes at the wrong time.
Monday, December 19, 2016
America - The Donald Chronicles, Part 2
Well, today, the Electoral College votes and it is almost a sure thing that Trump will be named President. America had best hope and pray that this goes smoothly. If it does not, if enough Electors go rogue and this is not finalized today, all Hell will break loose. But, let's assume all goes as scheduled.
I have had, and continue to have, grave doubts about Trump. But, to be fair, he has surprised me a little. At first, it looked like he was creating his Cabinet out of an assortment of tired, old Washington insiders. That would have been disappointing, but not surprising.
Then, he began loading the Cabinet with military personnel. For a while, I thought I was witnessing a junta, a military takeover. Then, he surprised me. He name Tillerson as Secretary of State. This was a huge surprise. The man is a talented business man and will bring a new approach to that office.
Some, both Republicans and Democrats, are upset. While they will not admit it, I am sure that the naming of a business leader instead of the usual political hack, to that office is not what they were looking for, In addition they are all in a snit because he is friendly with Putin. They have done business together and the Established politicians seem to think Tillerson is going to hand Vlad the keys to the Nation.
Personally, I would rather see a guy who gets on with Russia in the State Department than someone who is hostile. Putin is by no means saintly, but then, neither is Trump, neither are any of you, and neither am I. We need to get a grip on something. The rest of the World is not the same as us. They have radically different traditions and their government cannot and will not be the same as ours. Putin could not be President here and Obama would not have worked there. In addition, where do we get off complaining about Russia when we support some absolutely wretched leaders in other nations. An example? Our good buddies the Saudis. Their monarchy is nightmarish and still brutally suppresses women. They make Putin look like an old hippy.
Looking over Trump's nearly completed Cabinet is interesting. He has mixed old time Washington insiders, the military, business people, and a few off the wall characters (like Steve Bannon). They all disagree on many issues, both with each other and Trump. I like it. Such tension, if handled correctly, can lead to new ideas, and God knows we need that. It might work. I still think it's a long shot, but it might work.
One thing for sure. The next four years will be interesting. Pay attention. It might be the best show around.
I have had, and continue to have, grave doubts about Trump. But, to be fair, he has surprised me a little. At first, it looked like he was creating his Cabinet out of an assortment of tired, old Washington insiders. That would have been disappointing, but not surprising.
Then, he began loading the Cabinet with military personnel. For a while, I thought I was witnessing a junta, a military takeover. Then, he surprised me. He name Tillerson as Secretary of State. This was a huge surprise. The man is a talented business man and will bring a new approach to that office.
Some, both Republicans and Democrats, are upset. While they will not admit it, I am sure that the naming of a business leader instead of the usual political hack, to that office is not what they were looking for, In addition they are all in a snit because he is friendly with Putin. They have done business together and the Established politicians seem to think Tillerson is going to hand Vlad the keys to the Nation.
Personally, I would rather see a guy who gets on with Russia in the State Department than someone who is hostile. Putin is by no means saintly, but then, neither is Trump, neither are any of you, and neither am I. We need to get a grip on something. The rest of the World is not the same as us. They have radically different traditions and their government cannot and will not be the same as ours. Putin could not be President here and Obama would not have worked there. In addition, where do we get off complaining about Russia when we support some absolutely wretched leaders in other nations. An example? Our good buddies the Saudis. Their monarchy is nightmarish and still brutally suppresses women. They make Putin look like an old hippy.
Looking over Trump's nearly completed Cabinet is interesting. He has mixed old time Washington insiders, the military, business people, and a few off the wall characters (like Steve Bannon). They all disagree on many issues, both with each other and Trump. I like it. Such tension, if handled correctly, can lead to new ideas, and God knows we need that. It might work. I still think it's a long shot, but it might work.
One thing for sure. The next four years will be interesting. Pay attention. It might be the best show around.
Friday, December 16, 2016
America - Have We All Gone Mad?
Today was going to be Part 2 of The Donald Chronicles, but that will wait until next week because right now, I think we are losing our collective minds.
Where should I begin? Okay, let's start with the behavior of our current President. I have seen Presidents come and go, and while, at times, it was clear that they disliked each other, they put on a good face and tried to make the transition smooth. I have never seen a President try so blatantly and ruthlessly to undermine his successor. Obama is ranting about Russian influence on the election. In trying to cast doubt on the legitimately of Trump's victory, he is attempting to stop the Nation from coming together around the new guy.
You have Electors seriously talking about refusing to vote for the person their state's voters chose. You have politicians egging them on, encouraging this outrageous behavior. You have Electors, with no security clearance, demanding security briefings before they vote. At the same time, you have the security agencies refusing to brief Congress until the President gives his approval.
I just saw an ad, a long, expensive ad, put together by various celebrities urging Electors to refuse to vote for the choice of their state's people. Who in the Hell gives a rat's skinny, little ass what a bunch of spoiled, overpaid, half assed singers and actors have to say about the running of the country. Tell the all to go have another margarita, shut up, and go find a real job.
As far as Russia and hacking goes, let's grow up and face the real world. First, no matter who is ultimately behind the leaks, they still display a candidate and a party and a State department that danced dangerously close to felonious illegalities. At the very least, it shows how insanely incompetent they were. Second, we have no moral high ground to stand on. I have pointed out in previous posts that we, the USA, have intervened, often violently, in the internal politics of many nations. Just recently, Obama threatened England with serious economic difficulties before the Brexit vote.
Dose Russia hack US communications? No doubt. And guess what? We hack theirs. This is the way of politics and things have been that way since long before the Nation was founded. It is idiotic, wasteful and dangerous and it is not going to stop any time soon. Does Putin know about this? He would be a damn poor leader if he didn't. Did Putin influence the election? He did not have to because the Democrats ran the worst, most incompetent candidate they could. Clinton beat Clinton.
Now, we have Obama issuing grave threats to Russia. Funny, he did the same thing to Assad in Syria and they just took Aleppo and are about to finish off the Syrian rebels. The destruction of a once great city and the horrific slaughter of its people is a nightmare. What happened to that stern Presidential warning? And why, in the name of anything sane, is he trying to pick a major fight with Russia?
What we are seeing, quite likely, is a showdown, a big time showdown, between two factions for the soul of America. The old time, left wing, Eastern Establishment, that has had its way for many years, has been almost swept aside by the anti-globalist, pro-America faction. Both groups are fantastically wealthy and frighteningly powerful and both are deeply, deeply flawed but, when it comes down to choosing sides, I'll stay with the pro-American traditionalists every time. This used to be a damn good Country and, maybe, just maybe, we can be that way again.
Where should I begin? Okay, let's start with the behavior of our current President. I have seen Presidents come and go, and while, at times, it was clear that they disliked each other, they put on a good face and tried to make the transition smooth. I have never seen a President try so blatantly and ruthlessly to undermine his successor. Obama is ranting about Russian influence on the election. In trying to cast doubt on the legitimately of Trump's victory, he is attempting to stop the Nation from coming together around the new guy.
You have Electors seriously talking about refusing to vote for the person their state's voters chose. You have politicians egging them on, encouraging this outrageous behavior. You have Electors, with no security clearance, demanding security briefings before they vote. At the same time, you have the security agencies refusing to brief Congress until the President gives his approval.
I just saw an ad, a long, expensive ad, put together by various celebrities urging Electors to refuse to vote for the choice of their state's people. Who in the Hell gives a rat's skinny, little ass what a bunch of spoiled, overpaid, half assed singers and actors have to say about the running of the country. Tell the all to go have another margarita, shut up, and go find a real job.
As far as Russia and hacking goes, let's grow up and face the real world. First, no matter who is ultimately behind the leaks, they still display a candidate and a party and a State department that danced dangerously close to felonious illegalities. At the very least, it shows how insanely incompetent they were. Second, we have no moral high ground to stand on. I have pointed out in previous posts that we, the USA, have intervened, often violently, in the internal politics of many nations. Just recently, Obama threatened England with serious economic difficulties before the Brexit vote.
Dose Russia hack US communications? No doubt. And guess what? We hack theirs. This is the way of politics and things have been that way since long before the Nation was founded. It is idiotic, wasteful and dangerous and it is not going to stop any time soon. Does Putin know about this? He would be a damn poor leader if he didn't. Did Putin influence the election? He did not have to because the Democrats ran the worst, most incompetent candidate they could. Clinton beat Clinton.
Now, we have Obama issuing grave threats to Russia. Funny, he did the same thing to Assad in Syria and they just took Aleppo and are about to finish off the Syrian rebels. The destruction of a once great city and the horrific slaughter of its people is a nightmare. What happened to that stern Presidential warning? And why, in the name of anything sane, is he trying to pick a major fight with Russia?
What we are seeing, quite likely, is a showdown, a big time showdown, between two factions for the soul of America. The old time, left wing, Eastern Establishment, that has had its way for many years, has been almost swept aside by the anti-globalist, pro-America faction. Both groups are fantastically wealthy and frighteningly powerful and both are deeply, deeply flawed but, when it comes down to choosing sides, I'll stay with the pro-American traditionalists every time. This used to be a damn good Country and, maybe, just maybe, we can be that way again.
Monday, November 21, 2016
America - Watch those Chickens
I turned on the news when I got up this morning, (I have got to stop doing that) and discovered that more cops were executed. Trump is still considering his sworn enemy Mitt Romney for his Cabinet, is still considering the recently politically disgraced Chris Christy, and the rapidly aging Rudy Giuliani. Obama is apparently now on the verge of losing it as his beloved legacy is about to be wiped out and is vowing that he will speak out as he sees fit ( which means he will be picking at Trump).
The Clintons and their distraught supporters are still trying to blame everyone but themselves for their disastrously incompetent campaign. Bernie Sanders is promising that he will be a nightmare to Trump and Nancy Pelosi is holding on to her political life by the skin of her teeth.
Russia is almost desperately modernizing its weaponry, possibly a pretty good move since America has become bizarrely touchy about Putin's activities. The European Union is breaking down. French are ousting President Sarkozy. Illegal immigrants are flooding the United States to get a toehold before the border wars start and a bunch of Mayors are set to defy Federal Government orders and remain safe havens for illegal immigrants. Oh, I almost forgot. Those demonstrations over a pipe land going across Native American land are getting very tense and are now being called riots.
My point? Okay. Every bit of unpleasantness we, and the rest of the lunatic asylum we have made out of this lovely little planet, is a direct result of past activities. You cannot duck the past. The lessons of history must be learned and the mess cleaned up. Otherwise, it will keep haunting and will get worse, until things get disastrous. Sorry, that's just how things work and neither you nor I can change that.
Buddhists and Hindus call it karma. Jesus said that as you sow, so shall you reap. I prefer an old country saying. It's just the chickens coming home to roost. Well, I hear a few hens clucking and some roosters starting to crow. Those chickens are settling in, so for the next few weeks, or months, or years, watch the chickens.
The Clintons and their distraught supporters are still trying to blame everyone but themselves for their disastrously incompetent campaign. Bernie Sanders is promising that he will be a nightmare to Trump and Nancy Pelosi is holding on to her political life by the skin of her teeth.
Russia is almost desperately modernizing its weaponry, possibly a pretty good move since America has become bizarrely touchy about Putin's activities. The European Union is breaking down. French are ousting President Sarkozy. Illegal immigrants are flooding the United States to get a toehold before the border wars start and a bunch of Mayors are set to defy Federal Government orders and remain safe havens for illegal immigrants. Oh, I almost forgot. Those demonstrations over a pipe land going across Native American land are getting very tense and are now being called riots.
My point? Okay. Every bit of unpleasantness we, and the rest of the lunatic asylum we have made out of this lovely little planet, is a direct result of past activities. You cannot duck the past. The lessons of history must be learned and the mess cleaned up. Otherwise, it will keep haunting and will get worse, until things get disastrous. Sorry, that's just how things work and neither you nor I can change that.
Buddhists and Hindus call it karma. Jesus said that as you sow, so shall you reap. I prefer an old country saying. It's just the chickens coming home to roost. Well, I hear a few hens clucking and some roosters starting to crow. Those chickens are settling in, so for the next few weeks, or months, or years, watch the chickens.
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
America - Terror Strikes Again
I have sworn off politics but I still pay attention to what's going on in the world, and things are not good. Let's go step by step.
In Turkey, there was a coup attempt, maybe. Oh, something definitely happened but, things are not always what they seem. Turkey, by all accounts, was, for a long time, a nice country. It was a very progressive Moslem nation, tolerant, prosperous and a great place to visit. Well, things change and there has been growing tension in Turkey between the modernists and the Islamic extremists. In addition, Turkey is caught in the troubles of Iraq and Syria. They have been gracious in accepting huge numbers of refugees but, that causes strain on both resources and patience. In addition, they have a long running dispute with the Kurds. We, the USA, are backing and arming the Kurds in their fight against ISIS. That creates more problems for Turkey as they are sure, quite rightfully so, that the Kurds will use those weapons against them. They already have. In addition, Turkey is trying to balance their relationship with the USA with their relationship to an increasingly powerful and active Russia. I do not blame Russia in the least since the USA, as part of NATO, is putting missiles near their borders and has imposed damaging economic sanctions on them. So, maybe, and I really don't know, Turkey's leaders staged a fake coup to give them a reason to round up dangerous enemies of the state. If so, I can't fault them. Extreme events sometimes call for extreme measures. The real puzzler is the American cleric they say is behind the coup. We do have a history of subverting governments we have problems with and maybe the Turks have a good case. Again, I don't know. But, I do know, we have precious few allies left in the world and we should watch our step, lest we lose another friend.
Then, we move to Nice. I have seen vague statements on the internet describing this as, yes, a false flag operation, a scam pulled by a government to put the blame on an enemy. I do not believe this for a moment. This was a senseless slaughter of innocent lives by another of the seemingly endless parade of monsters killing in the name of God. We are plagued with these lunatics and this is what you get when you insist on viewing God as a wrathful, vengeful being, bent on having all the world bow to his whims. This is a dementia, a projection of personal anger and jealousy and hatred onto the world, having nothing to do with the Creator. All of this insanity is built into age old belief systems and I have no idea when it will end or how to stop it. It is a nightmare and I cannot imagine how the people of France and the rest of Europe are dealing with it.
Now, I turn my attention homeward. We have had 2 incidents of cop killings. Let me say unequivocally that this must stop. But, as always, things go deeper. First of all, there have been a goodly number of events in recent years of police over reaction ending in the death of people who did not deserve to die. If threatened, the police may and should use deadly force but, here and there, they have killed people who, while possibly guilty of a crime, were not a danger to the arresting officers. A problem? Yes. Criminal? Likely. But, not life threatening. The police must get a grip on their behavior. If it takes higher wages to get a better bunch of cops, then communities will have to raise the money. Need more police? Raise the money. It may cost a few extra tax dollars but, if you are not willing to pay, then this madness will get worse. As far as the shooters go, something smelly is afoot. In both cases, ex-soldiers came from other cities to shoot cops. They had firm plans. Did they act alone? Investigators are quietly, very quietly, saying that they don't know. If I had to bet, I would say no, they were not alone and something big is unfolding. Who are the accomplices? I will not speculate but this is not a new phenomenon. Look up the Zebra killing of the late 1960s in San Francisco. These were never completely solved but, it seems clear that some of those active had some ties to some shadowy government operatives. Remember, this is the time of Operation Chaos (the CIA) and COINTELPRO (the FBI). No, I am not blaming any government agency but, here and there, we have proof that a few renegade agents went way overboard and things got out of hand. Are these shooting an example of that? I have no idea but I have learned that such things do happen. Again let me say, I am not saying that this is government policy. I am saying that there are extreme elements in any organizations that run amok. Things get out of hand and tragedy results.
Anyway, don't let any of this get you down. At some point, the light will shine again and the streets will be safe for us common folks. When? God knows and He hasn't told me. Hang in there. And remember the words of cartoonist R. Crumb's hippy guru Mr. Natural. "Just because you're paranoid, that doesn't mean someone's not out to get you."
In Turkey, there was a coup attempt, maybe. Oh, something definitely happened but, things are not always what they seem. Turkey, by all accounts, was, for a long time, a nice country. It was a very progressive Moslem nation, tolerant, prosperous and a great place to visit. Well, things change and there has been growing tension in Turkey between the modernists and the Islamic extremists. In addition, Turkey is caught in the troubles of Iraq and Syria. They have been gracious in accepting huge numbers of refugees but, that causes strain on both resources and patience. In addition, they have a long running dispute with the Kurds. We, the USA, are backing and arming the Kurds in their fight against ISIS. That creates more problems for Turkey as they are sure, quite rightfully so, that the Kurds will use those weapons against them. They already have. In addition, Turkey is trying to balance their relationship with the USA with their relationship to an increasingly powerful and active Russia. I do not blame Russia in the least since the USA, as part of NATO, is putting missiles near their borders and has imposed damaging economic sanctions on them. So, maybe, and I really don't know, Turkey's leaders staged a fake coup to give them a reason to round up dangerous enemies of the state. If so, I can't fault them. Extreme events sometimes call for extreme measures. The real puzzler is the American cleric they say is behind the coup. We do have a history of subverting governments we have problems with and maybe the Turks have a good case. Again, I don't know. But, I do know, we have precious few allies left in the world and we should watch our step, lest we lose another friend.
Then, we move to Nice. I have seen vague statements on the internet describing this as, yes, a false flag operation, a scam pulled by a government to put the blame on an enemy. I do not believe this for a moment. This was a senseless slaughter of innocent lives by another of the seemingly endless parade of monsters killing in the name of God. We are plagued with these lunatics and this is what you get when you insist on viewing God as a wrathful, vengeful being, bent on having all the world bow to his whims. This is a dementia, a projection of personal anger and jealousy and hatred onto the world, having nothing to do with the Creator. All of this insanity is built into age old belief systems and I have no idea when it will end or how to stop it. It is a nightmare and I cannot imagine how the people of France and the rest of Europe are dealing with it.
Now, I turn my attention homeward. We have had 2 incidents of cop killings. Let me say unequivocally that this must stop. But, as always, things go deeper. First of all, there have been a goodly number of events in recent years of police over reaction ending in the death of people who did not deserve to die. If threatened, the police may and should use deadly force but, here and there, they have killed people who, while possibly guilty of a crime, were not a danger to the arresting officers. A problem? Yes. Criminal? Likely. But, not life threatening. The police must get a grip on their behavior. If it takes higher wages to get a better bunch of cops, then communities will have to raise the money. Need more police? Raise the money. It may cost a few extra tax dollars but, if you are not willing to pay, then this madness will get worse. As far as the shooters go, something smelly is afoot. In both cases, ex-soldiers came from other cities to shoot cops. They had firm plans. Did they act alone? Investigators are quietly, very quietly, saying that they don't know. If I had to bet, I would say no, they were not alone and something big is unfolding. Who are the accomplices? I will not speculate but this is not a new phenomenon. Look up the Zebra killing of the late 1960s in San Francisco. These were never completely solved but, it seems clear that some of those active had some ties to some shadowy government operatives. Remember, this is the time of Operation Chaos (the CIA) and COINTELPRO (the FBI). No, I am not blaming any government agency but, here and there, we have proof that a few renegade agents went way overboard and things got out of hand. Are these shooting an example of that? I have no idea but I have learned that such things do happen. Again let me say, I am not saying that this is government policy. I am saying that there are extreme elements in any organizations that run amok. Things get out of hand and tragedy results.
Anyway, don't let any of this get you down. At some point, the light will shine again and the streets will be safe for us common folks. When? God knows and He hasn't told me. Hang in there. And remember the words of cartoonist R. Crumb's hippy guru Mr. Natural. "Just because you're paranoid, that doesn't mean someone's not out to get you."
Friday, January 15, 2016
American Gullibility - Part 1
America sees itself as a worldly, sophisticated country. Well, sorry folks. I love this Nation for many reasons, one of which is our childlike innocence. Many Americans still live in a world of limitless possibilities, and this does give us an exuberance, an enthusiasm. This idea that if we work hard and follow our dreams, we will achieve greatness, is a wonderful attitude and even when we fail, we pride ourselves on our ability to pick ourselves up, dust off our clothes and get back to it.
However, it is a fine line between optimism and idiocy. We, often refuse to accept hard truths and we can never get back to moving forward until we take some time, look back a little and really see what has happened.
Lord knows, I do not want to dwell on the past, so let me hit a few of the main points. World War 1 was a bit of lunacy, fought over European colonial disputes. We never should have entered it and did so only because huge money German bankers, the Rothschild's, wanted a Jewish state in Israel They betrayed Germany by getting England to pass the Balfour Resolution in exchange for having their man in Washington push Woodrow Wilson into the War. By this time they had pushed Wilson onto creating the Federal Reserve, an un-Constitutional body, and in effect, they owned him.
Then, these same folks, in collusion with big time investors, made a ton of money by manipulating markets. The bottom finally fell out of these markets, after a bunch of folks made a bunch of money, and we were in the middle of the nightmare of the Great Depression.
In the meantime, these same interests, who loathed Tsarist Russia, started funding a new social movement, and the Soviet Union was born. Then to keep them in check, and, I truly believe a love of mischief was also a factor, as the Depression worsened, they funded that little fool, Hitler. The Powers that run the World, love to see a good fight because by manipulating the outcome, they grab more wealth and more control. Keep in mind, America, through such luminaries as the Harriman's and Prescott Bush, yes the Daddy of George Herbert Walker Bush and the Grandfather of George Walker Bush, were still trading with Nazis throughout the War. This is not Conspiracy Theory. This is well documented and Americans just do not want to admit it.
Then, when the War ended, we decided that we needed an Enemy and that our Wartime Ally, the Soviet Union was it. So, we hired the ex-Nazi spy master, Rudy Gehlen, to come up with something scary, and the whole stupid Cold War, in which both sides spent unthinkably huge amounts of money on arms, was born. All we got out of it was a huge pile of bombs that no one can use, unless, of course, we finally decide we're tired of the fuss and blow the World to bits.
All of that wealth, all of that time, wasted, by both sides. I really do not fault the Soviets. After WW2, why would they think they could trust us. Remember, without their nightmarish, but successful, defeat of Germany, we could not have pulled off the Normandy Invasion that clinched the deal in Europe. From their point of view, we stabbed them in the back. Just think, we could have well fed, healthy and superbly educated populations had we not wasted all of our efforts on unusable weapons. We could be colonizing the Solar System and setting sail to the stars.
While all of this was going on, we spent the lives of countless young men in a series of wars that have never been logically explained. I have never heard explanations that made any sense for our behavior in Korea, Viet Nam, Iraq, or Afghanistan. Every reason we have been given for the lunacy of these military adventures has been shown to be lies.
Look at our behavior in our own hemisphere. We have intervened in Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Chile, Nicaragua. Why? Always because we were defending 'American Business Interests.' Well guess what? These are the same businesses who yanked the jobs out from under good, hard working Americans and sent them to places where people will work for $2 a day under slave-like conditions.
And yet, still, I hear on a day to day basis, about how wonderful our military is. Are they good soldiers? Yes. Brave? Beyond a doubt. But, they are being used to extort other countries into doing the bidding of the Powers That Be, the Corporate Elite who want to rule the World. We are fighting for the very people who want to control us, to see us weak and impoverished. The 1% who control most of this Country's wealth, and most of the World's wealth are tightening their control on the backs and with the blood of those who they are taking wealth from
It makes no sense, and yet, in this the year of our elections, no one talks about what is right in front of our noses. Instead we have a never ending paraded of idiots prattling on about how much they are going to change things, about how they are going to make us great again. And the worst thing, the American public is still buying it.
In Part 2, I am going to go over some domestic history and in Part 3, I am going to discuss some of the things about our Presidential Candidates you will not hear on the CNN and Fox News or any of our other producers of news-like programming.
However, it is a fine line between optimism and idiocy. We, often refuse to accept hard truths and we can never get back to moving forward until we take some time, look back a little and really see what has happened.
Lord knows, I do not want to dwell on the past, so let me hit a few of the main points. World War 1 was a bit of lunacy, fought over European colonial disputes. We never should have entered it and did so only because huge money German bankers, the Rothschild's, wanted a Jewish state in Israel They betrayed Germany by getting England to pass the Balfour Resolution in exchange for having their man in Washington push Woodrow Wilson into the War. By this time they had pushed Wilson onto creating the Federal Reserve, an un-Constitutional body, and in effect, they owned him.
Then, these same folks, in collusion with big time investors, made a ton of money by manipulating markets. The bottom finally fell out of these markets, after a bunch of folks made a bunch of money, and we were in the middle of the nightmare of the Great Depression.
In the meantime, these same interests, who loathed Tsarist Russia, started funding a new social movement, and the Soviet Union was born. Then to keep them in check, and, I truly believe a love of mischief was also a factor, as the Depression worsened, they funded that little fool, Hitler. The Powers that run the World, love to see a good fight because by manipulating the outcome, they grab more wealth and more control. Keep in mind, America, through such luminaries as the Harriman's and Prescott Bush, yes the Daddy of George Herbert Walker Bush and the Grandfather of George Walker Bush, were still trading with Nazis throughout the War. This is not Conspiracy Theory. This is well documented and Americans just do not want to admit it.
Then, when the War ended, we decided that we needed an Enemy and that our Wartime Ally, the Soviet Union was it. So, we hired the ex-Nazi spy master, Rudy Gehlen, to come up with something scary, and the whole stupid Cold War, in which both sides spent unthinkably huge amounts of money on arms, was born. All we got out of it was a huge pile of bombs that no one can use, unless, of course, we finally decide we're tired of the fuss and blow the World to bits.
All of that wealth, all of that time, wasted, by both sides. I really do not fault the Soviets. After WW2, why would they think they could trust us. Remember, without their nightmarish, but successful, defeat of Germany, we could not have pulled off the Normandy Invasion that clinched the deal in Europe. From their point of view, we stabbed them in the back. Just think, we could have well fed, healthy and superbly educated populations had we not wasted all of our efforts on unusable weapons. We could be colonizing the Solar System and setting sail to the stars.
While all of this was going on, we spent the lives of countless young men in a series of wars that have never been logically explained. I have never heard explanations that made any sense for our behavior in Korea, Viet Nam, Iraq, or Afghanistan. Every reason we have been given for the lunacy of these military adventures has been shown to be lies.
Look at our behavior in our own hemisphere. We have intervened in Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Chile, Nicaragua. Why? Always because we were defending 'American Business Interests.' Well guess what? These are the same businesses who yanked the jobs out from under good, hard working Americans and sent them to places where people will work for $2 a day under slave-like conditions.
And yet, still, I hear on a day to day basis, about how wonderful our military is. Are they good soldiers? Yes. Brave? Beyond a doubt. But, they are being used to extort other countries into doing the bidding of the Powers That Be, the Corporate Elite who want to rule the World. We are fighting for the very people who want to control us, to see us weak and impoverished. The 1% who control most of this Country's wealth, and most of the World's wealth are tightening their control on the backs and with the blood of those who they are taking wealth from
It makes no sense, and yet, in this the year of our elections, no one talks about what is right in front of our noses. Instead we have a never ending paraded of idiots prattling on about how much they are going to change things, about how they are going to make us great again. And the worst thing, the American public is still buying it.
In Part 2, I am going to go over some domestic history and in Part 3, I am going to discuss some of the things about our Presidential Candidates you will not hear on the CNN and Fox News or any of our other producers of news-like programming.
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