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.
Wednesday, June 28, 2017
Thursday, June 22, 2017
High Water Everywhere
Bob Dylan's Love and Theft album has a great song, High Water Everywhere. Unfortunately, that seems to be a new reality. Contrary to what our fearless leader, Mr/ Trump. has said, climate change is not a Chinese hoax.
The South Florida coast, Jacksonville, the Gulf coast and the new Jersey coast are all experiencing frequent, serious flooding. Not just during severe storms but often just from the tides. The sea levels are rising/
Tropical weather, while possible in June, is almost unheard of. Today, the Gulf coast is experiencing a tropical storm. I live near Savannah, Ga, where there was no tropical activity for about 200 ueasr. Last year we had 3 tropical storms and a hurricane.
High Water Everywhere may become a new reality. Unless, of course. you live in the Southwest US. The last few days have seen temperatures there around 115 degrees F. No break in sight. At the same time, California just went through a severe drought that was broken by severe flooding.
Portugal is having murderous wildfires. Peru and Columbia are expecting devastating mud slides. All around the World, extremes of weather are becoming the new norm.
At this point, it does not matter what is causing this. The first thought should be, 'what do we do in response?' Later, we can worry about causes and blames. It is probably a natural cycle worsened by the fact that we have turned much of the World into concrete . Our destruction of wet lands and forests have surely worsened things. Cars and green house gases? Maybe yes, maybe no, but they are surely not the major cause and, as I said, that does not matter right now. Our response is what is important.
President Trump may one day wake up and find his Mar a Lago has become waterfront property. For that matter, the White House may become waterfront property. Maybe then he will realize that this is no hoax. When farmlands are alternately flooded and scorched, what will people do? Being rich will not matter. You cannot eat money.
The South Florida coast, Jacksonville, the Gulf coast and the new Jersey coast are all experiencing frequent, serious flooding. Not just during severe storms but often just from the tides. The sea levels are rising/
Tropical weather, while possible in June, is almost unheard of. Today, the Gulf coast is experiencing a tropical storm. I live near Savannah, Ga, where there was no tropical activity for about 200 ueasr. Last year we had 3 tropical storms and a hurricane.
High Water Everywhere may become a new reality. Unless, of course. you live in the Southwest US. The last few days have seen temperatures there around 115 degrees F. No break in sight. At the same time, California just went through a severe drought that was broken by severe flooding.
Portugal is having murderous wildfires. Peru and Columbia are expecting devastating mud slides. All around the World, extremes of weather are becoming the new norm.
At this point, it does not matter what is causing this. The first thought should be, 'what do we do in response?' Later, we can worry about causes and blames. It is probably a natural cycle worsened by the fact that we have turned much of the World into concrete . Our destruction of wet lands and forests have surely worsened things. Cars and green house gases? Maybe yes, maybe no, but they are surely not the major cause and, as I said, that does not matter right now. Our response is what is important.
President Trump may one day wake up and find his Mar a Lago has become waterfront property. For that matter, the White House may become waterfront property. Maybe then he will realize that this is no hoax. When farmlands are alternately flooded and scorched, what will people do? Being rich will not matter. You cannot eat money.
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
America, The Monarcht Awaits
I understand that Puerto Rico may become a State. Fine with me. In Florida, I had several Puerto Rican friends and they were all hard workers who loved to have fun, so I am all for letting them become a State
At the same time, I understand that California is not fond of Americans in the rest of the land. No problem they can secede. That way, we can still keep those 5o star flags.
Those folks obviously do not like democracy, so here's a thought. They can have a Monarchy, and I propose Hillary Clinton as their first Queen. Queen Hillary sounds sort of royal, doesn't it?
She could have her way and, since she is so sure she know what's best for the lowly peasant, she could dictate what all her subjects could do, from the poorest farm worker to the grandest businessman, excuse me, business person; we must not be sexist or off with our heads.
Huma Abaden, Loretta Lynch and Elizabeth Warren could be Ladies in Waiting. Bill, of course, would be Prince Consort and Chelsea would be Heir to the Throne. Just think; those two wacky cut ups. John Podesta and Anthony Weiner, could be Court Jestres. Oh what jolly tomes Californians could have;
If all goes well, which I am sure it will, maybe Guam could next get Statehood. To keep those 50 star flags, we could eliminate another State that seems less that Democratically inclined, New York. They may be in luck. By the end of the year, the way things are going, Donald Trump may be available to become their King. I am sure he would love the title and, after all, he already has a son named Baron.
At the same time, I understand that California is not fond of Americans in the rest of the land. No problem they can secede. That way, we can still keep those 5o star flags.
Those folks obviously do not like democracy, so here's a thought. They can have a Monarchy, and I propose Hillary Clinton as their first Queen. Queen Hillary sounds sort of royal, doesn't it?
She could have her way and, since she is so sure she know what's best for the lowly peasant, she could dictate what all her subjects could do, from the poorest farm worker to the grandest businessman, excuse me, business person; we must not be sexist or off with our heads.
Huma Abaden, Loretta Lynch and Elizabeth Warren could be Ladies in Waiting. Bill, of course, would be Prince Consort and Chelsea would be Heir to the Throne. Just think; those two wacky cut ups. John Podesta and Anthony Weiner, could be Court Jestres. Oh what jolly tomes Californians could have;
If all goes well, which I am sure it will, maybe Guam could next get Statehood. To keep those 50 star flags, we could eliminate another State that seems less that Democratically inclined, New York. They may be in luck. By the end of the year, the way things are going, Donald Trump may be available to become their King. I am sure he would love the title and, after all, he already has a son named Baron.
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
America - Fact vs Fiction
I have been thinking about terrorism a bit and things do not add up. We are supposed to, according to the media, the President, and assorted pundits, be terrified. Instead, lets be rational. I know that is nearly unthinkable these days, but come on and give it a try; it'll be fun.
In the dark period after 9/11, not a whole lot happened in this country. The, in London, Madrid and Indonesia, there were horrific bombings, carried out in a sophisticated style by Al Qaida Okay, things got a bit scary. Here in the USA, we had some failed efforts. Look at them. About the most serious was 'the Underwear Bombe, who, as it turned out could not even blow up his own underwear. Since then, we have had a few multiple shootings and a few knife attacks. Awful? Yes, but remember a few things. We have for the last 50 years been plagued by mass and serial killings. Does no one remember Charles Whitman, Richard Speck, Manson, the Son of Sam and the Zodiac Killer. Ted Bundy? The Green River killer and the Hillside Stranglers. The point is, for reasons never known, (actually, we have fairly good idea what happened, but this is not the place for that discussion)Americans were slaughtering each other at a furious clip before we heard of Islamic Terrorists. In fact, the monsters just mentioned were far more effective at their ghoulish business than any of our recent terrorist have ever dreamed of being.
Look at recent attacks in England. They were, of course, horrible, but think a minute. There was one bomb in one attack. The other 2 involved guys in vans, plowing into crowds and then waving knives around. Really? Is that the best the dreaded ISIS can do" Then. look at Sandy Hook and Columbine where kids walked in armed to the teeth and killed a lot of other kids.
Yet, instead of coming to grips with the causes of this manic urge some have to randomly kill their fellow humans, we immediately start dropping vast amounts of bombs on the Middle East.
Yes, ISIS and their kind are based in Islamic lands but no one in anything resembling their right mind, believes that all Moslems living in Europe and America want to kill all Westerners. Some of these folks have lived among us for long years and gotten along just fine.
And no number of bombs dropped, which by the way have killed 10s of 1000s of innocent people, can explain our own, homegrown, monstrous killers. Even the monster who killed the folks at the gay club in Orlando seemed more upset by his own closeted sexuality that ant Western oppression, and, we should remember, he was a US citizen.
I have made it clear that I am not fond of importing people from Islamic lands but that his because of costs and culture shock, not fear that they will kill us all.
Who should we be nervous about? A seldom mentioned group, the White Supremacists, the Militia groups, the neo-Nazis and Klan. These people are heavily armed, fiercely violent, and pretty well organized and they are becoming more vocal every day. If you think they are not dangerous, remember the Oklahoma City bombings. We fight in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan while ignoring the monsters we ar breeding at home.
In the dark period after 9/11, not a whole lot happened in this country. The, in London, Madrid and Indonesia, there were horrific bombings, carried out in a sophisticated style by Al Qaida Okay, things got a bit scary. Here in the USA, we had some failed efforts. Look at them. About the most serious was 'the Underwear Bombe, who, as it turned out could not even blow up his own underwear. Since then, we have had a few multiple shootings and a few knife attacks. Awful? Yes, but remember a few things. We have for the last 50 years been plagued by mass and serial killings. Does no one remember Charles Whitman, Richard Speck, Manson, the Son of Sam and the Zodiac Killer. Ted Bundy? The Green River killer and the Hillside Stranglers. The point is, for reasons never known, (actually, we have fairly good idea what happened, but this is not the place for that discussion)Americans were slaughtering each other at a furious clip before we heard of Islamic Terrorists. In fact, the monsters just mentioned were far more effective at their ghoulish business than any of our recent terrorist have ever dreamed of being.
Look at recent attacks in England. They were, of course, horrible, but think a minute. There was one bomb in one attack. The other 2 involved guys in vans, plowing into crowds and then waving knives around. Really? Is that the best the dreaded ISIS can do" Then. look at Sandy Hook and Columbine where kids walked in armed to the teeth and killed a lot of other kids.
Yet, instead of coming to grips with the causes of this manic urge some have to randomly kill their fellow humans, we immediately start dropping vast amounts of bombs on the Middle East.
Yes, ISIS and their kind are based in Islamic lands but no one in anything resembling their right mind, believes that all Moslems living in Europe and America want to kill all Westerners. Some of these folks have lived among us for long years and gotten along just fine.
And no number of bombs dropped, which by the way have killed 10s of 1000s of innocent people, can explain our own, homegrown, monstrous killers. Even the monster who killed the folks at the gay club in Orlando seemed more upset by his own closeted sexuality that ant Western oppression, and, we should remember, he was a US citizen.
I have made it clear that I am not fond of importing people from Islamic lands but that his because of costs and culture shock, not fear that they will kill us all.
Who should we be nervous about? A seldom mentioned group, the White Supremacists, the Militia groups, the neo-Nazis and Klan. These people are heavily armed, fiercely violent, and pretty well organized and they are becoming more vocal every day. If you think they are not dangerous, remember the Oklahoma City bombings. We fight in Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan while ignoring the monsters we ar breeding at home.
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