What to do with a Killer whale? 1. Let him go. (and hope he doesn't start stalking the beaches around Florida.) 2. Continue to show him. ( Who will swim with Tukillum ) 3. Quietly give him to the Japanese and don't look back. Write off the loss.
The reason as to why this Killer whale is still swimming might be in that write-off: What is a fully trained whale worth to a place like Seaworld? When he was in Canada "........local media reports estimated the whale's value at about $1 million. Since then, Tilikum (it's real name) has sired 13 whale calves, making it one of the most prolific—and most valuable—captive orcas in the world." This ain't no goldfish, but maybe the Golden Goose. His value today is up to 10 million.
"..... officials have said they are leaving the whale's fate in the hands of SeaWorld's experts. Between its three locations, SeaWorld owns about half of the orcas in captivity. Park officials have said the whale will not be destroyed, or freed, as a result of the accident."
It won't be freed or destroyed, .....as a result of the accident. Three deaths associated with this killer whale,... and this was an accident? From the eye witness accounts the whale seemed to know exactly what it was doing. Looks like Tilikum is going to be confined to stud service from here on in. Who will swim with him? And you can't let him go, he likes people! OK, if he would swim away like free Willy, why don't they let him go? According to the experts he'd probably mind his own business in the wild ,.... "Sometimes called "the wolf of the sea", the orca can be a fierce hunter with well-organized hunting techniques, although there are no documented cases of killer whales attacking a human in the wild."
Lastly, How many people does a valuable show animal get to kill before it is deemed too dangerous? And if you free the whale, will the other whales learn a lesson? Kill a trainer,... get set free ? These are animals as intelligent as humans, they're waiting to see Tilikum's fate, you can bet on it! Reports are they were screwing around at showtime, acting rebellious. They're probably all in the know.
Anyway, the show must go on. At least that's the way it appears. But I can't help thinking that something is wrong . The captive whales. The trainer's deaths. The amnesty of Tilikum. Too valuable to be put to death? How about one last show for for the Japanese?
Showing posts with label United States. Show all posts
Showing posts with label United States. Show all posts
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Saving Haiti
After the recent earthquake in Haiti, amid the mainstream media onslaught of the rubble, suffering and death, I found myself detached, indifferent, lacking in compassion. Cold as it sounds, Haiti could have been any place in the world where there are earthquakes. Yes, Haiti was bad, but so are earthquakes in China, India, Italy etc. How often do we see tragedy in the world due to natural disaster? Was tragedy in Haiti suppose to strike me differently because I'm closer to it then mudslides in Peru? Will the world run to our rescue when natural disaster befalls US? Why doesn't the entertainment world jump when there's an earthquake in Pakistan?
I mean, like... Haiti didn't just sail to it's proximity to the United States, it's been there all along; Ravaged with AIDS, starving, the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. In US waters Haitians would be turned away at sea trying to flee the place. Sometimes to drown at sea. Forgive me my cynicism, but drown at sea, die of AIDS, starve; If Hatians were ignored before and left to die, well ...it was a monstrous tragedy but worldwide, monstrous tragedys occur, so is the monstrous response to Haiti's tragedy partially fueled by ulterior motives? .........some thoughts to consider as the drama unwinds:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=17287
A few excerpts:
The Fateful Geological Prize Called Haiti
by F. William Engdahl
Venezuelan, Nicaraguan, Bolivian, French and Swiss rescue organizations accuse the US military of refusing landing rights to planes bearing necessary medicines and urgently needed potable water to the millions of Haitians stricken, injured and homeless.
Behind the smoke, rubble and unending drama of human tragedy in the hapless Caribbean country, a drama is in full play for control of what geophysicists believe may be one of the world’s richest zones for hydrocarbons-oil and gas outside the Middle East, possibly orders of magnitude greater than that of nearby Venezuela.
Now, in the wake of the devastating earthquake of January 12, the United States military has taken control of Haiti’s four airports and presently has some 20,000 troops in the country. Journalists and international aid organizations have accused the US military of being more concerned with imposing military control, which it prefers to call “security,” than with bringing urgently needed water, food and medicine from the airport sites to the population.
There's always an angle.
I mean, like... Haiti didn't just sail to it's proximity to the United States, it's been there all along; Ravaged with AIDS, starving, the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. In US waters Haitians would be turned away at sea trying to flee the place. Sometimes to drown at sea. Forgive me my cynicism, but drown at sea, die of AIDS, starve; If Hatians were ignored before and left to die, well ...it was a monstrous tragedy but worldwide, monstrous tragedys occur, so is the monstrous response to Haiti's tragedy partially fueled by ulterior motives? .........some thoughts to consider as the drama unwinds:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=17287
A few excerpts:
The Fateful Geological Prize Called Haiti
by F. William Engdahl
Venezuelan, Nicaraguan, Bolivian, French and Swiss rescue organizations accuse the US military of refusing landing rights to planes bearing necessary medicines and urgently needed potable water to the millions of Haitians stricken, injured and homeless.
Behind the smoke, rubble and unending drama of human tragedy in the hapless Caribbean country, a drama is in full play for control of what geophysicists believe may be one of the world’s richest zones for hydrocarbons-oil and gas outside the Middle East, possibly orders of magnitude greater than that of nearby Venezuela.
Now, in the wake of the devastating earthquake of January 12, the United States military has taken control of Haiti’s four airports and presently has some 20,000 troops in the country. Journalists and international aid organizations have accused the US military of being more concerned with imposing military control, which it prefers to call “security,” than with bringing urgently needed water, food and medicine from the airport sites to the population.
There's always an angle.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
9/11
The Explosives & Thermite launching Pad... for the war on terror.
How much money have the industrialists and munitions makers made? How much more important are our "generals" in the service? How many trillions have been spent? How many civil rights have we lost? How many leaders of the country lie about themselves, their honesty, and their motives? Why wouldn't they lie about 9\11 and the war on terror? Yes the Jihad can deliver car bombs, but 9\11 ? C'mon Mannnnn! Planes don't IMPLODE buildings. Be a real intellectual and look at the natural facts. The melting point of steel vs. the burning temperature of jet fuel. Buildings falling at freefall speed without resistance. Concrete turned to dust. Two buildings hit by planes but three buildings IMPLODED. Never in history has a steel frame building collapsed due to fire, and building #7 was a different architecture than the WTC, but all three collapsed due to fire? C'mon man! Those buildings were clearly IMPLODED.
Those buildings would have to be Jesus Christ so many "miracles" were involved if planes dropped them! C'mon Man. The brilliance of the sham, and the shame of a nation in it's apathy and ignorance. There was a day when rebellious youth rose to stop this kind of Imperialistic war, demanding honesty and peace in the world. They looked for the truth and questioned what they were told. They protested Viet Nam and marched in the streets . Where are they now? Too comfortable to care? Do their sons and daughters lives mean less to them then their own? Are true intellectuals (college Professors) and the ignorants like myself, angry they were duped, the only people brave enough and smart enough to see the truth, understand and speak out? I mean.... Upon a rudimentary examination of facts, ie melting points for steel, freefall speed etc., it becomes very apparent the planes did not bring down the towers. Yet a generation of Viet Nam war-era, rebellious, war dodging-college attending "intellectuals", among others, can't seem to divorce the Facts and what they see ( watching the WTC and Building #7 fall they look like any other building IMPLODED you have ever seen fall) from what they're TOLD. Sheep terrified into believing a Lie and damned to be fodder for the rich. Time for your Quarterly terrorizing. Expect to hear the words AL-QAEDA, Taliban, Terrorists repeatedly from the same terrorists whom as usual... your government and your leaders.
Baaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh little sheep.
How much money have the industrialists and munitions makers made? How much more important are our "generals" in the service? How many trillions have been spent? How many civil rights have we lost? How many leaders of the country lie about themselves, their honesty, and their motives? Why wouldn't they lie about 9\11 and the war on terror? Yes the Jihad can deliver car bombs, but 9\11 ? C'mon Mannnnn! Planes don't IMPLODE buildings. Be a real intellectual and look at the natural facts. The melting point of steel vs. the burning temperature of jet fuel. Buildings falling at freefall speed without resistance. Concrete turned to dust. Two buildings hit by planes but three buildings IMPLODED. Never in history has a steel frame building collapsed due to fire, and building #7 was a different architecture than the WTC, but all three collapsed due to fire? C'mon man! Those buildings were clearly IMPLODED.
Those buildings would have to be Jesus Christ so many "miracles" were involved if planes dropped them! C'mon Man. The brilliance of the sham, and the shame of a nation in it's apathy and ignorance. There was a day when rebellious youth rose to stop this kind of Imperialistic war, demanding honesty and peace in the world. They looked for the truth and questioned what they were told. They protested Viet Nam and marched in the streets . Where are they now? Too comfortable to care? Do their sons and daughters lives mean less to them then their own? Are true intellectuals (college Professors) and the ignorants like myself, angry they were duped, the only people brave enough and smart enough to see the truth, understand and speak out? I mean.... Upon a rudimentary examination of facts, ie melting points for steel, freefall speed etc., it becomes very apparent the planes did not bring down the towers. Yet a generation of Viet Nam war-era, rebellious, war dodging-college attending "intellectuals", among others, can't seem to divorce the Facts and what they see ( watching the WTC and Building #7 fall they look like any other building IMPLODED you have ever seen fall) from what they're TOLD. Sheep terrified into believing a Lie and damned to be fodder for the rich. Time for your Quarterly terrorizing. Expect to hear the words AL-QAEDA, Taliban, Terrorists repeatedly from the same terrorists whom as usual... your government and your leaders.
Baaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh little sheep.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Quarterly Terrorist Scare
Watching CNN today, all the news is about terrorism. It must be time for our (the US) Quarterly terrorism scare. Everything is terrorism. "Al-Qaeda" is spoken over and over. Airport security tightens up so everyone is inconvenienced and is aware. The end result ; between the media and the government spin, the populace is terrorized.
Doesn't anybody else think it's curious that these wizards of destruction, "Al Qaeda", can't even blow themselves up a good portion of the time, yet are still given credit for dropping two 110 story skyscrapers perfectly in their own footprints.......with airplanes? C'mon Man!
The whole sham is beginning to really bother me. When I hear these "terrorism" reports I realize the general populace of the United States now lives in a make believe world, in a lie, where we are the "good guys", righteously pursuing "bad guys", everywhere in the real world they might hide. A story line manifested from the dropping of the WTC on 9/11, and the beginning of the endless war. The problem is ....C'mon Man!
Our troops traipse all over the world searching for the elusive evil do-er "Al-Qaeda".. In their wake we occupy countries and build permanent outposts, set up western style governments with Pro-western leaders, and, of course, train their armies to defend them . We make special deals on natural resources and transporting, etc. We dictate to the indigenous people how it will be and what their cut is. C'mon Man, Imperialism is what it's called.
If it is "all good" then why does it have to be based on a lie? Enforced with an Army? And how long does the lie go on? Like the wars, endlessly? Will we lie our way into Yemen and Somalia next?
The tragedy is: For almost a decade our country's Foreign policy, Military actions, Patiotism, and Fortune has all been based and exploited on a lie,....that those planes brought down the WTC, that it is necessary for America to attack others to prevent being attacked.
The other tragedy; The American people refuse , yes refuse, to look at the facts. There is overwhelming hard evidence available that those towers were blown, yet the majority of Americans have not seen it. Won't look. Refuse to believe. Refuse to see the truth. So as a nation of sheep we live a lie.
I can hardly stand to think of the ten year anniversary of 9/11. As a country, our ten year goal should be bringing the true perpetrators of 9/11 to justice , not continuing to propagate the lie. The first step; realize the Towers were blown, imploded by explosives. Once you realize there is no way possible those planes brought down the buildings, Revelation. Yet...
The wars go on. They're expanded. The next necesary battleground is identified. There is a terrorist attack originating from that area. An army is moved because a Nigerian boy is caught with explosives in his underwear and the media spin it. And the beat goes on. C'mon Man , the kid couldn't blow his balls off!
Just once, take yourself to the base of any BIG building thirty stories or taller and look up and ask yourself the obvious, "If a plane flew into this building, would the building turn to dust and fall into it's own footprint?" Hell no it wouldn't, and the WTC didn't either. Those Towers were Blown.
Just do it and see!
Doesn't anybody else think it's curious that these wizards of destruction, "Al Qaeda", can't even blow themselves up a good portion of the time, yet are still given credit for dropping two 110 story skyscrapers perfectly in their own footprints.......with airplanes? C'mon Man!
The whole sham is beginning to really bother me. When I hear these "terrorism" reports I realize the general populace of the United States now lives in a make believe world, in a lie, where we are the "good guys", righteously pursuing "bad guys", everywhere in the real world they might hide. A story line manifested from the dropping of the WTC on 9/11, and the beginning of the endless war. The problem is ....C'mon Man!
Our troops traipse all over the world searching for the elusive evil do-er "Al-Qaeda".. In their wake we occupy countries and build permanent outposts, set up western style governments with Pro-western leaders, and, of course, train their armies to defend them . We make special deals on natural resources and transporting, etc. We dictate to the indigenous people how it will be and what their cut is. C'mon Man, Imperialism is what it's called.
If it is "all good" then why does it have to be based on a lie? Enforced with an Army? And how long does the lie go on? Like the wars, endlessly? Will we lie our way into Yemen and Somalia next?
The tragedy is: For almost a decade our country's Foreign policy, Military actions, Patiotism, and Fortune has all been based and exploited on a lie,....that those planes brought down the WTC, that it is necessary for America to attack others to prevent being attacked.
The other tragedy; The American people refuse , yes refuse, to look at the facts. There is overwhelming hard evidence available that those towers were blown, yet the majority of Americans have not seen it. Won't look. Refuse to believe. Refuse to see the truth. So as a nation of sheep we live a lie.
I can hardly stand to think of the ten year anniversary of 9/11. As a country, our ten year goal should be bringing the true perpetrators of 9/11 to justice , not continuing to propagate the lie. The first step; realize the Towers were blown, imploded by explosives. Once you realize there is no way possible those planes brought down the buildings, Revelation. Yet...
The wars go on. They're expanded. The next necesary battleground is identified. There is a terrorist attack originating from that area. An army is moved because a Nigerian boy is caught with explosives in his underwear and the media spin it. And the beat goes on. C'mon Man , the kid couldn't blow his balls off!
Just once, take yourself to the base of any BIG building thirty stories or taller and look up and ask yourself the obvious, "If a plane flew into this building, would the building turn to dust and fall into it's own footprint?" Hell no it wouldn't, and the WTC didn't either. Those Towers were Blown.
Just do it and see!
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
The War Tax
I am totally outraged. Start the Revolution.
Remember way back when folk singers would refuse to pay the portion of their taxes that were spent on war? Well we can call Joan Baez and tell her it's time to rebel; The Obama administration is proposing a " War tax" to finance the war in Afghanistan . Won't that make it easy to know what taxes NOT to pay? How about the next trillion to ... " finish the job ".
What are you getting for your Trillion dollars, America ? Is " finishing the job", whatever that line of crap means regarding Afghanistan, more important than America's infrastructure, health care, or securing our own border with Mexico ?
Another trillion dollars and a war tax for Afghanistan, while America's currency, property, and standard of living all decline in value and quality? Is Obama crazy, or are we stupid enough to allow it? What are you getting for your trillion dollars America..........reamed!
I expressed my view on this " finish the job" line of crap previously, (Here's the Deal, 02AUG09)
if the Obama administration continues the same Imperialistic policies of the Bush administration, which I might remind you are based on lies and a Zeitgeist, then he is just another puppet, and one puppet is the same as another, no better.
Thirty thousand more troops in Afghanistan ,.... for what? Finish the Job.
What job? Catch Osama? ...............No, the job is to clear the TAPI * pipeline route. Nobody's looking for Osama. Money wants to start the project in 2010.
TIME TO SCREAM NO ! SCREAM BECAUSE THE BASTARDS CONTINUE TO REFUSE TO LISTEN TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE !
LET OBAMA KNOW -----MORE TROOPS EQUAL ONE TERM ----BRING THE TROOPS NOW !
*The Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline (TAP or TAPI) is a proposed natural gas pipeline being developed by the Asian Development Bank. The pipeline will transport Caspian Sea natural gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan and then to India. Proponents of the project see it as a modern continuation of the Silk Road. The Afghan government is expected to receive 8% of the project's revenue.
PS KNOW WHY THE ADMINISTRATION CAN'T TELL YOU THEIR "CLEAR CUT PLAN" FOR AFGHANISTAN ? BECAUSE THEY CAN'T BE HONEST AND THERE IS NO ACCEPTABLE LIE FOR THEIR ACTIONS . THEY WANT TO BUILD A PIPELINE. FORGET THE BULLSHIT ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS, THE AMERICAN WAR MACHINE RUNS FOR MONEY. PERIOD. NOBODY IS WEARING A WHITE COWBOY HAT ON THIS TRIP
Remember way back when folk singers would refuse to pay the portion of their taxes that were spent on war? Well we can call Joan Baez and tell her it's time to rebel; The Obama administration is proposing a " War tax" to finance the war in Afghanistan . Won't that make it easy to know what taxes NOT to pay? How about the next trillion to ... " finish the job ".
What are you getting for your Trillion dollars, America ? Is " finishing the job", whatever that line of crap means regarding Afghanistan, more important than America's infrastructure, health care, or securing our own border with Mexico ?
Another trillion dollars and a war tax for Afghanistan, while America's currency, property, and standard of living all decline in value and quality? Is Obama crazy, or are we stupid enough to allow it? What are you getting for your trillion dollars America..........reamed!
I expressed my view on this " finish the job" line of crap previously, (Here's the Deal, 02AUG09)
if the Obama administration continues the same Imperialistic policies of the Bush administration, which I might remind you are based on lies and a Zeitgeist, then he is just another puppet, and one puppet is the same as another, no better.
Thirty thousand more troops in Afghanistan ,.... for what? Finish the Job.
What job? Catch Osama? ...............No, the job is to clear the TAPI * pipeline route. Nobody's looking for Osama. Money wants to start the project in 2010.
TIME TO SCREAM NO ! SCREAM BECAUSE THE BASTARDS CONTINUE TO REFUSE TO LISTEN TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE !
LET OBAMA KNOW -----MORE TROOPS EQUAL ONE TERM ----BRING THE TROOPS NOW !
*The Trans-Afghanistan Pipeline (TAP or TAPI) is a proposed natural gas pipeline being developed by the Asian Development Bank. The pipeline will transport Caspian Sea natural gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan into Pakistan and then to India. Proponents of the project see it as a modern continuation of the Silk Road. The Afghan government is expected to receive 8% of the project's revenue.
PS KNOW WHY THE ADMINISTRATION CAN'T TELL YOU THEIR "CLEAR CUT PLAN" FOR AFGHANISTAN ? BECAUSE THEY CAN'T BE HONEST AND THERE IS NO ACCEPTABLE LIE FOR THEIR ACTIONS . THEY WANT TO BUILD A PIPELINE. FORGET THE BULLSHIT ABOUT HUMAN RIGHTS, THE AMERICAN WAR MACHINE RUNS FOR MONEY. PERIOD. NOBODY IS WEARING A WHITE COWBOY HAT ON THIS TRIP
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
The Bush Six
Watching the O'Reilly factor tonight, I got the distinct impression that this O'Reilly guy was trying extremely hard to convince me that Spain is wrong in indicting "The Bush Six". O'reilly was over the top, going as far as threatening Spain about "the American response" to such action. O'Reilly was indignant about Spain pursuing violations of international law forbidding torture against the Bush Six. I applaud the Spaniards. IF the Bush Six did not break international law they have nothing to fear. Justice is Justice.On the other hand, Law is Law, and if others in the world cry foul and point the finger at America, they cannot be wrong simply because we are America, it is International Law that must be the deciding factor, and we must avoid that arrogance of which Americans are so often accused. Thus, it is a shame that the Spaniards are doing America's dirtywork.
Here's the Bradline though, and here is the real danger to those whom are pulling O'reillys strings, for he obviously is somebody's puppet ; If a real investigation of the Bush administration were to be made, it could reveal far reaching criminal action back to, and before, 9\11. ( Of course , I am of the belief that it takes so much preparation to implode a 105 story building that flying a plane into the side of the structure could not possibly drop it perfectly in it' s own footprint,........ Turning all it's concrete to dust......Twice on the same day. )
Remember Watergate, one thing led to another , someone got a sniff of the true story, and the rest is History. That is the danger to Bush and Cheney and the Empire of this indictment. And that is why we're being told to reject Spain's accusations of crimes against high level Bush administration officials. It might lead to something bigger. Like the guillotine. I encourage Spain to help US keep our government accountable. America should be doing everything she can to prevent another hijacking of the peoples money and will , like that suffered during the Bush years.
Which brings us to The Obama Administration increasing the number of troops in Afghanistan. Time to stop the witch hunt and bring the troops home. Heroin is cheaper than a six pack of beer in the Northeast US. Capiscete ?
Ain't no Afghani ever done nothing to me, and if American oil companies need a pipeline to India, let India secure the route. American borders need to be secured first and foremost, and there are pirates in Africa, but chasing ghosts in the mountains bordering Pakistan and Afghanistan ?
C'mon . it is absolute bullshit these wars have drug on for years at the expense of the common man, and for the profit of the elite. Do they not fit into the definition of Privatizing profits and Scializing losses.? And One way to stop the bullshit is for America to be held accountable for her actions .
Again, I applaud Spain, and challenge the Obama administration to drop the " let's look forward " bullshit, and prosecute the criminals of the Bush era, whomever they may be, torturers or bankers.
Unfortunately....the criminals of the Bush era just work for another frontman now. Can We Believe things have changed? Hell no, they just change the label on the can of bullshit.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Sympathy For The Pirates
To quote a friend, responding to my declaration that Pirates walk the Plank, ..... "...or get splashed by SEALS...poor folks just trying to get by..."
According to a Somalian official interviewed on CNN, these pirates are thugs. Armed robbers and kidnappers. However the idea that the Somali people are " just poor folks trying to get by..." , victims of nucler waste dumped in their waters, and foreigners overfishing their coastline, stealing their livelihood which has led to these desperate times, is a contention that I only recently became aware. (I don't study this stuff)
In all of the news coverage about Somalia, or rather Somali Pirates, not once was the topic broached that Profit, foreign profit, was responsible for this desperate state. Not once. Only this Somali official brought it up, and he was quickly cut off.
Thugs are thugs, Pirates are thugs, Pirates walk the plank. But what of the rest of the country? The American experience in Somalia, at least as portrayed in "Blackhawk Down" was not a pleasant one. But Knowing how the American public is fed and led by the media , in effort to be fair, I have to ask if these pirates are fighting for survival, poor folks just trying to get by, and it is necessity that makes them so bold.
And they are Bold. That is the story that captures the imagination. In the small world we live in, it is astounding the success these Pirates have enjoyed. Until recently, when a few had their heads blown off their shoulders, they have acted with impunity and great profit. Almost a romantic adventure , their defiance of the Empire. Even after the three shots , the pirates boldly declared French and American hostages would be killed when captured. A high seas declaration of war. Bold.
Wouldn't this be a great story if there was something more involved than greed and thievery? A little Captain Jack Sparrow , or Robin Hood , or maybe saving a nation?
A little pirate background from an article by Johann Hari:
If you became a merchant or navy sailor then – plucked from the docks of London's East End, young and hungry – you ended up in a floating wooden Hell. You worked all hours on a cramped, half-starved ship, and if you slacked off, the all-powerful captain would whip you with the Cat O' Nine Tails. If you slacked often, you could be thrown overboard. And at the end of months or years of this, you were often cheated of your wages.
Pirates were the first people to rebel against this world. They mutinied – and created a different way of working on the seas. Once they had a ship, the pirates elected their captains, and made all their decisions collectively, without torture. They shared their bounty out in what Rediker calls "one of the most egalitarian plans for the disposition of resources to be found anywhere in the eighteenth century".
They even took in escaped African slaves and lived with them as equals. The pirates showed "quite clearly – and subversively – that ships did not have to be run in the brutal and oppressive ways of the merchant service and the Royal Navy." This is why they were romantic heroes, despite being unproductive thieves.
The words of one pirate from that lost age, a young British man called William Scott, should echo into this new age of piracy. Just before he was hanged in Charleston, South Carolina, he said: "What I did was to keep me from perishing. I was forced to go a-pirateing to live."
Is this these pirate's story?
Abdmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN envoy to Somalia, tells me: "Somebody is dumping nuclear material here. There is also lead, and heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury – you name it." Much of it can be traced back to European hospitals and factories, who seem to be passing it on to the Italian mafia to "dispose" of cheaply. When I asked Mr Ould-Abdallah what European governments were doing about it, he said with a sigh: "Nothing. There has been no clean-up, no compensation, and no prevention."
At the same time, other European ships have been looting Somalia's seas of their greatest resource: seafood. We have destroyed our own fish stocks by overexploitation – and now we have moved on to theirs. More than $300m-worth of tuna, shrimp, and lobster are being stolen every year by illegal trawlers. The local fishermen are now starving. Mohammed Hussein, a fisherman in the town of Marka 100km south of Mogadishu, told Reuters: "If nothing is done, there soon won't be much fish left in our coastal waters."
This is the context in which the "pirates" have emerged. Somalian fishermen took speedboats to try to dissuade the dumpers and trawlers, or at least levy a "tax" on them. They call themselves the Volunteer Coastguard of Somalia – and ordinary Somalis agree. The independent Somalian news site WardheerNews found 70 per cent "strongly supported the piracy as a form of national defence". -j.hari@independent.co.uk Johann Hari
So, Both sides have now had a say , huh mate ? But let's not forget the CODE................Pirates walk the Plank!
According to a Somalian official interviewed on CNN, these pirates are thugs. Armed robbers and kidnappers. However the idea that the Somali people are " just poor folks trying to get by..." , victims of nucler waste dumped in their waters, and foreigners overfishing their coastline, stealing their livelihood which has led to these desperate times, is a contention that I only recently became aware. (I don't study this stuff)
In all of the news coverage about Somalia, or rather Somali Pirates, not once was the topic broached that Profit, foreign profit, was responsible for this desperate state. Not once. Only this Somali official brought it up, and he was quickly cut off.
Thugs are thugs, Pirates are thugs, Pirates walk the plank. But what of the rest of the country? The American experience in Somalia, at least as portrayed in "Blackhawk Down" was not a pleasant one. But Knowing how the American public is fed and led by the media , in effort to be fair, I have to ask if these pirates are fighting for survival, poor folks just trying to get by, and it is necessity that makes them so bold.
And they are Bold. That is the story that captures the imagination. In the small world we live in, it is astounding the success these Pirates have enjoyed. Until recently, when a few had their heads blown off their shoulders, they have acted with impunity and great profit. Almost a romantic adventure , their defiance of the Empire. Even after the three shots , the pirates boldly declared French and American hostages would be killed when captured. A high seas declaration of war. Bold.
Wouldn't this be a great story if there was something more involved than greed and thievery? A little Captain Jack Sparrow , or Robin Hood , or maybe saving a nation?
A little pirate background from an article by Johann Hari:
If you became a merchant or navy sailor then – plucked from the docks of London's East End, young and hungry – you ended up in a floating wooden Hell. You worked all hours on a cramped, half-starved ship, and if you slacked off, the all-powerful captain would whip you with the Cat O' Nine Tails. If you slacked often, you could be thrown overboard. And at the end of months or years of this, you were often cheated of your wages.
Pirates were the first people to rebel against this world. They mutinied – and created a different way of working on the seas. Once they had a ship, the pirates elected their captains, and made all their decisions collectively, without torture. They shared their bounty out in what Rediker calls "one of the most egalitarian plans for the disposition of resources to be found anywhere in the eighteenth century".
They even took in escaped African slaves and lived with them as equals. The pirates showed "quite clearly – and subversively – that ships did not have to be run in the brutal and oppressive ways of the merchant service and the Royal Navy." This is why they were romantic heroes, despite being unproductive thieves.
The words of one pirate from that lost age, a young British man called William Scott, should echo into this new age of piracy. Just before he was hanged in Charleston, South Carolina, he said: "What I did was to keep me from perishing. I was forced to go a-pirateing to live."
Is this these pirate's story?
Abdmedou Ould-Abdallah, the UN envoy to Somalia, tells me: "Somebody is dumping nuclear material here. There is also lead, and heavy metals such as cadmium and mercury – you name it." Much of it can be traced back to European hospitals and factories, who seem to be passing it on to the Italian mafia to "dispose" of cheaply. When I asked Mr Ould-Abdallah what European governments were doing about it, he said with a sigh: "Nothing. There has been no clean-up, no compensation, and no prevention."
At the same time, other European ships have been looting Somalia's seas of their greatest resource: seafood. We have destroyed our own fish stocks by overexploitation – and now we have moved on to theirs. More than $300m-worth of tuna, shrimp, and lobster are being stolen every year by illegal trawlers. The local fishermen are now starving. Mohammed Hussein, a fisherman in the town of Marka 100km south of Mogadishu, told Reuters: "If nothing is done, there soon won't be much fish left in our coastal waters."
This is the context in which the "pirates" have emerged. Somalian fishermen took speedboats to try to dissuade the dumpers and trawlers, or at least levy a "tax" on them. They call themselves the Volunteer Coastguard of Somalia – and ordinary Somalis agree. The independent Somalian news site WardheerNews found 70 per cent "strongly supported the piracy as a form of national defence". -j.hari@independent.co.uk Johann Hari
So, Both sides have now had a say , huh mate ? But let's not forget the CODE................Pirates walk the Plank!
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Empire
First,
On the edges of Empire there is always turmoil, a life and death struggle for profit and gain. As an Empire expands or contracts there is friction. People die where Empire's grind.. One side wants progress, the other tradition, or, maybe a religion. Profit wants natural resources, so do the natives. Profit wants a route through the neighborhood, Profit versus the Natives. One competitor versus another competitor, profit versus profit, Church versus church, has it not been this way since the beginning of time?
Isn't that what's happening in Mexico right now? Life and Death to snuggle up and feed the Empire? Drug Empires grinding at the border?
I bring this up because I don't like what I see in the rest of the world. ( Careful, I'm informed primarily through the sound-bites that I'm fed.) Valenzuela and Russia holding joint military exercises, North Korea launching a ballistic missile, China challenging US ships in international waters, Iran pursuing The Bomb, Brazil's president blaming the "blue eyed" leaders of the world for current economic woes, and protests in Europe denouncing American greed.
That's aside from two Imperialistic wars in the Middle East . Wars where oil profits and pipelines, and lies, have overshadowed any illusion of righteousness. Damning to our image, burying the country in debt, enpowering our enemies Bad, bad, bad. Fuel for anti-American sentiment world-wide. . Watching the news, it would seem the new cold war is the World vs the US, and it's preparing to heat up.
Now,
Say I'm crazy, but you know how you are about Your money. You want it. When people owe you money you want to be paid, with juice. Normally, you don't want to loan more money until you're paid what you're owed. And loaning money so you can be paid interest on money already owed, probably a bad investment. Insolvency can lead to unpleasantness. People want their money. It is the same in all languages, in all countries, in all cultures. Isn't money money?
We owe a lot of money world-wide. Worse yet for the people we owe, the Government keeps printing more money which makes the money worth less. We ran out of money to use because all the money left the country. It really is a great scam. We import everything we need for dollars, then print more dollars when we run out.. Something for nothing. Of course, someday, when the world realizes dollars are worthless, there will have to be a war to settle the debt because, People want their money.
The only way we'll be able to repay them is to have a war, and bill our opponents for reparations.
All war is for profit, this one will be no different; Everybody will expect to be paid, Nobody will have the money, Somebody will get angry, Anybody whom can make a profit will get involved. We'll call this next war "the honest war". No bullshit about the axis of evil, or Liberation , or God, just the plain old truth, " we owe you money and we can't pay it, oh, and we'll print more money so we can have some too, despite that making your money worth less. " .............. That's why I don't like what I see, the deal isn't fair, and you know how you are about Your money, The rest of the world is the same way.
On the edges of Empire there is always turmoil, a life and death struggle for profit and gain. As an Empire expands or contracts there is friction. People die where Empire's grind.. One side wants progress, the other tradition, or, maybe a religion. Profit wants natural resources, so do the natives. Profit wants a route through the neighborhood, Profit versus the Natives. One competitor versus another competitor, profit versus profit, Church versus church, has it not been this way since the beginning of time?
Isn't that what's happening in Mexico right now? Life and Death to snuggle up and feed the Empire? Drug Empires grinding at the border?
I bring this up because I don't like what I see in the rest of the world. ( Careful, I'm informed primarily through the sound-bites that I'm fed.) Valenzuela and Russia holding joint military exercises, North Korea launching a ballistic missile, China challenging US ships in international waters, Iran pursuing The Bomb, Brazil's president blaming the "blue eyed" leaders of the world for current economic woes, and protests in Europe denouncing American greed.
That's aside from two Imperialistic wars in the Middle East . Wars where oil profits and pipelines, and lies, have overshadowed any illusion of righteousness. Damning to our image, burying the country in debt, enpowering our enemies Bad, bad, bad. Fuel for anti-American sentiment world-wide. . Watching the news, it would seem the new cold war is the World vs the US, and it's preparing to heat up.
Now,
Say I'm crazy, but you know how you are about Your money. You want it. When people owe you money you want to be paid, with juice. Normally, you don't want to loan more money until you're paid what you're owed. And loaning money so you can be paid interest on money already owed, probably a bad investment. Insolvency can lead to unpleasantness. People want their money. It is the same in all languages, in all countries, in all cultures. Isn't money money?
We owe a lot of money world-wide. Worse yet for the people we owe, the Government keeps printing more money which makes the money worth less. We ran out of money to use because all the money left the country. It really is a great scam. We import everything we need for dollars, then print more dollars when we run out.. Something for nothing. Of course, someday, when the world realizes dollars are worthless, there will have to be a war to settle the debt because, People want their money.
The only way we'll be able to repay them is to have a war, and bill our opponents for reparations.
All war is for profit, this one will be no different; Everybody will expect to be paid, Nobody will have the money, Somebody will get angry, Anybody whom can make a profit will get involved. We'll call this next war "the honest war". No bullshit about the axis of evil, or Liberation , or God, just the plain old truth, " we owe you money and we can't pay it, oh, and we'll print more money so we can have some too, despite that making your money worth less. " .............. That's why I don't like what I see, the deal isn't fair, and you know how you are about Your money, The rest of the world is the same way.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Hang Mrs Madoff too
Back in early February I wrote an E about Victims gathering to protest in front of homes of bankers they felt were responsible for the predatory loans leaving them homeless. Paupers, shaking the gates of the castle at the servant's quarters, never realizing Lord Banker lived in the great hall further behind the gates where he was never aware of their presence.
I quote from that E
" Remember this desperate day, The victims are forecasting an attitude and frustration that is going to explode nationwide."
" Predatory Bankers better hide now. It would appear when the guillotines are dragged out their heads will be the first to roll."
Add AIG executives to the list next. At least that's what the current threats that AIG executives are receiving would indicate. The ones allowed on TV call for death to them....and their families.....for several generations. After reading a few of the air-able threats on TV, the newscasters will then give a short discourse on how the threats are over the line and reason must be restored. Three newscasters, three discourses.
The Irony is; As we're told that these death threats are unreasonable, We watch totally unreasonble acts that will help bankrupt us all, be rewarded with bonuses. Or, A guy steals 50 billion and awaits his court date in a multi-million dollar Penthouse. That's reasonable? His family, in the same business, and his wife, both, want to keep their fortune .That's reasonable? No wonder there is a Mob mentality brewing.
What a crock. If this was China these clowns would be swinging. Mrs. Madoff too. I might agree. I think that hanging is a much better deterrant to white collar crime than a bailout, or bonus, for that matter. How unfair that we can't waterboard Madoff until every hidden nickel is recovered, and then watch the floor pulled out from under his feet with a noose around his neck. Good thing he didn't have any of my money. Where is all this leading? The final result of the Endless Crisis will be the American people holding the paper on a country so far in debt it enslaves them. While the people who put us there have taken the money and left for more desirable diggs, where they await their bonuses.
Anyway , what really pisses me off are the newscasters. Newscasters are Employees told what to say. Then, once the talking head is loaded, We're told What to think. How to act. How to be reasonable. I think it's time for some unreasonableness to go with the unreasonable mess. I think it's time to decide not to be gentlemen. Not to be civilized. Not to go along as we're told.
If righteous indignation leads to a call for heads, so be it , but don't try and tell us how to act because people should be angry enough for a revolution. People should be outraged, and defiant about being reasonable! All those reasonable bastards in Washington , maybe that's the problem.
Remember, these are the same people that sold you Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Keep your Money in the market and ride it out (to nothingness), and now, they're telling us it's a great time to buy into the market for the long run. Didn't a whole bunch of long run people just lose everything?
Which brings me to the last scam of the day, 4000 additional "military advisers" to Afghanistan. Sounds more like Viet Nam everyday. The American people should feel totally betrayed the way Obama has fallen right in step with the bullshit in Afghanistan. We need to secure our own southern border, yet we pursue securing the Pakistani-Afghan border? Totally Unreasonable. Obama is chasing Osama Oil profits.
Bring all the troops home now.
I quote from that E
" Remember this desperate day, The victims are forecasting an attitude and frustration that is going to explode nationwide."
" Predatory Bankers better hide now. It would appear when the guillotines are dragged out their heads will be the first to roll."
Add AIG executives to the list next. At least that's what the current threats that AIG executives are receiving would indicate. The ones allowed on TV call for death to them....and their families.....for several generations. After reading a few of the air-able threats on TV, the newscasters will then give a short discourse on how the threats are over the line and reason must be restored. Three newscasters, three discourses.
The Irony is; As we're told that these death threats are unreasonable, We watch totally unreasonble acts that will help bankrupt us all, be rewarded with bonuses. Or, A guy steals 50 billion and awaits his court date in a multi-million dollar Penthouse. That's reasonable? His family, in the same business, and his wife, both, want to keep their fortune .That's reasonable? No wonder there is a Mob mentality brewing.
What a crock. If this was China these clowns would be swinging. Mrs. Madoff too. I might agree. I think that hanging is a much better deterrant to white collar crime than a bailout, or bonus, for that matter. How unfair that we can't waterboard Madoff until every hidden nickel is recovered, and then watch the floor pulled out from under his feet with a noose around his neck. Good thing he didn't have any of my money. Where is all this leading? The final result of the Endless Crisis will be the American people holding the paper on a country so far in debt it enslaves them. While the people who put us there have taken the money and left for more desirable diggs, where they await their bonuses.
Anyway , what really pisses me off are the newscasters. Newscasters are Employees told what to say. Then, once the talking head is loaded, We're told What to think. How to act. How to be reasonable. I think it's time for some unreasonableness to go with the unreasonable mess. I think it's time to decide not to be gentlemen. Not to be civilized. Not to go along as we're told.
If righteous indignation leads to a call for heads, so be it , but don't try and tell us how to act because people should be angry enough for a revolution. People should be outraged, and defiant about being reasonable! All those reasonable bastards in Washington , maybe that's the problem.
Remember, these are the same people that sold you Weapons of Mass Destruction, and Keep your Money in the market and ride it out (to nothingness), and now, they're telling us it's a great time to buy into the market for the long run. Didn't a whole bunch of long run people just lose everything?
Which brings me to the last scam of the day, 4000 additional "military advisers" to Afghanistan. Sounds more like Viet Nam everyday. The American people should feel totally betrayed the way Obama has fallen right in step with the bullshit in Afghanistan. We need to secure our own southern border, yet we pursue securing the Pakistani-Afghan border? Totally Unreasonable. Obama is chasing Osama Oil profits.
Bring all the troops home now.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
AIG
Anderson Cooper was asking people how they felt about AIG executives getting bonuses. People didn't like it. Which leads me to think:
Somewhere there is an AIG employee whom doesn't give a rats ass about what people think, they want "Their" bonus.! understand where the money went on inflated mortgages; sellers pocketed the money and mortgage holders took the losses, but is the rest of the meltdown all collateral damage? and if not, then where did the rest of the money go?
Somewhere the question was posed today, "should Mrs. Madoff be allowed to keep Millions in homes and jewlery etc.?" Really.
I think the question posed should be, " Should Madoff be waterboarded by his victims until he gives up the location of the money?"
"Is prison enough for Madoff ?" I mean, he's already had years of luxury and wealth, he's got billions stashed somewhere, and when you consider what his "pay" will be per year for each year in prison; about five billion plus per year if he lives another ten years in prison, he deserves more. Like torture.
Oh, another thing, now that the drought is over in Northern California, three big storms are converging on the west coast to flood the place later this week. I'm not kidding, better buy in Southern Oregon quick.
Is Madoff the Biggest thief in history ?
I mean other than George W. ............ See, we're back where we started. People getting bonuses when they should be in jail.
One last thing , "Too BIG to Fail" , is bullshit because they failed. How stupid are we?
Somewhere there is an AIG employee whom doesn't give a rats ass about what people think, they want "Their" bonus.! understand where the money went on inflated mortgages; sellers pocketed the money and mortgage holders took the losses, but is the rest of the meltdown all collateral damage? and if not, then where did the rest of the money go?
Somewhere the question was posed today, "should Mrs. Madoff be allowed to keep Millions in homes and jewlery etc.?" Really.
I think the question posed should be, " Should Madoff be waterboarded by his victims until he gives up the location of the money?"
"Is prison enough for Madoff ?" I mean, he's already had years of luxury and wealth, he's got billions stashed somewhere, and when you consider what his "pay" will be per year for each year in prison; about five billion plus per year if he lives another ten years in prison, he deserves more. Like torture.
Oh, another thing, now that the drought is over in Northern California, three big storms are converging on the west coast to flood the place later this week. I'm not kidding, better buy in Southern Oregon quick.
Is Madoff the Biggest thief in history ?
I mean other than George W. ............ See, we're back where we started. People getting bonuses when they should be in jail.
One last thing , "Too BIG to Fail" , is bullshit because they failed. How stupid are we?
Friday, March 13, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Tent Cities
A friend here in the mountains called me this morning and related a story he'd seen on television the other day. A story about tent cities in Sacramento. After explaining that he was channel surfing and just happened to catch the story (and normally does not watch Oprah), he then reiterated the story of the tent city emerging next to the river in Sacramento. A 'community' of the homeless, the jobless, and other victims of hard times, or themselves, or the predatory bankers, or the boogie man. Everybody has a story. The place is growing by 50 tents a day. With the publicity the story has gotten recently, I'm sure it's going to swell.
By coincidence I was watching Larry King last night hosted by Ali Velshi, the CNN money man who has been telling people to ride out the stock market throughout the 7,000 point downfall. He was interviewing Kevin Johnson about, you guessed it, the tent city. I think several of the residents were former clients of Ali, back when they had money... and the real loser is, yes, Sacramento.
I know it's said that any publicity is good publicity, but in this case I respectfully disagree. I could be wrong though; yesterday I watched a story on Detroit property prices, where houses, nice houses, are selling for $10,000 and less. Since then I've been thinking about Detroit real estate. Today, they interviewed a Detroit newsman about the story and, according to him, the nightmare started there about five years ago with automaker layoffs that continue to this day and the property prices that have fallen and now reflect just 10% of what they were. Can you imagine?
Listening to the newsman, I could feel his personal shock and disbelief as he described the residents waiting and waiting and waiting, and yet still no bottom is approaching to their deteriorating world.
And so back to the tent city... let's say, hypothetically, that the tent city grows by 50 tents a day for 5 years.....that's 91,250 tents. Other than the obvious, now would be a good time to invest in canvas, or maybe porta-potties.
I have read a little of the Great Depression and these tent cities were common back then. I remember reading stories about the Federal Government battling the residents over squatting in certain places. Sacramento might eventually have those type of problems; if one were going to squat in a tent, Sacramento would be a lot better climate-wise than other places. The place could be a magnet for the needy. What an opportunity, the whole hippy movement could re-emerge from the city in the valley where the two rivers meet. That probably sounds good to the people who have already met the boogie man and predatory banker, but those that are still in pocket probably aren't so enthusiastic about living in a loser magnet city.
I can't wait to return.
By coincidence I was watching Larry King last night hosted by Ali Velshi, the CNN money man who has been telling people to ride out the stock market throughout the 7,000 point downfall. He was interviewing Kevin Johnson about, you guessed it, the tent city. I think several of the residents were former clients of Ali, back when they had money... and the real loser is, yes, Sacramento.
I know it's said that any publicity is good publicity, but in this case I respectfully disagree. I could be wrong though; yesterday I watched a story on Detroit property prices, where houses, nice houses, are selling for $10,000 and less. Since then I've been thinking about Detroit real estate. Today, they interviewed a Detroit newsman about the story and, according to him, the nightmare started there about five years ago with automaker layoffs that continue to this day and the property prices that have fallen and now reflect just 10% of what they were. Can you imagine?
Listening to the newsman, I could feel his personal shock and disbelief as he described the residents waiting and waiting and waiting, and yet still no bottom is approaching to their deteriorating world.
And so back to the tent city... let's say, hypothetically, that the tent city grows by 50 tents a day for 5 years.....that's 91,250 tents. Other than the obvious, now would be a good time to invest in canvas, or maybe porta-potties.
I have read a little of the Great Depression and these tent cities were common back then. I remember reading stories about the Federal Government battling the residents over squatting in certain places. Sacramento might eventually have those type of problems; if one were going to squat in a tent, Sacramento would be a lot better climate-wise than other places. The place could be a magnet for the needy. What an opportunity, the whole hippy movement could re-emerge from the city in the valley where the two rivers meet. That probably sounds good to the people who have already met the boogie man and predatory banker, but those that are still in pocket probably aren't so enthusiastic about living in a loser magnet city.
I can't wait to return.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The Old Man
My sister called me today. She had received a call from a potential buyer who she described as an old man with an accent. He was to be driving by my property and getting back to her. My sister was alerting me to watch for him and, if I wanted, I could invite him in and show him around.
I meet the nicest people trying to sell this shack. A lot of nice people would like to buy the shack. The nice people don't have any money.
About 40 minutes later, interrupting my attempt to blank my mind and find another plane, a Toyota Corolla pulled in front of the gate, blocking it, and parked. I watched as an older gentleman with white hair under a tan golf cap exited the car and, sure enough, walked right around the gate and up the driveway. I could see he was old. I tell the story like he moved quickly, but actually the whole procedure was a controlled, careful combination of rather jerky movements that had little fluidity and much determination, and moved him forward at a slow pace while barely bending his knees. Nevertheless, he was halfway up the driveway by the time I went out and introduced myself.
I stuck out my hand and said, "I'm Bradley Austin."
He took my hand and said something that sounded like, "Bran Ray."
I noticed he had an accent, and I said again, "Yes, I'm Bradley Austin." But this time more slowly, so he could pick it up .
Again he mispronounced my name, so a third time I stated it. Maybe he didn't hear well, too.
Then he slowly said in his accented voice so I could hear, "Yes, Mr. Austin, I'm Van Ray."
I think I blushed a little and asked him in. We toured the cabin.
I demonstrated all the amenities, and then I asked, "It's all a man needs, but don't you think it might be a little rough for your wife?"
"Oh, we'll just use it for camping," he said.
"Let me show you the upstairs," I responded.
Upstairs, I invited him to sit in my chair. He sat at my desk and faced to the north.
"Oh yes," he said. "I like the view."
Then he faced me and said, "I have an unusual proposition for you. I'm 90 years old and my wife is 88 years old. We're not going to be around very long and so we thought we'd offer you $10k and then will the property back to you when we die." He continued, "Look, we can't live too much longer. I'm already 90. In these hard economic times we thought you might take the deal."
I smiled at him and said, "You look like you have another 20 years in you at least. I wouldn't want to bet against you."
He answered, "That would make me the oldest man in America, don't be ridiculous."
More than willing to reassure me he would die quickly and I would soon have my property back. Seeing he was earnest and ready to negotiate, I then explained to him why I could not accept his offer. He was disappointed and offered me an additional $100 a month while he was alive. I further explained my business and finally, not wanting to be harsh, I told him I would consider all offers presented in written form. He was encouraged and I saw him out and down the driveway.
Later, relating the story back to my sister, adding that if he was a moll he got all my information, she said, "Maybe... Although he said he lives on Highway 199 by the community college. There is an old folks home there. Maybe he hates it so much he wanted your cabin to escape senior living."
Which made more sense than his story of buying the shack to use for camping. The senior home is only 40 minutes away, he could use it as a base for 'camping'. I have to hand it to the old man, whatever plan he had in his mind, whether it was imagined, unrealistic or not, he still had the gumption to come up here and make a pitch.
I meet the nicest people trying to sell this shack. A lot of nice people would like to buy the shack. The nice people don't have any money.
About 40 minutes later, interrupting my attempt to blank my mind and find another plane, a Toyota Corolla pulled in front of the gate, blocking it, and parked. I watched as an older gentleman with white hair under a tan golf cap exited the car and, sure enough, walked right around the gate and up the driveway. I could see he was old. I tell the story like he moved quickly, but actually the whole procedure was a controlled, careful combination of rather jerky movements that had little fluidity and much determination, and moved him forward at a slow pace while barely bending his knees. Nevertheless, he was halfway up the driveway by the time I went out and introduced myself.
I stuck out my hand and said, "I'm Bradley Austin."
He took my hand and said something that sounded like, "Bran Ray."
I noticed he had an accent, and I said again, "Yes, I'm Bradley Austin." But this time more slowly, so he could pick it up .
Again he mispronounced my name, so a third time I stated it. Maybe he didn't hear well, too.
Then he slowly said in his accented voice so I could hear, "Yes, Mr. Austin, I'm Van Ray."
I think I blushed a little and asked him in. We toured the cabin.
I demonstrated all the amenities, and then I asked, "It's all a man needs, but don't you think it might be a little rough for your wife?"
"Oh, we'll just use it for camping," he said.
"Let me show you the upstairs," I responded.
Upstairs, I invited him to sit in my chair. He sat at my desk and faced to the north.
"Oh yes," he said. "I like the view."
Then he faced me and said, "I have an unusual proposition for you. I'm 90 years old and my wife is 88 years old. We're not going to be around very long and so we thought we'd offer you $10k and then will the property back to you when we die." He continued, "Look, we can't live too much longer. I'm already 90. In these hard economic times we thought you might take the deal."
I smiled at him and said, "You look like you have another 20 years in you at least. I wouldn't want to bet against you."
He answered, "That would make me the oldest man in America, don't be ridiculous."
More than willing to reassure me he would die quickly and I would soon have my property back. Seeing he was earnest and ready to negotiate, I then explained to him why I could not accept his offer. He was disappointed and offered me an additional $100 a month while he was alive. I further explained my business and finally, not wanting to be harsh, I told him I would consider all offers presented in written form. He was encouraged and I saw him out and down the driveway.
Later, relating the story back to my sister, adding that if he was a moll he got all my information, she said, "Maybe... Although he said he lives on Highway 199 by the community college. There is an old folks home there. Maybe he hates it so much he wanted your cabin to escape senior living."
Which made more sense than his story of buying the shack to use for camping. The senior home is only 40 minutes away, he could use it as a base for 'camping'. I have to hand it to the old man, whatever plan he had in his mind, whether it was imagined, unrealistic or not, he still had the gumption to come up here and make a pitch.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Young Hippies
After a long day of doing nothing (those are the longest days of course), I settled into bed rather late; about 7:30pm. I had one elbow down, and was about to ease the other half of my body onto the bed, when a car pulled up and parked at the bus stop/u-turn point across the road. The car was there when I fell asleep and it was there in the morning when I went to town. A red Jeep Cherokee. Newer than mine, and from New York. Lic# EJL1303. Duly noted.
Returning from town they were still there, but this time there were people moving around the Jeep. I parked and entered the house. Heated coffee, and went upstairs to view the squatters from behind the mirrors. I was on my first cup of coffee when they approached the shack; a tall woman, not heavy, but not thin either with long, dark, red hair and a child hanging from a wide band of cloth slung around her neck and over her shoulder: a kind of circular hammock the child hung in. The child, a cute little red headed baby girl that was eight months old I would later find out, was adept at holding on to that cloth as a young chimp. A man, at least ten feet behind the woman, with a full beard and wearing a cap with ear muffs he had pulled over his ears, was carrying a small bag with paper handles that, when he got closer, I could see contained four one pound packages of butter and some mushrooms in a cardbord package under cellophane.
I said,"Good morning. What can I do for you folks today?"
The woman smiled and said,"We were looking for a barter."
I smiled and replied that there wasn't a thing in the world that I needed except 380 rounds for my Sig Sauer and shotgun shells (I had planned on driving to Grants Pass and buying both, along with a case of clay pigeons, before they had appeared on my doorstep). Then I asked what they had to trade, and what they wanted.
The woman smiled and said, "How about some coffee? We have butter and mushrooms."
I considered her request. Hot coffee, after sleeping in a car, probably sounded wonderful to her.
It was a moment of decision. I had no interest in bartering, but I thought I would hear their story and invited them in for coffee. The flip side of the decision was to send them down the road. The baby was the deciding factor. I brought them into the warmth and shelter of the stove room in the shack. I sat them down, served them coffee, asked their names, and then asked how they came to sleep in the Jeep across the road (I couldn't help the touch of Seuss).
Their story was a 'friend' had told them that Happy Camp was an old hippie settlement where, if they just went and hung out, they would be invited into a commune or a community, or find their dreams of nirvana or something... and so they were on their way to Happy Camp.
Happy Camp Road starts one mile down the road from my house at what is locally called 'four corners'; a crossing of Takilma Road where Happy Camp Road becomes Waldo Road. I live one mile up from four corners. Happy Camp is thirty seven miles farther south across the border, in California. I know the sign at four corners reads 'Road Open', but as this young couple found out, the road is only plowed to the snow park which is just eleven miles past my house. The road is impassable during the winter months. That was how they came to be sleeping across the street.
I asked where they got the butter. Neither answered
I asked how they came to be in Oregon via New York. Several times the young man got lost in his dialogue descibing the trials and tribulations of being young and aimless and wanting more, without opportunity. At times he made no sense in his words. The two of them had been together since New Year's Eve. She had escaped a musician that hit her, and he a woman now in a cult, who wouldn't have sex for purposes other than propagation of the species. Somewhere there had been a settlement, and he had bought a Jeep, and they had been on their way to her mother's in eastern Washington before Happy Camp had come up...
I tried to steer them right; I explained that Happy Camp was a defunct logging town, heavily influenced by the Indian Reservation where (my impression was) people were neither friendly nor open, and usually didn't like strangers. I went further though and described Takilma. The small community on the south side of Hope Mountain, on the opposite side of the ridge from me. Takilma, an old hippie settlement with an alternative lifestyle community where (if there was a place in this area) these psuedo-hippies would be welcome. It's only a mile and a half from me and I explained twice how to get there. I told them of the community school where they might get help.
They made no move to leave. They were comfortable. I looked at both of them. I knew they were scared to death. Finding our way in the world can be terrifying. My heart went out to them. Maybe they needed to learn about 'work'. I knew they would have been happy to move right in. I stood and escorted them out. As the mother held the doorjam, and lowered her foot down the long step from my doorway to the ground, I noticed the baby under her arm; the baby's legs around the mothers back, still holding to that circular cloth for dear life. The baby understood. I had the feeling she was already learning to take care of herself.
I wanted to rescue them. I hope they rescue themselves. I remember it was not that long ago I had to rescue myself.
It only takes yourself, most of the time.
Returning from town they were still there, but this time there were people moving around the Jeep. I parked and entered the house. Heated coffee, and went upstairs to view the squatters from behind the mirrors. I was on my first cup of coffee when they approached the shack; a tall woman, not heavy, but not thin either with long, dark, red hair and a child hanging from a wide band of cloth slung around her neck and over her shoulder: a kind of circular hammock the child hung in. The child, a cute little red headed baby girl that was eight months old I would later find out, was adept at holding on to that cloth as a young chimp. A man, at least ten feet behind the woman, with a full beard and wearing a cap with ear muffs he had pulled over his ears, was carrying a small bag with paper handles that, when he got closer, I could see contained four one pound packages of butter and some mushrooms in a cardbord package under cellophane.
I said,"Good morning. What can I do for you folks today?"
The woman smiled and said,"We were looking for a barter."
I smiled and replied that there wasn't a thing in the world that I needed except 380 rounds for my Sig Sauer and shotgun shells (I had planned on driving to Grants Pass and buying both, along with a case of clay pigeons, before they had appeared on my doorstep). Then I asked what they had to trade, and what they wanted.
The woman smiled and said, "How about some coffee? We have butter and mushrooms."
I considered her request. Hot coffee, after sleeping in a car, probably sounded wonderful to her.
It was a moment of decision. I had no interest in bartering, but I thought I would hear their story and invited them in for coffee. The flip side of the decision was to send them down the road. The baby was the deciding factor. I brought them into the warmth and shelter of the stove room in the shack. I sat them down, served them coffee, asked their names, and then asked how they came to sleep in the Jeep across the road (I couldn't help the touch of Seuss).
Their story was a 'friend' had told them that Happy Camp was an old hippie settlement where, if they just went and hung out, they would be invited into a commune or a community, or find their dreams of nirvana or something... and so they were on their way to Happy Camp.
Happy Camp Road starts one mile down the road from my house at what is locally called 'four corners'; a crossing of Takilma Road where Happy Camp Road becomes Waldo Road. I live one mile up from four corners. Happy Camp is thirty seven miles farther south across the border, in California. I know the sign at four corners reads 'Road Open', but as this young couple found out, the road is only plowed to the snow park which is just eleven miles past my house. The road is impassable during the winter months. That was how they came to be sleeping across the street.
I asked where they got the butter. Neither answered
I asked how they came to be in Oregon via New York. Several times the young man got lost in his dialogue descibing the trials and tribulations of being young and aimless and wanting more, without opportunity. At times he made no sense in his words. The two of them had been together since New Year's Eve. She had escaped a musician that hit her, and he a woman now in a cult, who wouldn't have sex for purposes other than propagation of the species. Somewhere there had been a settlement, and he had bought a Jeep, and they had been on their way to her mother's in eastern Washington before Happy Camp had come up...
I tried to steer them right; I explained that Happy Camp was a defunct logging town, heavily influenced by the Indian Reservation where (my impression was) people were neither friendly nor open, and usually didn't like strangers. I went further though and described Takilma. The small community on the south side of Hope Mountain, on the opposite side of the ridge from me. Takilma, an old hippie settlement with an alternative lifestyle community where (if there was a place in this area) these psuedo-hippies would be welcome. It's only a mile and a half from me and I explained twice how to get there. I told them of the community school where they might get help.
They made no move to leave. They were comfortable. I looked at both of them. I knew they were scared to death. Finding our way in the world can be terrifying. My heart went out to them. Maybe they needed to learn about 'work'. I knew they would have been happy to move right in. I stood and escorted them out. As the mother held the doorjam, and lowered her foot down the long step from my doorway to the ground, I noticed the baby under her arm; the baby's legs around the mothers back, still holding to that circular cloth for dear life. The baby understood. I had the feeling she was already learning to take care of herself.
I wanted to rescue them. I hope they rescue themselves. I remember it was not that long ago I had to rescue myself.
It only takes yourself, most of the time.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Nothing
The weather is changing here today. The warm sunshine and tease of spring is being replaced by a north wind, black clouds, cold rain and dropping temperatures. Winter is returning for the latter half of February. The driveway is returning to mud. Wood consumption is rising quickly.
Finally, California may get some rain. More importantly, the mountains on the California-Oregon border are getting snow. My property needs the water.
Watching CNN today, I see that citizens that have lost their homes are protesting in front of the homes of CEOs of various lending institutions guilty of predatory lending. The idea is to 'personalize' the victims to the culprit. Remember this desperate day; the victims are forecasting an attitude and frustration that is going to explode nationwide.
As one friend put it, "This $900 billion give away is the grease that will send this fine country into the big black shit hole. The poor will be in the streets looting. The folks with anything left will retreat." Predatory Bankers better hide now. It would appear when the guillotines are dragged out their heads will be the first to roll.
If this was China, their greed and crimes would have already brought death. Maybe we can learn something from our Pacific rim partners. Misuse of public trust and power should be punishable by death. We wouldn't have to kill many politicians before Washington straightened itself out. Think if we killed just a few and all of the lobbyists.
It's only the beginning, too. As the race downhill proceeds (like a snowball) people will get angrier, hungrier, more unsatisfied. Public unrest is coming. Tax-payer revolt is coming. The ball gets bigger and rolls faster every day.
Americans have lived fat and sassy, and will not be satisfied by a simple subsistence survival. For awhile everybody had money, and everyone got a taste of having a little wealth; watch how we revolt against being poor.
And why shouldn't we? It's the people's money keeping the whole system afloat. Why don't the people now own the system? The banks, the automakers, insurance, housing, They should all be the people's now, and so should their profits! The privatization of profits and socialization of losses is plain robbery. These bailouts are just continuations of the robbery. A few heads should roll, literally. No, a lot of heads should roll.
As the house of cards falls the terror from within will begin. Eventually there will be no good or bad guys; people will fear both the government and the enemies of the state. I guess the retreat part comes into play about then.
The world is changing. America can no longer afford to support the rest of the world with her unbridled consumption, just as America cannot afford to police the rest of the world. Maybe it's time we focused on saving ourselves.
The sky is black now. Snow is starting to fall, swirling in the winds, carrying the latest storm into southern Oregon. It's late in the afternoon. The sky will only darken, the day become night, and the cold deepen before the storm passes.
Finally, California may get some rain. More importantly, the mountains on the California-Oregon border are getting snow. My property needs the water.
Watching CNN today, I see that citizens that have lost their homes are protesting in front of the homes of CEOs of various lending institutions guilty of predatory lending. The idea is to 'personalize' the victims to the culprit. Remember this desperate day; the victims are forecasting an attitude and frustration that is going to explode nationwide.
As one friend put it, "This $900 billion give away is the grease that will send this fine country into the big black shit hole. The poor will be in the streets looting. The folks with anything left will retreat." Predatory Bankers better hide now. It would appear when the guillotines are dragged out their heads will be the first to roll.
If this was China, their greed and crimes would have already brought death. Maybe we can learn something from our Pacific rim partners. Misuse of public trust and power should be punishable by death. We wouldn't have to kill many politicians before Washington straightened itself out. Think if we killed just a few and all of the lobbyists.
It's only the beginning, too. As the race downhill proceeds (like a snowball) people will get angrier, hungrier, more unsatisfied. Public unrest is coming. Tax-payer revolt is coming. The ball gets bigger and rolls faster every day.
Americans have lived fat and sassy, and will not be satisfied by a simple subsistence survival. For awhile everybody had money, and everyone got a taste of having a little wealth; watch how we revolt against being poor.
And why shouldn't we? It's the people's money keeping the whole system afloat. Why don't the people now own the system? The banks, the automakers, insurance, housing, They should all be the people's now, and so should their profits! The privatization of profits and socialization of losses is plain robbery. These bailouts are just continuations of the robbery. A few heads should roll, literally. No, a lot of heads should roll.
As the house of cards falls the terror from within will begin. Eventually there will be no good or bad guys; people will fear both the government and the enemies of the state. I guess the retreat part comes into play about then.
The world is changing. America can no longer afford to support the rest of the world with her unbridled consumption, just as America cannot afford to police the rest of the world. Maybe it's time we focused on saving ourselves.
The sky is black now. Snow is starting to fall, swirling in the winds, carrying the latest storm into southern Oregon. It's late in the afternoon. The sky will only darken, the day become night, and the cold deepen before the storm passes.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
The Roadmonster
How can I make this page make me a bazillionaaaire so I can do all the talk shows and really tell some stories. I like the idea of being richer.I was riding my Motorcycle the other day and stopped at the market. Leaving my wallet locked in the trunk of the bike, at the register I had only the change in my pocket to pay for my purchase. As I fished for change wondering if would have to get my ATM card from the bike, a young blond women behind me tried to give me $5. I guess I was dressed for the occasion; my 'riding' pants are Air Force flight overalls. Wearing them over jeans with a down Jacket and a hooded sweatshirt, I looked like I 'live' in the elements. I guess my appearance, coupled with me counting my change, led her to believe I was broke and prompted her to offer me the $5. The little sweetheart.
Putting my hand up, I protested, "Oh, no thank you, I have money. I appreciate your kindness, though, thank you." I joked and said, "Hey, didn't you try to lend me money before?"
Again she extended the money.
Again I protested, "Thank you but really, I have money. I'm a millionaire." Everybody's jaw dropped.
"You're a millionaire?", she asked, incredulously.
The fact I broke a tooth earlier in the week and have a gap in my smile where you can see the bridgework didn't help matters either.
"Oh yeah," I said. "Can't you tell?"
"You're a millionaire?" she asked again as she finished bagging her groceries and was leaving.
No. Not unless we count benefits and pension over the rest of my life. As I straddled my 23 year old classic red Goldwing, the Roadmonster, still smiling about the young woman's kindness in the store, I wondered when I would see her again, and how I would appear.
I roared by the Chevron, (the only Chevron in town) and there she was, and I knew that I looked the same, but on the red and chrome blur of the Roadmonster, my appearance was totally different.
Anyway, I could be richer. I could be poorer. Shoulda, woulda, coulda pudding. I couldn't be more me, and as long as one is happy with who they are, without lying to themselves... The whole game is played between the ears!
Be Happy.
I'll worry about being richer in about 2 million hits.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Buy American
How does an economy grow?
By passing dollars around. Not by sending them overseas. Exports go overseas. Buy American. Boycott businesses that are building foreign economies. Buy American.
Don't worry about American goods being more expensive; with the declining value of the dollar, with the American standard of living declining (ie. the elimination of the middle class), with the third world wages our manufacturers will be paying us, American goods will be cheap. So will American services. Remember, the more desperate people are for the basic necessities of life, the more willing they are to do more for less. 'Money' would like to see everybody desperate.
When you buy American, you contribute to your country, your fellow American citizen, the future of human rights, and the continuing fight for freedom from the 1% of the worlds population who control 80% of the worlds wealth.
So, why hasn't your new President, ObamaMan, once dictated to the American people to buy American? If Americans had spent the half a trillion in America that we owe China, well, where would we be? But ObamaMan can't do that because Americans have been sold out: Americans were sold the idea of "world markets" for American products, they weren't told that the products would be manufactured wherever labor was cheapest, and American labor would have to compete on that 'desperate' world level. Good for money. Good for poor, desperate people. Bad for America as a nation. It's like volunteering to lower our standard of living to that of the rest of the world.
ObamaMan would like you to believe a stimulus package can change this. I say, "nothing is going to save us." Especially repeating the same polices (overspending and borrowing) that created the problem.
Bring home the Troops.
Develop new energy sources.
Buy American.
Boycott contributing to overseas economies by boycotting companies that outsource American jobs.
Bite the Bullet. We don't need a special commission to figure this out, but we may need a REVOLUTION.
By passing dollars around. Not by sending them overseas. Exports go overseas. Buy American. Boycott businesses that are building foreign economies. Buy American.
Don't worry about American goods being more expensive; with the declining value of the dollar, with the American standard of living declining (ie. the elimination of the middle class), with the third world wages our manufacturers will be paying us, American goods will be cheap. So will American services. Remember, the more desperate people are for the basic necessities of life, the more willing they are to do more for less. 'Money' would like to see everybody desperate.
When you buy American, you contribute to your country, your fellow American citizen, the future of human rights, and the continuing fight for freedom from the 1% of the worlds population who control 80% of the worlds wealth.
So, why hasn't your new President, ObamaMan, once dictated to the American people to buy American? If Americans had spent the half a trillion in America that we owe China, well, where would we be? But ObamaMan can't do that because Americans have been sold out: Americans were sold the idea of "world markets" for American products, they weren't told that the products would be manufactured wherever labor was cheapest, and American labor would have to compete on that 'desperate' world level. Good for money. Good for poor, desperate people. Bad for America as a nation. It's like volunteering to lower our standard of living to that of the rest of the world.
ObamaMan would like you to believe a stimulus package can change this. I say, "nothing is going to save us." Especially repeating the same polices (overspending and borrowing) that created the problem.
Bring home the Troops.
Develop new energy sources.
Buy American.
Boycott contributing to overseas economies by boycotting companies that outsource American jobs.
Bite the Bullet. We don't need a special commission to figure this out, but we may need a REVOLUTION.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Tales of Doom
I've been at the shack for 7 days now. I know there are people out there who would love to be alone in the mountains of southern Oregon for a week, but for me, well, I actually jogged two miles today on my mountain road, worked on the house, and now am writing this post to occupy myself. Maybe I should put this place on Craig's List as a $1500 a week mountain hideaway rental. One week rented a month would be cool. That would be enough I could be gone to the city to spend money.
Anyway, don't be a sucker, let your Congress Rep know, nothings going to save us; give the money to the Chinese and forget the bailout.
Hey, we owe it to them. I know how it feels. I want my money too. Now. And hell no, no more credit till I'm paid.
"COFFEE WARS, that's the first factor I want to consider. Not that Starbucks and Dunkin-Donuts will determine our national economy and save the housing market, but they are great indicators of the times. See, I don't think that improving a latte' , or customer service, is going to save Starbucks. As times get harder it is my bet that the extravagance of $3.50 cups of coffee will be one of the first luxuries to give way to reality: Look for coffee shops, cafe mochas, and Cappuccinos to disappear quicker than equity in a Las Vegas home."
(Coffee Wars, Property Prices, and Nothing Left to Lose 26Feb08)
It's a year later and the news has only gotten worse. I read an article this week written in 2004 by Mark S.. Watson, 'The oncoming economic depression.' Mr. Watson had foresight. I found the article interesting because it was exactly four years old. If Mr Watson is correct, and he seemed to be accurate back in 2004, don't look for things to improve for a long time. In a small, small, small world, America's big standard of living is going to shrink a little.
Remember the rich have no borders and don't care about the non-rich. You have money or you don't. Believe that, and this: money can live anywhere and cares not about nationality or allegiances. Former President Bush is developing a compound in Paraguay, isn't he? Of course that might be to avoid prosecution, or worse, but after what has happened in this country the last eight years, does anyone really think he gave a damn about the average American? And the strings that strung him damn sure didn't care about America.
Starbucks is closing another three hundred stores today. That 's what this letter is about. They were my measure a year ago and, unfortunately, they are my measure today and the first sentence of this paragraph says it all.
Welcome to the future. You'll be forced to live in a house that's not worth what you owe on it, as it's value decreases. Fuel prices and insurance will force you to mass transit where you'll be forced to meet people you don't want to meet, private transit will be restricted to the upper classes, and worst of all, you'll have to brew your own coffee because Starbucks will only be affordable to the wealthy.
Enjoy them while you still can...
Anyway, don't be a sucker, let your Congress Rep know, nothings going to save us; give the money to the Chinese and forget the bailout.
Hey, we owe it to them. I know how it feels. I want my money too. Now. And hell no, no more credit till I'm paid.
"COFFEE WARS, that's the first factor I want to consider. Not that Starbucks and Dunkin-Donuts will determine our national economy and save the housing market, but they are great indicators of the times. See, I don't think that improving a latte' , or customer service, is going to save Starbucks. As times get harder it is my bet that the extravagance of $3.50 cups of coffee will be one of the first luxuries to give way to reality: Look for coffee shops, cafe mochas, and Cappuccinos to disappear quicker than equity in a Las Vegas home."
(Coffee Wars, Property Prices, and Nothing Left to Lose 26Feb08)
It's a year later and the news has only gotten worse. I read an article this week written in 2004 by Mark S.. Watson, 'The oncoming economic depression.' Mr. Watson had foresight. I found the article interesting because it was exactly four years old. If Mr Watson is correct, and he seemed to be accurate back in 2004, don't look for things to improve for a long time. In a small, small, small world, America's big standard of living is going to shrink a little.
Remember the rich have no borders and don't care about the non-rich. You have money or you don't. Believe that, and this: money can live anywhere and cares not about nationality or allegiances. Former President Bush is developing a compound in Paraguay, isn't he? Of course that might be to avoid prosecution, or worse, but after what has happened in this country the last eight years, does anyone really think he gave a damn about the average American? And the strings that strung him damn sure didn't care about America.
Starbucks is closing another three hundred stores today. That 's what this letter is about. They were my measure a year ago and, unfortunately, they are my measure today and the first sentence of this paragraph says it all.
Welcome to the future. You'll be forced to live in a house that's not worth what you owe on it, as it's value decreases. Fuel prices and insurance will force you to mass transit where you'll be forced to meet people you don't want to meet, private transit will be restricted to the upper classes, and worst of all, you'll have to brew your own coffee because Starbucks will only be affordable to the wealthy.
Enjoy them while you still can...
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The Terrorist Within
A very interesting story today about young Somali-American men disappearing from their American homes only to re-appear in Somalia, where they are being trained as islamic jihadists. The implications of this intelligence are obvious; terrorist jihadists raised in America, that know America, will likely become American 'cells' for the organization in the future. Some of the young men have actually called home to tell their parents what they're up to, and to wish them good-bye declaring, "[they] will see them in Heaven."
I remember a long time ago in a secret room, in a building that is classified and thus requires a security clearance to enter, watching a film that was titled 'The Enemy Within'. The thrust of that film was the danger of traitors within the Intelligence world. These young men would probably not be admitted to the Intelligence world; their backgrounds too closely tied to their immigrant roots: too many overseas relatives, etc. But they could become the 'terrorists within' by simply returning to the US and waiting for their orders.
I'm sure in the future the issue will come up as to whether or not these young men should be allowed to return to the United States. Is it against the law to be kidnapped/ run away to Somalia to fight in a holy war? Under any circumstances should these men be allowed to bring that fight here?? Have they renounced their citizenship, or declared America the great Satan?
Unfortunately, there is no reconciliation between Islam and Christianity, or any other religion, I imagine. You either believe in the savior for the chosen religion, or you are an infidel and doomed to hell. Not much room for negotiation. Therefore militant jihadists should be denied entry to the country. But...
IF I was an American who spoke English as my first language (or at least without a noticeable accent) and I wanted to return to America without being noticed, could America keep me from crossing the Mexican-American border?
We better spend some of that recovery money on a real border with Mexico, or be prepared for horror stories from abroad.
'Terrorists within' are like paratroopers that don't have to be dropped from the sky. Their use bring forth visions of the worst. Especially since these brainwashed religious warriors could be controlled by anyone, are willing to do anything, and as God's warriors need show no conscious in their self-righteousness. Who knows what doom will befall us in a move to change policy, sway American opinion, or (God forbid) if we are actually attacked from a Foreign source from a cave.
Regardless of who the true perpetrator is, you can be sure of this; future terrorist attacks are coming. The jihad is not going to go away, religious zealotry is not going to suddenly disappear, and devastating acts done in the name of God are not going to end in the near future.
ZEITGEIST...SEE IT TWICE
I remember a long time ago in a secret room, in a building that is classified and thus requires a security clearance to enter, watching a film that was titled 'The Enemy Within'. The thrust of that film was the danger of traitors within the Intelligence world. These young men would probably not be admitted to the Intelligence world; their backgrounds too closely tied to their immigrant roots: too many overseas relatives, etc. But they could become the 'terrorists within' by simply returning to the US and waiting for their orders.
I'm sure in the future the issue will come up as to whether or not these young men should be allowed to return to the United States. Is it against the law to be kidnapped/ run away to Somalia to fight in a holy war? Under any circumstances should these men be allowed to bring that fight here?? Have they renounced their citizenship, or declared America the great Satan?
Unfortunately, there is no reconciliation between Islam and Christianity, or any other religion, I imagine. You either believe in the savior for the chosen religion, or you are an infidel and doomed to hell. Not much room for negotiation. Therefore militant jihadists should be denied entry to the country. But...
IF I was an American who spoke English as my first language (or at least without a noticeable accent) and I wanted to return to America without being noticed, could America keep me from crossing the Mexican-American border?
We better spend some of that recovery money on a real border with Mexico, or be prepared for horror stories from abroad.
'Terrorists within' are like paratroopers that don't have to be dropped from the sky. Their use bring forth visions of the worst. Especially since these brainwashed religious warriors could be controlled by anyone, are willing to do anything, and as God's warriors need show no conscious in their self-righteousness. Who knows what doom will befall us in a move to change policy, sway American opinion, or (God forbid) if we are actually attacked from a Foreign source from a cave.
Regardless of who the true perpetrator is, you can be sure of this; future terrorist attacks are coming. The jihad is not going to go away, religious zealotry is not going to suddenly disappear, and devastating acts done in the name of God are not going to end in the near future.
ZEITGEIST...SEE IT TWICE
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