ilBLOGical tidBITs

Of course, most people know this is not news. Even before the meltdown last September, the public has been doing the heavy lifting for those that make their money from using — and frequently, misusing — other people’s money.

The bailout was just one more example, but on a grander scale with the government promising even more of the public’s money to save the financial flagships that were run aground by their own captains and crews.

Yes, I know it is a very complicated subject, as those responsible keep telling us; however, the fact that it was so complicated should have sent red flags up all over the place. Unfortunately, those responsible for monitoring the financial institutions and markets were as culpable as those that nearly toppled the world’s economy.

Alas, I fear that in this matter, lady justice — who is already wearing a blindfold — will be bound, gagged and forced to walk the plank off the deck of the new financial flagships, which are now flying a pirate’s flag and yo, ho, hoing all the way to the bank.

“I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies.”

—    Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/business/15bank.html?hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1252947663-pTcR9×6w0SR80gSp5X7IVw

An article in USA Today — about the firing of private security guards at the U.S. embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan — illustrates how poorly the U.S. is doing in the battle for hearts and minds. Is it any wonder that the people in Afghanistan are suspicious of America’s intentions in this part of the world when people at our embassy are so brazenly violating tenets of Islam?

The story also points out the flaw of hiring private security companies to protect not only U.S. personnel and property, but U.S. interests. This specific incident focuses on the breakdown of morale, morals and basic security at the U.S. embassy; whereas, past reports of other private security companies such as Blackwater USA, which has since changed its name to Xe Services LLC, recount indiscriminate use of force and alleged incidents of manslaughter and even murder that have undermined U.S. stabilization efforts.

It is a common practice for companies that contract with the U.S. government to change their company’s name to continue receiving contracts after they have been banned from receiving government contracts under their previous name.

This is one more example of how dangerous the practice is of using private companies to carry out what should be government functions. Apparently, this is a growth industry that shows no sign of slowing down, as more and more federal and state government functions are passed onto the private sector to save government budgets.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-09-04-embassy-guards-fired_N.htm?csp=34

First it was chlorofluorocarbons, but now it appears that the reduction of those chemicals has resulted in an increase in nitrous oxide — a mild anesthetic used in dentistry and surgery — that is also dangerous to the ozone in the Earth’s atmosphere.

It is not that people doubt most things scientists tell us about our changing world, but if they cannot agree on what we should do without substantial government grants or substantive multi-million private grants with strings attached from corporations with their own agendas, what is the average person suppose to do.

If people around the world stop their slash and burn farming, feed Beano to their flatulent cattle and everyone drives a hybrid vehicle, what new danger will be trotted out to scare the people and fuel the political agendas.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/28/science/earth/28nox.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

In today’s news, I saw two headlines that foretell what the future may hold for the world:

“Low Turnout Seen in Afghan Election; 26 Killed”; and

“Lockerbie Bomber Freed, Returns to Cheers in Libya”

Call me negative if you want, but I think we have already lost the so-called war against terrorism thanks to the one-two punch of astronomical naivety and rampant political correctness that permeates the leadership of most western nations.

“There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true that those things which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand. Resolve then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tiny blasts of tiny trumpets, we have met the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us.”

— Walt Kelly (1913–1973)

An article featured on the CNN Technology Web site discusses how NASA’s Near Earth Object Program may run short of funds to track the mandated 90 percent of space objects at least 6 miles wide.

What I find interesting is what about the other 10 percent? For that matter, the 6-mile threshold is for objects that could cause global catastrophes; however, I am pretty sure getting hit by a half-mile wide object could ruin your day.

Perhaps Hollywood should pony up the shortfall since they make a considerable amount of money from world-ending disaster movies.

I wonder if the dinosaurs had an asteroid pool going just before the big one hit. Then again, even if they did no one was left to collect. Kind of like life insurance: Your insurance company is betting you live and you’re betting you don’t.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/space/08/13/nasa.asteroid.detection/index.html?eref=rss_tech

An article in “USA Today” reports on the possibility that a convicted terrorist responsible for the destruction of the Pan American flight over Lockerbie, Scotland, may be released for compassionate reasons, i.e., he is dying of cancer.

Since I was a passenger on the next Pan American flight to leave Frankfurt, Germany, that same day, who will show compassion for the fear and anguish my family felt until I could contact them to let them know I was OK?

Who will show compassion for those left behind and for the victim’s who never had a chance to live the rest of their natural lives?

If this criminal was sentenced to life in prison, dying there is exactly what was intended. Whether he dies of cancer soon, or popped an aneurism sitting on the loo later, it doesn’t matter.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-08-13-lockerbie-bomber-cancer_N.htm?csp=34

There is an old practice familiar to many defense attorneys — if you can’t defend your client based on the facts or evidence; put the prosecution, police and the criminal justice system on trial.

Based on an Associated Press article filed from McAllen, Texas, it appears that U.S. law enforcement agencies, and the U.S. Customs and Border Patrol are going to be taking their lumps for U.S./Mexican border issues.

Just as the U.S. has been blamed for the drug-related violence and the smuggling of arms into Mexico, now law enforcement on the U.S. side is being characterized as being as corrupt as Mexican authorities.

Instead of officials on both side trying to fix blame, they should be working together to fix the problem, but then that is physically dangerous on the Mexican side and politically dangerous on the U.S. side, which means more of the same — and the criminals win, again.

http://www.military.com/news/article/border-police-corruption-on-the-rise.html?col=1186032310810&wh=news

An article on the USA Today Web site, concerning the killing of a significant Pakistan Taliban commander, reminded me of the continual deriding of U.S. efforts that employ precision-guided weapons and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) as cowardly.

Apparently, the practices of taking children as hostages, torture, hiding behind human shields and using mentally retarded men and women as suicide bombers is seen as more courageous than skillfully using advanced technology to minimize the potential for injuring innocents people and not needlessly destroying nearby structures.

If my memory serves me, the use of submarines by Germany during both world wars was also seen as cowardly, but that didn’t stop the allies from creating their own submarine fleets.

The truth is war is not nice, clean or fair. The highly touted surgical strikes are far from real surgery where the intent is to save lives. Albeit, so-called smart weapons do save lives on the side using them and hopefully demonstrate the futility of fighting an opponent with superior technology, the fact remains that people die in wars. They may be the enemy, they may be innocents or they may be our friends and family.

Until the failed diplomats, corporate-funded or religiously motivated leaders of the world think and grow beyond the confines of their small spheres of influence, we will continue to have wars. They will not be nice, clean or fair, but then they are not supposed to be.

“It is well that war is so terrible — otherwise we would grow too fond of it.”

— Robert E. Lee (1807–1870)

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-08-07-pakistan-taliban-leader_N.htm?csp=34

So, who is really arming the drug cartels of Mexico? If you listen to most of the media, the idea that U.S. citizens are responsible for the smuggling of arms into Mexico is gaining traction, even though no one can say conclusively that this is based on more than anecdotal incidents and spurious theories from those with a gun-control agenda.

On CNN.com yesterday, an article about Los Zetas, a paramilitary criminal organization formed by Mexican army commandos who deserted in the 1990s, paints a different picture. The article cites the use of “assault rifles with 40 mm grenade launchers” by Los Zetas in the murder of a police chief and his family.

So, which is more likely: The Mexican drug cartels are getting their military arms through straw purchases by American citizens; or, as former members of the Mexican army, they brought their weapons and ammunition with them, and continue to be re-supplied through corrupt military channels and the diversion of funds and equipment from the U.S. government meant for the War on Drugs?

Oh, and by the way, although semiautomatic rifles may be converted to so-called assault rifles (which have more to do with the weapons look than its function), the average U.S. citizen would find it very difficult to buy a grenade launcher, let alone the 40 mm rounds for it.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/americas/08/06/mexico.drug.cartels/index.html

Just yesterday, we were discussing how a reported 10 percent of Americans are taking antidepressants. Today, an article in “The New York Time” reports that a number of articles in medical journals are being written by ghostwriters with close ties to the pharmaceutical companies. These writers are providing material that supports products from the drug companies — who hired the ghostwriters in the first place —encourages doctors to prescribe the drugs for treatments, and most importantly, real studies are finding these drugs dangerous to patients’ health.

Frequently, I rant about the state of American politics, federal, state and local governments, and a host of other organizations and institutions that are abusing the public, but I think that it is safe to say more damage has been done to America by advertisers using proven propaganda techniques.

“Doctors are men [or women] who prescribe medicines of which they know little, to cure diseases of which they know less in human beings of whom they know nothing.”

— Voltaire (1694–1778)

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/05/health/research/05ghost.html?partner=rss&emc=rss