commentopia

 

 

 

MARCH 22, 2010 -- MARCH 28, 2010

DISCORDANT VOICES STRAIN U.S. — ISRAEL RELATIONS

There will never be a satisfactory resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian problem until the US adopts a neutral stance. While the attacks on innocent Israelis by Hamas radicals are appalling and tragic, the responses by the government of Israel are disproportionate, affecting far more innocents than said missile attacks.

Furthermore, Israel's refusal to stop building settlements in Palestinian regions calls into question their dedication to peace. BOTH sides must stop the bloodshed. Hamas must stop firing rockets, and the Israeli government must stop punishing innocent civilians and reneging on their promises.

I simply don't understand how so many Americans can watch this situation without compassion for the innocents on both sides whose lives are being destroyed because of intransigence from both sides.

Sadly, the truth is that the Israeli government bears a greater responsibility, given that they have legitimacy within the West yet continue to engage in policies that, without the false veneer of religion and anti-Islamic hysteria that pervades the US, would be otherwise declaimed.

When the Afrikaners ruled as a minority over black South Africans, we were horrified. When Israelis do the same to Palestinians, we cheer them.

Read the article NPR/ Experts see U.S. - Israel crisis as wake-up call

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Why are these streams always so "pro-Palestinian" and "anti-Israeli"? Does everybody really think the Palestinians are completely innocent all of the time? If you read some of these posts, you'd think so. Israel isn't always in the right, but don't sit here and think that the Palestinians are only trying to co-exist with Israel.

To use a phrase here in Texas, I believe the Palestinians are in "reconquista" mode and hope to take back all of the lands of Israel. Some of you might say that the land belongs to the Palestinians and the Jews are unrightfully occupying. To those I say history doesn't lie. Both groups of people have been there for thousands of years. but splitting cities and such doesn't work...we have seen that in Berlin after WW2.

Read the article NPR/ Experts see U.S. - Israel crisis as wake-up call

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The Arab-Israel conflict will continue no matter what Israel does to make peace happen. And,the Arab world will hate the US and the West for cultural and religious reasons, not because of the Palestinians and US support of Israel. Whoever does not understand this does not understand the Arab-West conflict.

Read the article JERUSALEM POST/Petraeus:"Arab-Israeli conflict hurts U.S."

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All politics are local. To the Israeli government, an annoyed America is of less consequence than a fractured government. Israel shifted to the right during the past election. Israelis saw the Palestinian response to Israel pulling out of Gaza and are reluctant to give up the West Bank as well, lest more cities would be in range of the rockets. I don't like settlements, I think they are counter productive and only prolong the endgame. But it is hard for someone like me to say to an Israeli "despite the fact that the last time you dismantled your settlements it resulted in Hamas becoming stronger and threatening more Israelis, you should dismantle your settlements in the West Bank now".

If Israel is to step up and give up settlements (like they should), someone in the Arab world has to take responsibility for policing the Palestinians and actively pursuing perpetrators of rocket attacks and suicide bombers. Without that, Israel would consider settlement withdrawal to be too dangerous.

Read the article AL JAZEERA/Has the U.S. lost its leverage with the Israeil government?

 

MARCH 15, 2010 --  MARCH 21, 2010

MEXICO'S DRUG CARTELS GOING ROGUE IN CIUDADE JUÁREZ

 

Who are the type of people willing to risk their lives and the lives of their families to be in a drug cartel / mafia? Some are forced into it, yes. Most of these mafioso are young and think they are invincible.

We all know how easily it is to influence a young man. Show him a lot of money, that's all it takes. With no education and no sense of being or self worth, they turn to crime, an easy way out to a lot of money. Just like any barrio or ghetto in america with its lost children, they are no different.

How do you take care of the gangbangers and drug dealers here in America? You educate them right? It doesn't work the majority of the time, yet we try.

United States and Mexico need to help out in creating an education system that will enable both sides to prosper in education. Education, Education, Education, need I say more?

Read the article CNN/3 People associated with U.S. Consulate killed in Mexico

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I realize this solution doesn't have very much appeal to many people, but we have to take a very serious look at legalizing dope, so that we can at least get the escalating criminal activity out of the picture.

There seem to be more American addicts every day, and that demand is costing us and our neighbors dearly. The drug trade not only fuels crime, it subsidizes terrorism, and in the sixty odd years I've been on this Earth, drug use hasn't dropped one iota, despite our ever escalating War on Drugs. It's time to think about alternatives!

Read the article CNN/3 People associated with U.S. Consulate killed in Mexico

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I see one big problem with legalizing drugs - as soon as that happens, everybody and their brother will start taxing the fire out of them, prices will go way up, and thousands and thousands of junkies won't be able to afford it. Then cheaper "black market" drugs will arrive on the scene, provided by the cartels of course, and you're back to square one. What we need to do is make recreational drug use socially unacceptable across the board, like we have with tobacco only more so. The supply will drop only when demand goes down.

The cartels may still not go away - when Prohibition ended the Mafia turned to gambling, prostitution, etc., for big bucks. But getting rid of demand for drugs will likely hurt the cartels, and make our society a whole lot better off in terms of increased productivity, fewer cases of child neglect and abuse, and our tax dollars not paying for so much incarceration, public defenders, ER bills, etc..

Read the article CNN/3 People associated with U.S. Consulate killed in Mexico

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The Mexican drug cartels have connections within the highest levels of government in both Mexico and the good ol' US of A. The CIA is heavily involved. The drug money is used for covert ops. If the USA really have wanted to stop the drug trade years back they could have; but they didn't. It wasn't in their best interest. They had ties with the Colombian cartels but they had to take them out because they went rogue. In doing this they gave the Mexican cartels infinite power.

Now the same is happening, the Mexican cartels went rogue and the US now wants to take them out. The US trained the hired guns of the cartels, the Zetas. These guys were all Mexican Special Forces that were trained in Fort Benning, Georgia in the 80's at the School of the Americas; which was used to train guerrilla groups from allover Latin America.

Read the article YAHOO NEWS/Mexico gunmen kill American consulate staff

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Heard an interesting debate yesterday between those most directly concerned with the dilemma at a governmental or advisory level. The upshot: the US is as addicted to employing illegal workers as it is to the use of illegal drugs coming through Mexico. Yet, in LA there are more legal marijuana medicinal outlets than there are public schools.

The suggestion was that the US should legalize and manage the drugs, thus depriving the cartels of their huge profits, and thus relieving Mexico from the burden of having to stop a flood which is a response to a tsunami of demand. The analogy was made to prohibition--the world, in those days, would have come to an end if alcohol were made legal. Somehow, we may have to learn to cope with, and manage, drug use. I don't advocate drug use at all; but it seems to be a problem that can't be resolved by any other means.

Or, seal the borders. But seal them utterly, if we are serious about illegal aliens and about drugs coming in from the south. In any case, we aren't effecting a solution at the present time.

Read the article DAILY BEAST/U.S. consulate employees killed in Mexico

 

MARCH 8, 2010 -- MARCH 14, 2010

IRAQI PEOPLE BRAVE BLASTS TO INK ELECTION 2010 IN 62 PER CENT TURNOUT

 

Not one comment on the fact that the Iraqi military was in the lead on security!? We (soldiers) worked so hard the past several months or more to make sure the Iraqis were in the lead, that we stayed back, and that the public was confident in the security forces capabilities. It's a great success for us. Why can't you just tell us "good job" instead of making this so political.

Also, 38 people died in Iraq today, less than during the Arba'een pilgrimage, and only slightly higher than the murder rate of California or Texas (states of population close to Iraq's). Maybe we should say "good job" to the Iraqi Policemen and women, and their soldiers who work very hard and have come so far in the past few years.

This place is so different than my last visit in 2006, news stories don't show it. Just quit being so negative and give these people a chance instead of cutting them at the knees with these comments. The soldiers will come home, and we did a good job (for the most part). And Iraq deserves our respect, well wishes, and best intentions for all they've suffered through with Saddam and then this war, not pity or remorse.

Read the article NEW YORK TIMES/As Iraq tallies vote, U.S. says pullout plans are on track.

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When people bomb polling stations and try to stop elections it simply shows the weakness of their cause. The Anonymous ballot was introduced to the election process to protect the voter from individual violence. It might well be that Iraq is still learning this, but on the whole the idea of free elections works better than mob or sectarian 'voting'.

It will take many years to educate the violent to accept the views of the people, but that way lays peace and prosperity.

In the UK it took a long , and often violent, process to come to the current state where elections are normal and threat free. In the USA it needed a civil war and years of court cases to ensure Universal Suffrage. Anyone who expects a perfect result in Iraq so soon is ignoring reality, but the effort of the electoral process is worth it in the long run, and the world community must support it.

Read the article BBC/HAVE YOUR SAY/What will the Iraq elections achieve?

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As an Iraqi, it always amuses me how leftists and Islamists think their opinion about Iraqi elections does matter; it is even more amusing that they actually agree with each other. Stuck deep in Soviet style of assigning conspiracy to everything and trying to impose their vision of denying freedom on Iraqis.

This election, despite the leftists' perception, is important to us as much as it is important to them to impose taxes on the successful as a punishment. Maybe this comparison will make it finally known to them what this means. The puppets of world socialism cannot tell us we are the puppets of the west. Have some respect for the millions of Iraqi voters. Don't preach about freedom when you fail to allow anyone to achieve it.

Read the article BBC/HAVE YOUR SAY/What will the Iraq elections achieve?

Iraq has been characterized as a country in upheaval since the US began trying to restore order, and ostensibly, a responsible government. In our efforts, we have sacrificed thousands of lives and spent huge sums of money, even compromising our own security and finances.

Circumstances to date demonstrate that we can not win this one for the Iraqi people, and we have other pressing domestic and general responsibilities elsewhere. President Obama has made a clear indication that we will be pulling out. Success has been painfully elusive, as it was in Vietnam. It now appears that the Iraqis themselves, or with the assistance of others, will need to carry on the effort. We can only hope that a pull out will facilitate that effort.

Read the article NEW YORK TIMES/Explosions hit Baghdad as Iraqis vote in pivotal election

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There cannot be a more difficult place to build a democratic state than the Middle East. There is tremendous opposition from Islamic fundamentalist - an anti globalization "coalition" of conservative Muslims and terrorist organizations. In addition, Iraq is bordered by Iran and Syria who through interference and hegemony have already upstaged one potentially democratic state in Lebanon and also seek the same influence on the policies of Iraq. Forces opposing democratic change have made their presence felt recently with a series of deadly bombings.

Only through cultural and political change will the people of the greater Middle East overcome poverty, illiteracy, lack of human rights and economic stagnation. Hopefully, Iraq will serve as an example for the future.

Read the article U.K. GUARDIAN/Iraq: Leaving sectarianism behind.

AFTERMATH -- A TALE OF TWO QUAKES

"Chile's large cities were also farther away from the epicenter than was Port-au-Prince, and the Chile epicenter was about three times deeper: about 22 miles compared with about eight miles."

This is the point people who rush to blame the difference in casualties on the demographics of Haiti and Chile ignore. Any country with major population centers taking the full brunt of a major earthquake will have higher casualties. The shoddiness of Haitian construction, lack of preparation and poverty are contributory, but not the main cause of the different outcomes.

However, Chile's casualties are going to be higher than the couple hundred initially predicted. Apartment buildings and bridges collapsed. Some port areas suffered from a tsunami the government told inhabitants would not be a danger, reminiscent of the overconfidence we saw before Hurricane Katrina.

The psychological effects will be very similar for both populations. Chile and Haiti have millions of citizens with no homes to sleep in or fearful of being inside of buildings.

Read the article WALL STREET JOURNAL/Strength of tremblor doesn't dictate damage.

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The more I read people's comment the more sad and heartbroken I get... As you may notice by my user name.. I am from Chile, born and raised there.. I live now in VA - and I'm so far away and I feel so helpless - people are so rude and wanna make comments about everything and anything without the facts...

The fact is that hundreds have died... milions have lost everything they've worked so hard for - it's not like America where you can start from zero and move on with your life.... People please realize that is a natural disaster... no way of telling when it's going to happen.

It happened in the middle of the night, power went out and then you get a huge gush of water that took whatever the earthquake didn't take... our government is trying really hard to control the situation and get help to those in need.... so please if you're going to make a comment - please keep in mind that there are hundreds of people like myself that live away from home and are desperate to know about loved ones and the last thing we need is rude and apathetic comments.

Read the article. CNN/Chile races to deliver aid, combat looting

The energy released was 500x greater in Chile than in Haiti, but energy dissipates as the square of the distance to the EQ focus; also, large earthquakes, like Chile and Sumatra, release their energy over a very large area, rather than at a point like the Haitian earthquake.

This is why the shaking in Port-au-Prince was significantly greater than in Santiago or in Concepcion: ground acceleration in Haiti exceeded 1g, and peak velocities exceeded 1 m/s, while nowhere in Chile saw accelerations greater than 0.3g, and few of the populated areas experienced velocities exceeding 20-30 cm/s.

Construction standards make a difference, but a better comparison for Haiti would be Northridge (January '94), an M=6.7 earthquake that occurred at 19 km depth. The energy release in Northridge was 1/3 that in Haiti, and when depth is taken into account the difference increases to a factor of 6. LA held up *much* better.

A magnitude 7 earthquake releases the energy equivalent of 32 megatons of TNT (that's 2000 Hiroshima bombs). Roughly 2/3 of this dissipates as heat and deformation of rock; by the time the energy reached the surface in Haiti it was still the equivalent of 4-5 nuclear blasts centered on the capital city.

Read the article HUFFINGTON POST/Why the Haiti earthquake wasn't as strong but far more devastating

 

MARCH 1, 2010 -- MARCH 7, 2010

FALKLANDS DESIRE TO DRILL SPARKS NEW STANDOFF

FALKLAND ISLANDS GOVT SITE

FALKLANDS OIL

Oil or no oil, there is no way any British government is going to surrender sovereignty over the Falklands to Argentina. That would be political suicide.

I agree that Argentina isn't going to go to war over this again. The UK needs to be seen to dig its heels in and tell Argentina that the sovereignty is non-negotiable, and then let them come forward with a face-saving offer, e.g. we will let you use our ports for oil exploration/ extraction if you give us some official role in the islands and allow us to share in the wealth of any oil deposits recovered.

The Argentines don't need the land - they have a vast and fairly sparsely populated country of their own. This is mainly about national pride, although money plays a part, too. Well, Britain also has national pride and, more importantly, it has 3,000 citizens resident in the islands, most of whom have have ancestors buried in the islands and who know no other home.

Read the article U.K. GUARDIAN/A Falklands farrago

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As a Brazilian the only thing that concerns me at the moment is my investment in Desire to be honest. I wouldn't read too much in Lula's words as he is leaving office this year and seems to be keen in getting a job as leader of the newly created group of latin-american countries.

Brazilian companies have huge interests in Argentina too, specially in the oil business, with Petrobras partnering YPF/Repsol in many ventures.

So I'm not really surprised about this statement. At the end of the day nothing will (nor should) happen as long as the islanders wish to continue as part of the UK.

Read the article U.K.TIMES/Brazil attacks U.K. over Falklands stand-off

Oh the tangled webs we weave.

The first settlement of the Falklands was by the French in 1764, this was followed by the British who settled at the other end of the island group in 1765, unaware of the French settlement.

The French settlement was taken over by the Spanish in 1767 after which the Islands were administered by an Argentinian/Spanish governor who threw out the British in 1770. The British were allowed to return to it's settlement, under a Spanish administration, under a peace treaty with Spain, in 1771. In 1774 the British unilaterally gave up their settlement and the Falklands were run by Spain/Argentina until 1811 when they too left.

In 1820 Spain/Argentina re-colonised the Islands, set up a penal colony and remained in power until the US destroyed the colony in 1831 because the Falkland governor seized US seal hunting ships illegally hunting in the Falklands territorial waters. The islands were then only occupied by escaped prisoners, who murdered the replacement governor sent by Spain, until in 1833 the British returned and re- populated the Islands with Scottish and Welsh immigrants.

So, France, Britain, Spain, Argentina, United States, who's to say who has the moral right to claim the Falklands? I think it must be the choice of the people who live there. However, their right to exploit the mineral resources (oil) should be limited to the area proscribed by the 1982 United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea, which in terms of the sea between Argentina and the Falklands gives them both the right to exploit the mineral resources under the sea up to about 150 miles from their respective coasts.

Read the article U.K.GUARDIAN/A Falklands farrago

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To my dear Argentinian hermanos: please cut the righteous crap. The bone of contention is not one of true legitimacy, but rather the English being the 'robbers.'

Between 1865 and 1870 Argentina and its allies indulged in one of the bloodiest wars in South America, initially 'defensive' and later very offensive and imperialistic, as it were, against Paraguay, a nation which never quite recovered from that.

Everybody involved was after a piece of that country. If I remember correctly that war is the main reason why there's hardly any black population in Argentina (which in some areas it represented up to 50% of the population), as they were employed as cannon fodder and bait for the enemy.

What's the link to the Malvinas?

Only to illustrate that nobody's colonial past is morally outstanding. If Paraguay currently held the islands you'd have no grounds to complain against them, would you?

Read the article U.K.GUARDIAN/A Falklands farrago

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Surely this can be solved quite simply, ask the people who live on the Falkland Islands to vote. Offer them citizenship of Argentina and the United Kingdom (or neither). Simple.

Though I have the strangest feeling that this is something Argentina would not agree to. Despite this being the (UN) recommended method of settling the dispute.

Read the article BBC NEWS/HAVE YOUR SAY/How serious is Falklands row for U.K.-Argentine ties?

BULLYING ALLEGATIONS DOG BRITISH PRIME MINISTER

 

"Mr Brown's temper frightened staff; that he has grabbed staff by the lapels; shoved them aside and shouted at them"

We all have bad tempers from time to time, but grabbing and shoving people crosses the line.

I manage a small team of people and I've never had to resort to shouting at them. Why? Because they and I know what we're doing. With each new project, we discuss it.

Strong leadership is leading by example, just like Ernest Shackleton.

Read the article BBC NEWS/When does strong leadership become bullying?

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I have to say that I am sick to death of political points being scored on issues that demand grown up and mature debate. Gordon Brown is a bully, ok, where is the evidence except from some blown up literati who is trying to get publicity for a book which is probably as factual as Lord of the Rings? And as for Ms Pratt, confidentiality, sensitivity, non-political, yeah in the Henry the 8th mould. Bullying is a disease that causes real distress, stop making it a political sideshow of it.

Read the article BBC NEWS/When does strong leadership become bullying?

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Gordon Brown is the P.M; he’s second only to Her Majesty. I am not a Labourite/Brownite but I do believe in discipline, he is in a position of power and discipline needs to be exerted. It will and has to happen in a taxing environment. This is a perfect example of what our nation has become, a prissy society where people simply can’t handle discipline.

I’m in the Royal Navy, I shout at my subordinates (justifiably)and am shouted at by my superiors, it works. This pink and fluffy society is breaking us, discipline has broken down in schools, prisons, work places and in the homes. Paradoxically, Brown and his would-be commissars have perpetuated this “there, there, never mind” approach and it is biting him on the backside.

Read the article U.K. TIMES/Gordon Brown bullying row spreads as charity patrons quit

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It really depends what you think bullying actually is.

The head of a G13 country being very demanding of staff, and upsetting them a bit.

And a few slighted officials, who've been ousted by Brown using it as a way to sell things to the media?

And a "charity" person coming out and claiming (without any evidence) that they've received 2 calls in 4 years, from number 10 offices. None of which directly referred to Brown.

The truth probably is that working in Number 10 is very hard, and every PM from Churchill to Thatcher to Brown don't suffer fools or incompetence gladly.

Read the article GUARDIAN/Downing Street rules out inquiry into Brown bullying claims.

The polls are narrow. That's what to get excited about, not Brown's titanic grumpiness.

Gordon has clearly never chucked a stapler at you. The National Anti Bullying Helpline have confirmed they have had calls from inside No10.

if you think this is not going to sink Brown further you are mistaken. Nobody likes a bully & most of us have had to put up with them at one time or another in the workplace. The chance to see them fall is an invitation too good to miss.

Read the article GUARDIAN/A month ago this would've buried Brown. Not now.

 

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