January 5, 2010 archive

Muse in the Morning

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Muse in the Morning


It’s Not Easy Being Green

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“No one could have predicted”

In which I extend a comment made to Alec82

which goes like this:


We have a major cultural difference with the people our military and culture otherwise interacts with in the Middle East.  This is not sufficiently acknowledged or looked at.  In many cases, the way we “interact” with people overseas, borne out of hubris and arrogance, has no chance whatsoever of solving the problems that are described as needing to be solved.

For one thing, from what I understand, killing people at a distance and with no exposure to one’s own danger, as is done with Predator drone strikes, is deemed cowardice, not cleverness.  It doesn’t matter who it’s done to or for what reason.  It might kill people “we” want killed, but will probably exacerbate, long term, the very problem our military is ostensibly there to “solve”, which is global terrorism.  For every terrorist we kill, are we not possibly creating ten more?

So, too, our military is seen as a universal hammer with which to solve all of our problems with foreign countries.  We try to use them to solve problems that simply cannot be so solved .. but one argument can be made that we simply have no choice.  So much of our national resources have been put into our military that one has to ask what is left to apply a more rational sensible solution to our national security and interest issues.

And, see, this is what bothers me about what I call “do-nothing faux-pragmatists”.  These are people who propose to keep us away from the very bad as opposed to exploring any greater good.  It’s all about what we must do to prevent Very Bad Political Outcomes, but almost nothing about how to create truly sensible and truly pragmatic change that directly addresses our most pressing problems.

That the political reality is as apposite and opposite world from real world reality — where such reality is threatening to our continued existence as a country is something I cannot and will not accept.  To the extent there is a collision then we have to make the argument that these “political realities” have to be subordinate.

This is the quintessential argument that the go-along, self described “politically pragmatic” left tries to win through cynicism, extortion and dripping disdain, but ultimately will and can do nothing but lose in the long run.

Reality is reality.  And true reality does not respect or dip its head to political artifice, no matter how hallowed, entrenched or deemed inviolable.  Nothing is inviolable once the rubber meets the road and starts smashing the country.  It might be wise to change course to meet these real realities before the smashing begins.

Without a political pragmatism that nods its head to true reality based pragmatism, the Very Bad Outcome cannot be avoided, only delayed.

(Please forgive me for the self quoting, but I am more interactive than in-a-vacuum a-priori creative, and want to use this as a launching point)

For me, this point weaves together a tapestry that I have been informed with and has been growing in my psyche for a while now.  Various threads of it are found lying all over Docudharma in various forms.

One thing that struck me in my conversations with people today is what Edger brought up, which is the quote from Ron Suskind:


The aide said that guys like me were “in what we call the reality-based community,” which he defined as people who “believe that solutions emerge from your judicious study of discernible reality.” I nodded and murmured something about enlightenment principles and empiricism. He cut me off. “That’s not the way the world really works anymore,” he continued. “We’re an empire now, and when we act, we create our own reality. And while you’re studying that reality — judiciously, as you will — we’ll act again, creating other new realities, which you can study too, and that’s how things will sort out. We’re history’s actors . . . and you, all of you, will be left to just study what we do.

Brilliant!

CIA Blast Blamed On Double Agent

By SIOBHAN GORMAN, ANAND GOPAL and YOCHI J. DREAZEN, The Wall Street Journal

January 5, 2010

WASHINGTON — The suicide bomber who killed seven Central Intelligence Agency employees and contractors and a Jordanian intelligence officer was a double agent the CIA had recruited to provide intelligence on senior al Qaeda leadership, according to current and former U.S. officials and an Afghan security official.

Remember, our people in Washington D.C., especially our trained intelligence professionals, are so much brighter and better informed than you could ever possibly be.

Because you are so fucking dumb.

Observe the indecency.

Observe the indecency of what passes for moral judgments today.  An industrialist who produces a fortune, and a gangster who robs a bank are regarded as equally immoral, since they both sought wealth for their own “selfish” benefit.

Ayn Rand, The Virtue of Selfishness

Can I have a “Heh, indeedy?”

Late Night Karaoke

Open Thread

Why is the Right Paranoid about Interpol?

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Content Contains Right Wing Conspiracy Theory

Appropriate Protective Gear Required

Recently, Interpol, an international police organization, was granted certain extended rights here in the United States with regard to privileges and immunities. These immunities were granted under Pres. Ronald Reagan in 1983. At that time Interpol did not have an office here in the US and was only granted immunity from lawsuits and prosecutions for official acts so they could hold their annual meetings in this country.

Times they have changed. In 2004, Interpol opened a liaison office at the UN in NYC. Hmm you say, so what’s the problem? Well. Mr. Reagan’s order did not include certain privileges that would be needed if Interpol had a physical office on US soil, like immunity from certain tax requirements and from having its property or records subject to search and seizure. Now, this was supposed to have been addressed by the Bush administration but like so many other things it was left for Pres. Obama. These are the same immunities granted to other International organizations like the International Red Cross.

Obama Please Help The Crow Creek Tribe (Update x3)


http://www.indiancountrytoday….

The 35-year-old chairman was camped on 7,100 acres of wind-swept, snowy land owned by Crow Creek Tribal Farms. The IRS recently seized the tract and on Dec. 3 auctioned it off for $2 million less than its $4.6 million value to pay a purported tax bill for the tribe, a separate legal entity.

Hollywood vs. Blackwater

Although the extraordinarily evil corporation formerly known as Blackwater is prospering under its new nom de guerre, Xe, it has been decisively defeated in the arena of popular culture. Hollywood has pronounced its verdict in three recent films: “Moon,” “District 9,” and “Avatar.” In each of these films, a corporation assumes all the powers of a sovereign state and unleashes elite mercenaries to ravage the innocent in pursuit of profit. This consistently negative depiction of malevolent, militarized, predatory corporations is a clear indication that the public no longer supports these corporate killers. Let’s take a quick look at the films:

A Response to Comments

I haven’t posted an essay in a while, and, I received an email or two asking about me.  

I appreciate the concern.  

There were some comments made to my last few essays that I believe I should address.

Afternoon Edition

From Yahoo News Top Stories

1 Dubai opens world’s tallest skyscraper

by Wissam Keyrouz, AFP

2 hrs 40 mins ago

DUBAI (AFP) – The financially troubled Gulf emirate of Dubai on Monday opened the world’s tallest building, a glistening concrete, glass and steel pinnacle rising 828 metres (2,717 feet) out of the desert sands.

Blazing fireworks rippled up and down the massive structure after it was officially opened by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashed al-Maktoum.

Known during construction as Burj Dubai, Sheikh Mohammad renamed the building Burj Khalifa, in honour of United Arab Emirates President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al-Nahayan.

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