For years I have been saying the problem wasn't Iraq, it was Pakistan. It's an odd situation. They are our ally and have been for many years, but why is a little hard to figure out. We send them chunks of money to bolster their military so it can get into fights with India. I fail to see that American interests are in any way aided by fighting with India. I would just tell Pakistan to grow up and learn to get along. I would also precondition military aid with tests for what they were doing with the money. Each attack on India would mean x amount subtracted from aid.
What we need is for Pakistan to control activities within its own borders. This problem is undoubtedly political. Constituencies get all warm and fuzzy when politicians talk about attacking India, but no one gets that warm all over feeling when talking about identifying domestic terrorists. Apparently. People love their own private bigotries.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
History
Mohammed Ali is there on the podium for the inauguration. On MSNBC they showed a long shot of him and talked about him as a freedom fighter. I have lived to see this.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Evil
I was watching Joyce Meyer this morning (yes, this is one of my many insanities) and she was talking about the book of Romans to people from India. This led me to want to say something.
The message of peace is ancient. Gandhi changed India with it. Martin Luther King changed America in a way that few Americans would have thought possible. But Paul said it first: overcome evil with good.
If there is anything I would say to militant Moslems, it is to look to the teachings of others if you cannot find it in your own religion. The most powerful force on earth is the force for good because it changes the world from the inside out.
Overcome those who do you wrong with love. Nothing can stop it.
The message of peace is ancient. Gandhi changed India with it. Martin Luther King changed America in a way that few Americans would have thought possible. But Paul said it first: overcome evil with good.
If there is anything I would say to militant Moslems, it is to look to the teachings of others if you cannot find it in your own religion. The most powerful force on earth is the force for good because it changes the world from the inside out.
Overcome those who do you wrong with love. Nothing can stop it.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Farewell
I fantasized George Bush's farewell address something like this:
April Fool!
But then I heard he'd already given it.
April Fool!
But then I heard he'd already given it.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Israel
There's no point in writing about this without telling the truth.
I have a friend who was raised in Iran and sees Israel from that perspective. I was trying to explain our perspective. Elements of that perspective are:
*Large numbers of Jews were slaughtered in the holocaust during WWII, and the remaining ones no longer felt safe living in Europe, or perhaps in any country where the majority population was not Jewish. Israel was chosen for this safe place because of its ancient, ancestral status as the promised land of Abraham and Moses. To function as a haven for Jews the population must be majority Jewish.
*Large numbers of American Christians also believe that Israel is the Jewish promised land, that it was assigned to them by God as their homeland, and that their right to it comes from God. [Please note: I am just explaining, not defending.] This, and the large numbers of American Jews, is the explanation for the level of support the US gives to Israel.
*Israel is a country based on a religion, an idea that is generally considered outdated. However, countries that enforce Sharia may also be considered to be based on religion. This is the opposite of separation of church and state as we define it here. Many American religious people would like religion to control certain government decisions, such as abortion and gay marriage, too. We like to act superior, but don't quite come up to snuff.
I am not religious but was raised religious. I know what people think and why they think it while not thinking it myself.
On the subject of Israel's right to exist I find myself able to see both sides. Moslems argue that they want to create a secular state while often denying religious freedom, persecuting Curds, Christians, Jews and any other group they find in their own countries. This argument is therefore seen to be specious.
If I cede to Israel its right to exist and the process through which it came into existence, namely by displacing large numbers of Moslems into the west bank and Gaza, I am still left with a problem.
*Israel's majority Jewish country is achieved by denying normal political rights to the actual majority population. This problem might be solved by moving all the American Jews to Israel, but they don't seem to want to go, except maybe on vacation.
However one might view all the above information, one is still left with this basic fact. I don't use this fact to form the basis for thinking Israel should be overthrown. I view the situation differently.
I see Israel as responsible for every small detail of these people's lives. If you want me to sympathize with your desire to deny political freedom to large bodies of people, then I need to see you taking responsibility for them. Why are there no sewers in Gaza? And what are you doing about it? If they have any complaints about how you treat them, I expect you to fix them. You created this situation, actively desired it, so that makes you responsible. Stop bellyaching and get to work.
I have a friend who was raised in Iran and sees Israel from that perspective. I was trying to explain our perspective. Elements of that perspective are:
*Large numbers of Jews were slaughtered in the holocaust during WWII, and the remaining ones no longer felt safe living in Europe, or perhaps in any country where the majority population was not Jewish. Israel was chosen for this safe place because of its ancient, ancestral status as the promised land of Abraham and Moses. To function as a haven for Jews the population must be majority Jewish.
*Large numbers of American Christians also believe that Israel is the Jewish promised land, that it was assigned to them by God as their homeland, and that their right to it comes from God. [Please note: I am just explaining, not defending.] This, and the large numbers of American Jews, is the explanation for the level of support the US gives to Israel.
*Israel is a country based on a religion, an idea that is generally considered outdated. However, countries that enforce Sharia may also be considered to be based on religion. This is the opposite of separation of church and state as we define it here. Many American religious people would like religion to control certain government decisions, such as abortion and gay marriage, too. We like to act superior, but don't quite come up to snuff.
I am not religious but was raised religious. I know what people think and why they think it while not thinking it myself.
On the subject of Israel's right to exist I find myself able to see both sides. Moslems argue that they want to create a secular state while often denying religious freedom, persecuting Curds, Christians, Jews and any other group they find in their own countries. This argument is therefore seen to be specious.
If I cede to Israel its right to exist and the process through which it came into existence, namely by displacing large numbers of Moslems into the west bank and Gaza, I am still left with a problem.
*Israel's majority Jewish country is achieved by denying normal political rights to the actual majority population. This problem might be solved by moving all the American Jews to Israel, but they don't seem to want to go, except maybe on vacation.
However one might view all the above information, one is still left with this basic fact. I don't use this fact to form the basis for thinking Israel should be overthrown. I view the situation differently.
I see Israel as responsible for every small detail of these people's lives. If you want me to sympathize with your desire to deny political freedom to large bodies of people, then I need to see you taking responsibility for them. Why are there no sewers in Gaza? And what are you doing about it? If they have any complaints about how you treat them, I expect you to fix them. You created this situation, actively desired it, so that makes you responsible. Stop bellyaching and get to work.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
McLaughlin Group
John McLaughlin was right on last night. While the group members gave trivial answers to his year end questions, he went for the heavy issues. The current economic meltdown may actually be caused by globalism itself. And 2008 definitely saw the end of capitalism.
Which all goes to prove my own theory of economics: trickle up. I arrived at this conclusion based on a reaction to the trickle down theory of Ronald Reagan, obvious bogus. It is the buying power of the American consumer that drives the global economy. No American consumer clout, no global economy. Moving all the jobs overseas means taking away our clout. We've been trying to maintain our superiority through credit buying, but obviously this can only go so far.
Thus trickle up. Wealth trickles up from the masses, and until we realize that we are doomed.
Which all goes to prove my own theory of economics: trickle up. I arrived at this conclusion based on a reaction to the trickle down theory of Ronald Reagan, obvious bogus. It is the buying power of the American consumer that drives the global economy. No American consumer clout, no global economy. Moving all the jobs overseas means taking away our clout. We've been trying to maintain our superiority through credit buying, but obviously this can only go so far.
Thus trickle up. Wealth trickles up from the masses, and until we realize that we are doomed.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Marriage Wisdom
At breakfast this morning a friend mentioned that she knew someone who once told her "My last three husbands have all been pedophiles."
This gives one pause. Friend went on to ask where she had met these gentlemen, and she said at church. Friend took this to be something against church in general, but I took it to mean that when she met these gentlemen she was accompanied by her children. We both recommended meeting men in bars. No one would go to a bar looking to meet women with children.
Friend of friend went on to meeting men at a choral society where her children would not be present. This worked much better.
This gives one pause. Friend went on to ask where she had met these gentlemen, and she said at church. Friend took this to be something against church in general, but I took it to mean that when she met these gentlemen she was accompanied by her children. We both recommended meeting men in bars. No one would go to a bar looking to meet women with children.
Friend of friend went on to meeting men at a choral society where her children would not be present. This worked much better.
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