4 Dec 2007. Well sir, there is so much going on in our world today. Where to start the comments? There are so many topics out there today. This might have to be broken up into two or three entries. Just so very much going on. Some of it is even good news! Honest.
Let me start with Iran. Our supposed "next" war of choice. Did you hear the one about the latest NIE ( national intelligence estimate)? Looks like those pesky,sneaky,under-handed, bloody damn Iranians actually had STOPPED trying to develop an atomic bomb way back in 2003. No shit folks, and this is from OUR top level intelligence community. Folks like the CIA and other "intel" and/or spy agencies have determined that Iran DID quit trying to make a nuke in 2003. Wow, poor old Shrubbie, looks like the wheels are about to fall off his tricycle any day now.
Of course this good news isn't all that good. Well, at least to some people(?). The neo-cons are sure this NIE is dead wrong, and they are up in arms (not really, just their word processors/key boards are smoking from all that furious typing) and the leadership in Israel is certain that this NIE shows how "naive" America is if we believe this latest intel.
Yes sir, if you are an ardent Zionist and/or a neo-con, you have to hate this latest report by American intel agencies. Why? Well, because it means that the absolute requirement that America bomb Iran back into the stone age is a load of bullshit. It means there is NO reason for the US of A to go to war with Iran, well, at least NOT over the "issue" of an Iranian bomb.
Sorry to be the "wet blanket" here, but I would guess that it just means that now Cheney, the noe-crazies, and the hard core Zionists will have to find their thinking caps and work out some "other" excuse, er, reason to have another war. Thinking caps? For the neos and Cheney? I wonder if those fools actually ever think.
To me, this latest NIE is damn GOOD news. It means that we will NOT be bombing another country that had ZERO to do with the sainted tragedy of 9/11. Don't misunderstand me here, I do know that that was a tragic day for us all. I do think though that it has been played to death, so to speak, by our "leaders". It has been THE excuse to start two wars, to shred the constitution, to quash OUR civil liberties, and other crappy new "laws", such as the "Patriot(?) Act" and the MCA (military commissions act). It has also been used to "justify the suspension of habeas corpus. This is what I mean about 9/11 being done to death. Just like Pearl Harbor, America will never forget that event. We cannot even if we try. It did shock the living shit out of this country and that will not be forgotten. I just think it is way past time for our politicians to stop using that event as an excuse to start wars and kill off American civil rights. Enough already!
The latest NIE on Iran could even be made into a movie. We could title it; "A Funny Thing Happened On Our Way To War". Yeah, like it lost its "justification! What do the warmongers do now? Their MAIN excuse for war with Iran is dead in the water. Or, as they say in this part of the country, that dog won't hunt. Not to worry, I am 100% certain that the lap top bombardiers are working over time to invent a new,better,enhanced,and brighter excuse for the war they want so very much.
This brings me to another point about the current criminal administration and ALL of those who support/enable them. These folks, who have never worn a uniform, never fired a shot at an enemy, never have been shot at, seem to be in mad, passionate love with WAR. Any veteran of any war, any civilian who was caught up in any war, will tell you there isn't much to love about war. It isn't easy to be a lover while being shot at. Sort of takes the enjoyment right out of things. Talk about your coitis interuptis (sp)!
My suggestion is that EVERY person who is so enthralled with war and killing MUST be among the very first to be on the front lines of ANY future war America gets into. Hell, they ought to all be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan right now. Then, after they complete at least one tour in the war zone, they get to come back and tell us all how wonderful and glorious war is. How many neo-cons are willing to do that? I bet that ALL of the neo-con "volunteers" for such would fit very comfy into an old VW bug with plenty of room left for a cooler for the beer and a good size box for the snacks. Like, the total number would be less than one? Most likely. After all, they need to stay here and keep up the "important" work of informing the American people. Why, if those poor lap top bombardiers went off to war, who would run the propaganda mills? Um,er, I mean the "news" magazines and programs. No doubt they ALL have "other priorities" and just cannot seem to find the time to actually GO to war in person. They will promise to be there in spirit though. Big fucking help that is to our troops. Actually, it probably IS help as they would need to be shot by OUR own troops just for the safety of the troops.
This has certainly got to piss of the pope, I mean dead eye Dick. This PROVES that Mr. Mohamed el Baradei and the IAEA are 100% correct. All along, he has been telling any one who would listen that Iran did not have a nuclear weapons program. He has said, repeatedly, that Iran is enriching uranium for power generation. This is a LEGAL activity under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) which Iran has signed. Holy horrors! Those sneaky,lieing bastard Iranian are living up to the promises they made in regards to an international treaty! Why, how much more underhanded can those "evil doers" get? Why, the next thing you know, people around the world might start asking OUR government to live up to ITS' treaty obligations! Imagine the disaster that would cause! Why such a thing would wreak havoc around the entire globe. America, actually living up to the treaty obligations that it has signed onto over the past years. That is absolutely insane! Don't people know that Cheney does as he damn well wants to do? And don't ALL people in the world know that God has spoken to our "decider"? Why, if god speaks to him, he MUSt be right and we are all dead wrong. And any way, who the hell needs the constitution or that damn Bill of Rights anyhow? Civil liberties? We export "liberty" folks. Do as our government tells you to do, not as they act. Shrubbie talks to god. Makes me wonder if god comes in a six-pack these days. Or maybe a bottle of "Old Crow"? Hell, let him have the cheap stuff, Ripple or Thunder Chicken. Cheap drunk for a cheap bastard. Then he and Cheney can go hunting with Scalia. LOL, now that would be great pay-per-view TV. Of course the camera crew would need flak vests and helmets.
I sort of, almost, feel for old Cheney though. What with the writers strike, there isn't much on TV of late. Not that I'd know, my TV hasn't been on for over 12 days now. Well sir, Cheney knows how "Mericans love their TV, so he figured with the writer being on strike we needed another war. Just to, you know, boost the ratings. Stop those damn reruns, start a new war! Yes sir, give old Wolf Bitzberg something to talk about. I miss old Wolf and Dobbs. Miss them like I miss the plague. Not at all.
Then too, one has to wonder, NIE or not, would China front us the cash for another war? Last I read, China holds close to one trillion(!!!) dollars in US debt. Hell, one trillion. Most folks have a damn hard time trying to comprhend a billion, and a trillion is one thousands times larger! Just as a point of referrence; 1 billion seconds is equal to 32 years. One trillion seconds is equal to 300 centuries! Now that puts those numbers into some perspective. Oh, yeah, we have spent close to one trillion dollars so far on the two wars we are in right now. The "estimated" total costs of these wars is over(!) two trillion dollars. That total includes things like long term medical care for the severely wounded such as brain damaged troops. That is ONLY the projected costs to America folks. What it has/will cost the Iraqis and Afghans is unknown.
War, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing. Well, not quite. It does hold down population growth for a time. Which brings up another "funny" fact. The folks who are dead set (some of them very literally dead set) against abortion, have no trouble with being pro-war. Very interesting, to me anyway. After all, war is just mass murder. And if abortion is murder, why would those folks NOT be rabidly anti-war? You might try asking some of the anti-abortion people you know about that. I would be very curious to hear the answers. I mean, to my simple mind, murder is murder. Or is it? I get curious about these sort of things. One more reason I got kicked out of religion. Asking "those" sorts of questions. Rocking the boat again there charlie. Damn right I am!
Here is one for your preacher/priest/pastor, just where did Cain find a wife? We are told there was Adam, Eve, Cain, and Able. OK, so where did Cain get a wife? Sears?
Beats me. I would like to know. No need to know I guess. Just plain old curiosity is all. Like who wre the first three folks who came out of the tomb of Lazarus? Christ said "Lazarus come forth", so who wre the other three folks? Just curious. No!Skipper, the boat is listing hard to port! Hang on little buddy,we'll make it.
Well, if you are still with me, you now know what happens to a person who has had way too many back surgeries and has constant pain that even the good pain meds don't get rid of and he can't sleep some nights. So, what does he do? Why he does a blog entry, what else? Ain't gonna watch no stinking reruns on TV for sure. Hell, if you are still with me, you are either a glutton for punishment or damn hard core.
Well, I did give fair warning to you all. I did say I would try to do at least one or two entries every week. Told ya. But, did you listen? NOOOOO. Just like them pesky "axis of evil" folks, aren't ya all? LOL.
"Nuther curious thing about this latest NIE. Yep, back to the Iran "thing" again. How is it that so many of the people in this current administration can get so much wrong and still be employed? OK, so Bolton is "out of work" so to speak. Out of a government paid job anyway. He is "working" for one of them "think tanks" now. I wonder, is a think tank in any way related to a drunk tank? (More curiosity.) But, when you stop and think about the last seven years, none of the bastards ever got fired. Well, OK,ok, Brownie was "let go". But, hell, FEMA don't count. And the folks in New Orleans and around the Gulf coast would have lynched him on sight anyway.
I mean, they quit, but nobody ever gets fired. No matter how bad or how much they totally fuck up. Anybody ever work for an outfit like that? I never did. Every place I ever worked for, you did your job according to specs or you were shown the exit door. Not so with our "decider" guy. Some decider. I thought that was why he got paid the big bucks, to make tough decision. Well, I never did claim to be smart. Good thing to.
Same goes for these neo-cons and the war mongers who have real(?) jobs at news organizations. No matter how wrong they are, they STILL have their jobs. Is it just me, or is America some different place from what it used to be? What ever happened to being responsible? Oh, wait, this IS the Bush 2 administration. End of discussion.
Follow the "leader" I guess. When the leader has never taken responsibility for any thing, particulaily any failure, the troops don't do so either. If anybody has other ideas, let me know, curious charlie @ want to know.org. Be damn funny if that is a real web address. Hey, maybe I could get that domain name, register it for me. LOL. Now, don't you wish like hell that I was asleep instead of doing this? Maybe I am, and this is just a bad dream. No, 'fraid not. One of the kittens just bit my finger. Sorry folks. I DID give you all fair warning.
Mother,call the men in the white coats. Tell them to bring the net, charlie is bloggong again!
OK, back to more serious things. If you haven't yet, please go to www.counterpunch.org and read the entry by Paul Craig Roberts on 4 December 2007. Once again, Mr. Roberts gives the straight story on the American economy and job "outlook". He shows again, how outsourcing and off-shoring of what used to be our jobs is making America a third world country. While big corporations cry about ehe "lack" of Americans to fill some high tech, high skilled jobs, they demand that they be allowed to import more foreign workers to the few remaining high skilled jobs that are still available IN America. He shows how this is a total load of bullshit. We have plenty of engineers, but they cannot find work. Some large corporations even have documented plans to NOT hire Americans for the jobs they need filled. Why? Well, Americans with advanced degress don't work for minimum wages, is one reason. Not only is our government out of touch with reality, so are most of our corporations. All in the quest for the cheapest labor costs. America ends up with people with high skills and advanced degrees tending bar, waiting on tables. What IS the use of a good education in America today? Why go to college, when all you will be able to get for work is in a bar or some fast food joint? What happens to our country then? What sort of leaders is this situation going to create? These are questions every American should demand answers for. Our current crop of "leaders" needs to answer these questions. What do the folks running for president have to say on this? Have any of them been asked? By our main stream media? No, but they may have been asked what they think of the parenting "skills" of Ms. Spears. Got to keep the questions to the politicos "real" ya know.
My "left handed" take on America becoming a third world country is this. It is not a really big deal in the long run. Yes, short term, like one or two generations, it will hurt. Hurt like hell I imagine. But, in the long term, the jobs WILL come back here. Once America is reduced to the status of a third world economy, our wages will be among the lowest in the world. Then, the jobs will start to return as we will be competitive based on cheapness of labor here. OK, so this isn't a rosy picture. Nor is it very helpful/hopeful. True, I agree 100%. But, it does seem that this is the way things are going to play out, whether we like it or not. Why? Because America has never been organized! We have way too many artificial divisions to ever get organized. Look at Europe for instance. They have national strikes at various times. Never happen here, because the machinists won't support the truck drivers, who won't support the nurses, who won't support the teachers, etc,etc,etc. My opinion, we have ourselves partially to blame for this shit mess we are in. We should have realized that we are all in this damn boat together and should have acted that way. Nope, we had to keep our "differences", our little "turf wars" for scraps of power. Big damn deal folks. Just look where that shit got us. Into the fucking goddamn mess we are in today. Sure, the government and big business bear the majority of the blame/fault, but WE let this shit happen. WE never could see past our own selfish noses. WE bear some of the responsibility for this mess. WE now have to make due the best we can and try like hell to clean it up. THEN, WE have to do all we can to insure that it never gets this fucking damn bad EVER again. Tall order? Damn right it is. Is it worth doing? Hell, you tell me. I'm permanently disabled and near 60 years old today. So, you COULD say, why should old charlie give a shit? Well, because this is MY country too goddamn it all. I give a shit, because that is how my Dad taught me to be. Thanks Dad, wish you were here, but am glad in some ways you aren't. Think I am pissed? If Dad was still alive, by the gods, you would see what pissed off really is.
He lived through the depression, was "selected" for military service months before Pearl Harbor, fought in World War 2 and was one of the best people I have ever had the pleasure and honor to have known. He was as honest a man as I have ever known also. Man, he could argue, he would have been a great lawyer, had he had the oppertunity to have gone to law school.
Somehow, WE, Americans have to bail ourselves out of the shit hole we are in today. No, I do not have the answers how. I DO think that if WE, the regular people, the workers who make this outfit run, put our heads together, that somehow, some way, we CAN find some answers. Hell, folks, we sure as the devil cannot do much worse than our chickenshit "leaders" have doen thus far. Since at least Saint Woodrow, America has been on a downhill slide. Actually, go back to dishonest Abe and his dictatorial powers and HIS illegal, unnecccessary war for where it all started going horribly wrong. Shit, even Musharraf in Pakistan has used dishonest Abe as a guiding figure in his crack down on civil liberties in his country. Well, Abe DID shut down newspapers, and he DID suspend habeas corpus, and don't forget that illegal war. Hell, I bet Cheney and Shrubbie love old Abe as well.
Third world status, here we come, ready or not folks. America is in the shitter, and Cheney has his fucking hand on the handle.
And on that sour note, I am going to close for now. More later.........honest. Just consider it a warning.......LOL
semper fi,
charlie
