15 September 2012

War without end............ever

Hold on folks, here we go again.
Death and destruction seem to follow the US no matter where "we" go. Yes, this is all to do with the death of the US ambassador to Libya along with some members of his staff this past week. I had decided to make no comment on this, so many other things going on here in the US and in my own personal life right now, finding the time to post is not as easy as it has been. Oh well, sometimes events just demand my time and the rest of life just has to sit and wait until I get back with them.

We are being told that some garbage movie is the main cause of this upsurge in violence against America and any of its representatives in the Middle East/North Africa. In addition to the killings in Libya, which I deplore as all life should be respected, there have been demonstrations with violence against US embassies in Egypt, Yemen, and Sudan to mention just three other countries supposedly "inspired" by a tenth rate (ay best) film that may not even exist.

What is that I just said? The film "may not even exist"? Yes, yes I DID say that, and with reason. I have not found a single web site, admittedly I have NOT checked the entire net, who has? Nobody is who, as it would be an impossible task to check the entire net. Nobody has that mush time nor the endurance/stomach for such and undertaking. The web sites that I have checked and they are sites that I respect have not made any mention of anybody seeing the entire film that seems to be the cause celebrate that set off this violence against America and its symbols.

I must state up front that I abhor ALL killing. I have seen more than enough violence and killing to last ten life times. Any who have been through war and combat can say the same. War, as some great philosophers have said, is just mass murder. The killing of ambassador Stevens is a crime and those responsible need to be found and made to answer for this killing. This needs to be done properly, by the appropriate agencies according to legal means, NOT by some drone strikes and/or "special" ops types in the dead of night. Yes, on this I am in disagreement with our Peace Prizident Gobomber and his side kick madam Secretary of State Hi-Larry Clintstone. More blood shed will not bring back any of the dead and will just add to the death and destruction of so many innocents. Killing is never the answer to a situation. Take it from a war veteran, killing solves nothing. As our "dear ;eager" sends Marines and drones to Libya to hunt down the "evil ones"/"wrong doers", as W. Shrub would call them, we are just going to perpetuate the killing.

Back to the supposed film that we are told is the "reason" for these outbursts of rage against America, who has seen the entire film? Anybody? Does the film actually exist? Is the "trailer" on You Tube the entire extent of it? If anybody does know, that person or persons are keeping very quiet as of today. Another thing about the trailer for said film,it was posted on You Tube back in early July of this year. Now, if the film/trailer are so offensive to Islam, why did it take so long to generate such a response? When the Satanic Verses first came out, a fatwa was issued immediately and poor Mr. Rushdie went into hiding the same day. Is it not very odd that a bit of garbage that insults Islam and the prophet posted in early July took until the anniversary of "9/11" to explode?
Also, the supposed "producer" of this film seems to be one hard person to actually pin down. We are told by some that he is an Israeli/American by one source. He is also described by others as an Egyptian who is a member of the Coptic Christian faith. He also seems to have more names than half the New York city phone book. OK, that last may be a bit exaggerated, but not by much from my searches so far.
Other reports claim that the actors who are in the trailer were unaware of the "true" nature of this film. Really? Just who are these actors and how reliable are they? Yes, I know, I AM raising more questions than answers. Life is like that at times. Will we ever get the answers to these questions? When we do, if ever, will it matter?
All this and an upcoming presidential election tossed in just to make life so much more "interesting" for us all. Oh, and as to said election, how many of you are fed up with all the calls, mostly from supposed "leftist" sites that this is the most important election EVER? How many times will Americans fall for that bit of tired old horse manure? Holy crap people, we got this exact (and I DO mean EXACT) horse crap back in 1992 when Billy Bob Bubba first ran for "war criminal in chief", er, I mean POTUS (president of the United States). And, remember?, 1996, we got the very SAME again. Don't forget the "stolen" election of 2000 or even the follow-ip in 2004. And, yep, recently back in 2008, ANOTHER goddamn "most important election EVER!!". Well, I call totally BULL SHIT to that. Stick THAT in your pipes donkey gang, AND smoke it as well, you deserve it and more. Oh, in case you had not noticed, I AM goddamn pissed at the two wings of the war party, the donkey and elephant gangs, other wise know as Democrat and Republicans. Or as they truly are, demo-cants and rethuglicants. Notice they BOTH contain "can't" in their names. Damn straight. Real truth in advertising there folks. Neither wing of the war party seem able to not only do something useful for the working class and the poor, they are unable to even care at all about us, until they come begging for our votes. It is a sham and a scam people. Once upon a time, this country (America) was a constitutional republic. It was never a true democracy, even the founders were wary of that, but they did give us a republic, as Ben Franklin supposedly told some person, we have a "republic IF we could keep it". It looks increasingly like we have not kept it, and we are all the poorer for that loss.
Staying with the election, a further comment is due. Check the recent post by John Lee at his web site Robinlea. The link is on the right side of this page. Basically he asks us to vote for ANY party other than the "big two". All I can say is "right on John!". As John states clearly, a vote for either wing of the war party is a vote for more war and more war crimes. Time to say ENOUGH! Enough bull shit. Enough of pissing on us and telling us it is raining.
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Over at another site listed in the links on this page, Dangerous creation, David gives his look at the hippies. No, I wasn't a hippy in the 60's. I spent the later part of that decade and the first two years of the 70's in the Marines. Still, I believe in the ideals of the hippies. Things like "war is unhealthful to children and other living things". How many who were aware back then can remember the poster of the female Native American with the caption Better Red than dead? Yeah, that was a good one and very popular even with my fellow Marines. Hey, we were suckers for cute women, we were basically kids, until we got to Vietnam any way. Anti war posters were in many of the huts and shelters in Vietnam. Who was going to "punish" us for posting them all over the walls? What could they do to us that might be punishment" We were in bloody Vietnam after all. Where could they send us that was worse? Send us to the brig? At least we would not have been killing then, so they "allowed" the posters.
Believe it or not, at least back then, the military were more anti-war than one might think. Hey, we KNEW who would be doing the killing and dying, and it was NOT the kids who burned their draft cards. The old "prepare for war, pray for peace", those signs were around the area during boot camp.  We KNEW who was going to be in place when the proverbial "shit hit the fan". Hell yes, we'd be the ones bleeding our guts out for nothing. Just as the troops are bleeding today around the globe, for obscene profits for the very, very few and diddly shit for everybody else. Not very much has changed since the Vietnam war days. Some of the hippies sold out for a three piece suit, a corner office, and a BMW, but some of us, yes, even us vets, still hold to the ideals of treating ALL people as we wish to be treated.

Now, here is a question for you. I realize it needs to be asked of the leaders of EVERY religion, but they don't read this blog, and are sorrier for it if I might brag some. Just why is it that nearly every religion teaches tolerance and treating ALL people as we wish to be treated, why do they and their followers seem to NOT follow this "golden rule"?  And to some who may be very religious Christians, this applies to YOUR religion as well as any other. Your own Jesus commanded YOU to "do unto others as you would have them do unto you". OK, so WHEN are you going to start doing so? Yes, I AM picking on you. It is way to easy and done far too often to pick on Islam. Also, I am not all that "up" on that faith.
Having lived through the fallout from that infamous beating given out by the Los Angeles police to Rodney King, I lived in southern California until the spring of 2000, even after all that he had suffered through that man asked the entire community; "Can't we just please get along with each other?".  That may not be a 100% accurate quote, but the meaning of his request is there. So, now I ask ALL people of every religion, no religion, creed, etc; can't we all just get along with each other? Is it asking too much to stop the wars and killing? Is the very idea of treating ALL people as you wish to be treated such a foreign idea that you are repelled by it?  OK, if not, then WHEN are we all going to start? IS today too soon? I think not, but then, who the hell am I? Nobody, nobody special at all, just a man who is damn sick of the senseless killing and endless damn fool wars of choice.
semper fi

19 comments:

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Hi Charlie, I wished the humanity you represent could be transferred to all the politicians who handle and treat so careless what ever they touch.
I appreciate your 2 cents. T.

charlie ehlen said...

Titania,
Thank you for your kind comment.

Tao Dao Man said...

Fasten your seat belts folks.
This is prime territory and timing for another false flag.
I am sure that O and Shillary are trying their best to keep everything under the rug, at least until after the election.
I am sure O and his team have the Drones R U.S.A. on the ready.
He and his personal hit list are itching for some more of that shock and awe.
The recent uprisings from Tunisia all the way to Malaysia could bring about the end of the modern day Ottoman [American] Empire of influence in MENA.

Bill the Butcher said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Bill the Butcher said...

Hi, Charlie, about to go to work so I can only just drop a line.

The point you made about the film, well, apparently it exists, and was shown once, in some minor theatre, to an audience of less than ten people, and those were distinctly underwhelmed.

The trailer was posted on YouTube in July and of course didn't make a mark. I've posted many videos on YouTube, and without publicity those never got views. It;s the orchestrated publicity which made this one go viral - nobody would hav heard of it otherwise. And the question that should be asked is, who arranged this publicity and why?

Have been extremely busy of late at work...the next few days will be a bit more free so hopefully I can get some good writing done till then.

As for your personal life, I hope things are OK. A lot of my friends in recent years made remarks about their personal lives which presaged major problems, and death in one case; so I worry.

Bill the Butcher said...

Just a word about the Satanic Verses. That horribly-written book (it's virtually unreadable) actually didn't rouse any reaction at first. But the then Indian government, trying to appease Hindu fundamentalists, had put itself in a position where it had to appease Mulsim fundamentalists to balance things. So, apart from some retrograde anti-female legislation in Muslim personal law, it chose to ban the book. Only after India banned the book did the world start noticing it. And only then was the fatwa issued.

Sierra said...

Great post, Charlie!

That movie! I thought it was just me like I was out of touch again and did not even see a trailer for that film. Nor have I seen the actual name of the filmmaker. Really all came out of nowhere and on 9/11 -a "Muslim" killing. We don't even know who did the killing. The leaders say it was foreigners who did it. The people killed in a safe house far from the rioting. Things that make you go hmmm.

charlie ehlen said...

RZ,
Yes my friend, we are in for one hell of a ride. It matters very little, if at all, which clown "wins" the election in November. Both are tools of the banksters and the war industries.
America, what a country.

charlie ehlen said...

Bill,
Thank you for putting the "Satanic Verses" into the actual time line. If I ever did know the information you posted here, I forget it. Most likely I only heard of the book after the fatwa was issued. Hey, we didn't have the internet as we have it today back then. We basically had to rely on TV "news" and the papers. Yes, the bad old days if you will.
I DID see one report, and only one, which mentioned the "full" movie being screened and yes, to a small group of people who were NOT impressed. Because I only found one such report, I did not include it. I try to use only items from sites I trust and that also have multiple such articles on more than just one site. Personally, I think that only using any one site as your frame of reference is not a good idea. I am NOT saying any of you folks do so, just making my own view point a bit cleared to all. As an example, if a story only seems to be on one web site or source, I do not use it. I try to verify even trusted sites/sources. I wonder if I'd have made a half way decent investigator/investigative reporter. Maybe in my next life.........LOL.
Thank you for your input Bill, it is appreciated as are ALL comments from ALL who stop by and comment.

charlie ehlen said...

Sierra,
Excellent comments. I have not seen the entire film nor the trailer. I am not disinterested, just wonder if my time might not be better used in research or just reading for enjoyment.
Plain old curiosity MAY get me to check the trailer as it is still on "You Tube".
I wonder if we will ever get the truth on 9/11 and much of what has happened since then. Like the JFK assassination, there is much that is still highly classified.
The "powers that be" treat us like mushrooms; keep us in the dark and feed us bull s**t.
Thank you for your input.

david g said...

Great article, Charlie! Thanks for contributing to World Peace.

If we all became Hippies, it wouldn't be so bad, would it? Just love and flowers and music and simplicity and caring...

Take care now!

charlie ehlen said...

David,
Thank you for your kind words.
If we all lived to the ideals of that time I do think we would all be better off. Imagine no more wars, people living in peace with each other. Yes, much better that way.

Manuel Garcia, jr. said...

Enjoyed your comments on voting in US elections. I've arrived at quite similar conclusions. As to the Islam-insult film, I think it is certainly a trigger to blind anger, which springs from blindly religious perspectives, but I also think the past history of US support for repressive governments in countries whose people are now trying to liberate themselves has added to the pent up resentment being vented in the streets. As to your eternal question about "why can't we get along?" I guess I have to fall back on ancient answers: fear, ignorance, selfishness, greed, a lack of a personal center, a lack of understanding how to lead a fulfilling life, are all too common among the world's people, and these deficiencies of character just bog down the whole network of "getting along" that we all wish for. Thinking along these lines makes me appreciate those I do connect with. Best wishes.

charlie ehlen said...

Mr. garcia,
Thank you for your comments.
While the trailer for "that film" may have been a contributing factor in the recent anti-US protests and deaths, I think that the 30th anniversary of the massacres at the camps of Sabra and Shatila added to the whole. I agree that recent US histories of invading Muslim nations is a large part of it as well. The leadership of America seem intent on upsetting the 1.2 billion people who are members of the Islamic faith. That is beyond dumb and in my opinion is gross stupidity. Whatever "plan" they may be working from is terribly flawed to say the least.
I suppose my wish for us all to just "get along" with each other is a dream that may never happen. Well, OK, then I'll remain a dreamer of sorts. I do still think it could happen, but it would not be easy nor would the world change be rapid. Still, I can dream for now.

john francis lee said...

Hi Charlie,

I lifted your column again ...

Charlie Ehlen : War without end ... ever.

I've read it several times by now and I like it more with each reading.

Appreciate your taking the time to share your thoughts and experience.

UU4077 said...

Hi, Charlie:

I regularly read your blog. I find it very insightful.

Keep up your great work.

FYI - I am Canadian.

All the best!

uu4077

charlie ehlen said...

UU4077
Thank you for your support.
I still prefer the CBC to most anything the US media passes out as news.

UU4077 said...

CBC still has its moments. Hopefully it survives the next 4 years - until the next federal election. (BBC and Al Jazeera do a pretty good job globally.)

charlie ehlen said...

UU4077,
I agree somewhat on BBC, even al-Jazeera. Though in my view, al-Jazeera took a hit with the news they had from Libya. It seemed more biased than they usually had been. Just my own opinion which matters to nobody other than me, and even at times not to me.
The BBC gets a few hits as well at times. No news outfit is ever going to be 100% bias free, even PBS in the US has a slant that has been getting less "liberal" every year. Again, just my own view.
I hope CBC survives. I like old Rex Murphy and of course Peter Mansbridge. Yes, they are biased also, but they still beat any of the US networks (nut works). CBC, BBC, and al-Jazeera top high above ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, and of course Faux Noise (fox news) {as some call it; fixed noise}.
Maybe I expect too much from the US news. Of course I do remember Ed Murrow on the tube, and grew up with "uncle" Walter Cronkite and that lot.
Maybe my expectations are too high for the "talent" employed by the US "news" net(nut)works. Oh well, and so it goes.