Strategy and Iraq

Strategy and Katrina

I don't critisize the U.S. war on terrorism, including the war in Iraq. The strategy is the strategy. I have disagreements with some tactics and a few of the major turns, but I don't talk about them or write about them. You are with us or with the terrorists. And the enemies are significant enough to the future that I choose to support the strategy. It's not my job to put forth another strategy. For effectiveness against the enemies I support the strategy.

But now, I respectfully suggest changes are in order. The response to the catastrophe in New Orleans was too slow. For 5 days devastated New Orleans waited for help while we outside the area watched on television while citizens floundered. As future calamities will occur in the U.S., and quick and efficient response will be needed, the leadership in some government agencies needs changing.

Michelle Malkin suggested a place to start.
michellemalkin.com
update 10-01-2005:
Michelle got her wish, Michael Brown resigned as director of FEMA. But, obviously, it would be wrong to single him out for blame. I will fill out my comments a little later. I am considering a theory that says the governmental philosophies now in use are incomplete for the situation that Katrina presented. My most generous comments will blame weak math skills of those in charge, and if that turns out to be not applicable I guess we would have to consider plain stupidity, malfeasence, or unintentional negligence or intentional negligence.

Deporting Terrorism

Whoa - don't deport the terrorism. Are you stupid? It just comes back, or goes off somewhere else. Snuff it out if you are so inclined. Or if you are not inclined to snuffing terrorism, at least alert someone.

Illegal Immigration

It seems in the discussions regarding illegal immigration from Mexico, USA politicians, USA business, USA homeowners, and Mexico will make the public relations effort to defeat interests of USA citizen worker undergraduate categories: young people, construction workers, manufacturing workers, service workers... and... really... all wage earners - as labor cost pressure everywhere lessens as illegal labor soaks whole targeted sections of the market, thus making illegal immgration attractive to the aforementioned classes of employers while being a win-win for everyone except citizen workers.

A better solution for the United State is to increase to a much higher level legal immigration from Mexico as illegal immigration is stopped and illegals are prosecuted and deported. This way, the USA can have more ability in the competitive world markets in the future. This will cause labor costs to increase somewhat, but it is the right thing to do for USA citizen workers.

Italy is awesome! 
This photo is from the ISS.. looking from North towards South..South being at the top of the photo. Italy's boot toe is towards the upper left.

Mankind murderous?

Maybe mankind is just murderous. I have been believing murders are done because some of us just lack empathy - are sociopathic. And other murders are done in the heat of a moment, under weight of emotion, of passion.
The story of Cain and Abel, it seems, is that Cain murdered Abel for an arbitrary reason, and ever since, murders are done on a regular basis for seemingly arbitrary reasons, many of which the reason for the murder does not seem to fit. It seems the goals of the perpetrators could be attained for far less a cost. And as we analyze the murders, and try to find cause for it, we usually choose one of two categories for the perpetrator - sociopath or passion killer.
By the way, to use another Bible story, Cain and Abel's mother Eve seemingly made an arbitrary decision to believe a reptile's say-so regarding the order of things rather than take the word of her creator as truthful.

A question.. can't a hot topic usually reduce to who has a right to something? Another.. if the Bible has accuracy, that would make God the owner of everything, no? Is this the crux of our disagreements now?
Are we not arguing about who has the right to what?
Theists and atheists really just disagree about the propriety of things, no? After some more, if the Bible story is just a story and the atheists are correct that existence came to be by incidental physical and chemical processes, it follows that the universe isn't owned by anyone and is free for the taking.

As a boy grows he is given the images of fighting and killing men and is probably given to the thought of growing up to be a fighting and killing man. I guess it is his betters that teach him about justice and compassion for others and help him understand something about the vocational choices. For the millions of us, their are some in our numbers that don't interpret the situation regarding murder the way we want them to. It would seem that by the sheer numbers of us there will always be some that don't take to the conventions of obeying rules regarding murder.

But even more, what about social systems that take apart those conventions against murder? How the hell do they get started? How are they defeated? How do you prevent an Auschwitz? a holocaust?

enemies

Many types of appeasements are floated. Why?

Do you think the USA needs to be knocked down a couple notches? Why?

Do you think there's too much freedom in the world? Is your jealousy so unmanageable?

Are you so shaky that you would give in to destructors, and only hope they allow you to try to have a better sense of yourself?

Democrats currently

[update 09/06/2011: I regret that I wrote this particular post in 2005, because my opinion of Republicans has changed. And I believe now that Hillary Clinton may have been been the better tactician for America on the world stage, though I still believe the Democrats' opposition to the administration at almost every turn was unwise in style and tactics, though looking back I cannot critisize them otherwise, in light of the costs to our men and women.

Reversing myself on this post is an unwanted chore, I do it to try to preserve my credibility to myself and to make sure I'm always mindful of the above mentioned costs to America's men and women as I am proud of all my words and opinions here - about the world which I happily still have.]

Regarding Hillary Clinton and the others.

The tactic is their strategy - feign critical and analytical scrutiny of the administration to stoke opposition.

An example that makes this clear is Clinton's enclosed statement in Iraq 2/20/05 that the adminstration should engage fully in all options regarding Iran, Syria, and Russia, stated as if the administration is not diligent and prefers war.

This is Clintonian politics, she can't be serious.

Remember the Tsunami

The John Tesh and Connie Selleca family went to the tsunami disaster area and upon their return John and Connie spoke on the Cal Thomas show about their mission to a province of Sri Lanka to try to help the tsunami victims. They said people still need help badly, 'so please don't forget them'. And a point Connie Selleca mentioned is that there is great need in the people for emotional support and mental health support, such as therapy for post traumatic stress syndrome.

FutureGovernment

Someone in a well known organization wrote that a one-world government may be acceptable in about a hundred years. The writer seems to assume the form will be socialistic.

I may one day agree with these two points, but right now I don't agree. Future people living with that theoretical government will be dubious. That's the way inheritors are.

Right now I'm thinking peaceful free existence for people in the future would only happen if the form is constitutional, featuring rights for individuals, and that allows for freedom of individual expression in a good society.

Children slave traffic

I just saw on "Scarborough Country" Lisa Thompson of the Salvation Army, specialist in trying to stop child sex slave trafficking. She said the Salvation Army is and has already been working to try to stop child sex slave trafficking in the countries affected by the tsunami. I was glad to hear her say that, she seemed to speak competently on the subject.

Dr. Bob Arnot was also on the show advising that Save the Children and WorldVision are also working to try to protect the children from this peril.

This is important beyond the immediate situation. Children so exploited are effectively ruined for life - tortured and effectively killed though they live. It is important to stop and prevent child trafficking in the world to defeat evil in the world.

Fresh Water

Message sent:
Every available helicopter should be delivering drinking water in liters and gallons to all the people in every outlying area affected by the tsunami continually now and until the native supplies are safe sometime in the future.


I keep visualizing persons remotely isolated with no fresh water. I sent this message to four news organizations a few days ago hopeful that people will be saved by fresh water deliveries.

Of course it is heartening to see on the news that helicopters are dropping off water and supplies to isolated persons. I hope this continues for the sake of health of the isolated individuals and the affected countries.

My New Blog

rjburk here, first post.

Maybe all the important comments have been made. 2004 was big. A big century awaits.

Yet.

The tsunami occurred one week ago. I think reponse in the first few days was too slow to the outlying areas for some people that suffered and died and others that were traumatized.

It's great to see the response to the tsunami now.