Month: November 2015

While You Were Otherwise Distracted

While the world was losing its small mind over refugees…..Russia has made in-roads into the Middle East…..for good or bad they are there…..or maybe you were buying into the falsehoods that the candidates are spreading……and then there is the most recent terrorist attacks in Paris……

My point is while you were letting the MSM do your thinking for you a development is taking place in Africa….and no this is not a post about Boko Haram or some other equally disgusting group….nope this is China.

China is establishing its first military base in Africa, according to a top U.S. general, providing yet another sign of its growing reach beyond the Asia-Pacific.

“They are going to build a base in Djibouti, so that will be their first military location in Africa,” U.S. Army Gen. David Rodriguez, the commander of U.S. Africa Command, recently told defense reporters.

Setting up a military base in Africa makes perfect sense given China’s vast economic presence in the region, said J. Peter Pham, director of the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council. The base would be cheaper than China’s current, temporary arrangements that allow for docking ships at Djibouti ports to conduct naval patrols, he said.

The base also gives China an airfield that could significantly improve its intelligence gathering capabilities over the Arabian Peninsula, Egypt, Eastern Libya and well into Central Africa.

The move into Africa represents a challenge to the dominance of the United States, which has its own military base in Djibouti, at Camp Lemonnier, from which it conducts intelligence, counter-piracy and counterterrorism operations.

(thehill.com)

China is spreading its wings into areas that they have never been interested in……why?  Now China is on the Horn Of Africa…..that puts them very close to the Middle East……

The answer to that question could be found in a “white paper”…….In a May white paper, China said its army would “adapt itself to tasks in different regions, develop the capacity of its combat forces for different purposes, and construct a combat force structure for joint operations.”

This move should give the war hawks all they need to expand our interests and actions to try and control this situation…..

All that while you were otherwise distracted……and now you know…..so return to your normal viewing pleasure……

This concludes my day……if you are on the road for the holiday please be careful and be safe I want to see you all Monday…..I will be around for the next 4 days….just not as blog active as usual……

Turn the page!

Reformers And The Devout

I have spent some time in the Middle East…..first as a researcher/analyst for a Spanish newspaper and later as a resident for a couple of months in between jobs……I originally applied for a job at the UN Mission in Tunisia as an analyst but I was beaten out of the job by a guy that had many more letters after his name than I did.

During my studies on international relations and the Middle East I had to take courses in history of the region and a course on the Quran…the theory being to have a good perspective on the people and issues one must have knowledge of the Quran.  (No I did not convert to Islam as some may think)……You see it is difficult to understand the region if one cannot understand the religion.  I do not pretend to be an expert on the Quran…..but I do know enough to NOT condemn a religion because someone else has a hard on for it……

Now with the background out of the way……let us take a leap and say that the world wins this battle with ISIS and/or Al-Qaeda…..for a better Middle East, a more calm and prosperous Middle East there needs to be a few changes, according to some……..

Source: Some Thoughts on Reforming Islam interpretations and Fighting Terrorism | Middle East Briefing

All those that are demonizing Islam for whatever reason….I ask them….what do you want of Muslims?…..conversion to your “approved” religion or maybe just kill them all……

In closing….I have found that many who want to sound semi-intelligent when writing or talking about the Middle East and the problems always find these quotes from the Quran to justify their hatred…..especially when it comes to what they want to call jihad or the war against the West….first of all the modern jihad came into being in the 1940’s when the Muslim leader of Palestine called for it to try and stop the influx of Brits and Jews (that is as simply as I can put it…if someone wants a more detailed history lesson then I will provide upon request)…..

I have tried to not comment on all the hate speak against the Quran as the inspiration for the actions of ISIS and such groups……originally I posted that if one uses the Quran as the true words of God then Surah 63 should remove all doubt how the devout feel about these groups…..(at least to me…..)

al-Munafiqun (the hypocrites)

1. When the hypocrites come to you, they say, “We bear witness that you are God’s Messenger.” God knows that you are His Messenger, and God bears witness that the hypocrites are liars.

2. They treat their oaths as a cover, and so they repel others from God’s path. Evil is what they do.

3. That is because they believed, and then disbelieved; so their hearts were sealed, and they cannot understand.

4. When you see them, their appearance impresses you. And when they speak, you listen to what they say. They are like propped-up timber. They think every shout is aimed at them. They are the enemy, so beware of them. God condemns them; how deluded they are!

5. And when it is said to them, “Come, the Messenger of God will ask forgiveness for you,” they bend their heads, and you see them turning away arrogantly.

6. It is the same for them, whether you ask forgiveness for them, or do not ask forgiveness for them; God will not forgive them. God does not guide the sinful people.

If the only Muslim you know is on FOX News then please keep your bullsh*t comments to yourself…….

 

Rubio the Inflexible Hawk | The American Conservative

Okay, everyone sit down!  I admit it…I read the American Conservative….you see I have no problem with conservatism but I do with what neo-liberals pretend to be conservative….they are NOT!

I get the feeling that I could be some sort of anomaly among bloggers……I read all sources of information not just the stuff that will enhance my blog-speak…..

I have heard that Rubio could be the next big thing for the GOP….more so than Cruz, who just about everybody hates and Jeb, who cannot find his ass with both hands and a flashlight……then there are the frontrunners of today, Trump and Carson, they just want attention…..but Rubio is not a conserv and his foreign policy is nothing to be proud of…..that is if you consider yourself a conservative.

As I was reading Evan Osnos’ long profile of Rubio and his “political dexterity,” I was struck by this section near the end:Hillary Clinton favors an activist American foreign policy, and Rubio me

Source: Rubio the Inflexible Hawk | The American Conservative

Since I firmly believe that 2016 will be an election where foreign policy will be the most pressing issue for the next president……Rubio is NOT your man for the presidency.

100 years later: 5 timeless lessons from Joe Hill

A couple of decades ago I was a delegate for the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)…..a union organizer and activist…..and back in the early years of the 20th century when labor was starting to organize to help workers and their lives…….labor is still as despised as it was make in the day on difference is they use political games instead of baseball bats to defeat the movement…….back in the beginning  there was an organizer named Joe Hill….

In 1902, after the death of his parents, Joe and his brother Paul immigrated to America where they expected to “scrape gold off the ground.” After working various jobs in New York City, Joe moved to Chicago and found work in a machine shop. Shortly thereafter, he was fired from his job and blacklisted for attempting to organize the workers. As a result, Joel Haaglund changed his name to Joe Hill. He traveled extensively around the country before joining the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) in San Pedro, California in 1910.

Joe quickly became immersed in the IWW and devoted his life to the “awakening of ‘illiterates’ and ‘scum’ to an original, personal conception of society and the realization of the dignity and rights of their part in it.” He wrote songs like “The Preacher and the Slave” and “Casey Jones – the Union Scab” to inspire solidarity in the ranks of the IWW and to recruit new members. He encouraged a “conscientious withdrawal of efficiency,” which was not a call for violence, but rather a sprinkle of sand in the workings of machinery, and, more specifically, the efforts of non-union friendly employers.

In 1914, on his way from California to Chicago, Hill stopped to earn some money in the Utah mines. There he encountered three friends who he had met while working in San Pedro: Otto Applequist and the Eselius Brothers. Edward and John Eselius allowed Joe to live at their house as a guest. Otto Applequist was one of Joe’s closest friends and may have been involved in the alleged murder of the Morrison’s. Joe Hill was eventually convicted of murdering John and Arling Morrison, and took his last breath in Utah before the firing squad. His trip to Chicago was eventually completed – in a casket.

There many things that Joe Hill teaches the labor movement……things that can be applied today….things that would make the American worker more important than they are today……

Source: 100 years later: 5 timeless lessons from Joe Hill

​ The Baltic: The Land Of Wonder | Ace News Room

Once again I have written an article for my friends at Ace News room……people in the US are starting to sound like they did back in 1960’s….it is all about what Russia is up to as opposed to what the USSR was up to back in the day….

This world is becoming multi-polar….the US is no longer the dominate power in the world…..others are gaining and as they gain the same games played during the Cold War are returning to our foreign policy….

The Baltic nations illustrate this game perfectly…..

Source: ​ The Baltic: The Land Of Wonder | Ace News Room

The List: Are We Checking It Twice?

You know that I am highly critical of a lot of programs of the US government……and I know I am not alone….the difference is that I try to give an alternative to the paths that we pursue….and terrorism is no different.

The Paris attacks of last week have Americans as well as the rest of the world trying to re-think their security procedures.

The attacks last week has brought up a wealth of questions….like how did the terrorist stay in France or Belgium if he was a known terrorist on that list that gets passed around with the names of those that should be considered dangerous.  How did this person come and go without knowledge of the authorities?

If you would like a better perspective of how the French approach counter-terrorism…..then read on…..

Source: The French Approach to Counterterrorism | Combating Terrorism Center at West Point

Personally, I think that the approach of the “home team” needs a new direction.  These days it is about massive surveillance out on the street and the infiltration of possible groups that want to do harm…..the problem is that the government is spending massive amounts of cash to be able to film you peeing behind a dumpster on Main Street or infiltrating some group of mentally starved youths so they can be conned into wanting to buy C4…..

Maybe the government could spend more time on those at the top of the list and not worry about where I pee….just a thought.

The List?  Yep, there is a list.

There is a Terror List…..and on that list there are 325,000 names of people of interests…..

The National Counterterrorism Center maintains a central repository of 325,000 names of international terrorism suspects or people who allegedly aid them, a number that has more than quadrupled since the fall of 2003, according to counterterrorism officials.

The list kept by the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC) — created in 2004 to be the primary U.S. terrorism intelligence agency — contains a far greater number of international terrorism suspects and associated names in a single government database than has previously been disclosed. Because the same person may appear under different spellings or aliases, the true number of people is estimated to be more than 200,000, according to NCTC officials.

……..central database is the hub of an elaborate network of terrorism-related databases throughout the federal bureaucracy. Terrorism-related names and other data are sent to the NCTC under standards set by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 6, signed by President Bush in September 2003, according to a senior NCTC official. The directive calls upon agencies to supply data only about people who are “known or appropriately suspected to be . . . engaged in conduct constituting, in preparation for, in aid of, or related to terrorism.”

You know because I person reads Arabic newspapers does not make them a “terrorist”…..but somehow that person is probably on this list…..

Washington has decided to act in the shadow of Paris……

I know that many are afraid of losing their 2nd amendment rights….usually it it the same people that would deny 1st amendment rights to some Americans……there is a bill coming up that many may not know about…..I can help…..

A significant gap in current federal law allows suspected or known terrorists in the United States to legally buy guns. Since 2001, lone-wolf terrorists have increasingly turned to high-powered guns as their weapon of choice. An investigation found that between Feb. 2004 and Dec. 2014, suspected terrorists attempted to purchase guns at least 2,233 times. In 2,043 of those cases, over 90 percent of the time, individuals on the consolidated terror watch list passed a background check and were legally able to purchase a firearm.

The Denying Firearms and Explosives to Dangerous Terrorists Act, or S. 551 / H.R. 1076, would close the terror gap and prevent suspected terrorists from easily buying guns.

Learn how the bill would keep guns out of the hands of terror suspects.

Okay….I await the attacks and the craziness……

Fly The Crowded Skies Of Syria

Last Friday I wrote a post about the crowded skies over Syria and the possibility of something that could gone wrong…..in case you did not bother to read the post I offer it up here……

Source: The Crowded Skies Of Syria | In Saner Thought

I got some blow back on the post……nothing derogatory or insulting but since the post……. the news this morning was…..

Turkey shot down a Russian warplane Tuesday, claiming it had violated Turkish airspace and ignored repeated warnings. Russia denied that the plane crossed the Syrian border into Turkish skies. “We are looking into the circumstances of the crash of the Russian jet,” Russia’s Defense Ministry said. “The Ministry of Defense would like to stress that the plane was over the Syrian territory throughout the flight.” Russia said the Su-24 was downed by artillery fire, but Turkey claimed that its F-16s fired on the Russian plane after it ignored several warnings. The ministry said the pilots parachuted, but it added that Moscow had no further contact with them. More:

  • Video footage of the incident showed a warplane on fire before crashing on a hill and two crew members apparently parachuting safely. According to Turkey’s Dogan news agency, a Russian helicopter flew low over the Bayirbucak Turkmen region in northern Syria, searching for the two pilots.
  • A Turkish military statement said the plane entered Turkish airspace over the town of Yayladagi, in Hatay province. “Two F-16 planes on aerial patrol duty in the area intervened against the plane in question in accordance with the rules of engagement at 9:24am,” the statement said, adding that the plane had been warned 10 times in the space of five minutes.
  • Russian authorities say the plane was one of dozens flying sorties as part of the country’s bombing campaign in Syria, reports the Washington Post, which notes that since Turkey is a NATO member, the downing of the jet is bound to increase friction between Moscow and the West.
  • Reuters reports that activists say the plane crashed in a mountainous part of Syria’s Latakia province, where government forces have been fighting insurgents. A Syrian rebel group has sent Reuters video of what it says is the body of one of the Russian pilots.

(newser)

But what about the crew men of the plane shot down?

The two crew ejected from the stricken plane, the Russian defence ministry said, but the fate of the pilots was not known.

A leader of Turkmen forces in the north of Syria said his men had fired on the pilots as they parachuted, killing one.

Jahed Ahmad, of the Free Syrian Army’s 10th Brigade in the Coast, told the AP news agency that the pilots had attempted to land in a Syrian government-held area.

The group published graphic video showing gunmen standing around a bruised and bloodied pilot who appeared dead.

The Turkmens in northern Syria are allied with rebel groups seeking the overthrow of Syrian president and Russian ally Bashar al-Assad.

If true this incident could be problematic on its own……

This is an incident and I believe that more could come…..there are so many players doing the same thing……it will be interesting to see how the US government spins this incident…..

I closing……. the four most beautiful words in the English language……I TOLD YOU SO!

Some Veterans Figure It Out

I seems like every week we creep closer and closer to yet another “war”…..I will admit that I am an anti-war person or as I was called back in the day a ‘peace-nik”…..when I returned from Vietnam I started down my path to try and get people to see that wars are not always what they are told…..that there were nefarious reasons for war…..and it had little to do with “God and country”….

I read this piece in the LA Progressive and thought that it was something that everyone should read….

Source: Some Veterans Figure It Out

My two tours of duty in Vietnam helped me to become an activist….war changes people sometimes for the better…..only someone that faced death in a war zone will understand what I am saying….it is not something that can be explained to someone who was not there….when I was sent to talk with a therapist I would ask one question…..”were you there”?  If the answer was no then I would walk out…..opinions are like assholes….everybody has one but if you have no first hand knowledge then your opinion carries NO weight.

Okay, I’m off my soapbox…..any comments?

“Disrupt, Degrade And Destroy”

These are the words of…..well…..damn near everyone in the Western world…..every leader that hunts down the closest mic has made that statement in one form or the other……

Now ask yourself….what are the realistic chances that this will be accomplished?

I offer up a couple of perspectives on this subject for you to see what is being said out of the view of the TV cameras and the babbling of presidential candidates….there is more to the policies against ISIS than the lines muttered by people that cannot spell ISIS much less have an idea of what to do……

These two articles give an analysis of the situation that we are dealing with in our conflict with ISIS/AQ……

Source: Is defeating the Islamic State impossible? – Al-Monitor: the Pulse of the Middle East

Source: Confronting the Islamic State

Before I some moronic eye roll from d/bags that get their news from Right wing news outlets and bottom feeding bloggers……try reading the articles and use your brain for something other than sponge for idiocy…..