Stop using the words meme and paradigm. They don't make you sound smarter unless you are some sort of scholar or expert. They just make you sound like you are a pretentious insecure loser trying to sound smart.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Monday, February 20, 2012
Scoring the Global War on Terror: From Liberation to Assassination in Three Quick Rounds | Common Dreams
Scoring the Global War on Terror: From Liberation to Assassination in Three Quick Rounds | Common Dreams: "Scoring the Global War on Terror: From Liberation to Assassination in Three Quick Rounds
by Andrew Bacevich
With the United States now well into the second decade of what the Pentagon has styled an “era of persistent conflict,” the war formerly known as the global war on terrorism (unofficial acronym WFKATGWOT) appears increasingly fragmented and diffuse. Without achieving victory, yet unwilling to acknowledge failure, the United States military has withdrawn from Iraq. It is trying to leave Afghanistan, where events seem equally unlikely to yield a happy outcome. "
by Andrew Bacevich
With the United States now well into the second decade of what the Pentagon has styled an “era of persistent conflict,” the war formerly known as the global war on terrorism (unofficial acronym WFKATGWOT) appears increasingly fragmented and diffuse. Without achieving victory, yet unwilling to acknowledge failure, the United States military has withdrawn from Iraq. It is trying to leave Afghanistan, where events seem equally unlikely to yield a happy outcome. "
If I had a week or two, my blue-collar, ADHD brain could write a book about this- just based on my memories of news stories and people I have known....I don't know how else to describe this...except in the shortest version of it I can manage: (and YES, I know this is too long and YES I know it is lacking in references...but YES I could destroy every argument the Right-Wing Freaks make if I had the time and the money. Sometimes wrong is just WRONG.)
If you haven't seen 'No End in Sight' DO SO-ASAP. Iraq may be over, but, it could have been done right except for some 'mistakes'. I fully believe that...even though it was B.S. to begin with.
We are a point where our generals are often vastly more more well educated and aware than our civilian leaders. They (on paper) have better ideas and will speak the truth about what is needed to achieve objectives... but then the civilians change their minds.
Not that the generals are perfect, but look at their resumes as compared to who has been giving the orders for a decade.
I was raised by a PHD (and a veteran) who taught me to distrust 'the Military' as potential makers of policy. It was part of his generational movement.
Well, his generational movement succeeded.
It forced military leaders to be scholars beyond what most politicians can imagine.
It made them pragmatic, smarter, and accountable...except now to politicians who are stupider and more corrupt than in the history of...well, just about any nation since man looked at itsself and and decided,'"Damn, we do alot of dumb shit for dumb reasons. We ought to change that!"
.....An idea that, ironically enough, seems to have started with the martyrdom of a man who belonged to a faith that now seems to believe that weapons with the power to utterly erase all of the glory that God bestowed upon this rock are holy (or wholly-depending upon your flavor of retarded extremism) a reason for starting WWIII.
Just saying....
...and before you accuse my sorry, blue collar, American ass of being anti-semitic?
The Nation of Israel and especially its people should be protected to the death by anyone who believes in freedom.
Their current Government?
...ehhhhhh?
notsomuch.
Right-Wing asshats whose rhetoric sounds exactly like 1930s Nazi propaganda.
Look it up.
Seriously.
I have no problem with us selling them F-16s, small arms, etc.
The fact that a tiny nation has designed and built some of the most incredible self-defense technology should be a model for the World.
I have NO problem with them having a nuclear arsenal.
None.
Seriously.
Look at the oppression and genocide.
If anybody needs a deterrent, they do.
..and I am NOT entirely against the idea of targeted assassinations....but?
Too many douchebags in power.
The IDF and the mindset it instills upon the civilian population?
PERFECT!
All nations should be so well trained, aware, and prepared.
Their current government is an insult to humanity-especially the 'faith' it purports to defend.
.....An idea that, ironically enough, seems to have started with the martyrdom of a man who belonged to a faith that now seems to believe that weapons with the power to utterly erase all of the glory that God bestowed upon this rock are holy (or wholly-depending upon your flavor of retarded extremism) a reason for starting WWIII.
Just saying....
...and before you accuse my sorry, blue collar, American ass of being anti-semitic?
The Nation of Israel and especially its people should be protected to the death by anyone who believes in freedom.
Their current Government?
...ehhhhhh?
notsomuch.
Right-Wing asshats whose rhetoric sounds exactly like 1930s Nazi propaganda.
Look it up.
Seriously.
I have no problem with us selling them F-16s, small arms, etc.
The fact that a tiny nation has designed and built some of the most incredible self-defense technology should be a model for the World.
I have NO problem with them having a nuclear arsenal.
None.
Seriously.
Look at the oppression and genocide.
If anybody needs a deterrent, they do.
..and I am NOT entirely against the idea of targeted assassinations....but?
Too many douchebags in power.
The IDF and the mindset it instills upon the civilian population?
PERFECT!
All nations should be so well trained, aware, and prepared.
Their current government is an insult to humanity-especially the 'faith' it purports to defend.
Anyway:
I am not saying The Generals had all the answers, but they had BETTER ones and were ignored. Now they are left to do the bidding of politicians who know (apparently) nothing and think drone strikes are the new penicillin.
But?
Nobody really cares.
Seriously.
If they did G.W. Bush would be arrested and on trial.
"What!?!", you say?
If he really believed his own bullshit, he'd stand up for it.
In a court of law.
Let's get this shit tested, let's see if it actually works.
IF his theories can be jammed into the framework of our Sacred, Founding Document?...let him go.
If not?
Let him swing.
(not literally. Figuratively. I would rather see W. in solitary for life than physically punished).
I am not a liberal.
I just think the U.S. fucked the hell out of 235 years worth of Karma in less than a decade-and we could have changed the World for the positive except the fact that, intellectually lazy fuck-wads wanted to sit at home and watch video game-wars instead of actually doing their parts.
Just sayin'....
I am not saying The Generals had all the answers, but they had BETTER ones and were ignored. Now they are left to do the bidding of politicians who know (apparently) nothing and think drone strikes are the new penicillin.
But?
Nobody really cares.
Seriously.
If they did G.W. Bush would be arrested and on trial.
"What!?!", you say?
If he really believed his own bullshit, he'd stand up for it.
In a court of law.
Let's get this shit tested, let's see if it actually works.
IF his theories can be jammed into the framework of our Sacred, Founding Document?...let him go.
If not?
Let him swing.
(not literally. Figuratively. I would rather see W. in solitary for life than physically punished).
I am not a liberal.
I just think the U.S. fucked the hell out of 235 years worth of Karma in less than a decade-and we could have changed the World for the positive except the fact that, intellectually lazy fuck-wads wanted to sit at home and watch video game-wars instead of actually doing their parts.
Just sayin'....
Oh, wait!
I must hate the troops.
'via Blog this'I must hate the troops.
Thursday, February 9, 2012
The Rule of Law and Why Bradley Manning is Not Unique...?
This is my first post in a while, I have been laying off and trying to restructure my endevours a bit, but a Facebook convo popped up tonight worthy of much consideration.
I thought I'd blog it out for your enjoyment-and to give you some trivial info that may be useful in a future arguments with idiots (not to say any of the parties here are idiots)
(Consider it homework. I am not going to spend any more time explaining something that should have been front page fucking news for weeks.)
".....It is disgusting-and will probably cost a bunch of tax-dollars in a lawsuit.
I don't mean to get up on a high horse about this-especially considering that I never served in the military, but:
He (Manning),( apparently) went up the chain of command about his concerns (allegedly all the way to the White House) and got nothing. There is also the fact that Ft. Meade is named after a relative of mine. General Meade, after risking his life breaking the back of the Confederate Army at Gettysburg, was fired (in part) because he refused to engage in actions he deemed to be excessively brutal.
If that isn't irony I don't know what is."
Response from L: "oh come on ####. the guys who massacre civilians get off w a pat on the wrist. and Manning deserves a court martial? my ass."
My response:
That and You are Probably an Idiot
" ...I mean TECHNICALLY. His defense is based upon the UCMJ law that exempts soldiers from carrying out orders they consider unlawful. The trial may wind up working in his favor (as long as we keep paying attention). There was a trial back in '04-'05 of a sailor based at Coronado Island who refused to report for duty on a troop transport bound for Iraq because he stated the war was illegal. I heard about this from Ring of Fire's radio show.
I can't recall the exact outcome, but he wasn't dumped in a hole for life-in fact I think he finished his enlistment."
Thus ensued a little research and an email to 'L': ....(BTW, more of your homework involves researching the sailor and his fate-I don't have time and part of the purpose of this blog is to motivate action on the part of the reader....)
VM: "HAH! The plot-soup is thickened with massive amounts of PURE IRONY!
Let me take the time to word this for proper dramatic effect:
The ship he refused to board was the U.S.S. Bonne Homme Richard..... On July 3rd 1971 Admiral George S. Morrison spoke at the decommissioning ceremony for the previous "Bonny Dick"...the flagship and his command vessel while he was the commander of U.S. Naval forces in the Gulf of Tonkin.
Yes, THAT Gulf of Tonkin.
Yes, he was the commander of U.S. Naval forces at the time of 'The Incident'.
Why do I mention the exact date of the ceremony?
Because it was the same day that Adm. Morrison's son, Jim was found dead in a Paris bathtub.
Yep.
One of Adm. Morrison's last assignments was to be in charge of the Navy's overseeing of the Boat People refugees from Saigon in '75.
That is an irony club sandwich with two Bic-Macs and a vegetarian corn-dog in the middle.
http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/dec2004/navy-d10.shtml
Who's your (most humble, loving, and appreciative) Daddy?"
Link to referenced article below.
Please note that I have previously tried to source and verify all information and it is accurate to the best of my ability and knowledge-if you have evidence to refute this PLEASE let me know!...just make sure it is confirmible or I will use voodoo dolls to make your life a living 'Hell'.
" US sailor refuses deployment to Iraq in protest against war www.wsws.org On December 6, as his ship was setting out for Iraq, Naval Petty Officer 3rd Class Pablo Paredes refused to board the vessel out of opposition to the war. In doing so, Paredes joined the ranks of military personnel who have spoken out against the invasion of Iraq and the US military’s conduct of the..."
VM: " I am not sure if I can explain WHY it is good...but the Manning Case is NOT the first...BTW, Dan Choi was in the same unit as Manning. Let me know what you want me to post and I will. I want to make it CLEAR I support Manning, but I believe with the right amount of pressure he MIGHT get a fair trial-which would, win or lose, would be a disaster for the Assholes..."
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
The Uncanny Valley: What Robot Theory Tells Us About Mitt Romney - Brian Fung - Politics - The Atlantic
The Uncanny Valley: What Robot Theory Tells Us About Mitt Romney - Brian Fung - Politics - The Atlantic: "The Uncanny Valley: What Robot Theory Tells Us About Mitt Romney
JAN 31 2012, 12:14 PM ET 56
The GOP front-runner looks just enough like the perfect picture of an American president to make us uncomfortable.
Mitt Romney is the storybook presidential candidate. He's successful, good-looking and a family man, to boot. Yet one of this political season's enduring puzzles has been the former governor's consistent inability to bond with voters. It's been suggested that Romney's robotic persona may be to blame -- and perhaps the analogy isn't far off. Much as people are repulsed and disturbed by automatons that mimic humans closely but imperfectly, Romney inexplicably turns voters off despite looking like the textbook image of an American president. Roboticists call this unsettling effect "the uncanny valley" -- and Romney is stuck deep at the bottom of it."
I got this via Roger Ebert's Facebook. Interesting as hell. Explains alot. I don't think Romney is fit for the White House-but then again, that hasn't stopped Americans from voting in their own worst interests before. Stupid is as stupid does...and statistically, most people are pretty dumb.....
'via Blog this'
JAN 31 2012, 12:14 PM ET 56
The GOP front-runner looks just enough like the perfect picture of an American president to make us uncomfortable.
Mitt Romney is the storybook presidential candidate. He's successful, good-looking and a family man, to boot. Yet one of this political season's enduring puzzles has been the former governor's consistent inability to bond with voters. It's been suggested that Romney's robotic persona may be to blame -- and perhaps the analogy isn't far off. Much as people are repulsed and disturbed by automatons that mimic humans closely but imperfectly, Romney inexplicably turns voters off despite looking like the textbook image of an American president. Roboticists call this unsettling effect "the uncanny valley" -- and Romney is stuck deep at the bottom of it."
I got this via Roger Ebert's Facebook. Interesting as hell. Explains alot. I don't think Romney is fit for the White House-but then again, that hasn't stopped Americans from voting in their own worst interests before. Stupid is as stupid does...and statistically, most people are pretty dumb.....
'via Blog this'
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