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Can "On the Beach" Be Possible?

February 9th 2010 06:39
: Will The Powers-To-Be Listen....
Iran's recent moves to enrich uranium is now again in the news. Although I understand the concerns by the United States and the International Community, some of the hype is frankly mis guided and at times, provocative.

The current gang running Iran is not to be trusted. I eagerly await Feburary 11 to asess what the Green Movement is going to do. But, what I worry about is the increased military posturing and the rhetoric that may present challenges yet unimaginable. It is interesting how the two nations on the forefront of actions against Iran are the United States and Israel. It was the United States who is the only country in the world to have detonated a Bomb. Israel is the only country in the Middle East who actually possess nuclear weapons. Yet, they somehow want to prevent others from acquiring the technology. What they fail to undestand is that Iran has acquired the technology and they have to somehow figure out how to live with it.


I have written about the so-called 123 provision and how the United States is supporting the United Arab Emirates' efforts in acquiring the technology. The genie is out of the bottle. The challenge is how to control it to avoid Armageddon. This continues to bother me a great deal especially when I caught a glimpse of the flim "On the Beach". It is the story of life on Earth after a nuclear war. It turned out that Australia was the only "safe place" to be for a while until the Radiation arrived. The chiling final scenes send shivers down my spine:




Many in "main street" don't really wish to think about it. But the Cuban Missile Crisis brought the world to the brink as the historical accounts proved beyond a shadow of a doubt. With all that is going on now, it is not out of the realm of realism.

I am convinced that the present political leadership understands the profound implications of making the wrong move. When we have a planet that has to deal with Food and Water Security, it seems to me that we ought to move away from this fascination with War and Weapons. It will be quite amazing to really think about how the world can really be transformed when the amount spent on weapons can be redirected to spend on schools, food security and transform technology as we know it. Is it too unrealistic a vision to have? I wonder.
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: Well?
Sarah Palin spoke at the Tea Party Convention. I found it to be entertaining, but frankly scary:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy



Sarah Palin has a following. She has made a lot of money speaking on issues she believes in. But, this notion of her peddling herself as someone "real" and her call to common sense conservative principles is actually quite hypocritical. How can one call for a return to conservative principles when in fact she called for another revolution? There were many in the same convention that basically said that all Government has to do is to wage wars and protect the border. This means that the Constitution, 230 years of jurispudence and all advancements in medicine and technology over the last 100 years means nothing. This means that child labor laws should be repealed and Social Darwinism needs to be truly the order of the day--when the fittest only survive. This basically means that there ought to be a nation of haves and have nots.

There are many honorable conservatives who understand that America is a lot better than calling for a Revolution. I think Sarah Palin is right that the election of Scott Brown reflected a wake-up call. But, I also think that from a purely tactical perspective, the Democrats screwed this up in a major way. If the Republicans think that they are out of the woods and think that what they are trying to sell will have buyers, they have to think again.

The House GOP leadership must be commended for the solutions they have published. I hope that the Obama Adminstration continues to reach out. The Tea Party folks have a right to say what they have to say. But to advocate another revolution to advance a political agenda is simply not right.

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: When will the carnage stop?
There have been bombings in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The bombings occured during a major religious ceremony. The idiocy of it all boggles the mind!!!

In Iraq, pilgrims were attacked at the Holy City of Karbala. Bombings caused deaths in Karachi, Pakistan's largest city. Public funerals are being planned right now. 31 people lost their lives. They were mostly women and children. After the first attack, a second attack occured at the hospital that the victims were taken too. Even worst, I am monitoring reports that a third bomb was defused by the Pakistani Authorities.

As for Afghanistan, coordinated bombings yet again caused death and carnage. The people who do this in the name of religion truly do not understand religion at all. When will this stop? Why women and children? When will this senseless carnage stop?
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: Now What?
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What's wrong with Glenn Beck?

February 5th 2010 06:29
: Does he have a clue....
Glenn Beck and others within the so-called Modern Conservative movement have a right to speak. The First Amendment gives them the right to say what they have to say. Mr. Beck makes a heck of a living peddling his views and has quite a following. I think he is quite an entertainer and has proved to be quite an organizer and provocateur. As Senator Lindsay Graham once said, he makes quite a living crying on Television.

I think that he has found quite a home on Fox News. I found his comments here quite interesting


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Why Doesn't Lieberman Just Shut Up?

February 5th 2010 05:46
: I wonder....
After a period of silence, Israel's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister opened up his big mouth. He made a speech basically telling Syria that if it contemplated war, Israel will defeat it and that Bashar Asad and his family will be "toppled". He is supposed to be the Chief Diplomat for Israel. Yet, it seems as if he has no clue how to act diplomatically!!!

Now, the Israeli Prime Minister came out and noted that Israel wants to work with Syria to achieve peace. The statement did note that if there is a provocation, they would respond. I could respect that opinion becasue I would do the same. Lieberman, of course, makes the Prime Minister look reasonable as Israel continues its neo-apartheid policies in the Palestinian Territories. If Netanyahu could have made the deal with Tipzi Livni and sidelined this neo-facist, at least there would be some move towards a dialogue with the Palestinians. That will not change the realities on the ground due to the continued Israeli land grabs which continues nonstop


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Why "Outsiders"?

February 4th 2010 08:02
: The perfect Statement
As I have continued to write about our world here in Outsiders, I have periodically struggled with the "Why" question and have wondered whether this project is worth it or not. I wondered whether my lonely voice preaching a sense of realism was being heard. What gave me comfort and hope was this statement I just ran across:

"We are here to add what we can to life, not to get what we can from life." William Osler

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Clare Short: What a Brave Soul

February 4th 2010 04:19
: ....Why was she not listened to?
I have been following the UK Iraq War Inquiry with great interest. Right now, I am listening to the testimony by Claire Short. The testimony is explosive in how it undermined the essence of the various half-baked arguments peddled by Mr. Blair and Mr. Bush as they prepared public opinion for war. The inquiry is available at
Really Long Link

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: Always Fun To Observe..and Reflect....
The debate over the Federal Budget has begun in earnest. One interesting upcoming online session coming up is one sponsored by the National Priorities Project about the impact on the states. Although I was gratified to see the economic growth for the 4th quarter, the growth is anemic and it can be derailed at any time especially if there is one wrong move. The President's idea about switching 30 Billion of the TARP money to help fund a program to help Small Businesses is interesting. Judd Greg went after Peter Orzag on this in a major way. The budget is not going to be a cake walk simply because no one will emerge happy.

As I have been assessing the political landscape since the State of the Union, I find the President getting out there and "making" his case another marked difference. I felt that the White House had a bit of a bunker mentaility. I knew that the President should not be counted out and should never be underestimated. If the appearnce in New Hamphsire is any indication, there will be some really interesting fights ahead


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: ...and!??!?
The Monday headlines were dominated by the US Federal Budget being uneviled by the President. The budget is about 3.8 Trillion Dollars. The budget is forecast to have a deficit of 1.5 Trillion Dollars. I will be looking at the budget, thinking about pay-as-you-go and assessing the future.

What I find a bit disconcerting is the fact that this is apparently an austerity budget as the country is beginning to emerge from the Great Recession. The Republican Line of Attack is going to be understandable. But, the President needs to stop litigating the past especially in light of the upcoming election season


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