Written by an Australian Dentist...
To Kill an American
You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.
So an Australian dentist wrote an editorial the following day to let everyone know what an American is . So they would know when they found one. (Good one, mate!!!!)
"An American is English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be Canadian, Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani or Afghan. "
An American may also be a Comanche, Cherokee, Osage, Blackfoot, Navaho, Apache, Seminole or one of the many other tribes known as Native Americans.
An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim. In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan. The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them chooses.
An American is also free to believe in no religion. For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.
An American lives in the most prosperous land in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God given right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.
An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need, never asking a thing in return.
When Afghanistan was over-run by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country!
As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan. Americans welcome the best of everything..the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best services. But they also welcome the least.
The national symbol of America, The Statue of Liberty, welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed. These in fact are the people who built America.
Some of them were working in the Twin Towers the morning of September 11, 2001 earning a better life for their families. It's been told that the World Trade Center victims were from at least 30 different countries, cultures, and first languages, including those that aided and abetted the terrorists.
So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo, and Stalin, and Mao Tse-Tung, and other blood-thirsty tyrants in the world. But, in doing so you would just be killing yourself. Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place. They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Zalmai Azmi
I have a friend who has been in the Information Technology industry for over 20 years.
She was shocked when she learned that a new FBI computer program designed to help agents share information to ward off terrorist attacks may have to be scrapped
The news is that the agency has concluded it needs to be scrapped but further investigation makes it clear that is a decision being made and forced on the users by the new Chief Intelligence Officer of the FBI Zalmai Azmi.
The actions of Zalmai Azmi are causing a further delay in a four-year, half-billion-dollar overhaul of the FBI and its antiquated computer system.
Again the news is that the bureau is so convinced that the software, known as Virtual Case File, will not work as planned that it has taken steps to begin soliciting proposals from outside contractors for new software, but the fact is that this decision and the confusion and idiocy springing from it are owned entirely and exclusively by Zalmai Azmi .
When will public officials in the United States government become aware that terrorism need not be an explosion to be effective?
Effective terrorism or an effective attack on our nation can be quietly carried out by a traitor in a sensitive position who is either incompetent, greedy or aggressive against the United States – as appears to be the case of Zalmai Azmi.
Many of the Senators overseeing this process are allowing themselves to be bamboozled by a smooth talking bureaucrat who is pushing to have hundreds of millions of dollars thrown away while initiating new contracts with a contract of his personal choice for further hundreds of millions of dollars.
Just because Zalmai Azmi claims loyalty to the United States and has possibly served in the United States Marine Corps does not mean that he has the best interests of this nation at heart.
I do not believe we have the best person for the job of Chief Intelligence Officer for the FBI. The fact that he served for the US Attorneys Offices only further leads me to conclude that something needs to be done about Zalmai Azmi and giving him more money and power are not wise.
She was shocked when she learned that a new FBI computer program designed to help agents share information to ward off terrorist attacks may have to be scrapped
The news is that the agency has concluded it needs to be scrapped but further investigation makes it clear that is a decision being made and forced on the users by the new Chief Intelligence Officer of the FBI Zalmai Azmi.
The actions of Zalmai Azmi are causing a further delay in a four-year, half-billion-dollar overhaul of the FBI and its antiquated computer system.
Again the news is that the bureau is so convinced that the software, known as Virtual Case File, will not work as planned that it has taken steps to begin soliciting proposals from outside contractors for new software, but the fact is that this decision and the confusion and idiocy springing from it are owned entirely and exclusively by Zalmai Azmi .
When will public officials in the United States government become aware that terrorism need not be an explosion to be effective?
Effective terrorism or an effective attack on our nation can be quietly carried out by a traitor in a sensitive position who is either incompetent, greedy or aggressive against the United States – as appears to be the case of Zalmai Azmi.
Many of the Senators overseeing this process are allowing themselves to be bamboozled by a smooth talking bureaucrat who is pushing to have hundreds of millions of dollars thrown away while initiating new contracts with a contract of his personal choice for further hundreds of millions of dollars.
Just because Zalmai Azmi claims loyalty to the United States and has possibly served in the United States Marine Corps does not mean that he has the best interests of this nation at heart.
I do not believe we have the best person for the job of Chief Intelligence Officer for the FBI. The fact that he served for the US Attorneys Offices only further leads me to conclude that something needs to be done about Zalmai Azmi and giving him more money and power are not wise.
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Abramoff Phenomenon
Senator McCain of Arizona showed his disconnect from the American people and his obsession with Washington politics during a recent hearing session.
It involved a lobbyist by the name of Abramoff who has apparently stolen millions of dollars from Native American tribes during the last few years.
Abramoff and his main accomplice were both employees of Representative Tom DeLay and DeLay has been associated with other problems.
McCain, in service to his party and his political friends and flunkies had this to say about the thievery, “"Today's hearing is about more than contempt, even more than greed. It is simply and sadly a tale of betrayal." (By Abramoff of his friends.)
See how easily Senator McCain steps from truth into an alternate reality?
McCain was once a pilot in Vietnam and flew at high altitudes during his career. Some pilots experience severe dissociative sensations of detachment or remoteness from aircraft, from Earth, or from reality in something called the break-off phenomenon.
After return to earth these feelings and sensations can continue and sometimes be magnified. So, even without confirmation, after reviewing many of McCain’s statements and positions, it is, in my opinion, apparent that he has experienced the ‘Abramoff Phenomenon’.
The issue is no longer about ripping off Native Americans, it’s about Tom DeLay getting his feelings hurt.
As time goes on and McCain once again approaches the possibility of running for President of the United States it becomes clear that the Republican Party has become clubby to the extreme.
It involved a lobbyist by the name of Abramoff who has apparently stolen millions of dollars from Native American tribes during the last few years.
Abramoff and his main accomplice were both employees of Representative Tom DeLay and DeLay has been associated with other problems.
McCain, in service to his party and his political friends and flunkies had this to say about the thievery, “"Today's hearing is about more than contempt, even more than greed. It is simply and sadly a tale of betrayal." (By Abramoff of his friends.)
See how easily Senator McCain steps from truth into an alternate reality?
McCain was once a pilot in Vietnam and flew at high altitudes during his career. Some pilots experience severe dissociative sensations of detachment or remoteness from aircraft, from Earth, or from reality in something called the break-off phenomenon.
After return to earth these feelings and sensations can continue and sometimes be magnified. So, even without confirmation, after reviewing many of McCain’s statements and positions, it is, in my opinion, apparent that he has experienced the ‘Abramoff Phenomenon’.
The issue is no longer about ripping off Native Americans, it’s about Tom DeLay getting his feelings hurt.
As time goes on and McCain once again approaches the possibility of running for President of the United States it becomes clear that the Republican Party has become clubby to the extreme.
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Senator Brownback
Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas is a colorful fellow.
He is a Catholic.
Sort of.
He converted from an evangelistic church to Catholicism.
Sort of.
He’s a Republican.
Sort of.
He supports the President.
Sort of.
He’s concentrating on being Senator from Kansas.
Sort of.
Right now he’s concentrating on running for President of the United States.
It seems that because he attends Catholic Mass and still runs around to catch the enthusiastic presentations at his old evangelistic church he thinks he is the one that all Americans could agree to vote on.
The economy is Kansas in based on agriculture and as such these days that means it is based on government hand outs.
The USDA has a rural construction department that actually hands out money to build apartment buildings, new homes, waste water treatment plants (not for farms – for cities and towns), fire houses, police stations and even city halls.
Senator Brownback has been a critic of many government programs and even, it seems of the American government, but when it comes down to taking money from the rest of the nation Old Greenback Brownback is one of the first in line.
Even as American soldiers are dying in Iraq and working in the field with inferior equipment Old Greenback Brownback has been raking in the Federal grant dollars for Kansas.
Even as he talks about fiscal responsibility he seems to have been supporting Kansas in recycling Medicaid funds. Funds to help soldiers’ families get medical care.
He is a Catholic.
Sort of.
He converted from an evangelistic church to Catholicism.
Sort of.
He’s a Republican.
Sort of.
He supports the President.
Sort of.
He’s concentrating on being Senator from Kansas.
Sort of.
Right now he’s concentrating on running for President of the United States.
It seems that because he attends Catholic Mass and still runs around to catch the enthusiastic presentations at his old evangelistic church he thinks he is the one that all Americans could agree to vote on.
The economy is Kansas in based on agriculture and as such these days that means it is based on government hand outs.
The USDA has a rural construction department that actually hands out money to build apartment buildings, new homes, waste water treatment plants (not for farms – for cities and towns), fire houses, police stations and even city halls.
Senator Brownback has been a critic of many government programs and even, it seems of the American government, but when it comes down to taking money from the rest of the nation Old Greenback Brownback is one of the first in line.
Even as American soldiers are dying in Iraq and working in the field with inferior equipment Old Greenback Brownback has been raking in the Federal grant dollars for Kansas.
Even as he talks about fiscal responsibility he seems to have been supporting Kansas in recycling Medicaid funds. Funds to help soldiers’ families get medical care.
Saturday, January 14, 2006
Visiting New Orleans
Notes on Visiting the New Orleans Disaster Area 2005
1. Going to the Zoo
I traveled down to the Audobon Zoo on a Sunday. It was November 27th, 2005.
The zoo was to be opened for the weekend for free.
It had been opened earlier in the month but not many people had attended.
There was a big write-up in all the newspapers and it was covered on television and on the radio.
Tens of thousands of people attended the zoo that day.
It was hard to tell where everyone came from but it seemed to me that most of them were from surrounding towns rather than from the city. There aren’t many people left in New Orleans at this time, you see.
The first thing I noticed as I approached the zoo entrance were the military vehicles. There was a green camouflaged armored car and a desert-tan armored car. The soldiers were lounging in the seats. One was standing facing the approaching crowd. He was sporting wrap around sun glasses and had an M-16 slung carelessly across his belly.
I didn’t see them myself but my wife told me later that closer in to the gate the zoo had hired professional huggers. It seems that during the first day the zoo was open people attended the zoo and wept openly before entering the zoo.
In order to comfort these people the huggers would approach them and provide them the physical comfort of a human hug.
Hugs were the last thing on my mind as I skirted the heavily armed vehicles and avoided looking at the soldiers leafing through magazines and casually eyeing the crowd that pressed into the gates.
I noticed that the entire crowd was moving through just one gate even though zoo personnel stood before and motioned to two other gates. I walked over to one of the empty gates and was given a map.
I turned to watch as the people flooded into the zoo through the one gate. Moving carefully and in single file they ignored the repeated pleas and gestures of the zoo personnel directing them to one of the alternative gates which were within just of few feet of the bottleneck they had unconsciously decided to mob.
I looked down at the map and the first thing I noticed were the areas marked off as closed or under repair. I decided to just wing it instead of making a planned foray and dived into the stream of humanity fighting its way through the magic gate.
I found myself in front of the flamingos. They were particularly animated and made guttural sounds as they fished through the water and pushed against each other trying to find enough space to stand.
The crowd swelled around the flamingo enclosure as they themselves attempted to figure out what to do next. They searched bags, wiped noses, tied shoes, looked for restrooms, read maps, children asked for drinks, pushed against other children and did all the things children do in crowded places.
It occurred to me that the space between the flamingos and the people shrank and that they were milling about together in a confused swirl of birds and humans. I wouldn’t have been surprised at that point if a flamingo had walked up to me and asked me directions to the elephant fountain.
For myself, I walked off and headed towards the elephant fountain.
It had been cleaned up. It didn’t look damaged at all. It was clean and beautiful as always. The water was crystalline and the coins people had thrown in sparkled at the bottom. It was a pleasant scene.
I looked around to see which animals I would visit first.
I noticed one building off to my left had been destroyed. The doors and windows were closed up with plywood and wrapped with blue plastic.
To my right another building likewise had been shut down but it was not in such a terrible state of disrepair as the first one.
Directly in front of me I saw the carousel turning in the sunlight.
I looked to my right and decided on visiting the elephants and lions and tigers.
The zoo keepers, however, had one elephant out doing tricks for the crowd. The people applauded after each trick and moved closer to see more. As for me, I couldn’t see anything. There were too many people. All I could see was the top of the elephant’s head and its wide shoulders.
I moved on to the carousel and watched as families bought tickets and climbed on their favorite animals. They rode round and round and were quickly escorted off. The ritual having been fulfilled. The rides seemed shorter than I remembered but there were a lot of people.
The sun was shining and the carousel was in gorgeous working order. The music piped out as it spun round and round and the children were laughing and singing to each other. It was a gay and wonderful sight.
I walked off in search of more animals.
I approached an area that had once housed several hundred water fowl, turtles and played host to a number of wild local birds and squirrels. It was a small lake that had been adorned with water plants, exotic flowers and strong trees. There was a wooden walkway used to cross the water and a large gazebo at the center to rest at and throw food to the ducks.
Most of the lake was stripped bare. Many trees lay on their sides and some broken stumps were still in sight. Most of the birds were gone. There was a skeleton crew of mallards and wood ducks cruising the eager crowd and unable to eat all the food being thrust upon them.
One turtle made his presence known and spent most of the time suspended just below the murky surface. The water was covered with a light sheen of what appeared to some sort of oil and gave off the putrid smell of decay and swamp gas that one associates with stagnant water.
A young child looked up at me with dismay as his mother rolled him past in a stroller. The wood on the walkway had been warped – not much – but enough to make a trip on a stroller over it into a kind of small torture. He let out a mournful wail as he passed that sounded something like this, ‘St-o-o-op-p-p-p-p!’
His mother seemed intent on avoiding further contact with the malingering odor and moved on without slowing.
I moved on and noticed several cages empty of their inhabitants. I stopped along with about 50 other patrons at the jaguar cage and watched the lone male cat pace back and forth.
The zookeepers had announced through the media that the animals missed visitors but the jaguar seemed intent on getting out of that cage as soon as possible. He had been at his pacing for some time and had worn down a path at the bottom of the cage. Out of a reasonably large cage he confined himself to about 20 percent of it.
I didn’t see the female or cubs that had been born there the year before.
Moving on I wandered into the area dedicated to Louisiana wildlife.
The raccoons were sleeping in the trees.
There is a creature called the Nutria that was introduced to Louisiana some time ago. It was brought in from south America to be raised on farms as a fur bearing animal. During a past hurricane some of them had been blown out into the swamps and survived. Since that time their numbers have increased exponentially and they are now considered a pest though they provide a welcome addition to the diet of the local alligators.
They look like giant rats and have bright orange teeth.
Some people think they are cute and some people think they really look like rats.
The day I visited the zoo they were all clustered together and some of them were showing their bright orange teeth. Sometimes I think they look cute but that day they looked like a pile of giant rats.
The alligators lay out in the sun. They were covered with a fine layer of sand and dust mixed with duck weed. In the open on their little zoo beach they were practically invisible to the untrained eye even though some of them are over 10 feet long.
The restaurant area was open but the souvenir stand was not.
There was also a building that housed baby animals in the past but that, likewise, was closed.
A gray and a red fox lay sleeping in the sun.
I then walked to the aviary and found many of the birds missing or listless. In the larger aviary which is housed in a building most of the birds sat watching the passerby without moving much.
A 5 foot long iguana lay in his cage. His green head clashed with his orange body and he turned to look at me with interest as I was the only one to stop and actually look at him. I suppose he looked back in politeness.
At the anteaters enclosure I noticed he too had begun a pacing habit like that of the jaguar. He had already run a rut in his glass cage and looked before him with a glassy gaze. Each time he passed the door leading into his cage he stopped and looked at it with longing before continuing on his long, small journey.
I crossed the green whose mixture of mud and grass squished beneath my feet and noted long lines at the hot dog and Roman Candy (taffy) stands.
The emu cage had been slightly damaged in that the wooden slats that had been used to hide the chain link fence had been blown away. The emu watched closely as I walked by and I got some very good photos of the birds.
As I was walking out I stopped to look at the golden tamarinds and the other monkeys that had been housed with them. I turned to leave and saw two soldiers standing there. Their M-16’s were hanging behind them at about waist level. They seemed unconcerned in the hot air as children and young mothers passed by them. The heavily armed soldiers quietly ate their ice cream and waited for the monkeys to try something funny.
I decided to leave and made my way out of the zoo into the parking lot.
As I was approaching my car I noticed that repairs had already begun on the pool and private clubhouse that is attached to the zoo. You see, the Audobon Zoo is also a club.
Across the street from the zoo there is a large golf course. That had already been meticulously repaired and was already pressed into use. I saw players out on the course hitting the ball around and driving around in their golf carts.
I reflected on this as I got into my van. The American Zoo Association donated millions of dollars from member zoos to restore the Audobon Zoo. I wonder how much went to work in the zoo and how much was used to restore the golf course.
Creative bookkeeping will probably take care of any problems donors would have in the future.
During my drive down St. Charles Avenue I noticed that many houses along a block might not have much damage, if any, at all. Then, scattered amongst them, there would be one house that was thoroughly destroyed. The roof caved in, the windows smashed, the porch collapsed. Right next door, however, not a scratch.
All along the streets to and from the zoo trash and debris were piled high on the sidewalks and in the yards and on the streets. Trash collection was to be free for some time. Homeowners needed only to dump the material on the street for pickup.
They did so and a stream of debris was already making its way to the drains.
I noticed that houses that appeared to have been built in the late 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s had been particularly battered. The older homes – some of them in excess of 100 years old – had slight if any damage. On most of them not even the stained glass windows had been damaged though I did see one with missing panes.
They sure don’t make houses like they used to.
My trip to the zoo was interesting. I found large parts of the city to be empty. I found the golf course to have been a priority at the zoo. I found most of the zoo in disrepair.
2. Downtown
I headed downtown.
I went to visit Jackson Square and Saint Louis Cathedral.
According to people that have known New Orleans their whole life downtown was nearly deserted. They referred to it as a ghost town. To me it seemed like a Sunday morning in any big town but it was Monday morning and New Orleans is a big city.
The people I came across for the most part did not have smiles on their faces. They walked with a blank expression or with an angry grimace.
The downtown area had been largely spared by the storm. Saint Louis Cathedral stood above the square and its spires continued to look down on the statue of Andrew Jackson displayed at the center of Jackson Square.
The park itself was locked. There was no one in it. One homeless man spent his time wandering around the locked fence eating a hot dog and avoiding eye contact.
Four or five tourists strolled up and down in front of the shops clustered alongside the square. The shops themselves were in beautiful order. Their wares were displayed in tasteful window settings. Activity, though, was at a minimum.
Daily mass, normally attended by a large number of people, was sparsely populated.
The streets leading to and from Jackson Square were likewise empty. Few people walked or moved in the windows of the buildings around the area. Some construction workers tripped over themselves as they attempted to carry materials into the historical museum but other than that there was very little activity.
Near the bars and voodoo shops just around the corner, where posters of skulls and drug use are displayed, police gathered for a conference. Several states had sent state police to help patrol the streets in New Orleans following the storm. Many of them have reported observing abuse by the New Orleans Police Department on citizens. They were having a meeting that day to discuss what they had seen and also, perhaps, to figure out what it was they were doing in town as there was seemingly nothing and no one to police.
In what may be a relief to some many of the more unsavory denizens of New Orleans have at least temporarily been driven out.
For a while New Orleans, though populated primarily by ghosts now, is once again an American city and open for possibility. The clinging and wicked underbelly formed of sexual perverts, drug dealers, cheating bartenders and dangerous characters has been cleansed. For how long it will last is anyone’s guess.
The president of the Port of New Orleans has already essentially declared that the Port doesn’t need the city and is independent of it. Many of the docks and piers were spared in the storms. He is claiming that the city never contributed much to the port and he seems to believe that it can survive without the city.
We will have to see how that works out, however. 2005 has seen near record low water levels on the Mississippi. Much of the barge traffic has been slowed or stopped due to low water. The rails have been disrupted as management of the railcars has been bungled and ageing tracks cause further slowdowns.
The city itself remains quiet. Like an empty vessel. Will it be refilled with the refuse that was driven from it or will it be reborn again? New Orleans has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. Hopefully this time the new city will regain her place in the world of business and trade.
When you look at the old city and the center of town you can see the grandeur and the power of the place. When you look at a place like ‘The Voodoo Queen’s Shoppe’ or some of the rotting bars in the red light district you have to wonder if the owners of the buildings are serious about business or are just working themselves into an early grave.
3. The Garden district
In the Garden District like the area around the zoo one house on a street might be destroyed and the rest might have nothing wrong with them. Most of the houses in the Garden District, however, had nothing wrong with them at all.
Ann Rice owns at least one home in the area and perhaps more.
Some are owned by rock stars, movies stars or professional athletes. The rich and the powerful make their home in the Garden District and it shows.
Huge live oaks arc over the street.
Piles of debris from the storm are mixed with piles of debris from remodeling jobs and landscaping work going on in houses being restored to some former level of glory or updated to today’s tastes.
Ann Rice reportedly bought the Saint Elizabeth school and is gutting it in order to turn it into condominiums.
Not everyone in New Orleans is suffering.
As State Police officers from around the nation tour the downtown area and local police and vigilantes stand guard over piles of trash and destruction on the outskirts the New Orleans Police Department is out in force in the Garden District.
4. The 9th Ward
The first thing I noticed about the 9th Ward was that it didn’t look too much different from some areas I had been in around New York. Specifically in the Bronx, some parts of Brooklyn and patches of Queens.
The only difference appeared to be that the houses were more brightly painted.
Flood damage was clear throughout the 9th Ward but unlike the Garden District and some other parts of town many of the residents have not been allowed back in to do any work.
Whereas other parts of town can take advantage of free trash removal no one is moving anything in the 9th Ward.
Another problem in that particular area is that most of the houses are rented anyway and they have absentee landlords. Many of the buildings are what is known as ‘shotgun shacks’. That is they are a string of rooms and the front door is lined up with the back door. If all doors are open you can see clear through the house.
One such house was being renovated by members of a historical group. Other houses are being left to sit in the sun waiting for someone to come and clear them out.
The thing about those houses is that many of them are very old. Some are just as old as the houses in the Garden District. They have been flooded before and withstood other calamities. Most of them can be repaired and restored in a fairly short amount of time.
The sheet rock needs to be removed along with the insulation.
The sheet rock will need to be reinstalled along with the insulation.
After testing the electrical and plumbing most of the houses could be fit for living in a couple of weeks and allow for decorating after that.
The problems are money and ownership.
Many of the people that lived there have no cash and cannot buy the materials they need to rebuild. They also do not own the property and what sense would there be to rebuild a home for an absentee landlord?
In the 9th Ward FEMA has brought in trailers and hooked them up to electricity and water and sewer. They have also built chain link fences around them and put barbed wire on top.
The Mayor has told the people there are no trailers.
He has also been trying to put trailers in public parks but the City Council has been giving him a hassle because they don’t want to tear down any playgrounds.
There aren’t any children there right now but that hasn’t impacted their argument.
Arabi
Next to the 9th Ward is a place called Arabi.
That town is worse.
Many of the homes are totaled.
They have been moved off their foundations along with the other damage found in the 9th Ward.
There appears to be a great amount of chemicals spilled in and around the place. It is right next to the 9th Ward and the houses appeared to have been inhabited by people that were reasonably well off but the damage is a completely different sort.
The walls of the houses are crushed or buckled. Many of the windows are broken. Many roofs have been torn up and peeled back.
Again it seemed that the older houses in the 9th Ward did much better than the apparently newer and more cheaply built homes in Arabi.
The destruction was widespread.
On the border between Arabi and the 9th Ward sat armed police. They appeared to be vigilantes. We were not challenged as we entered the town but the threat was there.
It seemed the threat was worn out, however. They must slowly be realizing that they are guarding trash from a nonexistent invader.
Between the 9th Ward and Arabi sits the Walmart which was widely publicized as having been looted following the hurricane.
It should be noted that this particular Walmart is far away from downtown New Orleans. It is also in a relatively isolated area.
When the levees broke and the 9th Ward became cut off the Walmart was the only place in the area that contained supplies like water, food, fuel and clothing.
Most of the other businesses in the area were poor. They had either been undercut by Walmart and were going under or they had been failing for years.
Looting is wrong, there is no denying it, but everyone should realize that during that time that particular Walmart was the only supply depot in the area.
Several small businesses burned in the area. The stores and shops I saw in Arabi were largely destroyed by flood and wind.
The vigilantes appeared to be protecting nothing from no one. Most of the houses were destroyed.
Gentilly
The next town over is called Gentilly.
These people were a little better off.
This town was damaged but not as badly as Arabi or the 9th Ward.
The houses were being repaired in this section. FEMA has provided trailers and they were sitting in driveways or on front lawns. Many of the trailers in this area were tilting and looked to have been driven up in the yard and left that way.
Nearby was the Lakefront district. FEMA trailers in that area were leveled off, hooked up to water and sewer and air conditioning. The Lakefront district had many wealthy residents.
Trash and debris was strewn across the streets and sidewalks of Gentilly. This was not the case in the Lakefront district where the streets and few sidewalks had been cleaned off already. In the Lakefront district some trash had been put on the curb including major appliances.
There were many contractors in Gentilly as well as in the Lakefront district. Some landscaping and a great deal of remodeling was being done.
7. Little Vietnam near the NASA center
This area was very bad.
There seemed to have been no warning and no time to escape given to the residents. I was told that this neighborhood (East New Orleans) was under the impression everything was alright.
Many more cars and personal belongings were strewn in the street in this area. Many cars had not been removed from the driveways or off the street. I was informed that many people in that neighborhood had to be evacuated by helicopter.
Metairie / Slidell / Lake Front
The far side of Lake Pontchartrain suffered more damage from the natural disaster rather than the man made disaster.
There were broken forests. The live oaks and cypress trees that were damaged in the hurricane were being plucked out by contractors and logging pirates.
The rest of the material was being left to rot on the ground.
Along the lake front entire houses were missing from pads. I witnessed one woman sweeping debris off the pad of her former house. The house was completely gone.
Several restaurants were destroyed.
Conclusions and Remarks
In general I found that it was a man made disaster in New Orleans and a natural disaster on the other side of the lake.
There was a great amount of tears and sadness throughout the area.
Many parts of the area appeared to be smashed up.
In general Golf courses opened before people were allowed to see homes.
Upon viewing the levee walls it became apparent there were several flaws with the system.
I am surprised it was allowed to get that far.
The top of the levee wall was decorative. On top of piles of sand, sand bags, debris and earth grass was growing. On top of this pile there were vertical cement walls. They were butted up against each other and did not lock together.
The sound barriers along highways are built better than the top of the levees.
The water did not need to rise 14 or 18 feet to breech the levee. They are normally carrying a large amount of water, especially the Industrial Canal.
The water level only needed to rise 3 to 4 feet to threaten and destroy the toy like top of the levee. As soon as the water touched it they would begin to deteriorate. With little more action than the water flowing by it was obvious the cement wall would tip over in places or in great sections as it did.
The levees are old and of an old design. They were designed to flow water into Lake Pontchartrain. When it rains instead of waiting for water to drain off the water is pumped up above the city to a great height and allowed to slowly flow down into the lake.
During floods the slow drawdown is not an efficient and is a dangerous means to deal with all the extra water.
At one point in the past the levees were purposefully dynamited in order to flood an area of the city to protect another area.
As for additional work and problems in the area :
The local electric utility, Entergy, declared bankruptcy but is still allowed to run nuclear power plants without oversight.
Something called a ‘Fuel Charge’ is being added to all electricity bills.
Old ladies are paying Entergy’s bills while Entergy is reaping profits.
There is a large bridge which crosses Lake Pontchartrain. Only about 30 men have been working on the bridge which was broken down during the storm.
At NASA their sign is broken.
There is debris in NASA’s yard including aluminum shutters leaning against the guard house. Guards were witnessed waving in open backed pickup trucks loaded with Mexican workers while half a mile away down the road the National Guard was loading dump trucks with mulch and fertilizer to spread around trees in public parks and golf courses.
The National Guard base on Lake Pontchartrain was destroyed.
Cars were buried in mud and sand.
Cars are suspended in trees.
Tables hang in trees.
The city is not as low as they say.
The levees have been built very high.
Corruption did not come to mind when I saw them. Stupidity did.
The Army Corps of Engineers designed and supervised the construction of garbage.
They have contributed to the destruction of many of the cypress forests that line the shores and lakes and rivers by cutting canals through swamps that have allowed salt water to flow into areas that normally contained only fresh water. This has destroyed some fisheries and impacted others negatively.
Besides that what is the Army Corps of Engineers doing on the Great Lakes? The level of the upper lakes has fallen nearly 2 feet because of the ill planned dredging in Lake St Clair.
This year, again, barge traffic has been disrupted, not only because of the hurricane but because of mismanagement of the water levels in the Mississippi River. Barges have been stranded up and down the length of the river during this year’s drought and because of mishandling the dams along the river.
The Army Corps of Engineers, their processes and work are a great problem facing this nation.
What are they doing in your area?
In the general area of New Orleans many people are living in tents.
There are military police at the zoo and stationed throughout the region.
There are armored vehicles in the streets.
Protecting what?
Against whom ?
1. Going to the Zoo
I traveled down to the Audobon Zoo on a Sunday. It was November 27th, 2005.
The zoo was to be opened for the weekend for free.
It had been opened earlier in the month but not many people had attended.
There was a big write-up in all the newspapers and it was covered on television and on the radio.
Tens of thousands of people attended the zoo that day.
It was hard to tell where everyone came from but it seemed to me that most of them were from surrounding towns rather than from the city. There aren’t many people left in New Orleans at this time, you see.
The first thing I noticed as I approached the zoo entrance were the military vehicles. There was a green camouflaged armored car and a desert-tan armored car. The soldiers were lounging in the seats. One was standing facing the approaching crowd. He was sporting wrap around sun glasses and had an M-16 slung carelessly across his belly.
I didn’t see them myself but my wife told me later that closer in to the gate the zoo had hired professional huggers. It seems that during the first day the zoo was open people attended the zoo and wept openly before entering the zoo.
In order to comfort these people the huggers would approach them and provide them the physical comfort of a human hug.
Hugs were the last thing on my mind as I skirted the heavily armed vehicles and avoided looking at the soldiers leafing through magazines and casually eyeing the crowd that pressed into the gates.
I noticed that the entire crowd was moving through just one gate even though zoo personnel stood before and motioned to two other gates. I walked over to one of the empty gates and was given a map.
I turned to watch as the people flooded into the zoo through the one gate. Moving carefully and in single file they ignored the repeated pleas and gestures of the zoo personnel directing them to one of the alternative gates which were within just of few feet of the bottleneck they had unconsciously decided to mob.
I looked down at the map and the first thing I noticed were the areas marked off as closed or under repair. I decided to just wing it instead of making a planned foray and dived into the stream of humanity fighting its way through the magic gate.
I found myself in front of the flamingos. They were particularly animated and made guttural sounds as they fished through the water and pushed against each other trying to find enough space to stand.
The crowd swelled around the flamingo enclosure as they themselves attempted to figure out what to do next. They searched bags, wiped noses, tied shoes, looked for restrooms, read maps, children asked for drinks, pushed against other children and did all the things children do in crowded places.
It occurred to me that the space between the flamingos and the people shrank and that they were milling about together in a confused swirl of birds and humans. I wouldn’t have been surprised at that point if a flamingo had walked up to me and asked me directions to the elephant fountain.
For myself, I walked off and headed towards the elephant fountain.
It had been cleaned up. It didn’t look damaged at all. It was clean and beautiful as always. The water was crystalline and the coins people had thrown in sparkled at the bottom. It was a pleasant scene.
I looked around to see which animals I would visit first.
I noticed one building off to my left had been destroyed. The doors and windows were closed up with plywood and wrapped with blue plastic.
To my right another building likewise had been shut down but it was not in such a terrible state of disrepair as the first one.
Directly in front of me I saw the carousel turning in the sunlight.
I looked to my right and decided on visiting the elephants and lions and tigers.
The zoo keepers, however, had one elephant out doing tricks for the crowd. The people applauded after each trick and moved closer to see more. As for me, I couldn’t see anything. There were too many people. All I could see was the top of the elephant’s head and its wide shoulders.
I moved on to the carousel and watched as families bought tickets and climbed on their favorite animals. They rode round and round and were quickly escorted off. The ritual having been fulfilled. The rides seemed shorter than I remembered but there were a lot of people.
The sun was shining and the carousel was in gorgeous working order. The music piped out as it spun round and round and the children were laughing and singing to each other. It was a gay and wonderful sight.
I walked off in search of more animals.
I approached an area that had once housed several hundred water fowl, turtles and played host to a number of wild local birds and squirrels. It was a small lake that had been adorned with water plants, exotic flowers and strong trees. There was a wooden walkway used to cross the water and a large gazebo at the center to rest at and throw food to the ducks.
Most of the lake was stripped bare. Many trees lay on their sides and some broken stumps were still in sight. Most of the birds were gone. There was a skeleton crew of mallards and wood ducks cruising the eager crowd and unable to eat all the food being thrust upon them.
One turtle made his presence known and spent most of the time suspended just below the murky surface. The water was covered with a light sheen of what appeared to some sort of oil and gave off the putrid smell of decay and swamp gas that one associates with stagnant water.
A young child looked up at me with dismay as his mother rolled him past in a stroller. The wood on the walkway had been warped – not much – but enough to make a trip on a stroller over it into a kind of small torture. He let out a mournful wail as he passed that sounded something like this, ‘St-o-o-op-p-p-p-p!’
His mother seemed intent on avoiding further contact with the malingering odor and moved on without slowing.
I moved on and noticed several cages empty of their inhabitants. I stopped along with about 50 other patrons at the jaguar cage and watched the lone male cat pace back and forth.
The zookeepers had announced through the media that the animals missed visitors but the jaguar seemed intent on getting out of that cage as soon as possible. He had been at his pacing for some time and had worn down a path at the bottom of the cage. Out of a reasonably large cage he confined himself to about 20 percent of it.
I didn’t see the female or cubs that had been born there the year before.
Moving on I wandered into the area dedicated to Louisiana wildlife.
The raccoons were sleeping in the trees.
There is a creature called the Nutria that was introduced to Louisiana some time ago. It was brought in from south America to be raised on farms as a fur bearing animal. During a past hurricane some of them had been blown out into the swamps and survived. Since that time their numbers have increased exponentially and they are now considered a pest though they provide a welcome addition to the diet of the local alligators.
They look like giant rats and have bright orange teeth.
Some people think they are cute and some people think they really look like rats.
The day I visited the zoo they were all clustered together and some of them were showing their bright orange teeth. Sometimes I think they look cute but that day they looked like a pile of giant rats.
The alligators lay out in the sun. They were covered with a fine layer of sand and dust mixed with duck weed. In the open on their little zoo beach they were practically invisible to the untrained eye even though some of them are over 10 feet long.
The restaurant area was open but the souvenir stand was not.
There was also a building that housed baby animals in the past but that, likewise, was closed.
A gray and a red fox lay sleeping in the sun.
I then walked to the aviary and found many of the birds missing or listless. In the larger aviary which is housed in a building most of the birds sat watching the passerby without moving much.
A 5 foot long iguana lay in his cage. His green head clashed with his orange body and he turned to look at me with interest as I was the only one to stop and actually look at him. I suppose he looked back in politeness.
At the anteaters enclosure I noticed he too had begun a pacing habit like that of the jaguar. He had already run a rut in his glass cage and looked before him with a glassy gaze. Each time he passed the door leading into his cage he stopped and looked at it with longing before continuing on his long, small journey.
I crossed the green whose mixture of mud and grass squished beneath my feet and noted long lines at the hot dog and Roman Candy (taffy) stands.
The emu cage had been slightly damaged in that the wooden slats that had been used to hide the chain link fence had been blown away. The emu watched closely as I walked by and I got some very good photos of the birds.
As I was walking out I stopped to look at the golden tamarinds and the other monkeys that had been housed with them. I turned to leave and saw two soldiers standing there. Their M-16’s were hanging behind them at about waist level. They seemed unconcerned in the hot air as children and young mothers passed by them. The heavily armed soldiers quietly ate their ice cream and waited for the monkeys to try something funny.
I decided to leave and made my way out of the zoo into the parking lot.
As I was approaching my car I noticed that repairs had already begun on the pool and private clubhouse that is attached to the zoo. You see, the Audobon Zoo is also a club.
Across the street from the zoo there is a large golf course. That had already been meticulously repaired and was already pressed into use. I saw players out on the course hitting the ball around and driving around in their golf carts.
I reflected on this as I got into my van. The American Zoo Association donated millions of dollars from member zoos to restore the Audobon Zoo. I wonder how much went to work in the zoo and how much was used to restore the golf course.
Creative bookkeeping will probably take care of any problems donors would have in the future.
During my drive down St. Charles Avenue I noticed that many houses along a block might not have much damage, if any, at all. Then, scattered amongst them, there would be one house that was thoroughly destroyed. The roof caved in, the windows smashed, the porch collapsed. Right next door, however, not a scratch.
All along the streets to and from the zoo trash and debris were piled high on the sidewalks and in the yards and on the streets. Trash collection was to be free for some time. Homeowners needed only to dump the material on the street for pickup.
They did so and a stream of debris was already making its way to the drains.
I noticed that houses that appeared to have been built in the late 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s had been particularly battered. The older homes – some of them in excess of 100 years old – had slight if any damage. On most of them not even the stained glass windows had been damaged though I did see one with missing panes.
They sure don’t make houses like they used to.
My trip to the zoo was interesting. I found large parts of the city to be empty. I found the golf course to have been a priority at the zoo. I found most of the zoo in disrepair.
2. Downtown
I headed downtown.
I went to visit Jackson Square and Saint Louis Cathedral.
According to people that have known New Orleans their whole life downtown was nearly deserted. They referred to it as a ghost town. To me it seemed like a Sunday morning in any big town but it was Monday morning and New Orleans is a big city.
The people I came across for the most part did not have smiles on their faces. They walked with a blank expression or with an angry grimace.
The downtown area had been largely spared by the storm. Saint Louis Cathedral stood above the square and its spires continued to look down on the statue of Andrew Jackson displayed at the center of Jackson Square.
The park itself was locked. There was no one in it. One homeless man spent his time wandering around the locked fence eating a hot dog and avoiding eye contact.
Four or five tourists strolled up and down in front of the shops clustered alongside the square. The shops themselves were in beautiful order. Their wares were displayed in tasteful window settings. Activity, though, was at a minimum.
Daily mass, normally attended by a large number of people, was sparsely populated.
The streets leading to and from Jackson Square were likewise empty. Few people walked or moved in the windows of the buildings around the area. Some construction workers tripped over themselves as they attempted to carry materials into the historical museum but other than that there was very little activity.
Near the bars and voodoo shops just around the corner, where posters of skulls and drug use are displayed, police gathered for a conference. Several states had sent state police to help patrol the streets in New Orleans following the storm. Many of them have reported observing abuse by the New Orleans Police Department on citizens. They were having a meeting that day to discuss what they had seen and also, perhaps, to figure out what it was they were doing in town as there was seemingly nothing and no one to police.
In what may be a relief to some many of the more unsavory denizens of New Orleans have at least temporarily been driven out.
For a while New Orleans, though populated primarily by ghosts now, is once again an American city and open for possibility. The clinging and wicked underbelly formed of sexual perverts, drug dealers, cheating bartenders and dangerous characters has been cleansed. For how long it will last is anyone’s guess.
The president of the Port of New Orleans has already essentially declared that the Port doesn’t need the city and is independent of it. Many of the docks and piers were spared in the storms. He is claiming that the city never contributed much to the port and he seems to believe that it can survive without the city.
We will have to see how that works out, however. 2005 has seen near record low water levels on the Mississippi. Much of the barge traffic has been slowed or stopped due to low water. The rails have been disrupted as management of the railcars has been bungled and ageing tracks cause further slowdowns.
The city itself remains quiet. Like an empty vessel. Will it be refilled with the refuse that was driven from it or will it be reborn again? New Orleans has been destroyed and rebuilt several times. Hopefully this time the new city will regain her place in the world of business and trade.
When you look at the old city and the center of town you can see the grandeur and the power of the place. When you look at a place like ‘The Voodoo Queen’s Shoppe’ or some of the rotting bars in the red light district you have to wonder if the owners of the buildings are serious about business or are just working themselves into an early grave.
3. The Garden district
In the Garden District like the area around the zoo one house on a street might be destroyed and the rest might have nothing wrong with them. Most of the houses in the Garden District, however, had nothing wrong with them at all.
Ann Rice owns at least one home in the area and perhaps more.
Some are owned by rock stars, movies stars or professional athletes. The rich and the powerful make their home in the Garden District and it shows.
Huge live oaks arc over the street.
Piles of debris from the storm are mixed with piles of debris from remodeling jobs and landscaping work going on in houses being restored to some former level of glory or updated to today’s tastes.
Ann Rice reportedly bought the Saint Elizabeth school and is gutting it in order to turn it into condominiums.
Not everyone in New Orleans is suffering.
As State Police officers from around the nation tour the downtown area and local police and vigilantes stand guard over piles of trash and destruction on the outskirts the New Orleans Police Department is out in force in the Garden District.
4. The 9th Ward
The first thing I noticed about the 9th Ward was that it didn’t look too much different from some areas I had been in around New York. Specifically in the Bronx, some parts of Brooklyn and patches of Queens.
The only difference appeared to be that the houses were more brightly painted.
Flood damage was clear throughout the 9th Ward but unlike the Garden District and some other parts of town many of the residents have not been allowed back in to do any work.
Whereas other parts of town can take advantage of free trash removal no one is moving anything in the 9th Ward.
Another problem in that particular area is that most of the houses are rented anyway and they have absentee landlords. Many of the buildings are what is known as ‘shotgun shacks’. That is they are a string of rooms and the front door is lined up with the back door. If all doors are open you can see clear through the house.
One such house was being renovated by members of a historical group. Other houses are being left to sit in the sun waiting for someone to come and clear them out.
The thing about those houses is that many of them are very old. Some are just as old as the houses in the Garden District. They have been flooded before and withstood other calamities. Most of them can be repaired and restored in a fairly short amount of time.
The sheet rock needs to be removed along with the insulation.
The sheet rock will need to be reinstalled along with the insulation.
After testing the electrical and plumbing most of the houses could be fit for living in a couple of weeks and allow for decorating after that.
The problems are money and ownership.
Many of the people that lived there have no cash and cannot buy the materials they need to rebuild. They also do not own the property and what sense would there be to rebuild a home for an absentee landlord?
In the 9th Ward FEMA has brought in trailers and hooked them up to electricity and water and sewer. They have also built chain link fences around them and put barbed wire on top.
The Mayor has told the people there are no trailers.
He has also been trying to put trailers in public parks but the City Council has been giving him a hassle because they don’t want to tear down any playgrounds.
There aren’t any children there right now but that hasn’t impacted their argument.
Arabi
Next to the 9th Ward is a place called Arabi.
That town is worse.
Many of the homes are totaled.
They have been moved off their foundations along with the other damage found in the 9th Ward.
There appears to be a great amount of chemicals spilled in and around the place. It is right next to the 9th Ward and the houses appeared to have been inhabited by people that were reasonably well off but the damage is a completely different sort.
The walls of the houses are crushed or buckled. Many of the windows are broken. Many roofs have been torn up and peeled back.
Again it seemed that the older houses in the 9th Ward did much better than the apparently newer and more cheaply built homes in Arabi.
The destruction was widespread.
On the border between Arabi and the 9th Ward sat armed police. They appeared to be vigilantes. We were not challenged as we entered the town but the threat was there.
It seemed the threat was worn out, however. They must slowly be realizing that they are guarding trash from a nonexistent invader.
Between the 9th Ward and Arabi sits the Walmart which was widely publicized as having been looted following the hurricane.
It should be noted that this particular Walmart is far away from downtown New Orleans. It is also in a relatively isolated area.
When the levees broke and the 9th Ward became cut off the Walmart was the only place in the area that contained supplies like water, food, fuel and clothing.
Most of the other businesses in the area were poor. They had either been undercut by Walmart and were going under or they had been failing for years.
Looting is wrong, there is no denying it, but everyone should realize that during that time that particular Walmart was the only supply depot in the area.
Several small businesses burned in the area. The stores and shops I saw in Arabi were largely destroyed by flood and wind.
The vigilantes appeared to be protecting nothing from no one. Most of the houses were destroyed.
Gentilly
The next town over is called Gentilly.
These people were a little better off.
This town was damaged but not as badly as Arabi or the 9th Ward.
The houses were being repaired in this section. FEMA has provided trailers and they were sitting in driveways or on front lawns. Many of the trailers in this area were tilting and looked to have been driven up in the yard and left that way.
Nearby was the Lakefront district. FEMA trailers in that area were leveled off, hooked up to water and sewer and air conditioning. The Lakefront district had many wealthy residents.
Trash and debris was strewn across the streets and sidewalks of Gentilly. This was not the case in the Lakefront district where the streets and few sidewalks had been cleaned off already. In the Lakefront district some trash had been put on the curb including major appliances.
There were many contractors in Gentilly as well as in the Lakefront district. Some landscaping and a great deal of remodeling was being done.
7. Little Vietnam near the NASA center
This area was very bad.
There seemed to have been no warning and no time to escape given to the residents. I was told that this neighborhood (East New Orleans) was under the impression everything was alright.
Many more cars and personal belongings were strewn in the street in this area. Many cars had not been removed from the driveways or off the street. I was informed that many people in that neighborhood had to be evacuated by helicopter.
Metairie / Slidell / Lake Front
The far side of Lake Pontchartrain suffered more damage from the natural disaster rather than the man made disaster.
There were broken forests. The live oaks and cypress trees that were damaged in the hurricane were being plucked out by contractors and logging pirates.
The rest of the material was being left to rot on the ground.
Along the lake front entire houses were missing from pads. I witnessed one woman sweeping debris off the pad of her former house. The house was completely gone.
Several restaurants were destroyed.
Conclusions and Remarks
In general I found that it was a man made disaster in New Orleans and a natural disaster on the other side of the lake.
There was a great amount of tears and sadness throughout the area.
Many parts of the area appeared to be smashed up.
In general Golf courses opened before people were allowed to see homes.
Upon viewing the levee walls it became apparent there were several flaws with the system.
I am surprised it was allowed to get that far.
The top of the levee wall was decorative. On top of piles of sand, sand bags, debris and earth grass was growing. On top of this pile there were vertical cement walls. They were butted up against each other and did not lock together.
The sound barriers along highways are built better than the top of the levees.
The water did not need to rise 14 or 18 feet to breech the levee. They are normally carrying a large amount of water, especially the Industrial Canal.
The water level only needed to rise 3 to 4 feet to threaten and destroy the toy like top of the levee. As soon as the water touched it they would begin to deteriorate. With little more action than the water flowing by it was obvious the cement wall would tip over in places or in great sections as it did.
The levees are old and of an old design. They were designed to flow water into Lake Pontchartrain. When it rains instead of waiting for water to drain off the water is pumped up above the city to a great height and allowed to slowly flow down into the lake.
During floods the slow drawdown is not an efficient and is a dangerous means to deal with all the extra water.
At one point in the past the levees were purposefully dynamited in order to flood an area of the city to protect another area.
As for additional work and problems in the area :
The local electric utility, Entergy, declared bankruptcy but is still allowed to run nuclear power plants without oversight.
Something called a ‘Fuel Charge’ is being added to all electricity bills.
Old ladies are paying Entergy’s bills while Entergy is reaping profits.
There is a large bridge which crosses Lake Pontchartrain. Only about 30 men have been working on the bridge which was broken down during the storm.
At NASA their sign is broken.
There is debris in NASA’s yard including aluminum shutters leaning against the guard house. Guards were witnessed waving in open backed pickup trucks loaded with Mexican workers while half a mile away down the road the National Guard was loading dump trucks with mulch and fertilizer to spread around trees in public parks and golf courses.
The National Guard base on Lake Pontchartrain was destroyed.
Cars were buried in mud and sand.
Cars are suspended in trees.
Tables hang in trees.
The city is not as low as they say.
The levees have been built very high.
Corruption did not come to mind when I saw them. Stupidity did.
The Army Corps of Engineers designed and supervised the construction of garbage.
They have contributed to the destruction of many of the cypress forests that line the shores and lakes and rivers by cutting canals through swamps that have allowed salt water to flow into areas that normally contained only fresh water. This has destroyed some fisheries and impacted others negatively.
Besides that what is the Army Corps of Engineers doing on the Great Lakes? The level of the upper lakes has fallen nearly 2 feet because of the ill planned dredging in Lake St Clair.
This year, again, barge traffic has been disrupted, not only because of the hurricane but because of mismanagement of the water levels in the Mississippi River. Barges have been stranded up and down the length of the river during this year’s drought and because of mishandling the dams along the river.
The Army Corps of Engineers, their processes and work are a great problem facing this nation.
What are they doing in your area?
In the general area of New Orleans many people are living in tents.
There are military police at the zoo and stationed throughout the region.
There are armored vehicles in the streets.
Protecting what?
Against whom ?
Friday, October 28, 2005
Walmart Weaves Web
Walmart has been circulating a confidential memo about their health care benefits, employees and profit margins. If you want to read the entire memo you may find it at this location :
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/business/26walmart.pdf
http://walmartwatch.com/
I have taken the liberty of extracting some of those items for your review. The first sentence is my summary opinion, the balance in quotes for each item is taken directly from the Walmart memo :
The only reason, it seems, to shop at Walmart is for the low prices. They are not good for their employees, their neighborhoods, their states or the nation.
Medicaid Supporting Walmart Stock Price :
"Wal-Mart’s healthcare benefit is one of the most pressing reputation issues we face because well-funded, well-organized critics, as well as state government officials, are carefully scrutinizing Wal-Mart’s offering. Moreover, our offering is vulnerable to at least some of their criticisms, especially with regard to the affordability of coverage and Associates’ reliance on Medicaid."
Breeding a Better Human and Interfering with Government :
"Redesign benefits and other aspects of the Associate experience, such as job design, to attract a healthier, more productive workforce. – Make some select strategic investments in our healthcare offering (e.g., lower maximum out-of-pocket expenses) so it can better withstand external scrutiny. – Improve communication of Wal-Mart’s benefits offering so we get more credit for what we provide, and, over the long-term, work to shape state and national outcomes on healthcare."
Better Benefits to ‘Healthy’ employees :
"Maintaining benefits spend at or below today’s level as a percentage of sales; Offering a more attractive benefits package for healthy Associates; Better positioning us to fight Wal-Mart’s critics. We presented this material to the Executive Benefits Steering Committee (Tom Hyde, Lawrence Jackson, and Tom Schoewe) in late July. They received the recommendations enthusiastically and asked that we share them widely within Wal-Mart, something we have begun to do."
Walmart and the Elderly :
"Our workforce is aging faster (0.50 years per calendar year) than the national average (0.12 years per calendar year). ¶ Our workers are getting sicker than the national population, particularly with obesity-related diseases. For example, the prevalence of coronary artery disease in Wal-Mart’s population grew by 6 percent compared to a national average of 1 percent, and the prevalence of diabetes in our population grew by 10 percent compared to a national average of 3 percent."
It’s the Government’s Fault :
"A segment of our workforce consumes healthcare inefficiently, in a pattern similar to a Medicaid population. Our population tends to over utilize emergency room and hospital services and underutilize prescriptions and doctor visits. This pattern is most evident among our low-income Associates, and one hypothesis is that this behavior may result from prior experience with Medicaid programs."
Full-Time, Loyal Employees are Bad :
"Given the impact of tenure on wages and benefits, the cost of an Associate with 7 years of tenure is almost 55 percent more than the cost of an Associate with 1 year of tenure, yet there is no difference in his or her productivity (Exhibit 2). Moreover, because we pay an Associate more in salary and benefits as his or her tenure increases, we are pricing that Associate out of the labor market, increasing the likelihood that he or she will stay with Wal-Mart."
The Employees are Parasites :
"In particular, the least healthy, least productive Associates are more satisfied with their benefits than other segments and are interested in longer careers with Wal-Mart."
The Government Figured Out What Walmart has been Doing :
"Moreover, federal and state governments are increasingly concerned about healthcare costs, and many view Wal-Mart as part of the problem (a view due, in part, to the work of Wal-Mart’s critics). Medicaid costs are a major priority on most governors’ agendas; already a quarter of states are spending more than 25 percent of their budgets on Medicaid, and observers across the political spectrum assert that the current system – with spiraling costs, a large population of uninsured, and an increasing number of medical bankruptcies – is unsustainable (although there is little consensus on what should take its place). In this environment, we can expect efforts like those in Maryland (which is trying to mandate that companies spend a certain percentage of revenue on healthcare) and New Hampshire (which requires health services to track where Medicaid enrollees are employed) to accelerate. Proposals such as these, if successful, will bring added costs to Wal-Mart. Moreover, these battles with critics and governments are contributing to the decline of Wal-Mart’s overall reputation."
Walmart Welfare :
"Specifically, our coverage is expensive for low-income families, and Wal-Mart has a significant percentage of Associates and their children on public assistance."
Uninsured Employee Children :
"We also have a significant number of Associates and their children who receive health insurance through public-assistance programs. Five percent of our Associates are on Medicaid compared to an average for national employers of 4 percent. Twenty-seven percent of Associates’ children are on such programs, compared to a national average of 22 percent (Exhibit 5). In total, 46 percent of Associates’ children are either on Medicaid or are uninsured."
Doctor Walmart :
"Continue to explore adding health clinics in stores. Wal-Mart is starting an effort to put clinics in stores, a strategy currently framed as a real-estate opportunity. Over the long term, and with several important modifications (e.g., innovations to create lower-cost visits), these clinics could become an important part of our healthcare strategy, especially as a substitute for emergency room visits.
The Republican Answer :
"Overall consumer-driven health plans are less popular with Associates than traditional plans, albeit not dramatically so, and are more difficult to communicate. Strong opposition is isolated to approximately 10 percent of Associates. Wal-Mart will also face reputation challenges in implementing this change given that progressives view such plans as a Republican answer. Wal-Mart will have to be sophisticated and forceful in communicating this change internally and externally.
" Social Security Will Take Care of Them :
"We should also redesign the specifics of our retirement program. In particular, we should convert the 401(k) program from a no-strings-attached flat contribution to a matching program in which Associates receive funds from Wal- Mart based on the contribution they make to their 401(k). Such a program would help Associates better prepare for retirement. A fully participating career Associate would be able to replace 30 to 40 percent of his or her income at retirement, compared to 15 percent today, resulting in some 80 to 90 percent of income replaced at retirement (when Social Security is included)."
Hire ‘Healthier’ People :
"A healthier workforce will lead to lower health insurance costs, lower absenteeism through fewer sick days, and higher productivity. It will be far easier to attract and retain a healthier workforce than it will be to change behavior in an existing one. These moves would also dissuade unhealthy people from coming to work at Wal-Mart."
‘Reframe’ (Lie) About Medicaid :
"Address the Medicaid issue head-on by reframing the debate (e.g., this is everyone’s problem, not just Wal-Mart’s) and by offering some type of counterproposal or compromise. This first effort is critical because Wal-Mart is under serious attack from state governments with regard to the number of Associates on publicly funded health insurance.”
Talk Loud and Carry a Big Stick : “Become more engaged in the national healthcare debate, to position Wal-Mart as a leader in healthcare in general and on access (e.g., individual mandates) and affordability (e.g., bringing IT to healthcare) in particular. Establishing Wal-Mart as a leader on this critical issue will help deflate our critics. It will also put us in a position to help shape the outcome of the public debate about the healthcare crisis in a way that is at least somewhat advantageous to our interests.”
Medicaid is Better than Walmart Benefits : “Public reputation risk. Healthcare enrollment will fall several percentage points due primarily to a shift to more part-time Associates, which could draw additional attacks from Wal-Mart’s critics. Also, despite the proposed efforts, the Medicaid problem will not be “solved.” A significant number of Associates and their children will still qualify for Medicaid. Because many of these programs will offer more generous health insurance than Wal-Mart provides, many Associates will still choose to enroll in Medicaid, leaving the door open for continued attacks.”
http://www.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/business/26walmart.pdf
http://walmartwatch.com/
I have taken the liberty of extracting some of those items for your review. The first sentence is my summary opinion, the balance in quotes for each item is taken directly from the Walmart memo :
The only reason, it seems, to shop at Walmart is for the low prices. They are not good for their employees, their neighborhoods, their states or the nation.
Medicaid Supporting Walmart Stock Price :
"Wal-Mart’s healthcare benefit is one of the most pressing reputation issues we face because well-funded, well-organized critics, as well as state government officials, are carefully scrutinizing Wal-Mart’s offering. Moreover, our offering is vulnerable to at least some of their criticisms, especially with regard to the affordability of coverage and Associates’ reliance on Medicaid."
Breeding a Better Human and Interfering with Government :
"Redesign benefits and other aspects of the Associate experience, such as job design, to attract a healthier, more productive workforce. – Make some select strategic investments in our healthcare offering (e.g., lower maximum out-of-pocket expenses) so it can better withstand external scrutiny. – Improve communication of Wal-Mart’s benefits offering so we get more credit for what we provide, and, over the long-term, work to shape state and national outcomes on healthcare."
Better Benefits to ‘Healthy’ employees :
"Maintaining benefits spend at or below today’s level as a percentage of sales; Offering a more attractive benefits package for healthy Associates; Better positioning us to fight Wal-Mart’s critics. We presented this material to the Executive Benefits Steering Committee (Tom Hyde, Lawrence Jackson, and Tom Schoewe) in late July. They received the recommendations enthusiastically and asked that we share them widely within Wal-Mart, something we have begun to do."
Walmart and the Elderly :
"Our workforce is aging faster (0.50 years per calendar year) than the national average (0.12 years per calendar year). ¶ Our workers are getting sicker than the national population, particularly with obesity-related diseases. For example, the prevalence of coronary artery disease in Wal-Mart’s population grew by 6 percent compared to a national average of 1 percent, and the prevalence of diabetes in our population grew by 10 percent compared to a national average of 3 percent."
It’s the Government’s Fault :
"A segment of our workforce consumes healthcare inefficiently, in a pattern similar to a Medicaid population. Our population tends to over utilize emergency room and hospital services and underutilize prescriptions and doctor visits. This pattern is most evident among our low-income Associates, and one hypothesis is that this behavior may result from prior experience with Medicaid programs."
Full-Time, Loyal Employees are Bad :
"Given the impact of tenure on wages and benefits, the cost of an Associate with 7 years of tenure is almost 55 percent more than the cost of an Associate with 1 year of tenure, yet there is no difference in his or her productivity (Exhibit 2). Moreover, because we pay an Associate more in salary and benefits as his or her tenure increases, we are pricing that Associate out of the labor market, increasing the likelihood that he or she will stay with Wal-Mart."
The Employees are Parasites :
"In particular, the least healthy, least productive Associates are more satisfied with their benefits than other segments and are interested in longer careers with Wal-Mart."
The Government Figured Out What Walmart has been Doing :
"Moreover, federal and state governments are increasingly concerned about healthcare costs, and many view Wal-Mart as part of the problem (a view due, in part, to the work of Wal-Mart’s critics). Medicaid costs are a major priority on most governors’ agendas; already a quarter of states are spending more than 25 percent of their budgets on Medicaid, and observers across the political spectrum assert that the current system – with spiraling costs, a large population of uninsured, and an increasing number of medical bankruptcies – is unsustainable (although there is little consensus on what should take its place). In this environment, we can expect efforts like those in Maryland (which is trying to mandate that companies spend a certain percentage of revenue on healthcare) and New Hampshire (which requires health services to track where Medicaid enrollees are employed) to accelerate. Proposals such as these, if successful, will bring added costs to Wal-Mart. Moreover, these battles with critics and governments are contributing to the decline of Wal-Mart’s overall reputation."
Walmart Welfare :
"Specifically, our coverage is expensive for low-income families, and Wal-Mart has a significant percentage of Associates and their children on public assistance."
Uninsured Employee Children :
"We also have a significant number of Associates and their children who receive health insurance through public-assistance programs. Five percent of our Associates are on Medicaid compared to an average for national employers of 4 percent. Twenty-seven percent of Associates’ children are on such programs, compared to a national average of 22 percent (Exhibit 5). In total, 46 percent of Associates’ children are either on Medicaid or are uninsured."
Doctor Walmart :
"Continue to explore adding health clinics in stores. Wal-Mart is starting an effort to put clinics in stores, a strategy currently framed as a real-estate opportunity. Over the long term, and with several important modifications (e.g., innovations to create lower-cost visits), these clinics could become an important part of our healthcare strategy, especially as a substitute for emergency room visits.
The Republican Answer :
"Overall consumer-driven health plans are less popular with Associates than traditional plans, albeit not dramatically so, and are more difficult to communicate. Strong opposition is isolated to approximately 10 percent of Associates. Wal-Mart will also face reputation challenges in implementing this change given that progressives view such plans as a Republican answer. Wal-Mart will have to be sophisticated and forceful in communicating this change internally and externally.
" Social Security Will Take Care of Them :
"We should also redesign the specifics of our retirement program. In particular, we should convert the 401(k) program from a no-strings-attached flat contribution to a matching program in which Associates receive funds from Wal- Mart based on the contribution they make to their 401(k). Such a program would help Associates better prepare for retirement. A fully participating career Associate would be able to replace 30 to 40 percent of his or her income at retirement, compared to 15 percent today, resulting in some 80 to 90 percent of income replaced at retirement (when Social Security is included)."
Hire ‘Healthier’ People :
"A healthier workforce will lead to lower health insurance costs, lower absenteeism through fewer sick days, and higher productivity. It will be far easier to attract and retain a healthier workforce than it will be to change behavior in an existing one. These moves would also dissuade unhealthy people from coming to work at Wal-Mart."
‘Reframe’ (Lie) About Medicaid :
"Address the Medicaid issue head-on by reframing the debate (e.g., this is everyone’s problem, not just Wal-Mart’s) and by offering some type of counterproposal or compromise. This first effort is critical because Wal-Mart is under serious attack from state governments with regard to the number of Associates on publicly funded health insurance.”
Talk Loud and Carry a Big Stick : “Become more engaged in the national healthcare debate, to position Wal-Mart as a leader in healthcare in general and on access (e.g., individual mandates) and affordability (e.g., bringing IT to healthcare) in particular. Establishing Wal-Mart as a leader on this critical issue will help deflate our critics. It will also put us in a position to help shape the outcome of the public debate about the healthcare crisis in a way that is at least somewhat advantageous to our interests.”
Medicaid is Better than Walmart Benefits : “Public reputation risk. Healthcare enrollment will fall several percentage points due primarily to a shift to more part-time Associates, which could draw additional attacks from Wal-Mart’s critics. Also, despite the proposed efforts, the Medicaid problem will not be “solved.” A significant number of Associates and their children will still qualify for Medicaid. Because many of these programs will offer more generous health insurance than Wal-Mart provides, many Associates will still choose to enroll in Medicaid, leaving the door open for continued attacks.”
Oil for Food Scandal Over
The Independent Inquiry Committee has today issued a Report on The Manipulation of the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme.
What does it contain?
A bunch of tables that list countries by the score and numerous companies that did business with Iraq.
Is it an indictment of these countries or is it something else? There are many private companies from many nations around the earth.
The situation that it grew out of was an intent to relieve everyday Iraqis from the weight of sanctions.
Sanctions had been imposed on Iraq by a small group of countries led by the United States and spurred on by Great Britain – one of Iraq’s principal competitors in the world oil trade.
The sanctions as applied were killing large numbers of children and throwing millions of Iraqis into poverty. They didn’t do anything to Hussein’s army or air force.
The Americans and British then tried to apply sanctions by removing the sanctions and allow Iraq to buy food with profits taken from oil sales.
The Iraqis have long been self-sufficient in food production – I believe the intersection of the Tigris and Euphrates is known as the cradle of modern farming.
In any case many companies began trading in Iraqi oil. Sometimes there were extra ‘fees’ that needed to be paid.
The numbers quoted by the Committee are fantastic especially in light of the fact that much of the money went into the Iraqi economy rather than to buy weapons.
The conclusion then would be that the program was run poorly and business competed effectively to get their share.
When we look at who took the most, however, we get names like Vietnam, Russia and Communist China.
When the world is doing one thing and only one voice is raised in opposition there are two possibilities.
1. The voice being raised is the voice of reason and we should all listen to it. Like the voice of an innocent like Jesus Christ, Bhudda or Mohammed.
2. The voice being raised is that of a fanatic.
The United States and Great Britain in the case of Iraq are not innocents so that leads me to believe that we are listening to fanatics.
No matter which way you slice it the invasion and occupation of Iraq remains an illegal act which has undermined international cooperation and raised war to the level of an acceptable level of diplomacy.
Will the United States and Great Britain now punish each and every nation and company that acted in their own best interests in the international market when dealing with Iraq?
Let us pretend that the will of the American people can be stretched to believe that the United States has the power to be the world’s lawyer (solicitor). In what court will these cases be heard? What nation would knowingly submit itself to the laws of the United States when the United States does not even obey them?
Shall we allow President Bush and Tony Blair to sit in government of the world and trade practices that have been in place for time immemorial?
Are they the saviors of the world or are they just mad because when they stole the whole pie they found the plate to be empty?
You can read the pompous and poorly prepared document at :
http://www.iic-offp.org/
What does it contain?
A bunch of tables that list countries by the score and numerous companies that did business with Iraq.
Is it an indictment of these countries or is it something else? There are many private companies from many nations around the earth.
The situation that it grew out of was an intent to relieve everyday Iraqis from the weight of sanctions.
Sanctions had been imposed on Iraq by a small group of countries led by the United States and spurred on by Great Britain – one of Iraq’s principal competitors in the world oil trade.
The sanctions as applied were killing large numbers of children and throwing millions of Iraqis into poverty. They didn’t do anything to Hussein’s army or air force.
The Americans and British then tried to apply sanctions by removing the sanctions and allow Iraq to buy food with profits taken from oil sales.
The Iraqis have long been self-sufficient in food production – I believe the intersection of the Tigris and Euphrates is known as the cradle of modern farming.
In any case many companies began trading in Iraqi oil. Sometimes there were extra ‘fees’ that needed to be paid.
The numbers quoted by the Committee are fantastic especially in light of the fact that much of the money went into the Iraqi economy rather than to buy weapons.
The conclusion then would be that the program was run poorly and business competed effectively to get their share.
When we look at who took the most, however, we get names like Vietnam, Russia and Communist China.
When the world is doing one thing and only one voice is raised in opposition there are two possibilities.
1. The voice being raised is the voice of reason and we should all listen to it. Like the voice of an innocent like Jesus Christ, Bhudda or Mohammed.
2. The voice being raised is that of a fanatic.
The United States and Great Britain in the case of Iraq are not innocents so that leads me to believe that we are listening to fanatics.
No matter which way you slice it the invasion and occupation of Iraq remains an illegal act which has undermined international cooperation and raised war to the level of an acceptable level of diplomacy.
Will the United States and Great Britain now punish each and every nation and company that acted in their own best interests in the international market when dealing with Iraq?
Let us pretend that the will of the American people can be stretched to believe that the United States has the power to be the world’s lawyer (solicitor). In what court will these cases be heard? What nation would knowingly submit itself to the laws of the United States when the United States does not even obey them?
Shall we allow President Bush and Tony Blair to sit in government of the world and trade practices that have been in place for time immemorial?
Are they the saviors of the world or are they just mad because when they stole the whole pie they found the plate to be empty?
You can read the pompous and poorly prepared document at :
http://www.iic-offp.org/
Monday, October 17, 2005
Modern American Entertainment
Below you will find two movies – both of which have been rated PG-13. Clearly after viewing them you should be able to understand that children should not see them at all.
The current rating system as followed by the Motion Picture Association of America is inadequate, misleading and dangerous.
The following two movies contain information and images that are normally associated with individuals suffering from schizophrenia.
Considering the tax write offs, credits and handouts the entertainment industry receives from the Federal Government it is not unreasonable to ask you to question the current ratings system.
Why not a review of that ratings system?
It seems to me that an industry like the entertainment industry, which has become dominated by a foreign national company (like Sony) should be eyed closely in order to confirm that they are living up to our national standards. Clearly they have not been as their music business has recently been indicted by the New York State Attorney's Office for bribing radio companies to broadcast their songs. If they are doing it with songs what do you think they are doing with movies and television?
Please note that below are just two examples out of the thousands of movies, television programs, songs, games and other media that are dumped on our children every day.
White Noise (2004)
Universal Studios
PG-13
Rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images and language.
Boogeyman (2004)
Screen Gems
PG-13
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of horror and terror/violence, and some partial nudity.
You may also find a selection of items considered ‘okay’ for American television at :
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/worstclips.html
The current rating system as followed by the Motion Picture Association of America is inadequate, misleading and dangerous.
The following two movies contain information and images that are normally associated with individuals suffering from schizophrenia.
Considering the tax write offs, credits and handouts the entertainment industry receives from the Federal Government it is not unreasonable to ask you to question the current ratings system.
Why not a review of that ratings system?
It seems to me that an industry like the entertainment industry, which has become dominated by a foreign national company (like Sony) should be eyed closely in order to confirm that they are living up to our national standards. Clearly they have not been as their music business has recently been indicted by the New York State Attorney's Office for bribing radio companies to broadcast their songs. If they are doing it with songs what do you think they are doing with movies and television?
Please note that below are just two examples out of the thousands of movies, television programs, songs, games and other media that are dumped on our children every day.
White Noise (2004)
Universal Studios
PG-13
Rated PG-13 for violence, disturbing images and language.
Boogeyman (2004)
Screen Gems
PG-13
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of horror and terror/violence, and some partial nudity.
You may also find a selection of items considered ‘okay’ for American television at :
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/worstclips.html
Monday, September 19, 2005
Roberts and Guantanamo
Curious events are happening surrounding the Supreme Court and Judge John Roberts but they are not what you would expect.
They have to deal with the terrorism suspects on war crimes charges at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
The terrorist suspects are apparently being charged with war crimes. The proceedings were brought to a screeching halt in November, 2004 when a federal district judge ruled they violated domestic law and the international treaty obligations of the United States.
The court interpreted the international treaty obligations as saying the US must treat the Guantánamo detainees as prisoners of war unless a Geneva Conventions special tribunal determines they are not.
P.O.W’s charged with war crimes are to be tried by court-martial not by a military commission.
In July, 2005, an appellate panel made up of three judges, one of which was John G. Roberts Jr., nominee to the Supreme Court, unanimously decided against the district court.
The case was then appealed to the Supreme Court for review. If the case is given the go-ahead and the appeal declined then the proceedings will continue.
It will put the United States government in the questionable light of having John G. Roberts, who made a ruling, then become one of the Justices that would be responsible for confirming his own ruling.
The insidious nature of the crimes with which the defendants have been charged has helped to obscure the major role that Judge John Roberts has played in the process.
Skipping judges around is a trick of dictatorships.
They have to deal with the terrorism suspects on war crimes charges at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba.
The terrorist suspects are apparently being charged with war crimes. The proceedings were brought to a screeching halt in November, 2004 when a federal district judge ruled they violated domestic law and the international treaty obligations of the United States.
The court interpreted the international treaty obligations as saying the US must treat the Guantánamo detainees as prisoners of war unless a Geneva Conventions special tribunal determines they are not.
P.O.W’s charged with war crimes are to be tried by court-martial not by a military commission.
In July, 2005, an appellate panel made up of three judges, one of which was John G. Roberts Jr., nominee to the Supreme Court, unanimously decided against the district court.
The case was then appealed to the Supreme Court for review. If the case is given the go-ahead and the appeal declined then the proceedings will continue.
It will put the United States government in the questionable light of having John G. Roberts, who made a ruling, then become one of the Justices that would be responsible for confirming his own ruling.
The insidious nature of the crimes with which the defendants have been charged has helped to obscure the major role that Judge John Roberts has played in the process.
Skipping judges around is a trick of dictatorships.
Disgraceful Bolton
John Bolton, the American Ambassador to the United Nations is humilitating our nation.
He has taken the view that the UN charter "has never been interpreted as creating a legal obligation for Security Council members to support enforcement action." He seems to defy history.
He asked to remove phrases calling on nations to prevent "incitement" of mass atrocities. That is, the Saudi Arabians would have to stop teaching their school children to hate Americans but Bolton apparently believes that advocating the murder of innocent people is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Bolton claims the US "stands ready" to intervene in select cases where governments refuse to stop or carry out genocide. He indicated world leaders should not "foreclose" using the military "absent authorization by the Security Council."
The UN calls humanitarian intervention "responsibility to protect."
Bolton is refusing to discuss a specific definition of terrorism. Bolton is arguing that the convention should exclude any acts by armed forces during a conflict – in effect – the Janjaweed in Sudan are not guilty because they murdered civilians on the battlefield and so there is no penalty.
Bolton introduced hundreds of amendments to the UN document at the last minute.
Bolton has been quoted as saying, "We haven't done something at the last minute here. I've got my pen in my pocket and I'm ready to go. We can make this deadline, we can get a strong outcome document."
Bolton is disgracing the United States of America at this very moment.
He has taken the view that the UN charter "has never been interpreted as creating a legal obligation for Security Council members to support enforcement action." He seems to defy history.
He asked to remove phrases calling on nations to prevent "incitement" of mass atrocities. That is, the Saudi Arabians would have to stop teaching their school children to hate Americans but Bolton apparently believes that advocating the murder of innocent people is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Bolton claims the US "stands ready" to intervene in select cases where governments refuse to stop or carry out genocide. He indicated world leaders should not "foreclose" using the military "absent authorization by the Security Council."
The UN calls humanitarian intervention "responsibility to protect."
Bolton is refusing to discuss a specific definition of terrorism. Bolton is arguing that the convention should exclude any acts by armed forces during a conflict – in effect – the Janjaweed in Sudan are not guilty because they murdered civilians on the battlefield and so there is no penalty.
Bolton introduced hundreds of amendments to the UN document at the last minute.
Bolton has been quoted as saying, "We haven't done something at the last minute here. I've got my pen in my pocket and I'm ready to go. We can make this deadline, we can get a strong outcome document."
Bolton is disgracing the United States of America at this very moment.
Disgraceful Bolton
John Bolton, the American Ambassador to the United Nations is humilitating our nation.
He has taken the view that the UN charter "has never been interpreted as creating a legal obligation for Security Council members to support enforcement action." He seems to defy history.
He asked to remove phrases calling on nations to prevent "incitement" of mass atrocities. That is, the Saudi Arabians would have to stop teaching their school children to hate Americans but Bolton apparently believes that advocating the murder of innocent people is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Bolton claims the US "stands ready" to intervene in select cases where governments refuse to stop or carry out genocide. He indicated world leaders should not "foreclose" using the military "absent authorization by the Security Council."
The UN calls humanitarian intervention "responsibility to protect."
Bolton is refusing to discuss a specific definition of terrorism. Bolton is arguing that the convention should exclude any acts by armed forces during a conflict – in effect – the Janjaweed in Sudan are not guilty because they murdered civilians on the battlefield and so there is no penalty.
Bolton introduced hundreds of amendments to the UN document at the last minute.
Bolton has been quoted as saying, "We haven't done something at the last minute here. I've got my pen in my pocket and I'm ready to go. We can make this deadline, we can get a strong outcome document."
Bolton is disgracing the United States of America at this very moment.
He has taken the view that the UN charter "has never been interpreted as creating a legal obligation for Security Council members to support enforcement action." He seems to defy history.
He asked to remove phrases calling on nations to prevent "incitement" of mass atrocities. That is, the Saudi Arabians would have to stop teaching their school children to hate Americans but Bolton apparently believes that advocating the murder of innocent people is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Bolton claims the US "stands ready" to intervene in select cases where governments refuse to stop or carry out genocide. He indicated world leaders should not "foreclose" using the military "absent authorization by the Security Council."
The UN calls humanitarian intervention "responsibility to protect."
Bolton is refusing to discuss a specific definition of terrorism. Bolton is arguing that the convention should exclude any acts by armed forces during a conflict – in effect – the Janjaweed in Sudan are not guilty because they murdered civilians on the battlefield and so there is no penalty.
Bolton introduced hundreds of amendments to the UN document at the last minute.
Bolton has been quoted as saying, "We haven't done something at the last minute here. I've got my pen in my pocket and I'm ready to go. We can make this deadline, we can get a strong outcome document."
Bolton is disgracing the United States of America at this very moment.
Disgraceful Bolton
John Bolton, the American Ambassador to the United Nations is humilitating our nation.
He has taken the view that the UN charter "has never been interpreted as creating a legal obligation for Security Council members to support enforcement action." He seems to defy history.
He asked to remove phrases calling on nations to prevent "incitement" of mass atrocities. That is, the Saudi Arabians would have to stop teaching their school children to hate Americans but Bolton apparently believes that advocating the murder of innocent people is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Bolton claims the US "stands ready" to intervene in select cases where governments refuse to stop or carry out genocide. He indicated world leaders should not "foreclose" using the military "absent authorization by the Security Council."
The UN calls humanitarian intervention "responsibility to protect."
Bolton is refusing to discuss a specific definition of terrorism. Bolton is arguing that the convention should exclude any acts by armed forces during a conflict – in effect – the Janjaweed in Sudan are not guilty because they murdered civilians on the battlefield and so there is no penalty.
Bolton introduced hundreds of amendments to the UN document at the last minute.
Bolton has been quoted as saying, "We haven't done something at the last minute here. I've got my pen in my pocket and I'm ready to go. We can make this deadline, we can get a strong outcome document."
Bolton is disgracing the United States of America at this very moment.
He has taken the view that the UN charter "has never been interpreted as creating a legal obligation for Security Council members to support enforcement action." He seems to defy history.
He asked to remove phrases calling on nations to prevent "incitement" of mass atrocities. That is, the Saudi Arabians would have to stop teaching their school children to hate Americans but Bolton apparently believes that advocating the murder of innocent people is guaranteed by the First Amendment of the Constitution.
Bolton claims the US "stands ready" to intervene in select cases where governments refuse to stop or carry out genocide. He indicated world leaders should not "foreclose" using the military "absent authorization by the Security Council."
The UN calls humanitarian intervention "responsibility to protect."
Bolton is refusing to discuss a specific definition of terrorism. Bolton is arguing that the convention should exclude any acts by armed forces during a conflict – in effect – the Janjaweed in Sudan are not guilty because they murdered civilians on the battlefield and so there is no penalty.
Bolton introduced hundreds of amendments to the UN document at the last minute.
Bolton has been quoted as saying, "We haven't done something at the last minute here. I've got my pen in my pocket and I'm ready to go. We can make this deadline, we can get a strong outcome document."
Bolton is disgracing the United States of America at this very moment.
Saturday, September 17, 2005
NASA Blasts off with Lockheed Martin
NASA Blasting off With Lockheed Martin
He walked into the White House on 9/15/2005 and presented his plan to replace the dangerous space shuttles. Two of the shuttles disintegrated and exploded killing their occupants.
Mike Griffin is a rocket scientist and has an MBA, which is a Masters Degree in Business Administration.
That may be why his new plan is to use rockets to replace the poorly designed shuttles. It may also be why approval was given without any figures or information on how to pay for it.
Mike Griffin?s new fleet of rockets will be a rework of rockets used during the moon shots in the 1960?s. There will be a large rocket for sending cargo into space that will tower 350 feet off the launch pad. A smaller rocket will speed humans into space.
The rockets will draw on design information and experience the United States has had in building and deploying nuclear weapons.
Mike Griffin served as CEO of In-Q-Tel. In-Q-Tel is described by it?s first CEO Gilman Louie as being formed "...to ensure that the CIA remains at the cutting edge of information technology advances and capabilities."
Space planes and lighter than air craft that can lift loads faster and far heavier than those planned for by the obsolete rockets have been sidelined as Mike Griffin takes NASA ?Back to the Past?.
Several board members of In-Q-Tel have connections with Lockheed-Martin Corporation.
Expect most of Mike Griffin?s ?new? old rockets to be produced by Lockheed-Martin.
He walked into the White House on 9/15/2005 and presented his plan to replace the dangerous space shuttles. Two of the shuttles disintegrated and exploded killing their occupants.
Mike Griffin is a rocket scientist and has an MBA, which is a Masters Degree in Business Administration.
That may be why his new plan is to use rockets to replace the poorly designed shuttles. It may also be why approval was given without any figures or information on how to pay for it.
Mike Griffin?s new fleet of rockets will be a rework of rockets used during the moon shots in the 1960?s. There will be a large rocket for sending cargo into space that will tower 350 feet off the launch pad. A smaller rocket will speed humans into space.
The rockets will draw on design information and experience the United States has had in building and deploying nuclear weapons.
Mike Griffin served as CEO of In-Q-Tel. In-Q-Tel is described by it?s first CEO Gilman Louie as being formed "...to ensure that the CIA remains at the cutting edge of information technology advances and capabilities."
Space planes and lighter than air craft that can lift loads faster and far heavier than those planned for by the obsolete rockets have been sidelined as Mike Griffin takes NASA ?Back to the Past?.
Several board members of In-Q-Tel have connections with Lockheed-Martin Corporation.
Expect most of Mike Griffin?s ?new? old rockets to be produced by Lockheed-Martin.
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Darkest America
The Nairobi Museum in Nairobi, Kenya is closing for renovation and houses art and science exhibits.
Included are fossils that the Leakey’s dug up in the Rift Valley.
The Great Rift Valley extends from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in East Africa. It was created by the separation of the African and Arabian tectonic plates beginning about 35 million years.
While Kenya strides forward the United States continues to slip back into the Dark Ages.
One American roadside attraction displays dinosaurs with Adam and Eve.
Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis has been quoted as saying, "We're putting evolutionists on notice: We're taking the dinosaurs back.” He has built a $25-million creationist museum in Petersburg, Ky.
In Pensacola, Florida tourists can stop at Dinosaur Adventure Land whose slogan is, "Where Dinosaurs and the Bible meet!"
According to their account, God created the world in six days and dinosaurs were vegetarians until Adam and Eve sinned. That is when they started being meat eaters.
Thousands of evangelical preachers insist that 4,500 years after Adam and Eve arrived dinosaurs entered Noah's Ark, later repopulated earth and were killed off by Christian knights.
Unlike the Nairobi Museum which hunts down fossils the Creation Evidence Museum in Glen Rose, Texas hunts living pterodactyls in Papua New Guinea.
The director of the Creation Evidence Museum said five of his friends spotted the flying dinosaurs, "but all the sightings were made after dark, and we were not able to capture the creatures."
Included are fossils that the Leakey’s dug up in the Rift Valley.
The Great Rift Valley extends from northern Syria in Southwest Asia to central Mozambique in East Africa. It was created by the separation of the African and Arabian tectonic plates beginning about 35 million years.
While Kenya strides forward the United States continues to slip back into the Dark Ages.
One American roadside attraction displays dinosaurs with Adam and Eve.
Ken Ham, president of Answers in Genesis has been quoted as saying, "We're putting evolutionists on notice: We're taking the dinosaurs back.” He has built a $25-million creationist museum in Petersburg, Ky.
In Pensacola, Florida tourists can stop at Dinosaur Adventure Land whose slogan is, "Where Dinosaurs and the Bible meet!"
According to their account, God created the world in six days and dinosaurs were vegetarians until Adam and Eve sinned. That is when they started being meat eaters.
Thousands of evangelical preachers insist that 4,500 years after Adam and Eve arrived dinosaurs entered Noah's Ark, later repopulated earth and were killed off by Christian knights.
Unlike the Nairobi Museum which hunts down fossils the Creation Evidence Museum in Glen Rose, Texas hunts living pterodactyls in Papua New Guinea.
The director of the Creation Evidence Museum said five of his friends spotted the flying dinosaurs, "but all the sightings were made after dark, and we were not able to capture the creatures."
Monday, September 12, 2005
Profiteering from Katrina
Haley Barbour is the Governor of Mississippi.
Shortly after Hurricane Katrina left the state of Mississippi in a shambles Haley Barbour flew along the coast in a helicopter and viewed the devastated casinos.
His plans have included tax give-aways to casinos and Toyota which runs a large auto plant near Canton, Mississippi.
He encouraged gambling casinos into becoming the main breadwinner in coastal areas. Halliburton, the company Vice President Dick Cheney use to be in charge of is going to help rebuild Mississippi.
Federal contracts for rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina have pushed Halliburton’s stock price to a new high.
Haley founded Barbour, Griffith and Rogers around 1991. They say "our firm is actively involved in the shaping of public policy issues that dominate the American political and corporate agenda. We serve as advocates in federal government relations, a vital link to state governments, and an ally in business development anywhere in the U.S. and in markets around the world."
Joseph Allbaugh, who was President Bush’s campaign manager and the director of FEMA set up two companies with the help of Haley Barbour. One is New Bridge Strategies and assists companies secure contracts in Iraq while Blackwell Fairbanks works for Lockheed Martin.
Lockheed Martin maintains facilities in :
New Orleans, Louisiana, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, Pascagoula, Mississippi, Keesler AFB, Biloxi, Mississippi, Meridian, Mississippi, Enterprise, Alabama, Anniston, Alabama, Huntsville, Alabama, Ponchatoula, Louisiana.
Joseph Allbaugh’s wife, Diane, previously worked at Haley Barbour’s firm and lobbied on behalf of Native American tribes and casinos.
Ask yourself this question – how much money would the friends of Dick Cheney, George Bush, Joe Allbaugh and Haley Barbour have lost if the Gulf Coast had been adequately prepared for Hurricane Katrina?
Shortly after Hurricane Katrina left the state of Mississippi in a shambles Haley Barbour flew along the coast in a helicopter and viewed the devastated casinos.
His plans have included tax give-aways to casinos and Toyota which runs a large auto plant near Canton, Mississippi.
He encouraged gambling casinos into becoming the main breadwinner in coastal areas. Halliburton, the company Vice President Dick Cheney use to be in charge of is going to help rebuild Mississippi.
Federal contracts for rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina have pushed Halliburton’s stock price to a new high.
Haley founded Barbour, Griffith and Rogers around 1991. They say "our firm is actively involved in the shaping of public policy issues that dominate the American political and corporate agenda. We serve as advocates in federal government relations, a vital link to state governments, and an ally in business development anywhere in the U.S. and in markets around the world."
Joseph Allbaugh, who was President Bush’s campaign manager and the director of FEMA set up two companies with the help of Haley Barbour. One is New Bridge Strategies and assists companies secure contracts in Iraq while Blackwell Fairbanks works for Lockheed Martin.
Lockheed Martin maintains facilities in :
New Orleans, Louisiana, Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, Pascagoula, Mississippi, Keesler AFB, Biloxi, Mississippi, Meridian, Mississippi, Enterprise, Alabama, Anniston, Alabama, Huntsville, Alabama, Ponchatoula, Louisiana.
Joseph Allbaugh’s wife, Diane, previously worked at Haley Barbour’s firm and lobbied on behalf of Native American tribes and casinos.
Ask yourself this question – how much money would the friends of Dick Cheney, George Bush, Joe Allbaugh and Haley Barbour have lost if the Gulf Coast had been adequately prepared for Hurricane Katrina?
Information Floating Around
President Bush went through New Orleans.
First of all he had his ‘Blame Game’ phrase changed to ‘The storm didn’t discriminate and neither will the recover effort.’
When asked about what he thought went wrong with the disaster response he said, ‘Well, there’s a lot of information floating around out there.’
Get it?
‘A lot of information floating around out there.’
Other notable figures had things to say.
"It makes me think of what my friend Rev. Goat just told me: 'Let me say this before it goes any further; New Orleans didn't die of natural causes, she was murdered.'", said Dr. John.
The President’s mother, Barbara Bush, was memorable with this gushing of weak kneed, blue blood gibberish, “"What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas."
Ex-FEMA Director Michael Brown said, ‘"This story's not about me. This story's about the worst disaster of the history of our country that stretched every government to its limit. And now we have to help these victims. " He apparently helped Lockheed Martin through Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and his old boss man Joe Allbaugh.
Al Sharpton said, "No one in America should feel comfortable sleeping, unless we know that plans are in place that will protect the cities of this country, because it could have been us."
Nancy Pelosi, House Democratic leader said, "The president said he's going to lead the investigation into what went wrong. He needs to look only in the mirror."
First of all he had his ‘Blame Game’ phrase changed to ‘The storm didn’t discriminate and neither will the recover effort.’
When asked about what he thought went wrong with the disaster response he said, ‘Well, there’s a lot of information floating around out there.’
Get it?
‘A lot of information floating around out there.’
Other notable figures had things to say.
"It makes me think of what my friend Rev. Goat just told me: 'Let me say this before it goes any further; New Orleans didn't die of natural causes, she was murdered.'", said Dr. John.
The President’s mother, Barbara Bush, was memorable with this gushing of weak kneed, blue blood gibberish, “"What I'm hearing, which is sort of scary, is they all want to stay in Texas."
Ex-FEMA Director Michael Brown said, ‘"This story's not about me. This story's about the worst disaster of the history of our country that stretched every government to its limit. And now we have to help these victims. " He apparently helped Lockheed Martin through Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour and his old boss man Joe Allbaugh.
Al Sharpton said, "No one in America should feel comfortable sleeping, unless we know that plans are in place that will protect the cities of this country, because it could have been us."
Nancy Pelosi, House Democratic leader said, "The president said he's going to lead the investigation into what went wrong. He needs to look only in the mirror."
Friday, September 09, 2005
Smokey the Bear Showed Up, where was Uncle Sam?
Lt. David Shand and Lt. Matt Udkow piloted H-3 helicopters out of Pensacola, Fla., having been ordered to deliver emergency food, water and other supplies to Stennis Space Center in Mississippi on Tuesday, August 30, the day after Katrina.
After dropping their loads they picked up a Coast Guard call for helicopter assistance in New Orleans. They rescued 110 people.
When they returned to base they were reprimanded.
I think their superior should be stripped of his rank and they should both be promoted.
What do you think? Why don’t you let your government representatives know how you feel?
Why not question why the vast resources of the American military (which has been held in reserve because the National Guard was sent to invade and occupy Iraq) were not put in use to assist in the immediate aftermath of the Hurricane disaster?
Advantages to the nation would have been an exercise for the military which is presently pretty much sitting around doing nothing and it would also have shown to the world the ability of the United States to respond effectively anywhere anytime in a compassionate manner. Did you know that the Mexican military has entered the United States and is bringing aid to the Gulf Coast?
It is a fact that within three days a very effective force of helicopters from as far away as Camp LeJeune could have reached the stricken areas and swooped thousands of people out with mind numbing swiftness. It is also a fact that the Navy helicopter ships that were sent from the east coast could have launched their helicopters to fly over Florida, refuel and arrive at the disaster area a week before their ships did. Instead their helicopters remained secured and they still have not been put into the field.
I am afraid that what happened in the Gulf Coast is a direct result of the political ideals of what this Administration feels is the role of the Federal Government in such cases. This might have been fine had the three stricken states (and their neighbors) had their National Guard units at full strength rather than occupying and rebuilding a foreign nation and if more than 10,000 Americans had not lost their lives.
Now they tell us it might not be 10,000. It could be much less. They have also forbidden photographers. It is a foolish set of circumstances.
If this is a failure of their ideals what will they do to us next?
More information about the role of the military for peacekeeping duties inside our borders is at :
globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1995/SLP.htm
It is written by Major Stawicki of the United States Marine Corps.
I wonder what use George Washington would have put our military to following Hurricane Katrina considering he invaded Pennsylvania because a bunch of backwoodsmen didn’t want to pay tax. I also wonder what President James Madison would have done to repay the action on behalf of the United States by the ancestors of these people who have been so devastated by this natural disaster. I also wonder what President Andrew Jackson would have done had he known that President George Bush was going to abandon the men and women who helped him secure victory during the war of 1812.
Finally – the cities. Mobile, Biloxi and New Orleans. I can’t believe some of the chatter about New Orleans. I remember being taught in elementary school that New Orleans was important as a shipping port and because it guards the mouth of the Mississippi. Grocery prices are inching up now because imports have been halted or redirected. Natural gas prices are spiking and fuel oil and gasoline have been affected. The drought on the Mississippi has caused massive problems this year because the soybean, corn, wheat and other crops can’t be moved properly but after Katrina, now that the harvest is coming on there is going to be a bigger problem if New Orleans port is not operational. There will be starvation and hardship around the world because of the slow down.
I don’t think the enormity of what is happening has settled in yet. I am horrified by the lack of response. Did you know that it appears that the Louisiana Fish and Wildlife service saved more people than any other group? They brought people in from as far away as Kentucky and they just did everything they could. The Forest Service was called in to put out the fires and they did their job.
Smokey the Bear showed up but where was Uncle Sam?
What will happen if North Carolina needs help? There have been hurricanes so fierce through there that islands were moved around and the coastline changed. (see Oregon inlet)
What will happen if California needs help? Or Kansas? Florida? - oh, sorry, Florida is okay. The President’s brother is the governor. They were already settling insurance claims there as Katrina raged through the Gulf Coast.
I myself called the Red Cross and about eight other relief agencies on behalf of my company looking for ways to help. The people here wanted to volunteer and help out the volunteers that were being overwhelmed. You know what I was told? Either the agencies rejected the offer outright or they rejected it and asked for cash.
But it doesn’t end there. One my co-workers located 200 families near our company and another 3 in another town. After talking with local representatives we found out that those folks needed EVERYTHING domestic we could give them. So now we have things going there and I am trying to find out if they need other services we could render.
As I consider what is happening and what I have seen (a lady I know was at two hotels in Arkansas and the only people that came around were local churches to see about the families and kids) I am beginning to believe that the reality of this bungled mess has been driven by a high level racism or some kind of sick and out dated class division where the rich not only refuse to help the poor they refuse to acknowledge that they exist at all.
I have heard and read and talked with people that have said that New Orleans was 80 percent black. As if that makes it okay. As if that makes it alright to ignore them. As if the plight of these Americans stuck in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana were not deserving of immediate action because of the color of their skin.
When I have not heard the stink of racism raised I hear some sort of American Apartheid argument whereby they are judged unworthy of aid because they had no money. Their pocket books were not green enough to warrant concern.
Some of these people had no money, sure. Others did. Why did they stay? Things happen. I am sure that not all who stayed intended on staying. They had a short time to get out. The people going out on Highway 10 missed a massacre by 4 to 6 hours when the massive traffic jam was finally broken up (by private citizens using cell phones).
Some of these people had no cars. Some of my friends have no car. Does that mean they are less entitled to common human decency and the effective action of our expensive and mighty military forces?
What happened there? What happened?
I am so outraged myself that if I could raise my voice to a hurricane wind I would blow this nation clean.
As for the ethnic makeup. It was an American city. It was all mixed up and everyone was there. Generally living in peace. Generally good and decent people. :
Wikipedia tells us this about New Orleans :
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 484,674 people, 188,251 households, and 112,950 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,036.4/km² (2,684.3/mi²). There were 215,091 housing units at an average density of 459.9/km² (1,191.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.25% African American, 28.05% White, 0.20% Native American, 2.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.93% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. 3.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
After dropping their loads they picked up a Coast Guard call for helicopter assistance in New Orleans. They rescued 110 people.
When they returned to base they were reprimanded.
I think their superior should be stripped of his rank and they should both be promoted.
What do you think? Why don’t you let your government representatives know how you feel?
Why not question why the vast resources of the American military (which has been held in reserve because the National Guard was sent to invade and occupy Iraq) were not put in use to assist in the immediate aftermath of the Hurricane disaster?
Advantages to the nation would have been an exercise for the military which is presently pretty much sitting around doing nothing and it would also have shown to the world the ability of the United States to respond effectively anywhere anytime in a compassionate manner. Did you know that the Mexican military has entered the United States and is bringing aid to the Gulf Coast?
It is a fact that within three days a very effective force of helicopters from as far away as Camp LeJeune could have reached the stricken areas and swooped thousands of people out with mind numbing swiftness. It is also a fact that the Navy helicopter ships that were sent from the east coast could have launched their helicopters to fly over Florida, refuel and arrive at the disaster area a week before their ships did. Instead their helicopters remained secured and they still have not been put into the field.
I am afraid that what happened in the Gulf Coast is a direct result of the political ideals of what this Administration feels is the role of the Federal Government in such cases. This might have been fine had the three stricken states (and their neighbors) had their National Guard units at full strength rather than occupying and rebuilding a foreign nation and if more than 10,000 Americans had not lost their lives.
Now they tell us it might not be 10,000. It could be much less. They have also forbidden photographers. It is a foolish set of circumstances.
If this is a failure of their ideals what will they do to us next?
More information about the role of the military for peacekeeping duties inside our borders is at :
globalsecurity.org/military/library/report/1995/SLP.htm
It is written by Major Stawicki of the United States Marine Corps.
I wonder what use George Washington would have put our military to following Hurricane Katrina considering he invaded Pennsylvania because a bunch of backwoodsmen didn’t want to pay tax. I also wonder what President James Madison would have done to repay the action on behalf of the United States by the ancestors of these people who have been so devastated by this natural disaster. I also wonder what President Andrew Jackson would have done had he known that President George Bush was going to abandon the men and women who helped him secure victory during the war of 1812.
Finally – the cities. Mobile, Biloxi and New Orleans. I can’t believe some of the chatter about New Orleans. I remember being taught in elementary school that New Orleans was important as a shipping port and because it guards the mouth of the Mississippi. Grocery prices are inching up now because imports have been halted or redirected. Natural gas prices are spiking and fuel oil and gasoline have been affected. The drought on the Mississippi has caused massive problems this year because the soybean, corn, wheat and other crops can’t be moved properly but after Katrina, now that the harvest is coming on there is going to be a bigger problem if New Orleans port is not operational. There will be starvation and hardship around the world because of the slow down.
I don’t think the enormity of what is happening has settled in yet. I am horrified by the lack of response. Did you know that it appears that the Louisiana Fish and Wildlife service saved more people than any other group? They brought people in from as far away as Kentucky and they just did everything they could. The Forest Service was called in to put out the fires and they did their job.
Smokey the Bear showed up but where was Uncle Sam?
What will happen if North Carolina needs help? There have been hurricanes so fierce through there that islands were moved around and the coastline changed. (see Oregon inlet)
What will happen if California needs help? Or Kansas? Florida? - oh, sorry, Florida is okay. The President’s brother is the governor. They were already settling insurance claims there as Katrina raged through the Gulf Coast.
I myself called the Red Cross and about eight other relief agencies on behalf of my company looking for ways to help. The people here wanted to volunteer and help out the volunteers that were being overwhelmed. You know what I was told? Either the agencies rejected the offer outright or they rejected it and asked for cash.
But it doesn’t end there. One my co-workers located 200 families near our company and another 3 in another town. After talking with local representatives we found out that those folks needed EVERYTHING domestic we could give them. So now we have things going there and I am trying to find out if they need other services we could render.
As I consider what is happening and what I have seen (a lady I know was at two hotels in Arkansas and the only people that came around were local churches to see about the families and kids) I am beginning to believe that the reality of this bungled mess has been driven by a high level racism or some kind of sick and out dated class division where the rich not only refuse to help the poor they refuse to acknowledge that they exist at all.
I have heard and read and talked with people that have said that New Orleans was 80 percent black. As if that makes it okay. As if that makes it alright to ignore them. As if the plight of these Americans stuck in Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana were not deserving of immediate action because of the color of their skin.
When I have not heard the stink of racism raised I hear some sort of American Apartheid argument whereby they are judged unworthy of aid because they had no money. Their pocket books were not green enough to warrant concern.
Some of these people had no money, sure. Others did. Why did they stay? Things happen. I am sure that not all who stayed intended on staying. They had a short time to get out. The people going out on Highway 10 missed a massacre by 4 to 6 hours when the massive traffic jam was finally broken up (by private citizens using cell phones).
Some of these people had no cars. Some of my friends have no car. Does that mean they are less entitled to common human decency and the effective action of our expensive and mighty military forces?
What happened there? What happened?
I am so outraged myself that if I could raise my voice to a hurricane wind I would blow this nation clean.
As for the ethnic makeup. It was an American city. It was all mixed up and everyone was there. Generally living in peace. Generally good and decent people. :
Wikipedia tells us this about New Orleans :
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 484,674 people, 188,251 households, and 112,950 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,036.4/km² (2,684.3/mi²). There were 215,091 housing units at an average density of 459.9/km² (1,191.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.25% African American, 28.05% White, 0.20% Native American, 2.26% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.93% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. 3.06% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Starvation and Loss Follow Katrina
The American harvest season for wheat, soybeans, cotton, corn and other major commodities begins shortly. The farmers that will be pulling in this year’s harvest in the central states rely on barges to carry their corn, soybeans and wheat down the Mississippi River to the Port of New Orleans.
New Orleans is a crucial link to export markets but was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Local officials are hopping mad from Minnesota all the way down to Mississippi.
The Midwest has experienced the worst drought in 20 years.
The storm destroyed sugar cane and rice fields across the southeast.
As a result of the damage to pipelines, oil platforms and refineries in the Gulf Coast farmers are forced to pay more for fuel to harvest and transport crops. This has impacted their profits and the financial markets.
Commodity exports and imports are slowed. Bananas, orange juice, apple juice and other materials imported from Central and South America are delayed in pick up or delivery. The ships are turned away because the secondary ports cannot accommodate the ships. Prices are already rising in supermarkets.
Midwestern farms have been shipping stored corn and soybeans to make room for this year's harvest but damaged waterways and grain handling facilities have left the barges stuck on the river.
Secondary markets and aid shipments of grains and beans will not be moving any time soon and will worsen the hunger crisis in Africa and southeast Asia.
There has been no response from the White House.
New Orleans is a crucial link to export markets but was badly damaged by Hurricane Katrina. Local officials are hopping mad from Minnesota all the way down to Mississippi.
The Midwest has experienced the worst drought in 20 years.
The storm destroyed sugar cane and rice fields across the southeast.
As a result of the damage to pipelines, oil platforms and refineries in the Gulf Coast farmers are forced to pay more for fuel to harvest and transport crops. This has impacted their profits and the financial markets.
Commodity exports and imports are slowed. Bananas, orange juice, apple juice and other materials imported from Central and South America are delayed in pick up or delivery. The ships are turned away because the secondary ports cannot accommodate the ships. Prices are already rising in supermarkets.
Midwestern farms have been shipping stored corn and soybeans to make room for this year's harvest but damaged waterways and grain handling facilities have left the barges stuck on the river.
Secondary markets and aid shipments of grains and beans will not be moving any time soon and will worsen the hunger crisis in Africa and southeast Asia.
There has been no response from the White House.
Wednesday, September 07, 2005
American Apartheid
American Apartheid
“Hello? I’d like to volunteer to work for the American Red Cross and help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.”
“Sorry, we have all the people we need. You can send cash, though.”
This exchange and many others like them take place frequently in the United States.
My friend works at a large international company. Hundreds of her co-workers want to do something to help the victims and our neighbors.
These feelings of neighborly love and patriotism however are cast aside with alarming frequency.
She contacted several different national agencies.
All of them without fail either rejected her offers of assistance or rejected the offers and asked for money.
Meanwhile public calls from Mississippi and Louisiana and some parts of Alabama continue to be sent out to the nation.
Why aren’t offers of assistance and aid getting through?
Why was the American military ordered not to help?
Lt. David Shand and Lt. Matt Udkow are Navy pilots. After using their multi-million dollar helicopter to drop off food and water to a damaged base in Mississippi they answered a call for help from the Coast Guard in New Orleans and rescued 110 people.
They were reprimanded by their commander.
Why did so many Americans die?
They were living under American apartheid.
The racism that America used to swear by has given way to economic racism.
Whether you live or die, enjoy life or suffer is determined by how green your wallet is.
The bodies are appearing above the waters now.
“Hello? I’d like to volunteer to work for the American Red Cross and help the victims of Hurricane Katrina.”
“Sorry, we have all the people we need. You can send cash, though.”
This exchange and many others like them take place frequently in the United States.
My friend works at a large international company. Hundreds of her co-workers want to do something to help the victims and our neighbors.
These feelings of neighborly love and patriotism however are cast aside with alarming frequency.
She contacted several different national agencies.
All of them without fail either rejected her offers of assistance or rejected the offers and asked for money.
Meanwhile public calls from Mississippi and Louisiana and some parts of Alabama continue to be sent out to the nation.
Why aren’t offers of assistance and aid getting through?
Why was the American military ordered not to help?
Lt. David Shand and Lt. Matt Udkow are Navy pilots. After using their multi-million dollar helicopter to drop off food and water to a damaged base in Mississippi they answered a call for help from the Coast Guard in New Orleans and rescued 110 people.
They were reprimanded by their commander.
Why did so many Americans die?
They were living under American apartheid.
The racism that America used to swear by has given way to economic racism.
Whether you live or die, enjoy life or suffer is determined by how green your wallet is.
The bodies are appearing above the waters now.
Tom Delay Afraid
Tom Delay, representative from Texas, has been complaining about local officials in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
He says Hurricane Katrina is their fault.
Why is Tom Delay saying these things?
He is afraid.
Across the nation phone calls offering support and volunteers to national organizations like the Red Cross are met with this response : ‘No thanks, we don’t need any help, but we’ll take money.’
Donations pour in and Americans are still being evacuated from the Gulf Coast and resettled around the nation. The local officials in Louisiana have put out a call for assistance and goods. Why are national agencies not helping?
Hundreds of thousands of Americans are helping their neighbors Tom Delay and the Bush Administration don’t seem to be among them.
Just after the storm passed two Navy pilots brought food and water to a damaged base in Mississippi and then answered a Coast Guard call for help in New Orleans. They labored over 14 hours and rescued 110 people. When they arrived back at base they were reprimanded.
Back to those local officials – Tom Delay has led the effort by the Bush Administration to keep money away from engineering projects in New Orleans for years while showering federal money on bus stops in Alaska. The Bush Administration has most of the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama National Guard in Iraq getting shot at.
Lt. David Shand and Lt. Matt Udkow are American heroes.
Tom Delay and President Bush do not deserve the respect due their office.
He says Hurricane Katrina is their fault.
Why is Tom Delay saying these things?
He is afraid.
Across the nation phone calls offering support and volunteers to national organizations like the Red Cross are met with this response : ‘No thanks, we don’t need any help, but we’ll take money.’
Donations pour in and Americans are still being evacuated from the Gulf Coast and resettled around the nation. The local officials in Louisiana have put out a call for assistance and goods. Why are national agencies not helping?
Hundreds of thousands of Americans are helping their neighbors Tom Delay and the Bush Administration don’t seem to be among them.
Just after the storm passed two Navy pilots brought food and water to a damaged base in Mississippi and then answered a Coast Guard call for help in New Orleans. They labored over 14 hours and rescued 110 people. When they arrived back at base they were reprimanded.
Back to those local officials – Tom Delay has led the effort by the Bush Administration to keep money away from engineering projects in New Orleans for years while showering federal money on bus stops in Alaska. The Bush Administration has most of the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama National Guard in Iraq getting shot at.
Lt. David Shand and Lt. Matt Udkow are American heroes.
Tom Delay and President Bush do not deserve the respect due their office.
Hooray for John Roberts
When John Roberts is made the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States there will be a great reason to celebrate.
Finally there will be four Catholics on the Supreme Court at the same time. If everything proceeds normally President Bush will nominate a fifth Catholic to the position vacated by Sandra Day O’Connor.
That will mean that there will be a majority of Catholics on the Supreme Court.
This will finally break the evil Protestant stranglehold that has been dragging down the United States for nearly a century and a half.
With the cool considered experience of the Catholic Church behind them these justices will be able to clear away the evil webs of abortion and corruption that the Protestants have filled this nation up with.
The evil protestant influence has given American abortion on demand, leisure drugs, organized crime and legalized gambling.
The evil Protestant influence has allowed our government to deteriorate and lose the power to protect our citizens. Guns have become commonplace and even welcomed in Protestant churches.
Our borders have been abandoned and remain unguarded as Protestant judges and politicians continue to sell the land out from under our feet.
The protection of the Holy Roman Catholic Church can now descend upon the people the United States. The people can now turn their eyes away from the Protestant abominations. They can now hear the voice of reason and close their ears to the Protestant lies.
Finally John Roberts will set us free.
Finally there will be four Catholics on the Supreme Court at the same time. If everything proceeds normally President Bush will nominate a fifth Catholic to the position vacated by Sandra Day O’Connor.
That will mean that there will be a majority of Catholics on the Supreme Court.
This will finally break the evil Protestant stranglehold that has been dragging down the United States for nearly a century and a half.
With the cool considered experience of the Catholic Church behind them these justices will be able to clear away the evil webs of abortion and corruption that the Protestants have filled this nation up with.
The evil protestant influence has given American abortion on demand, leisure drugs, organized crime and legalized gambling.
The evil Protestant influence has allowed our government to deteriorate and lose the power to protect our citizens. Guns have become commonplace and even welcomed in Protestant churches.
Our borders have been abandoned and remain unguarded as Protestant judges and politicians continue to sell the land out from under our feet.
The protection of the Holy Roman Catholic Church can now descend upon the people the United States. The people can now turn their eyes away from the Protestant abominations. They can now hear the voice of reason and close their ears to the Protestant lies.
Finally John Roberts will set us free.
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
Underprivileged Anyway - Barbara Bush
The last I heard the reverend George W. Bush had refused offers of international aid to help with relief effort following Hurricane Katrina.
He turned down offers of assistance from Germany and Venezuela as soon as they were made – so the story goes.
Apparently Pastor Bush hasn’t been as honest with the American people as he has led many of them to believe or he didn’t have any concept of what was going on in his own country.
As of this writing the United States government has requested aid from Europe and NATO.
The Vatican is preparing to coordinate Catholic aid.
The president of Jefferson Parish in Louisiana had this to say, “We have been abandoned by our own country.”
Great Britain is sending 500,000 military ration packs. Over the past 2 decades British companies have extracted tens of billions of dollars from Louisiana in oil and gas.
Germany and Italy prepared military shipments of their own that can help alleviate the crisis.
The United States, which is occupying Iraq and Afghanistan, has requested blankets, first-aid kits, water trucks and food.
Condoleezza Rice, who was raised in Alabama stated, "Nobody, especially the president, would have left people unattended on the basis of race."
The response to Ms. Rice : Truly, many times in history people have been slaughtered based on race. In this case it seems that some people were left unattended on the basis of race, but the vast majority were left unattended on the basis of income and wealth.
Barbara Bush, former first lady and mother of the President said that the relocation for those Americans forced out of Louisiana is "working very well" in Texas. She said many of the people at the Astrodome were "underprivileged anyway."
There is no response for Ms. Bush.
He turned down offers of assistance from Germany and Venezuela as soon as they were made – so the story goes.
Apparently Pastor Bush hasn’t been as honest with the American people as he has led many of them to believe or he didn’t have any concept of what was going on in his own country.
As of this writing the United States government has requested aid from Europe and NATO.
The Vatican is preparing to coordinate Catholic aid.
The president of Jefferson Parish in Louisiana had this to say, “We have been abandoned by our own country.”
Great Britain is sending 500,000 military ration packs. Over the past 2 decades British companies have extracted tens of billions of dollars from Louisiana in oil and gas.
Germany and Italy prepared military shipments of their own that can help alleviate the crisis.
The United States, which is occupying Iraq and Afghanistan, has requested blankets, first-aid kits, water trucks and food.
Condoleezza Rice, who was raised in Alabama stated, "Nobody, especially the president, would have left people unattended on the basis of race."
The response to Ms. Rice : Truly, many times in history people have been slaughtered based on race. In this case it seems that some people were left unattended on the basis of race, but the vast majority were left unattended on the basis of income and wealth.
Barbara Bush, former first lady and mother of the President said that the relocation for those Americans forced out of Louisiana is "working very well" in Texas. She said many of the people at the Astrodome were "underprivileged anyway."
There is no response for Ms. Bush.
Friday, September 02, 2005
High Tone Bush
Hurricane Katrina ran through Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana.
It left tragedy and horror behind.
President Bush flew over the disaster area.
He flew in at a very high altitude.
He said, "It's totally wiped out. ... It's devastating, it's got to be doubly devastating on the ground."
His next action as Commander-in-Chief was to appear on ABC's "Good Morning America" to discuss the tragedy and recovery efforts.
Not long ago he said, ‘I am optimistic that we can change the tone in Washington, D.C."
What tone was he talking about?
The other day George Will wrote in the Washington Post about the ‘shrill’ voice of the Democratic Party. It seems people like George Will, were under the impression that George Bush intended to lower the tone. George Will has offered little in the form of news for some time - he’s Rush Limbaugh with a typewriter.
Bush was born with a silver spoon in his mouth though. Americans didn’t notice this one came with a top hat and cane.
Bush is what is known as high toned. That is, for all of you high-brow conservatives, affectedly stylish or genteel.
For everybody else we get an idea of what high-toned is from Hank Williams (Sr). from his song ‘Mind Your Own Business’.
‘Mindin' other people's business seems to be high-toned, I got all that I can do just to mind my own. Why don't you mind your own business. If you mind your own business, you'll stay busy all the time.’
It left tragedy and horror behind.
President Bush flew over the disaster area.
He flew in at a very high altitude.
He said, "It's totally wiped out. ... It's devastating, it's got to be doubly devastating on the ground."
His next action as Commander-in-Chief was to appear on ABC's "Good Morning America" to discuss the tragedy and recovery efforts.
Not long ago he said, ‘I am optimistic that we can change the tone in Washington, D.C."
What tone was he talking about?
The other day George Will wrote in the Washington Post about the ‘shrill’ voice of the Democratic Party. It seems people like George Will, were under the impression that George Bush intended to lower the tone. George Will has offered little in the form of news for some time - he’s Rush Limbaugh with a typewriter.
Bush was born with a silver spoon in his mouth though. Americans didn’t notice this one came with a top hat and cane.
Bush is what is known as high toned. That is, for all of you high-brow conservatives, affectedly stylish or genteel.
For everybody else we get an idea of what high-toned is from Hank Williams (Sr). from his song ‘Mind Your Own Business’.
‘Mindin' other people's business seems to be high-toned, I got all that I can do just to mind my own. Why don't you mind your own business. If you mind your own business, you'll stay busy all the time.’
Thursday, September 01, 2005
Hastert Wants to Bulldoze New Orleans
Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the House of Representatives, just said that it makes no sense to spend billions of dollars to rebuild a city that's seven feet under sea level.
"It looks like a lot of that place could be bulldozed," the Illinois Republican said to The Daily Herald of Arlington, Ill.
Hastert said, "We ought to take a second look at it. But you know we build Los Angeles and San Francisco on top of earthquake fissures and they rebuild too. Stubbornness."
He didn’t mention the fact that legislation that he had sponsored and signed had given money to the Army Corps of Engineers to build the ‘Industrial Canal’ in the center of the city.
The Industrial Canal was the first structure to fail.
He also did not mention that other legislation he has sponsored and signed helped to cut funding to the Army Corps of Engineer by nearly 40% over the past two years.
Maintenance of the levees, pumps and other systems has been neglected.
Loss of coastal areas that usually reduce the impact of such storms was due in no small part to legislation that Hastert sponsored and signed that loosened development rules along the Gulf Coast.
Hastert said nothing as thousands of technicians and engineers were sent to rebuild the entire country of Iraq.
It seems to me that Dennis Hastert makes no sense.
He also assisted this President in sending over 245,000 National Guard troops out of the country.
Instead of chipping in to help he has hindered. What‘s with Hastert?
"It looks like a lot of that place could be bulldozed," the Illinois Republican said to The Daily Herald of Arlington, Ill.
Hastert said, "We ought to take a second look at it. But you know we build Los Angeles and San Francisco on top of earthquake fissures and they rebuild too. Stubbornness."
He didn’t mention the fact that legislation that he had sponsored and signed had given money to the Army Corps of Engineers to build the ‘Industrial Canal’ in the center of the city.
The Industrial Canal was the first structure to fail.
He also did not mention that other legislation he has sponsored and signed helped to cut funding to the Army Corps of Engineer by nearly 40% over the past two years.
Maintenance of the levees, pumps and other systems has been neglected.
Loss of coastal areas that usually reduce the impact of such storms was due in no small part to legislation that Hastert sponsored and signed that loosened development rules along the Gulf Coast.
Hastert said nothing as thousands of technicians and engineers were sent to rebuild the entire country of Iraq.
It seems to me that Dennis Hastert makes no sense.
He also assisted this President in sending over 245,000 National Guard troops out of the country.
Instead of chipping in to help he has hindered. What‘s with Hastert?
Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Katrina and Money
Apparently there have been racial differences in police searches around American according to a report published by the Justice Department.
The results were apparently going to be tampered with but the author, a Mr. Greenfield, refused to change the data or censor the report to make the politicians in charge happy.
The report noted that it had "uncovered evidence of black drivers having worse experiences - more likely to be arrested, more likely to be searched, more likely to be have force used against them - during traffic stops than white drivers."
Mr. Greenfield has been forced to move to another job as a result of his refusal to cover this information up.
At this time Hurricane Katrina has devastated large parts of the Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana coastlines.
Most not ably it has nearly destroyed New Orleans.
New Orleans is a predominately black city.
The response from Washington has been agonizingly slow. Even though nearly 18 percent of American oil production has been impacted and nearly 25 percent of American refining capacity has been affected by the disaster the response has been lackluster.
The levees in the center of the city have failed and due to no small coincidence that money to maintain them has been reduced in recent years.
Millions of Americans have seen their lives disrupted and the nation’s fuel supply has been threatened. The response has been slow and fraught with incompetence already.
Where hundreds of millions of dollars in aid and equipment and personnel were made nearly immediately available to the predominantly white and Cuban neighborhoods impacted in Florida (where the President’s brother is governor) the process for relief and action has stagnated in the Gulf Coast region and predominantly black and lower class neighborhoods.
The results were apparently going to be tampered with but the author, a Mr. Greenfield, refused to change the data or censor the report to make the politicians in charge happy.
The report noted that it had "uncovered evidence of black drivers having worse experiences - more likely to be arrested, more likely to be searched, more likely to be have force used against them - during traffic stops than white drivers."
Mr. Greenfield has been forced to move to another job as a result of his refusal to cover this information up.
At this time Hurricane Katrina has devastated large parts of the Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana coastlines.
Most not ably it has nearly destroyed New Orleans.
New Orleans is a predominately black city.
The response from Washington has been agonizingly slow. Even though nearly 18 percent of American oil production has been impacted and nearly 25 percent of American refining capacity has been affected by the disaster the response has been lackluster.
The levees in the center of the city have failed and due to no small coincidence that money to maintain them has been reduced in recent years.
Millions of Americans have seen their lives disrupted and the nation’s fuel supply has been threatened. The response has been slow and fraught with incompetence already.
Where hundreds of millions of dollars in aid and equipment and personnel were made nearly immediately available to the predominantly white and Cuban neighborhoods impacted in Florida (where the President’s brother is governor) the process for relief and action has stagnated in the Gulf Coast region and predominantly black and lower class neighborhoods.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Billy Sunday
"Our Lord Jesus Christ does not stand for peace at any price. . .Every true American would rather see this land face war than see her flag lowered in dishonor. . .I wish to say that, not only from the standpoint of a citizen, but from the standpoint of a minister of religion. . .I believe there is nothing that would be of such great practical benefit to us as universal military training for the men of our land." -Rev. Dr. William T. Manning, Rector of Trinity Parish, New York City.
Up until that point in time that Billy Sunday began actively deriding Christians that believed in peace and not war Christians would go to war with a heavy heart. They knew that they were doing wrong but they knew they had a job to do that had to be done. When those soldiers and sailors returned from some such duties, their churches and their neighbors would open their arms and doors to them and welcome them back.
They would be congratulated and loved and honored for what they had done –what they had given up and sacrificed in order to preserve our union, our strength and our gallant nation.
When Billy Sunday began his vicious oratory and actually had military recruiting stations set up outside his tabernacles where he was preaching the line between church and state was crossed.
Billy Sunday once had a 16 year old Billy Graham in his audience – Sunday’s shrieking paranoia frightened the young Billy Graham – frightened him so much that the scared young boy has turned into a frightened old man. He is churning out the same message of hatred and anger and militarism disguised as faith that Sunday did.
It is time to rip up the line of hatred that was sown during World War I. It is time to rip up the clinging and grasping association of evangelical churches to our government. It is time to rip up the regimentation provided by the military which turns men into killing machines but is not able to turn them back into men.
A Christian can never be a soldier first.
Sometimes a Christian needs to suspend Christian beliefs and take up soldierly duties – but a Christian will never do those things willingly that a soldier needs to do.
When a man or woman returns to home – and this has happened more often since Korea and Vietnam – they never really come home. They are always in battle. There is no harbor for them to find shelter from the blasting winds of guilt or from the raging fires of fear.
They were sent off from their churches – who ‘remember’ them, and who ‘support’ them and who pretend they never really left and that all is well in the world.
It is time to rip up the paranoia and the shrill hatred that sends these men off to war and has no means of bringing them back.
The way things are now these men and women in Iraq will come back with their minds and souls shredded and many Christians will want to help them but they will find it to be impossible – because after all – they are Christian soldiers and can take care of themselves – all they need do is accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Men and women that joined the National Guard to find something interesting to do in their boring lives or to earn money for school were sent into the military and accepted there as doing their Christian duty.
Your Christian duty is to be a good Christian – not to earn money for school or fill in your spare time playing with guns.
So – there is a big job ahead of us.
This field of ours is filled with weeds – the weeds of hatred, and neglect, and sorrow, deceit and lies.
We must clear this field in the manner that we know in our hearts is the correct way.
We must clear out these noxious weeds and plant and let grow kindness, sincerity, forgiveness, patience, charity and love.
Else we shall all die of starvation and our churches will fall to the earth like so much powder – to be taken up by the mighty and the violent and stuffed into cannons that they will turn upon us in our homes.
There is a great work to do.
Up until that point in time that Billy Sunday began actively deriding Christians that believed in peace and not war Christians would go to war with a heavy heart. They knew that they were doing wrong but they knew they had a job to do that had to be done. When those soldiers and sailors returned from some such duties, their churches and their neighbors would open their arms and doors to them and welcome them back.
They would be congratulated and loved and honored for what they had done –what they had given up and sacrificed in order to preserve our union, our strength and our gallant nation.
When Billy Sunday began his vicious oratory and actually had military recruiting stations set up outside his tabernacles where he was preaching the line between church and state was crossed.
Billy Sunday once had a 16 year old Billy Graham in his audience – Sunday’s shrieking paranoia frightened the young Billy Graham – frightened him so much that the scared young boy has turned into a frightened old man. He is churning out the same message of hatred and anger and militarism disguised as faith that Sunday did.
It is time to rip up the line of hatred that was sown during World War I. It is time to rip up the clinging and grasping association of evangelical churches to our government. It is time to rip up the regimentation provided by the military which turns men into killing machines but is not able to turn them back into men.
A Christian can never be a soldier first.
Sometimes a Christian needs to suspend Christian beliefs and take up soldierly duties – but a Christian will never do those things willingly that a soldier needs to do.
When a man or woman returns to home – and this has happened more often since Korea and Vietnam – they never really come home. They are always in battle. There is no harbor for them to find shelter from the blasting winds of guilt or from the raging fires of fear.
They were sent off from their churches – who ‘remember’ them, and who ‘support’ them and who pretend they never really left and that all is well in the world.
It is time to rip up the paranoia and the shrill hatred that sends these men off to war and has no means of bringing them back.
The way things are now these men and women in Iraq will come back with their minds and souls shredded and many Christians will want to help them but they will find it to be impossible – because after all – they are Christian soldiers and can take care of themselves – all they need do is accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.
Men and women that joined the National Guard to find something interesting to do in their boring lives or to earn money for school were sent into the military and accepted there as doing their Christian duty.
Your Christian duty is to be a good Christian – not to earn money for school or fill in your spare time playing with guns.
So – there is a big job ahead of us.
This field of ours is filled with weeds – the weeds of hatred, and neglect, and sorrow, deceit and lies.
We must clear this field in the manner that we know in our hearts is the correct way.
We must clear out these noxious weeds and plant and let grow kindness, sincerity, forgiveness, patience, charity and love.
Else we shall all die of starvation and our churches will fall to the earth like so much powder – to be taken up by the mighty and the violent and stuffed into cannons that they will turn upon us in our homes.
There is a great work to do.
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Sir Cyril and the Arabs
I read recently a long winded complaint by Sir Cyril Townsend.
He wrote about the situation in Sudan and came down heavily on the side of his
Arab friends in Khartoum.
At one point he accused John Garang of using child soldiers and then stated that the Lord’s Resistance Army was glad to be rid of him.
Sir Cyril Townsend then blamed the United States for problems in Sudan because of ignorance and prejudice and that there were rumors of American ‘Special Forces’ operating in southern Sudan.
Sir Cyril Townsend made an attack on Africans by stating that the nation of Sudan must be put before the tribe and the region.
I got the feeling he believes everything could be put right by handing out some beads and chocolates to the Sudanese Africans on behalf of his Arab masters.
Cyril is the Director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding and has loudly denounced Israel on several occasions. He says nothing about his own countries strong ties with the backward Arab rulers that have been causing grief and strife in Africa for centuries now.
Sir Cyril is one of those stuff shirts who believes that an active diplomacy is an effective diplomacy.
Where does he get his support?
CAABU was founded in 1967.
Their website tells us this : “In 1998, CAABU came near to closure due to dwindling funds. After appeals for help in the Arab press in particular, we were saved mainly through two very generous and anonymous donations.”
He wrote about the situation in Sudan and came down heavily on the side of his
Arab friends in Khartoum.
At one point he accused John Garang of using child soldiers and then stated that the Lord’s Resistance Army was glad to be rid of him.
Sir Cyril Townsend then blamed the United States for problems in Sudan because of ignorance and prejudice and that there were rumors of American ‘Special Forces’ operating in southern Sudan.
Sir Cyril Townsend made an attack on Africans by stating that the nation of Sudan must be put before the tribe and the region.
I got the feeling he believes everything could be put right by handing out some beads and chocolates to the Sudanese Africans on behalf of his Arab masters.
Cyril is the Director of the Council for Arab-British Understanding and has loudly denounced Israel on several occasions. He says nothing about his own countries strong ties with the backward Arab rulers that have been causing grief and strife in Africa for centuries now.
Sir Cyril is one of those stuff shirts who believes that an active diplomacy is an effective diplomacy.
Where does he get his support?
CAABU was founded in 1967.
Their website tells us this : “In 1998, CAABU came near to closure due to dwindling funds. After appeals for help in the Arab press in particular, we were saved mainly through two very generous and anonymous donations.”
Saturday, August 27, 2005
Crawford Texas
The County Board of McLennan Country has been asked to extend an ordinance that does not allow parking a few hundred feet from President Bush’s ranch.
It’s clear to everyone that he is not officially on ‘vacation’ and is, indeed, carrying on business and government activity at the ranch. He has been leaving the ranch to attend political fundraisers, has had his working assistants visit him and has even, apparently went for a walk holding hands with the King of Saudi Arabia.
Please consider that he should be in Washington DC doing his job and that your ordinance would be a waste of the time and money of McLennan County.
Perhaps prior to extending the ordinance and making more laws for yourself you might ask the President why he is running the government from his ranch in Crawford rather than from the lawfully designated area located at Washington in the District of Columbia.
The McLennan County Commissioners will be doing themselves, McLennan County, the State of Texas and the United States of America a disservice by making laws as a result of whim and mob rule.
Several people have asked that he return to Washington in the District of Columbia to carry out his duties but he has apparently either been afraid or unwilling to go stay there.
It is the right and duty of all American citizens to be involved in their government and when the President decides to hide someone should ask him to knock it off.
It’s clear to everyone that he is not officially on ‘vacation’ and is, indeed, carrying on business and government activity at the ranch. He has been leaving the ranch to attend political fundraisers, has had his working assistants visit him and has even, apparently went for a walk holding hands with the King of Saudi Arabia.
Please consider that he should be in Washington DC doing his job and that your ordinance would be a waste of the time and money of McLennan County.
Perhaps prior to extending the ordinance and making more laws for yourself you might ask the President why he is running the government from his ranch in Crawford rather than from the lawfully designated area located at Washington in the District of Columbia.
The McLennan County Commissioners will be doing themselves, McLennan County, the State of Texas and the United States of America a disservice by making laws as a result of whim and mob rule.
Several people have asked that he return to Washington in the District of Columbia to carry out his duties but he has apparently either been afraid or unwilling to go stay there.
It is the right and duty of all American citizens to be involved in their government and when the President decides to hide someone should ask him to knock it off.
Friday, August 26, 2005
Streamlined Sales Tax Project
I understand that in the name of simplification, a group of cash-strapped states is proposing the Streamlined Sales Tax Project (SSTP).
The goal of the SSTP is supposed to be simplification but it does not succeed in simplifying state and local tax laws sufficiently to ease the collection burden on internet or eBay sellers.
The State Simplification Tax Project (SSTP) is a crime against logic. It does not reduce the 7,600 different state, county and city taxing jurisdictions.
The SSTP allows for a different rate for each zip code. Nearly 49,000 different jurisdictions. Does that sound streamlined to you?
Small business owners will be disadvantaged by a distant sales tax collection regime that forces them (and me) to comply with thousands of different tax rates, local laws, filing instructions, and audit
procedures.
Offline competitors being only required to collect and remit taxes in one jurisdiction would then be awarded unfair advantages. This could force tens of thousands of Internet businesses to shut down.
The Congress is being asked to subsidize the Sears and JC Penney catalog business.
There should be no increased tax burden on small business.
Now is definitely not the time to impose new tax burdens on American consumers and small business owners, or do anything to hamper the growth of e-commerce.
Tax administrators and State Senators and Representatives from around the nation are involved in the Streamlined Sales Tax Project. Don’t they have enough work to do without having to try to throw Americans out of work?
The goal of the SSTP is supposed to be simplification but it does not succeed in simplifying state and local tax laws sufficiently to ease the collection burden on internet or eBay sellers.
The State Simplification Tax Project (SSTP) is a crime against logic. It does not reduce the 7,600 different state, county and city taxing jurisdictions.
The SSTP allows for a different rate for each zip code. Nearly 49,000 different jurisdictions. Does that sound streamlined to you?
Small business owners will be disadvantaged by a distant sales tax collection regime that forces them (and me) to comply with thousands of different tax rates, local laws, filing instructions, and audit
procedures.
Offline competitors being only required to collect and remit taxes in one jurisdiction would then be awarded unfair advantages. This could force tens of thousands of Internet businesses to shut down.
The Congress is being asked to subsidize the Sears and JC Penney catalog business.
There should be no increased tax burden on small business.
Now is definitely not the time to impose new tax burdens on American consumers and small business owners, or do anything to hamper the growth of e-commerce.
Tax administrators and State Senators and Representatives from around the nation are involved in the Streamlined Sales Tax Project. Don’t they have enough work to do without having to try to throw Americans out of work?
Saturday, August 20, 2005
John Birch Society
A group of people calling themselves ‘Move America Forward’ has recently been in the forefront of attacks on Cindy Sheehan and her very simple question for the president.
A woman identifying herself as the group founder, Deborah Johns, has a son in the Marines and is featured in an attack ad on Cindy Sheehan and her very simple question.
Deborah Johns says that Cindy Sheehan’s very simple question discredits the soldiers serving in Iraq.
Deborah Johns says, "Cindy Sheehan certainly doesn't speak for me, our military families or our men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan."
The ‘Move America Forward’ website at http://www.moveamericaforward.org/ doesn’t confine itself to attacking Cindy Sheehan and her very simple question. It also features attacks on the United Nations and various activists that have involved themselves in the recall of California Governor Gray Davis and an organization known as the ‘Defend Reagan Organization’ which sells bumper stickers of the ‘Gipper’.
Their attacks on the United Nations are interesting as they resemble the same materials and positions that are posted on the John Birch Society website at http://www.getusout.org/ .
The John Birch Society claims to strenuously defend the original intention of the U. S. Constitution. The group believes America is founded on Christian principles. It has a conspiratorialist view of history. It is anti-globalization and for immigration reform. They advocate the abolition of income tax, and the repeal of civil rights legislation, which it sees as being communist.
Sounds like John Roberts’ resume, doesn’t it?
A woman identifying herself as the group founder, Deborah Johns, has a son in the Marines and is featured in an attack ad on Cindy Sheehan and her very simple question.
Deborah Johns says that Cindy Sheehan’s very simple question discredits the soldiers serving in Iraq.
Deborah Johns says, "Cindy Sheehan certainly doesn't speak for me, our military families or our men and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan."
The ‘Move America Forward’ website at http://www.moveamericaforward.org/ doesn’t confine itself to attacking Cindy Sheehan and her very simple question. It also features attacks on the United Nations and various activists that have involved themselves in the recall of California Governor Gray Davis and an organization known as the ‘Defend Reagan Organization’ which sells bumper stickers of the ‘Gipper’.
Their attacks on the United Nations are interesting as they resemble the same materials and positions that are posted on the John Birch Society website at http://www.getusout.org/ .
The John Birch Society claims to strenuously defend the original intention of the U. S. Constitution. The group believes America is founded on Christian principles. It has a conspiratorialist view of history. It is anti-globalization and for immigration reform. They advocate the abolition of income tax, and the repeal of civil rights legislation, which it sees as being communist.
Sounds like John Roberts’ resume, doesn’t it?
Thursday, August 18, 2005
No One Wants to be an Iraqi
The Iraqi problem seems to be that no one in Iraq wants to be an Iraqi.
With an independent Kurdistan and Shiastan the United States will get the oil it wants and the Kurds and Shiites that have suffered in poverty will get a piece of the action. As for the Sunnis, after their brutal collusion with the Turks and the British they deserve to get a desert kingdom. They will need to learn to cooperate in order to prosper. They will no longer be able to rely on weapons, violence and intimidation to get their way.
The area known as Iraq has been under foreign control for a long, long time. Much longer than the United States has been in existence.
In the north are the Kurds. In the south are the Shiites. In the west are the Sunnis.
The Kurds want to declare independence and form Kurdistan.
The Shiites think that is a great idea and want to form Shiastan.
The Sunnis used to run Iraq and they are hopping mad about being invaded – they aren’t clear about what they want but if they ended up with their own country they would have nothing to complain about.
Why not let them have their own nations? Why insist on pasting a constitution on them that is offensive to them and to the rest of the world. I think everyone will agree that a national constitution that enshrines allowing a man to have 4 wives is offensive. It’s offensive to everyone who believes in ‘one man, one woman’ as being a marriage and it is offensive to everyone that would like to have more than 4 wives.
The United States is a country composed of 50 states. States as in countries or nations. If the other 49 were removed the last one around would be a country.
Why not have a union of Kurdistan, Shiastan and Sunnistan? Dedicated to their common defense in the event that Iran decides to attack. It would essentially stay out of the way of the activities of the three nations that make up the country.
It is a ridiculous proposition to have Great Britain and the United States impose a democracy based on common experiences between them that the Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites have never experienced.
Iraq was cobbled together from provinces that had been included in the Ottoman Empire when the British turned out to be victors in World War I. The British then treated Iraq as a province and strongly put down any hint of independence the people might have had. Winston Churchill even advised using gas against the rebels. That is, if you can call people fighting for independence from a brutal empire rebels.
In the end when independence was granted Iraq was the result. A nation containing three little nations.
The only reason the United States does not support independence for Kurdistan is because of interference from Turkey. The United States is afraid of Turkey. The Kurds are not. The United States is imposing its will on Kurdistan, Shiastan and Sunnistan because of a lack of understanding of the situation.
The backwoods boys from Texas are little interested in the realities in Iraq. They just want the oil.
Iran will be contained by a bunch of greedy and wealthy Kurds and Shiites and the United States can truly say that Iraq has been liberated and our troops can leave.
All it will need is a new name.
Iraq is dead. Long live the KSSA. Kurdish-Shia-Sunni Alliance.
With an independent Kurdistan and Shiastan the United States will get the oil it wants and the Kurds and Shiites that have suffered in poverty will get a piece of the action. As for the Sunnis, after their brutal collusion with the Turks and the British they deserve to get a desert kingdom. They will need to learn to cooperate in order to prosper. They will no longer be able to rely on weapons, violence and intimidation to get their way.
The area known as Iraq has been under foreign control for a long, long time. Much longer than the United States has been in existence.
In the north are the Kurds. In the south are the Shiites. In the west are the Sunnis.
The Kurds want to declare independence and form Kurdistan.
The Shiites think that is a great idea and want to form Shiastan.
The Sunnis used to run Iraq and they are hopping mad about being invaded – they aren’t clear about what they want but if they ended up with their own country they would have nothing to complain about.
Why not let them have their own nations? Why insist on pasting a constitution on them that is offensive to them and to the rest of the world. I think everyone will agree that a national constitution that enshrines allowing a man to have 4 wives is offensive. It’s offensive to everyone who believes in ‘one man, one woman’ as being a marriage and it is offensive to everyone that would like to have more than 4 wives.
The United States is a country composed of 50 states. States as in countries or nations. If the other 49 were removed the last one around would be a country.
Why not have a union of Kurdistan, Shiastan and Sunnistan? Dedicated to their common defense in the event that Iran decides to attack. It would essentially stay out of the way of the activities of the three nations that make up the country.
It is a ridiculous proposition to have Great Britain and the United States impose a democracy based on common experiences between them that the Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites have never experienced.
Iraq was cobbled together from provinces that had been included in the Ottoman Empire when the British turned out to be victors in World War I. The British then treated Iraq as a province and strongly put down any hint of independence the people might have had. Winston Churchill even advised using gas against the rebels. That is, if you can call people fighting for independence from a brutal empire rebels.
In the end when independence was granted Iraq was the result. A nation containing three little nations.
The only reason the United States does not support independence for Kurdistan is because of interference from Turkey. The United States is afraid of Turkey. The Kurds are not. The United States is imposing its will on Kurdistan, Shiastan and Sunnistan because of a lack of understanding of the situation.
The backwoods boys from Texas are little interested in the realities in Iraq. They just want the oil.
Iran will be contained by a bunch of greedy and wealthy Kurds and Shiites and the United States can truly say that Iraq has been liberated and our troops can leave.
All it will need is a new name.
Iraq is dead. Long live the KSSA. Kurdish-Shia-Sunni Alliance.
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