Americanpolitics

Picture courtesy of AP

Thirteen people dead, 38 injured on Fort Hood Army Base and the question arises “how could this happen?” The obvious answer is that with the ease and availability of the purchase of firearms in America, anyone with the right credentials can walk into a store, buy a gun and Army Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, a psychiatrist, had the right credentials and his gun of choice is called a “cop killer” because of the ease in which the bullets penetrates body armor.

In the midst of attempting to find a psychological answer to the question of “how could this happen” a Florida man walks into an office where he had been fired two years ago and opens fire, killing one person and wounding five others while others attempt to imply that the Fort Hood tragedy may have been a result of repeated deployments to war zones.

While you can attach as much psycho babble to the cause of both of these deadly incidents, in an effort to explain why this happened, the real culprit is the fact that Americans feel strongly about their “fundamental right” to bear arms not caring that this fundamental right leads to mass homicide whenever someone gets angry enough to seek revenge, real or imagined, walk into a place where people are plentiful and simply open fire, killing indiscriminately.

Another question that has been posed is “were there signs that the Fort Hood Major was capable of this violent act?” The real truth of the matter is that you will never know exactly what is churning in someone else’s mind unless you are a proven mind reader and how many people carry this distinction of being a mind reader? Hindsight does not count and that’s the only thing you are left with after a tragedy like this happens.

Now that Maj. Hasan has committed this heinous crime, the look back has provided some indications that he may have had serious issues with being in the military, his first time deployment to Iraq/Afghanistan and based on the things being said, in his face, about his heritage, being of Jordanian descent, which I believe he did experience. The reality is that even if he were sent to Iraq/Afghanistan, he would not have been in battle but instead been part of the support services for combat soldiers.

The ugly thing about the negative things said about his heritage is that if someone talks about your weight, you can lose weight, if someone talks about how ugly you are, you can get plastic surgery, get a hair weave, wear some makeup and change your look. However, your religion and your race are “fundamental” parts of who you are.

While you may be able to change your religion, although your religious beliefs are the beliefs that guide you in life, you can never change your race, your heritage, the skin you were born in and if you are proud of the race you are and your religious beliefs the anger that builds when those things are criticized, cuts deep.

Now in no way am I condoning Hasan’s actions; he had options. He could have just as easily gone AWOL, fled to his Jordan or any other foreign country that he, as a Muslim, felt comfortable in. He could have sought psychological help since obviously he believed in the method of psycho analysis since that is the career field of his choice. He could have killed himself rather than killing others but instead he chose to take the lives of innocents.

Only in hindsight, which does not prevent an act, can you look upon the causes that may have lead to this incident because even though he showed signs of discontent, it was never so clear that he would actually go to the extremes that he went to in an attempt to be “heard.” Even as the video images of him in the neighborhood Convenience Store, chatting and smiling as he made his purchase did not allude to what was actually churning in his mind – several hours later he was shooting and killing those around him.

The bottom line is that you can label him crazy, punish him for his crimes but if he had not had easy access to the firepower, the guns that he carried, there is a bigger possibility that he would not have been able to commit this act of terrorism on the men and women of the United States Army regardless of what type of inner turmoil he was going through and even though he was on a military base where guns are plentiful.

The irrational saying that “guns don’t kill, people kill” used to justify this fundamental right to bear arms, has been proven time and time again to be an idiotic play on words that covers the real dangers of the “right to bear arms” being exercised here in America. Until you get to the core of the problem, these acts of violence will continue and increase and no amount of psycho babble will change this fact.

And that’s the way I see it!!!!

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Based on a law from 1976, federal funds are restricted from being used for abortions, except in cases of rape; incest; or to ensure the life of the mother. However, earlier this year Democratic leaders allowed a provision that would give permission to people to use subsidies to buy insurance that cover abortion but implied that only funds from individuals or employer paid health care premiums could go towards paying for the abortion.

Subsequently, a large portion of Democrats are now against this wording because it puts responsibility on insurance companies to determine what is private money and what is government money, a simple task that could be performed by computer programming or data entry.

There is so much hypocrisy involved in the debates against the health care/insurance reform that it reeks of legislative obstruction based on nothing more than political posturing and support of the insurance industry, who in turn supports politicians.

First it was the cost of the health care reform, but in the same breath, politicians are willing to spend billions of dollars, which over time turn into trillions, on wars you have no possibility at “winning” even stooping to paying low level Taliban, the so called enemy, to switch sides and fight with you.

Second it was the “public option” where politicians kept the lie going that no one wanted the public option because no one wanted government involvement in health care decisions citing, as the main reason the fact that health care is a private decision between patient and doctor only. Yet, Republicans endorse a bill that would extend Medicare/Medicaid, a government run heath care/insurance mechanism, to millions of additional Americans.

Now if, as they so vehemently attempt to persuade the American public, government has no place in the decisions made between doctor and patient why is it now, a concern of theirs whether abortions are covered in the so called “public option” provision.

Abortion is a very private matter. It is a freedom of choice for a woman that has been interfered with for as long as I have been in the world and longer. The pursuit of abortion has lead to death, sterilization, pain and suffering for many who have had to seek abortion through black market, unscrupulous providers and abortions will continue to take place regardless of who pays for them.

However, the real bottom line is if I am forced, through mandate, to partake in medical coverage through insurance, paying my hard earned money, even if a portion of this mandated coverage is subsidized by the same government that forced me to become covered and on the one hand you resent government involvement but on the other hand you deny my right to abortion, which is a private decision made between my doctor and me, how hypocritical is that.

According to an article I read this morning on MSNBC News, even a majority of house Democrats are concerned that provisions in the health care legislation now on the table could lead to public funding of abortion. With Republicans opposing the bill based on the public option and the Democrats opposing the wording regarding abortions, the derailment of the bill seems to be a reality that sparks on both sides of the isle for different reasons.

It appears that while Democrats are smiling in your face in an effort to get you to believe they are on your side, they are secretly working just as hard as Republicans to keep the insurance companies making money off “we the people” by the obstruction of the passage of this legislation.

Abortions are going to happen regardless of how they are paid for. I could walk into a doctor’s office and lie about being raped or choose a doctor who is willing to do abortions. I could also find a person who, from past knowledge of the process, use the unsanitary method of a coat hanger to abort my baby or any other method they are using these days – you can not stop me if that is my goal, even if I have to pay for it myself so what is the point of the debate and what are you really preventing, nothing but the passage of the legislation.

And that’s the way I see it!!!!

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The parallel universe of everyday life and politics has me wondering who is most crazy, me or the politicians.

I’m just saying, based on the desires of the politicians, we are spending billions of dollars annually supporting other countries (which over time equals trillions), yet they bitch and moan about supplying the people of America with reasonable costs for something as basic as health care on the basis of the expense.

Let the politicians tell it, we where successful in our efforts in Iraq when we paid low level Taliban to switch sides and fight on our side against the Taliban. Yet, people are still dying, car bombs and suicide bombs are still going off in areas that are “protected” by security check-points that allow bomb carrying individuals to enter guarded areas. This is a clear indication that these vehicles and people are not being adequately checked before entering any given area – what’s the point of having the check-points.

More to the point, who are the people charged with the responsibility of searches at these check-points? Could it be the same people who where paid to “be on our side” in the battle against the Taliban?

Leaving the war in the Middle East behind, as we should be doing in reality, and looking at health care/insurance reform, the parallel universe becomes even more obvious. Over and over again Republicans are saying “no” to government’s “involvement” in health care yet, their suggestion to the problem is to expand the government program of Medicare/Medicaid as a means of covering those individuals without medical coverage.

Also included in their plan was a stipulation that would make it mandatory for you, the citizen, to be covered. In some instances subsidies would be provided, by the “government,” to help cover the cost of the insurance coverage you choose.

All this “government involvement,” in covering the cost of insuring those who are uninsured, while choosing co-ops as an alternative to public options, none of which lends to the idea of lowering the basic costs of insurance but, instead puts the government on the accounts receivable ledgers of insurance companies.

Now Republicans and some Democrats, as well, who are all politicians are saying these things with a straight face and possibly a straight lie, that the public option that is on the table would give government too much control over your medical experience while they, themselves, attempt to use government money to pay the expensive premiums to the insurance companies.

On the other hand, the public option, to my understanding, allows the government to negotiate lower premiums with certain insurance companies, thereby setting up a competitive edge in the insurance business. This, according to my understanding would be the only involvement the government would have in the public option.

Even though at this point, I am unclear how they would negotiate these lower premiums or why those against the public option have the idea that this involves a “government takeover” of insurance companies, I say at face value the public option has more ability at achieving the goal of coverage and competition.

I do have to ask would the negotiations sacrifice services for lower prices or would the lower prices come as a result of group coverage alone, as is the case with most coverage coming from job situations at this time? My impressions are that this is not the case, that services would not be compromised however this is the case being made by those opposing the public option.

I feel as though what the Republicans are offering is the insurance version of the old bait and switch con game. I feel they show more love to foreigners than they do to their own people, who they were hired to protect and serve. I feel they are intentionally confusing the issues with only their best interests at heart. I feel “we the people” are being duped with a word game played by politicians that think they are smarter than us.

And that’s the way I see it!!!!

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Over the next five years, the United States Legislation has committed $1.5 billion PER YEAR, in nonmilitary aid to Pakistan. This outrageous amount is viewed by Pakistani citizens as compromising their country’s sovereignty even though President Asif Ali Zardari, of Pakistan, has agreed to the stipulations in the Kerry-Lugar bill.

In Afghanistan, America is considering paying Afghan citizens to side with America in the fight against the Taliban, citing the fact that this method of bribing citizens worked in the war efforts in Iraq.

American still believes that anybody can be bought because this is the American way and while they throw money to Iraqis, Afghanis and Pakistanis the war in these countries against America and their intruding principles, rages on.

This morning on CNN I saw a reporter interviewing what appeared to be young, college age Pakistanis who clearly view the United State’s involvement in their country as an intrusion.

With the rising incidences of violence in Pakistan, fast forward to a point in time where these college students lose a parent, a favorite aunt or uncle, a brother or sister, as a result of the violence that is growing in that country based on the needs of America and you have the makings of a militant, a Taliban or al-Qaeda operative.

In Palestine, according to Amnesty International (AI), Israel deprives Palestinians of something as basic as drinking water. Amnesty International, a human rights group, states that Israel is pumping disproportionate amounts of drinking water from an aquifer it controls in the West Bank while blocking infrastructure projects that would improve existing water supplies to Palestinians.

While the Israel government vehemently denies these allegations, I say Israel’s track record of dealing with the Palestinians speaks volumes to the truths of the suffering of 2.3 million Palestinians living in Gaza and therefore, for me, these allegations ring true. I believe that Israel would, as a means to maintain control through their inhumane treatment of the Palestinian people, deny them the basics of drinking water. Yet, America continues to support Israel in the lack of compassion it shows towards 2.3 million souls.

Headlines today read: 93 killed in blast at Pakistan market; Afghan militants hit U.N. guest house – 12 dead as gunmen target U.N. staff in Kabul; Baghdad attacks stir fears of Sunni violence.

Violence in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq continues and America refuses to take their blinders off to see what their occupation in these lands is accomplishing – not a damn thing!!! America continues to throw billions of dollars at the governments and citizens of these countries yet fail to see that this is wasted money.

The thing that continues to anger me the most is that it is one thing for the United States to be ignorant and blinded by ego in their belief that they can win, on any level, in their dealings with the Middle East. It is unbelievable that so much money is being donated to so many Middle Eastern countries, but it is another thing to send innocent children off to do your ignorant bidding, losing life, spirit, friends and in some cases losing their minds.

Open your eyes to see, your ears to hear and recognize this: Just because the United States Senate and all those who have trustingly been given the task of governing and serving “we the people” but instead have shown us how easily they can be bought, paid off, to doing the bidding, not for what is in the best interest of we the people but, for big business or the highest bidder does not mean that those in the Middle East will be so willing to jump on the bandwagon of our immoral principles and sell out their own people based on America’s need to control and intrude.

As a United Nations human rights investigator warns the United States that its use of unmanned warplanes, called drones, used to carry out targeted executions may violate international laws, I say recognize that as much as you attempt to convince yourselves that you are winning the war on terrorism in these countries, preventing attacks on American soil and promoting the “democratic” way throughout the world you are doing nothing more than creating more animosity, more hatred and a burning desire for revenge while supplying financial assistance to the goal of destroying America.

I say it is time for America to get a grip on reality – we are no better than the way in which we view Hamas, the Taliban or al-Qaeda, in these foreign lands, we are no better than Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians and as these militant groups get stronger with the new recruits that emerge from our interference and their pockets bulge from the money we are donating, I say what we perpetrate we perpetuate and the ugliness will come back to us eventually.

And that’s the way I see it!!!!

Psychology and Life

If Iraq is such an excellent example of what a military surge can do for Afghanistan, then how could 160 people be dead as a result of not one but two suicide bombings that took place on Sunday in Baghdad.

As Iraqis mourn the death toll from the worst bombing in years, Americans need to be asking themselves if we are fooling ourselves into believing we have truly served a purpose in Iraq after six years of fighting.

Believe me I am not criticizing the American effort because I am proud of our troops but I am questioning the strength of the Iraqi people to sustain the security of their country just as I question Afghanistan as well as Pakistan to get a handle on the insurgents in their areas.

I think it is time for America to put aside ego and recognize that these insurgents, both Taliban and al-Qaeda, are not simply going to run for cover at the sight of the United States of America. If anything, I see them as playing a deadly game with Americans, a game that is encouraged by more troops in their lands and truth be told while America may be winning the battles, I see America losing the war.

Some here in America believe that Obama is showing the “enemy” a level of weakness in his thoughtful hesitation to send more troops to Afghanistan but I see sending more troops as a form of weakness in not being able to admit you are fighting a losing battle.

The bombings in Baghdad are proof that the Iraqi government is either still lacking in skills or still corrupted to the point of allowing this type of situation to flourish in their lands. More to the point, can they really stop the madness even if they truly wanted to?

It would seem that the people, that is the citizens of Iraq should become more involved in passing on any and all threats of violence they hear about, allowing the government the eyes and ears they apparently do not have, in an effort to diminish the raw violence that ends the lives of so many at one time.

Someone there has to know the plans of these insurgents, yet no one reports the plans and the violence continues. Psychologically this has to be taking a toll on the people of Iraq. Psychologically there has to be a sense of extreme fear, hopelessness and defeat in the hearts and minds of the people, which will not let them move beyond where they are and this is exactly what the insurgents have in mind, to control the will of the people through horrific violence, destruction and death.

As far as Afghanistan, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said there is a strong likelihood that Hamid Karzai will remain in office even after the results of the run-off vote of November 7, 2009. Will this vote legitimize Karzai in the eyes of the world and if it does legitimize him what exactly does that mean for the war in Afghanistan? Karzai will be the same person he has always been so how does that help the effort?

Even if his opponent wins this run-off election what effect will he have on the violence of the Taliban in that area? Is America financially capable of war in Afghanistan/The Middle East for the next generation of years? Some truths that we, as a nation, hold need to be re-evaluated and one of those truths remains our perception of the “victory” achieved in Iraq.

As of this date, October 25, 2009, I see no real victory in Iraq, I see only the temporary retreat of the insurgents, I see only the grief in the faces of the mourners but more importantly I hear the voices of these radicals, shouting loudly that you have not removed us, in the violence perpetrated on Sunday, where 160 lives were senselessly lost and I can only hope that America heard the voices as well.

And that’s the way I see it!!!!

God Provides Victory Through Gideon

The debate over legalizing marijuana heats up in California, a state that allows medicinal marijuana consumption. Since 1980, arrest for marijuana have increased substantially, some of these arrest have no doubt led to the over crowding of prisons in the state of California. Now that they are being forced to release a large portion of their inmate population maybe they are also taking a look at the crime of possession of marijuana.

Personally, when I was out and about in the world, I did not know many people who did not smoke marijuana. I remember working in a video store a few years ago, which in addition to movie rentals they sold products geared to cleaning your system in the event you were called in for a drug test at your job.

It always shocked and amazed me the people who would purchase this product. People who I would never guess as people using drugs; old people, young people, middle aged people, people from all walks of life and me and my nosey self had to ask the question “is this for your personal use” or another question I’d ask is, “does this really work?” I think you would be amazed at the people you know but did not know they got high.

Now, I grew up around druggies. As a teenager I watched friends shoot heroine, I cut school with people to ride with them to the drugstore to buy Robitussin, before it became a purchase “by prescription only,” I personally knew straight crack heads so I ended up with a sincere respect for drugs, what affect they could have on your life and I never ventured over the line to experience hard core drugs.

However, living single and appreciating socializing, I learned quickly that people will not show you who they are unless on some levels they feel you can relate to them. Marijuana was my way of finding out who people were. As long as you smoked weed, people felt comfortable allowing you to see them do their drugs and this allowed me to pick and choose just who I let around me for any length of time.

While I do not believe weed is for everybody, just like alcohol is not for everybody, I enjoyed the effects of marijuana. Although I was a late bloomer in my experience with marijuana, I did smoke weed for many years after I became an adult. I listened to the lies told about marijuana being the “gateway” drug and all the other lies people used to dissuade the use of marijuana but from my experience I would say marijuana is safer than alcohol.

Truth be told the only reason I stopped smoking is that I did not like the element it put me in contact with in my efforts to find weed. I use to know a lot of people and the availability was plentiful but the older I got, the less I hung out and as much as I moved around, I lost contact with dependable suppliers.

It got to the point that as old as I am, I still look good (if I do have to say so myself, but I don’t) and guys young enough to be my children would still be trying to hit on me. Guys around my age would try to hit on me, try to make it seem like I should be giving it up just because they were supplying me and get angry when I said no. I’m sorry I can’t do you unless I feel you.

For this reason, I wish they would not only legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes but for my purposes. Truth is I can see marijuana use for the effects cancer and cancer treatment has on an individual, to increase appetite, but on any other level I think this is just being used as a excuse to legalize it.

It’s been a while since I have smoked a joint but all this conversation and the special on the Columbian drug wars, with visuals of the drug dealers “cleaning” big piles of marijuana has made me want a joint right now, but I am too old to be on the prowl for marijuana so I will just have to wait and see if California legalizes it, then maybe I will be able to go to my local marijuana store to purchase what I want.

I am sitting here cracking up as I write this but for the most part I am serious. Legalizing marijuana could serve as a means to deplete the deficit.

And that’s the way I see it!!!

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According to an article I was reading on Yahoo News, Iran did not outright reject the uranium enrichment plan that was placed on the table for them, endorsed by the U.N., which would involve shipping most of Iran’s uranium abroad for enrichment. Instead Iran had a counterproposal which would be to buy nuclear fuel rather than ship low-enriched uranium to Russia for further enrichment.

Some see this counterproposal as a stall mechanism, the game Iran generally plays to draw out negotiations with the West when it comes to nuclear talks. I see it as Iran flexing its muscles in an arrogant statement to the West saying we do this our way or no way.

What I found to be truly ludicrous about this article is that according to the author, who deferred to Iran’s state television, “An unnamed member of Iran’s negotiating team urged world powers to ‘refrain from past mistakes in violating agreements and make efforts to win the trust of the Iranian nations.’”

Win the trust of the Iranian nations. Here this country has lied in the name of God as they beat down their own people to suppress the fraudulent vote in their country but they speak to world powers winning the trust of Iran. It seems to me that as the world witnessed just this one situation that violently unfolded in Iran earlier this year it is Iran who needs to be acting in a manner to win the trust of world powers.

That’s just my opinion though an opinion based on rational thought that puts me in mind of Pakistan. November, 2008 Pakistan was standing strong in their denial to India that the Taliban or any militant group inhabited their lands.

When the Mumbai horror happened and India accused Pakistan of harboring the precise element that created the destruction the world witnessed last year, in India, Pakistan was in arrogant denial. Fast forward one year later and look what is taking place in Pakistan at this time.

It may take some time but truth comes to light ninety-nine percent of the time. How is Pakistan looking at this juncture, exactly like the liars the world knew them to be last year when that sat in denial. It amazes me that liars always seem confused, insulted even, when people do not believe them.

Was the Pakistani government afraid to admit to the world the existence of the Taliban in their lands or were they intentionally covering for the Taliban? As the violence grows more intense by the day, it is obvious that the Taliban have always been in Pakistan and they are not quite ready to relinquish control of those lands at this particular time.

In violent protest of the Pakistani governments crackdown, just today Taliban militants killed at least 24 people in their latest surge of violence. Over the last couple of weeks the Taliban, in Pakistan, have become extremely violent and resistant. If they were never there, this would not be unfolding before our eyes with the intensity that it has been lately.

How much trust is America willing to blanket these nations with especially in light of the lies they have been caught in. Even with Afghanistan’s November 7, 2009, re-vote, if current President Hamid Karzai stands as the leader after the vote, what is the next move? Can Karzai be trusted to work with the United States simply because he allowed a run-off vote or is this the game Karzai is playing to win trust and more American money, knowing he can somehow control the vote?

And that’s the way I see it!!!!

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Some are saying the Obama Administration may be over reacting in their reactions to FOX News but on more levels than not, I kind of agree with the Obama Administration. Fox has demonstrated, to an extreme, that they are more a negative, Republican biased, opinionated and on some levels hate filled news (and I use that word lightly) media who definitely has issues with Obama.

Fox News backs lies, creates divisions, talks trash, disrespects the President of the United States of America all in the name of “free speech” and I have had issues with them as far back as the election campaign. This just goes to show how freedoms can be taken too far.

The only alternative to being caught up in useless dialogue with irrational people is to ignore their existence and hope they go away – which they never do but again let’s keep hope alive.

To some extent I have adopted the same stance when it comes to the irrational comments I have received on my blog postings. At first, I tried to enter into conversations with some of the idiotic, anger filled, irrational comments that have been made on my posts but I realized after attempting to talk rationally to these people that there was no reaching them. I realized that they were going to believe what they wanted regardless of whether it was based on truth or not.

When they could not change my mind on any given subject then they stooped to name calling, “yelling” or straight stupidity. At first I allowed them to fill me with anger but as time went on and I read more of their blogs and saw how they never truly thought things out for themselves but chose to follow the words of others I began to feel sorry for them and the anger dissipated.

However, from this experience I realized that there are those in the world who will always be irrational and nothing irritates me more that irrational people, people who do not think for themselves and who pass their distorted opinions off as undeniable truths. Quite frankly, these are the types of people that scare the hell out of me.

The sad part is that like Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Scotty Starnes, to name a few, I am beginning to see that more and more people are jumping on the bandwagon of insanity as was seen over the summer with the town hall meetings. These people believe anything that others say even when the lies are proved to be lies they continue on their way and twist truths, when necessary, until truth becomes a lie which conforms to what they choose to believe.

For myself, I have to keep things in the proper perspective because it is a very thin line between sanity and insanity and I am not going out on an insanity ledge. It’s hard coming back to reality when you have lived on the ledge of insanity for so long. Furthermore, I refuse to allow others to control my thoughts so I try to always look at things and analyze them for myself.

I guess I was brought up to believe that “if you don’t know who you are in life, there will always be someone out there attempting to make you into what they want you to be. Another saying I was brought up on was “if you don’t stand for something, you fall for anything” still another thing my brother use to say to me when I was young was never hesitate to ask “why” – based on these concepts I guess I have a suspicious mind that spends way too much time with analysis of everything and everybody.

My analysis of Fox News is that they are not news. They have a very biased agenda that they allow to be pursued on air. They stoop to name calling, irrational behaviors, lies, propaganda and truth be told they are the type of journalist that I despise but more than despising them, I despise the people who blindly follow their form of madness.

Ignore them, their ratings fall and maybe, just maybe they will decide to do things differently but as long as they have a following they will continue their craziness just like Rush Limbaugh who in his irrational perceptions of saying the right things could not understand why he was dropped from the bidding on the Rams and instead blamed the decision on everybody else – that’s what irrational minds do.

And that’s the way I see it!!!!

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More than once I have heard the concept discussed of the corruption in the Afghanistan government as well as corruption in Iraq. This corruption does not stop at the fraudulent elections but goes much deeper and affects primarily every level of government. Do we walk away or provide moral integrity where corruption is the norm?

This corruption in Afghanistan involves the facilitation of drugs out of Afghanistan, bribes, payoffs, checkpoints that are permissive in their allowing the flow of drugs out of Afghanistan and weapons into the area. Shakedowns of business owners and laborers forced to turn over their daily earnings to government officials.

With all of this corruption happening, with the goal of money being the objective, why would American send more money over there? It seems to me that after eight years of fighting, with the situation deteriorating, it is safe to say that America underestimated the influence of the Taliban.

It feels safe to say that if we continue to underestimate the power of the Taliban and the weakness of Pakistan and Afghanistan to have allowed al-Qaida/Taliban a “safe haven” in their lands, we deserve the outcome of these militants overthrowing Pakistan and acquiring the nuclear weapons in that area.

I say you are deluding yourself into believing that the corruption does not extend to befriending America in order for America to provide more money to enhance the weapons, thus the Taliban’s ability to fight. I say America is losing its grip on reality and funding a war against itself.

I say win (and I use that word lightly not knowing what a win constitutes) the war first and then decide how much money to spend in reconstruction, otherwise I fear we are just being used by the Middle East and I do not like the feeling.

Recently Pakistan told America that they did not want money but state of the art weaponry instead. I am so glad that America had the sense to say no to this request telling Pakistan they needed to deal with what is happening on the ground with ground fighting.

I believe trust is an earned commodity and none of these areas, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iran, and Iraq, even Russia have not really earned America’s trust, nor do they deserve a blank check from America to do with the money as they please, with no oversight.

I say to some degree it is what it is – so it is written so shall it be. With this in mind are prophecies being fulfilled? Are we wasting time, lives and money fighting an uprising that is destiny? Can we change the course of what is meant to be or do we step back, re-evaluate and strengthen America for what is to come with the aim of surviving the predictions.

It would seem that whether we pull out of Afghanistan or not, the hate that the Taliban/al-Qaida feels for America will eventually bring the violence to our land. It would seem that the plotting goes on constantly to do just that. It would seem that we need our troops on our own soil to protect Americans and it would seem a sign of respect for our troops not to have them fighting in a war that has no end in sight.

We are aggravating the situation the longer we stay over there. We are encouraging the violence by sending more troops. We are playing into the hands of the enemy and on some levels supporting their cause with money. Yet, we continue on the path that serves no real purpose, spend money that we do not have and continue to lose lives even for the troops that physically survive, their lives are never the same.

I’m sorry to have to stick this in, not really, but it is because I would truly like to see things change in America on this level. We have spent so much energy denying that racism still exists in America even though the signs have been “in your face” since the election of President Obama.

I am now comparing our delusions of winning against the Taliban/al-Qaida with our delusional view of racism in America – for me making the comparison is enough said – RECOGNIZE!!!

And that’s the way I see it!!!!

Fantasies of the Master Race

As our allies in Israel watch and rejoice, the Middle East will become the downfall of America. Now maybe this was the plan all along and maybe it was not but it seems that Israel’s mission with the constant attacks on Gaza/Palestine and America’s support of the violence has created a level of madness that has inspired a hate that is proving to be stronger than the fear America feels toward Israel; this “fear” of Israel goes back to the beginning of mankind and only through a look at that beginning can we understand where we are today.

The fear I speak of is not even a conscience fear but a fear born out of the concept of “God’s people” which are the Israelites. From history/the stories in the Bible, the God of the Israelites proved himself to be the strongest, most powerful God. While there are those who insist that we do not combine religion and politics, these are just words we as a nation use to appease those who would truly have us view this nation as being built not on religious values but on the hopes and dreams of man.

Now without getting off into a serious history lesson, on some levels I feel Israel has a lot to do with the attitude in the Middle East and America’s blind support of Israel has made us the enemy as well. I am not saying that I am against Israel, however from my understanding of the Bible, it was God’s people who eventually killed Jesus – so it was written, so did it happen.

Myself, I am a Jesus freak. I, for the most part, claim to understand His teachings and the love He had for his people as well as any people that believed. This love is what He wanted to share with the world and on many levels He attempted to explain the concept to his people.

However, at the time of His appearance on earth, His people needed a warrior, someone to lead them in a physical confrontation with their oppressors. This was not who Jesus was and in the end, because of the confusion of His people, the Israelites, He died on the cross at their request.

Now if you were responsible for the death of someone as great as Jesus how could you therefore claim him as your savior? How could you live with the thought that you had your savior killed? This is a heavy burden, one destined to create a lack of the knowledge he attempted to spread. Without that knowledge, Jesus could not be in your heart and your deeds will most definitely reflect the absence of Jesus in your hearts.

So it is with Israel and by our blind support of Israel, so it is with us and out of this blind support of Israel and the ugliness Israel perpetrates against a separate nation of people we have aligned ourselves with Israel and become an enemy of those who hate Israel; an enemy that is becoming more and more desperate, more and more violent who are willing to strap on bombs and commit murderous suicide for the “cause” as a means to be heard and recognized.

Now it is obvious, to me, these militants, no more than Israel, has Jesus in their hearts but you have to ask yourself do they have a legitimate reason for their violence. I say on some levels, yes, even if it is only in their minds. However, while some of it may be in their minds, some of it is based on real losses, real anger as a result of the losses. This anger has simmered, over time, and has boiled into rage and hate because it has been left unattended throughout the history of mankind.

Hate is irrational, hate is vengeful, hate is violent and that’s where we are now. Iraq, Afghanistan and now there is a serious war in Pakistan. Pakistan holds the power of nuclear weapons and the potential of the sights seen in Nostradamus’ predictions.

As the “enemy” advances in the violent takeover of Pakistan the very real possibility exists that those nuclear weapons will fall into the hands of people who think nothing of dying for their cause; people who view their cause as righteous, people who believe their God is on their side.

Is it too late for positive communications? Has the hate they feel for the wrongs committed against them grown too strong? Are they feeling cocky with the power of their God leading them to victory in the region of Afghanistan pushing them onward to Pakistan where true power can be achieved?

I think its past time to recognize that unless something is done, besides the violence of a military surge in Afghanistan, the predictions of Nostradamus will become a reality that we will all have to deal with.

And that’s the way I see it!!!!

Great Leader Great Teacher