The US government is under pressure from a wide range of interests, both foreign & domestic, to withdraw military forces from Iraq. This is unlikely to happen - here's why:
The USA, with close ally Israel behind & urging them forward, needs the military bases now commandeered/occupied/rented in Iraq. Most US resources have now been withdrawn from Saudi Arabia, esp. Prince Sultan Air Base. (This gave a key victory to Osama Bin Laden -- as forcing US withdrawal from Saudi Arabia was a central focus for 9/11 terrorism, where 15 of the 19 hijackers were Saudi Arabian).
The new US embassy compound in Iraq will be the world's largest embassy by far. On 104 acres (42 hectare) in the heart of Baghdad, the riverside site would fit three Pentagon buildings (that building is 29 acres plus a 5 acre central plaza) - and the Pentagon is one damn big building; the US Capitol building footprint is just four acres. How many visas they plan to issue?
US claims for staying in Iraq to install democracy seem poppycock. The duly-elected lawmakers of Iraq themselves asked for a US withdrawal timetable (8 May 2007), and have been thus far ignored. As with Guantanamo and many other US bases around the world, "y'all Irakis'd best prepare 4 permanent Aw-Q-Pay-Shun."
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Haiku by Genki
One skinny lawyer
Truth Quest leveraged: Gandhi
Lead by example
-- 2007-05-27 Seoul
Outside traffic sounds
4 AM; slumber beckons
Enough Now for now
-- 2007-05-27 Seoul
Truth Quest leveraged: Gandhi
Lead by example
-- 2007-05-27 Seoul
Outside traffic sounds
4 AM; slumber beckons
Enough Now for now
-- 2007-05-27 Seoul
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Colin Powell: A Murderous Duck
Colin Powell is no longer the U.S. Secretary of State. Where is he? As Powell's deception and the multiple lies of Bush White House unravel, Powell is playing duck-and-cover. Doing a bit of charity work, trying to hunker down and wait until the day seems right for rehabilitation.
Forget it Colin. You are worse than bankrupt. You were trusted as a voice of reason and balance. Now thousands of Americans & tens of thousands of Iraqis are dead, the killing continues, and it is largely due to you. Your complicit absence with empty near quotes -- "according to statements from an associate" or "a former colleague of Powell explains" -- only compound your crimes. Months pass, taxpayer dollars in the hundreds of billions are poured into Iraq (and denied to US domestic needs), yet from you we hear only very quiet whimpers of "i didn't know..."
Yet you told the United Nations, and the entire world, "WE KNOW..." 32 times. It was baloney. You spoke also of obligations; now you duck all codes of honor.
Forget it Colin. You are worse than bankrupt. You were trusted as a voice of reason and balance. Now thousands of Americans & tens of thousands of Iraqis are dead, the killing continues, and it is largely due to you. Your complicit absence with empty near quotes -- "according to statements from an associate" or "a former colleague of Powell explains" -- only compound your crimes. Months pass, taxpayer dollars in the hundreds of billions are poured into Iraq (and denied to US domestic needs), yet from you we hear only very quiet whimpers of "i didn't know..."
Yet you told the United Nations, and the entire world, "WE KNOW..." 32 times. It was baloney. You spoke also of obligations; now you duck all codes of honor.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Wolf at the door
The saga of Paul Wolfowitz at the World Bank continues. Yes there has been misunderstanding, but the underlying problem is politicization. Some of this was generated by Wolfowitz, some of it from the favoritism allowed to the US government and its stranglehold insistence on deciding who can be the World Bank President.
Many definitive statements can be seen at:
http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3302.aspx
Quoting from the above report (by Bank Information Center, a 'watchdog' organization), perhaps the statements by former World Bank General Counsel Roberto Dañino are most condemnatory:
Maybe there was misunderstanding and miscommunication. But there also seems a try to steamroller underlings and summarily to stifle criticism.
At least Wolfowitz has done the world a service by highlighting the anti-democratic dimensions of how the World Bank President is appointed.
Many definitive statements can be seen at:
http://www.bicusa.org/en/Article.3302.aspx
Quoting from the above report (by Bank Information Center, a 'watchdog' organization), perhaps the statements by former World Bank General Counsel Roberto Dañino are most condemnatory:
- Dañino: "PW [Wolfowitz] acted incorrectly, not only providing the additional benefits discussed...above, but also by trying to blame the Board, the EC, the General Counsel and the VPHR (Vice President of Human Resources) when these actions became public. It is only after the inaccurate assertions of PW or his spokespersons were denied by the affected parties and when PW's express instructions in writing became public, that PW admitted he had made a mistake.
- Dañino: "In my opinion, the matter presents not merely questions of legal compliance but also - and more importantly - questions about the moral authority of the Bank's President and the confidence he commands from the Bank's own staff and around the world. I believe that PW made serious substantive errors by providing unauthorized benefits to a person with whom he had a relationship that created a conflict of interest...He then failed to disclose these actions and later blamed them on others, apparently trying to deceive the board, the staff and the general public. He or his spokespersons falsely suggested that his actions had been approved by the Board, the EC, the GC and/or the VPHR. Later statements have charged his accusers with political motivations. In my judgment, these actions and statements have badly hurt the morale of the staff, damaged the reputation of the Bank, and eroded his moral authority to lead the Bank."
Maybe there was misunderstanding and miscommunication. But there also seems a try to steamroller underlings and summarily to stifle criticism.
At least Wolfowitz has done the world a service by highlighting the anti-democratic dimensions of how the World Bank President is appointed.
Monday, March 12, 2007
Y Iraq?
Picture a nation in mourning, which had been grievously attacked. People around the world supported America's loss on 9/11 with sympathy, but many Americans responded with anger, and military enlistments soared. Soon the US military would begin a "war on terror" for justice.
Five and a half years later, many of the top planning perpetrators of 9/11 remain at large. The US leadership moved the battle to Iraq; thousands of American young people (and dozens from the Coalition of the Willing) are dead.
Those on the sidelines talk and wring their hands. Those who lost loved ones wonder deeply - just what the hell is going on?
Five and a half years later, many of the top planning perpetrators of 9/11 remain at large. The US leadership moved the battle to Iraq; thousands of American young people (and dozens from the Coalition of the Willing) are dead.
Those on the sidelines talk and wring their hands. Those who lost loved ones wonder deeply - just what the hell is going on?
Friday, March 02, 2007
Deadly Anomalies
War is most perverse when only a few people are involved in a life & death struggle, and others are essentially unaffected. Too many Americans contribute to supporting war merely through displaying a tacky ribbon on their automobiles...
But there are other anomalies even less explainable.
Young American men are required to register with the Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. This has been the law since 1980. The system is for "emergency manpower needs of the Military by conscripting untrained manpower, or personnel with professional health care skills, if directed by Congress and the President in a national crisis."
According to the government's website:
Registration is the law. A man who fails to register may face a fine of up to $250,000 and/or a prison term of up to five years.
STUDENT FINANCIAL AID
Men who aren't registered won't qualify for Federal student loans or grant programs: Pell Grants, College Work Study, Guaranteed Student/Plus Loans, and National Direct Student Loans.
We live in a democracy. But women are not directly threatened by the Selective Service or its penalties. Why not? Perhaps because if all voters needed to register for the draft, those involved might adjust the system. Only putting young men at risk is sexist, inequitable, and perhaps illegal.
Many young men detest appearing cowardly. They would serve their nation honorably. Yet allowing others to weasel away (women & Dick Cheney) is wrong. Women could proudly serve if called. This system now places us all closer to war, and closer to a draft.
But there are other anomalies even less explainable.
Young American men are required to register with the Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. This has been the law since 1980. The system is for "emergency manpower needs of the Military by conscripting untrained manpower, or personnel with professional health care skills, if directed by Congress and the President in a national crisis."
According to the government's website:
Registration is the law. A man who fails to register may face a fine of up to $250,000 and/or a prison term of up to five years.
STUDENT FINANCIAL AID
Men who aren't registered won't qualify for Federal student loans or grant programs: Pell Grants, College Work Study, Guaranteed Student/Plus Loans, and National Direct Student Loans.
CITIZENSHIP
Registration is a condition for U.S. citizenship if the man first arrived in the U.S. before his 26th birthday.
FEDERAL JOB TRAINING
The Workforce Investment Act offers programs to train men (& women) for jobs in auto mechanics and other skills; (but for men,) only open to those who register with Selective Service.
FEDERAL JOBS
A man must be registered to be eligible for jobs in the Executive Branch of the Federal government and the U.S. Postal Service (required only for men born after December 31, 1959).
Some states have added additional penalties for those who fail to register.
We live in a society that demands equality. Why are women not part of the system?We live in a democracy. But women are not directly threatened by the Selective Service or its penalties. Why not? Perhaps because if all voters needed to register for the draft, those involved might adjust the system. Only putting young men at risk is sexist, inequitable, and perhaps illegal.
Many young men detest appearing cowardly. They would serve their nation honorably. Yet allowing others to weasel away (women & Dick Cheney) is wrong. Women could proudly serve if called. This system now places us all closer to war, and closer to a draft.
Thursday, March 01, 2007
America in Iraq: A deceptive "bill of goods"
Many otherwise-clever Americans have been led to believe that the USA should "stay the course" in Iraq, because a U.S. military withdrawal would leave a dangerous and tragic vacuum.
But there are nearly 200 other nations in the world; those concerned can assist if necessary, probably in cooperation with Iraq's nearby neighbors.
Various others people of the world (also) have vested interests in Iraq. Most Americans do not.
Many Iraqi and Kurdish people detest continued American interference. Most Americans would be better served by US federal spending at home, not in far-off Iraq. Persistent violence in Iraq is killing & brutalizing far too many people. The USA never should have taken the unilateral decision to invade; the key reasons given at the time have now been accepted as erroneous.
Let's imagine a North American scenario -- the USA and Mexico are presently arguing about border security: what if a belligerent European, African or Asian nation inserted troops?
No way José.
Bring US troops home from Iraq.
But there are nearly 200 other nations in the world; those concerned can assist if necessary, probably in cooperation with Iraq's nearby neighbors.
Various others people of the world (also) have vested interests in Iraq. Most Americans do not.
Many Iraqi and Kurdish people detest continued American interference. Most Americans would be better served by US federal spending at home, not in far-off Iraq. Persistent violence in Iraq is killing & brutalizing far too many people. The USA never should have taken the unilateral decision to invade; the key reasons given at the time have now been accepted as erroneous.
Let's imagine a North American scenario -- the USA and Mexico are presently arguing about border security: what if a belligerent European, African or Asian nation inserted troops?
No way José.
Bring US troops home from Iraq.
Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Haiku
by Genki 元気
A single red rose
Graces a saké bottle
By my Chinese lunch
-- 2006-01-23
Bohemian road
Aimless Czech discovery
Balance elusive
-- 2006-08-07
Mountains and water
Rhythms to be listened to
Away from the crowds
-- 2006-08-07
Ultimately one
Life is shared, I die alone
Calm, scared -- otherwise
-- 2006-09-24
Big Italian meal
With pickles in Korea
Very far from home
-- 2006-11-26
Lights beneath the clouds
Night glimpses from a jet plane
Hurdling the globe
-- 2006-12-03
Twelve hours thus far
Still yet I'm folded narrow
Seat 46K
-- 2006-12-03
A single red rose
Graces a saké bottle
By my Chinese lunch
-- 2006-01-23
Bohemian road
Aimless Czech discovery
Balance elusive
-- 2006-08-07
Mountains and water
Rhythms to be listened to
Away from the crowds
-- 2006-08-07
Ultimately one
Life is shared, I die alone
Calm, scared -- otherwise
-- 2006-09-24
Big Italian meal
With pickles in Korea
Very far from home
-- 2006-11-26
Lights beneath the clouds
Night glimpses from a jet plane
Hurdling the globe
-- 2006-12-03
Twelve hours thus far
Still yet I'm folded narrow
Seat 46K
-- 2006-12-03
Friday, February 09, 2007
Watada and Nuremberg
US Army 1st Lt. Ehren Watada has been on trial -- in essence, for undermining the military. Is he guilty - most certainly! What should be his penalty? The case should be dropped. He should receive our thanks.
The government of the USA took a great and costly risk to unilaterally enter war. There actually was no clear and present danger from Iraq. The Bush administration claimed to know of weapons of mass destruction, etc.; but they did not know. They were wrong, or perhaps deliberately they lied.
Is this important? Yes.
An article by Paul Rockwell in the Baltimore Sun (1 Feb 2007) discusses this key issue (here is an excerpt):
"Under the enlistment contract, every soldier has a right, even a duty, to disobey illegal orders. The legality of Lieutenant Watada's orders pursuant to a "war of choice" is the central issue of the trial.
Ehren Watada (和多田) grew up in Hawaii and was an Eagle Scout. He completed deployment to Korea before refusing to deploy to Iraq.
The government of the USA took a great and costly risk to unilaterally enter war. There actually was no clear and present danger from Iraq. The Bush administration claimed to know of weapons of mass destruction, etc.; but they did not know. They were wrong, or perhaps deliberately they lied.
Is this important? Yes.
An article by Paul Rockwell in the Baltimore Sun (1 Feb 2007) discusses this key issue (here is an excerpt):
"Under the enlistment contract, every soldier has a right, even a duty, to disobey illegal orders. The legality of Lieutenant Watada's orders pursuant to a "war of choice" is the central issue of the trial.
No American soldier has any obligation to participate in military aggression, in "crimes against peace," or in any operations that violate the Geneva Conventions. Under constitutional government, the authority of military command derives not from one person alone but from the rule of law itself.
There are only two conditions in which a war is legal under international law: when force is authorized by the U.N. Security Council, or when the use of force is an act of national self-defense and survival. Apart from these conditions, war is an act of aggression. The U.N. Charter, based on the Nuremberg Conventions, prohibits war "as an instrument of policy." And the war in Iraq is just that - a war of choice.
There is a common tendency among lawyers and military commanders to sneer at international law. But the Constitution is unambiguous. Article VI states: "All treaties made, or which shall be made, under the authority of the United States, shall be the supreme law of the land, and the judges in every state shall be bound thereby."
There is no exception for the military, no wall between domestic and international law.
Lieutenant Watada reminds us that the U.S. Army Field Manual states: "Treaties relating to the law of war have a force equal to that of laws enacted by Congress. Their provisions must be observed by both military and civilian personnel with the same strict regard for both the letter and spirit of the law which is required with respect to the Constitution and statutes.""
>> full article at: http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0201-30.htm
Ultimately this is the bottom line. We say soldiers must stand up to their leaders in refusing illegal orders. Concentration camp SS guards and common soldiers were held personally responsible for atrocities. If this war is illegal, our soldiers should not be there. End of story.
Ehren Watada (和多田) grew up in Hawaii and was an Eagle Scout. He completed deployment to Korea before refusing to deploy to Iraq.
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
The Waiting Alien
published in The Korea Herald, 2007-01-23
Op-Ed (p.13)
The Waiting Alien
Waiting in an immigration line is never pleasant. Aliens face long waits, while returning nationals pass quickly by. Waiting in line offers time to reflect; some lines are more enduring and unpleasant than others.
Where I live, in Stockholm, Sweden, the wait at immigration is never more than a minute or two; I look at the quickly-moving line for EU nationals and imagine the day not far off that I can join that line, as a dual national of the USA and Sweden. The line at Seoul's modern Incheon International Airport is much longer, and more bitter. The boundary to Korean nationality, perhaps insurmountable in my lifetime, clearly separates those coming home from us who are visitors. The boundaries of East Asian nations are often a focus of national pride, while the boundaries of the EU (and of ASEAN, and even South America), grow more flexible. With many worldwide opportunities for the highly-skilled, I patiently wait to enter Korea; perhaps I'm a fool.
Prof. Bruce Henry Lambert
Op-Ed (p.13)
The Waiting Alien
Waiting in an immigration line is never pleasant. Aliens face long waits, while returning nationals pass quickly by. Waiting in line offers time to reflect; some lines are more enduring and unpleasant than others.
Where I live, in Stockholm, Sweden, the wait at immigration is never more than a minute or two; I look at the quickly-moving line for EU nationals and imagine the day not far off that I can join that line, as a dual national of the USA and Sweden. The line at Seoul's modern Incheon International Airport is much longer, and more bitter. The boundary to Korean nationality, perhaps insurmountable in my lifetime, clearly separates those coming home from us who are visitors. The boundaries of East Asian nations are often a focus of national pride, while the boundaries of the EU (and of ASEAN, and even South America), grow more flexible. With many worldwide opportunities for the highly-skilled, I patiently wait to enter Korea; perhaps I'm a fool.
Prof. Bruce Henry Lambert
Friday, September 08, 2006
Downshift
In many years of schooling, I was never taught how to shift gears to find fulfillment. Analytic side-stepping and lateral thinking were part of my training, but each is built on a problem's centrality. I was taught rather grimly to persevere with analysis, generating alternative scenario, secondary or tertiary relationships, and policy options. Tenacious cybernetic non-stochastic immersion.
In personal life we all learn to downshift and change the subject of attention. I might go from school to home, meeting loved ones oblivious to the wrangling of my environment elsewhere. Refuge can be found by walking in nature, by turning to entertainment, or by listening to others. I learned conscious shut down of problem-solving and more simply to enjoy life.
In personal life we all learn to downshift and change the subject of attention. I might go from school to home, meeting loved ones oblivious to the wrangling of my environment elsewhere. Refuge can be found by walking in nature, by turning to entertainment, or by listening to others. I learned conscious shut down of problem-solving and more simply to enjoy life.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Energy industries
One unfortunate dimension of energy development in the USA is that the oil and associated industries have hijacked debate via the political process. George W. Bush & Dick Cheney are shortsighted unapologetic supporters of oil. This has helped enshroud the USA in Middle Eastern affairs to the detriment of our future.
Alternative energy is not merely a rallying element for disaffected environmentalists. Alternative energy businesses have huge potential, and promise in the future to grow into efficient and important large-scale industries. This is recognized in Germany, Japan and elsewhere, but has been denigrated in the USA.
It's an oily morass. Valuable options being developed elsewhere leave the USA with old, polluting smokestack industries and prospects of paying royalties offshore for generations. At the same time, the environment is degraded, while the USA foolishly blunders in Iraq and the Middle East.
Alternative energy is not merely a rallying element for disaffected environmentalists. Alternative energy businesses have huge potential, and promise in the future to grow into efficient and important large-scale industries. This is recognized in Germany, Japan and elsewhere, but has been denigrated in the USA.
It's an oily morass. Valuable options being developed elsewhere leave the USA with old, polluting smokestack industries and prospects of paying royalties offshore for generations. At the same time, the environment is degraded, while the USA foolishly blunders in Iraq and the Middle East.
Sunday, July 30, 2006
Sunshine
Thus far, this blog has been grim. I've been motivated to write mostly on dark & dreary political problems, attacking the narrow drives of belligerent self-interest among those who refuse to display uncertainty.
Oops! ...started again to get wound-up...
Anyhow, it is perhaps more important to try to display a better way. I pledge to write about goodness for awhile.
With the sovereignty of the empty page confronting this decision, I'll now do meditative breathing, then go outside and play.
Oops! ...started again to get wound-up...
Anyhow, it is perhaps more important to try to display a better way. I pledge to write about goodness for awhile.
With the sovereignty of the empty page confronting this decision, I'll now do meditative breathing, then go outside and play.
Friday, July 28, 2006
Lamont vs. Lieberman
There is a distant drumbeat for change in the USA. Americans read the USA spends $10 million every hour in Iraq (for who knows what?) while local services (in the 'homeland') decline. The government has waged war for years, telling people they know what's best.
Business-as-usual is being buffeted. Just now the Connecticut Democratic primary challenge of Ned Lamont has energized a segment of America. Sitting Senator Joe Lieberman is under attack as being a Republican in disguise. We're told that ousting Lieberman for Lamont is a first step to building new hope for America.
I'm sceptical, and believe it's a semi-permitted sideshow. Joe Lieberman should not top anyone's enemies list. He's a clever and hard-working insider, whose recent work on the Federal Research Public Access Act of 2006 (FRPAA; S.2695), for example, has been a great public service.
Yes, Joe takes up a chair that someone else might better use. I can't say if one such someone is Ned Lamont - too many people after election suddenly go quiet. One broadcast of Ned's candidacy, however, puts the contrast of energetic challenger and complacent toad very clearly; the editors of this Fox61 report clearly favor the challenger. Viewers are eagerly led to the sideshow; the truly major rollbacks of American integrity are ignored...
==2006-03-13 Fox61 news clip: Lamont candidacy==
(6MB media file)
Business-as-usual is being buffeted. Just now the Connecticut Democratic primary challenge of Ned Lamont has energized a segment of America. Sitting Senator Joe Lieberman is under attack as being a Republican in disguise. We're told that ousting Lieberman for Lamont is a first step to building new hope for America.
I'm sceptical, and believe it's a semi-permitted sideshow. Joe Lieberman should not top anyone's enemies list. He's a clever and hard-working insider, whose recent work on the Federal Research Public Access Act of 2006 (FRPAA; S.2695), for example, has been a great public service.
Yes, Joe takes up a chair that someone else might better use. I can't say if one such someone is Ned Lamont - too many people after election suddenly go quiet. One broadcast of Ned's candidacy, however, puts the contrast of energetic challenger and complacent toad very clearly; the editors of this Fox61 report clearly favor the challenger. Viewers are eagerly led to the sideshow; the truly major rollbacks of American integrity are ignored...
==2006-03-13 Fox61 news clip: Lamont candidacy==
(6MB media file)
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Terror: terrible, not novel
Too many Americans seem to feel, or perhaps have been led to believe, that the terrorist tragedy of 9-11 was an unprecedented horror, worthy of unique retribution at any cost. But organized man-made horrors have existed since time immemorial; the Bible lists dozens. Proper perspective is an important part of problem-solving. Simply lashing-out in rage is no solution. Nearly five years after 9-11, our situation is worse.
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Lay down dead
Convicted fraudster Dr. 'Kenny-Boy' Lay of Enron has passed away -- perhaps.
I'm sceptical.
But I believe that the U.S. government 'spiked' Muhammad Ali; and that one day I might see 'Whitey' Bulger at a harbourside marina (what could be done?...)
It is reported that Kenneth Lay died unexpectedly & tragically while holidaying in Aspen. Or maybe now he is cleverly protected in some far-off paradise...
The man no doubt did many good things; but he never accepted responsibility for Enron's swindles. He took credit for his management skills (and accrued a sizable fortune) when the firm seemed to be doing well; when things fell apart, he claimed to know nothing.
I ain't no lawyer, but Habeas corpus for multi-millionaire mega-weasels. He may be in Costa Rica, Calgary, Cardiff, or anywhere. He's left ample reasons for distrust. Many thousands of people were deeply damaged by Enron's frauds. Is it fair that death might lead to erasure of Lay's criminal conviction?
----
Update: Lay's convictions were vacated following his death as appeals were not exhausted -- though no appeal was filed. The cheat continues...
I'm sceptical.
But I believe that the U.S. government 'spiked' Muhammad Ali; and that one day I might see 'Whitey' Bulger at a harbourside marina (what could be done?...)
It is reported that Kenneth Lay died unexpectedly & tragically while holidaying in Aspen. Or maybe now he is cleverly protected in some far-off paradise...
The man no doubt did many good things; but he never accepted responsibility for Enron's swindles. He took credit for his management skills (and accrued a sizable fortune) when the firm seemed to be doing well; when things fell apart, he claimed to know nothing.
I ain't no lawyer, but Habeas corpus for multi-millionaire mega-weasels. He may be in Costa Rica, Calgary, Cardiff, or anywhere. He's left ample reasons for distrust. Many thousands of people were deeply damaged by Enron's frauds. Is it fair that death might lead to erasure of Lay's criminal conviction?
----
Update: Lay's convictions were vacated following his death as appeals were not exhausted -- though no appeal was filed. The cheat continues...
Friday, March 31, 2006
Government responsibility?
The aftermath of the 2004 Asian tsunami was a scandal in Sweden because of the government's slow and insufficient response. Tragedy could have been somewhat mitigated with timely intervention by the Swedish government. But was it clear (or is it clear) where responsibility starts and ends?
If a Swede runs out of money abroad, should the government help? How about if a storm causes a family to lose their money; what is the government's responsibility? Even if we say - "It is only money, not life" what if during processing time, without money, the unfortunate Swedes or their children suffer another accident, or violence?
I'm not sure that consensus exists on how much the State is responsible for people's welfare outside the country. Are consular people and ministers on call constantly? Should all taxpayers be charged with getting travelers out of trouble?
What of responsibility by innkeepers, travel agents, and the traveler's themselves?
Having said that, governments should be somewhat prepared, and have planned for various accidents and changing circumstances; then implementing policies, plans and limits: risk management procedures, emergency mitigation and relief.
If a Swede runs out of money abroad, should the government help? How about if a storm causes a family to lose their money; what is the government's responsibility? Even if we say - "It is only money, not life" what if during processing time, without money, the unfortunate Swedes or their children suffer another accident, or violence?
I'm not sure that consensus exists on how much the State is responsible for people's welfare outside the country. Are consular people and ministers on call constantly? Should all taxpayers be charged with getting travelers out of trouble?
What of responsibility by innkeepers, travel agents, and the traveler's themselves?
Having said that, governments should be somewhat prepared, and have planned for various accidents and changing circumstances; then implementing policies, plans and limits: risk management procedures, emergency mitigation and relief.
Monday, March 13, 2006
Take a Haiku in Sweden
Disappearing snow
Autumn trash & lots of sand
Stockholm in April
More light and more light
Stockholm faces shining bright
More glow from within
Kristi Himmelsfärd
But Annandag Pingst no more
Just thanks for days off
Airline spring puppets
ESCC people plan
Our summer travel
Too eagerly baked?
From autumn to Shrove Tuesday
When to eat semlor?
Feathered birch twigs and
Funny-looking witches: Spring!
Songs by the bonfire
Do April showers
Bring May flowers when we're at
Sixty degrees North?
Autumn trash & lots of sand
Stockholm in April
More light and more light
Stockholm faces shining bright
More glow from within
Kristi Himmelsfärd
But Annandag Pingst no more
Just thanks for days off
Airline spring puppets
ESCC people plan
Our summer travel
Too eagerly baked?
From autumn to Shrove Tuesday
When to eat semlor?
Feathered birch twigs and
Funny-looking witches: Spring!
Songs by the bonfire
Do April showers
Bring May flowers when we're at
Sixty degrees North?
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
Provocative Cartoons
Cartoons published in Denmark ridiculing the Prophet Muhammed have been republished widely in Europe. Is this a case of freedom of the press?
I believe that this problem shows poor sensitivity, and was deliberately provocative. To demean what others hold dear is stupid.
Someone can legally write that your mother is ugly. But they'd best prepare for your strenuous and perhaps angry disagreement...
I believe that this problem shows poor sensitivity, and was deliberately provocative. To demean what others hold dear is stupid.
Someone can legally write that your mother is ugly. But they'd best prepare for your strenuous and perhaps angry disagreement...
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Haiku 2006-01-11
Mussolini Bush
Dragged Colin Powell to hell
Uncertain? Never.
No unwelcome News
Plays for long in Disregard
Sweet Karl Rove gets blamed
Dragged Colin Powell to hell
Uncertain? Never.
No unwelcome News
Plays for long in Disregard
Sweet Karl Rove gets blamed
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
Ways to celebrate living
Adult life is not simple and sweet - we do not allow it to be so. It is easy to generate dozens of reasons why something can't be done, or how my personal condition is tough, inelastic and grim. Frankly, I'm not much interested in comparing who has the life more mired in shit and despair. There's plenty of that around, no need to look far. I'd like to hear from those who've overcome adversity. Let's hear from those who've risen above mediocrity. Please tell us how / why you enjoy or celebrate life.
Friday, December 02, 2005
An Open Letter
To MP Boris Johnson & MP George Galloway
Has the government of George W. Bush sought to wage war on Al Jazeera? Why was the Official Secrets Act invoked recently by Lord Goldsmith - to reaffirm the confidentiality of US-UK discussions, or to coverup maliciousness?
These governments overstate their assertions, refuse to divulge uncertainty, and aggressively promote highly-troubling chauvinistic political policies. They proactively attack their critics.
A vigorous press should be an important counterbalance. But too few people are willing or able to give voice to objections or to provide correctional guidance.
I am not from a British parliamentary constituency. But each of you represents much more: you have been defiant & bold; you've a freshness and special spark, developed in very different political backgrounds.
Together, and uniquely, you two MPs can shine light on this deadly morass.
Bruce Henry Lambert, D.Phil. (Oxon.)
Stockholm, Sweden
Has the government of George W. Bush sought to wage war on Al Jazeera? Why was the Official Secrets Act invoked recently by Lord Goldsmith - to reaffirm the confidentiality of US-UK discussions, or to coverup maliciousness?
These governments overstate their assertions, refuse to divulge uncertainty, and aggressively promote highly-troubling chauvinistic political policies. They proactively attack their critics.
A vigorous press should be an important counterbalance. But too few people are willing or able to give voice to objections or to provide correctional guidance.
I am not from a British parliamentary constituency. But each of you represents much more: you have been defiant & bold; you've a freshness and special spark, developed in very different political backgrounds.
Together, and uniquely, you two MPs can shine light on this deadly morass.
Bruce Henry Lambert, D.Phil. (Oxon.)
Stockholm, Sweden
Thursday, November 24, 2005
Thanksgiving for everyone?
In the USA, Thanksgiving is a great holiday. Lots of vittles and family togetherness, and a time for reflection (which for many may be unusual). It is also a secular holiday that people of all faiths and backgrounds can join.
Yet there is something disturbing about yesterday's NASA press release:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 10:10:30 -0600
From: info@JSC.NASA.GOV
Subject: International Space Station Status Report #58
2005
Report #58
10 a.m. CST, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2005
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
International Space Station Commander Bill McArthur and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev will enjoy a day off Thursday to celebrate Thanksgiving. The holiday highlights a week in orbit of robotics operations, routine maintenance and early preparations for a shipment of supplies and Christmas gifts.
McArthur and Tokarev are the 12th crew of the space laboratory and will be the sixth station crew to observe Thanksgiving on the complex. They sent holiday greetings to Earth this week and described their plans to feast on irradiated smoked turkey, dehydrated green beans, powdered drinks and a thermo stabilized cranberry-apple dessert.
On Monday, McArthur powered up the station's 60-foot robotic arm and maneuvered .....(snipped)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
There seems to be the assumption here that all the world celebrates Thanksgiving (and that the ISS is a USA project). A bit too US-ethnocentric a report I think. Perhaps as a US-expatriate working on Thanksgiving I'm sensitive. Anyhow, Tokarev count your blessings. I'd have you working.
(Perhaps both are working; no beers or NFL / high school football 230 miles up)
Lodz, Poland
Yet there is something disturbing about yesterday's NASA press release:
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Nov 2005 10:10:30 -0600
From: info@JSC.NASA.GOV
Subject: International Space Station Status Report #58
2005
Report #58
10 a.m. CST, Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2005
Mission Control Center, Houston, Texas
International Space Station Commander Bill McArthur and Flight Engineer Valery Tokarev will enjoy a day off Thursday to celebrate Thanksgiving. The holiday highlights a week in orbit of robotics operations, routine maintenance and early preparations for a shipment of supplies and Christmas gifts.
McArthur and Tokarev are the 12th crew of the space laboratory and will be the sixth station crew to observe Thanksgiving on the complex. They sent holiday greetings to Earth this week and described their plans to feast on irradiated smoked turkey, dehydrated green beans, powdered drinks and a thermo stabilized cranberry-apple dessert.
On Monday, McArthur powered up the station's 60-foot robotic arm and maneuvered .....(snipped)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
There seems to be the assumption here that all the world celebrates Thanksgiving (and that the ISS is a USA project). A bit too US-ethnocentric a report I think. Perhaps as a US-expatriate working on Thanksgiving I'm sensitive. Anyhow, Tokarev count your blessings. I'd have you working.
(Perhaps both are working; no beers or NFL / high school football 230 miles up)
Lodz, Poland
Myku by Genki
Myku
(Watashi no English-language haiku)
by Genki 元気
Lit up grey around my face
My father's stubble
My smile is wider
Greeting a familiar face
Whose name I forgot
reawakened stress
frosty dawn barely witnessed
the sound of water
encircled craving
one bite leads to another
another plate to wash
Crack!
My belly relaxes
Welcome winds of spring
(Watashi no English-language haiku)
by Genki 元気
Lit up grey around my face
My father's stubble
My smile is wider
Greeting a familiar face
Whose name I forgot
reawakened stress
frosty dawn barely witnessed
the sound of water
encircled craving
one bite leads to another
another plate to wash
Crack!
My belly relaxes
Welcome winds of spring
----------------------
Winter in Maine
by Genki 元気
Everyone has known these things
Since indeterminate
That poets, beggars, clowns & Kings
Have routinely to bend and shit.
January 1980, Waterville, Maine
Everyone has known these things
Since indeterminate
That poets, beggars, clowns & Kings
Have routinely to bend and shit.
January 1980, Waterville, Maine
Wednesday, November 23, 2005
Pretrend : what is it?
This blog is named Pretrend
It is a preview of things developing
I also own the website:
http://pretrend.com
Perhaps most important why this blog's named Pretrend: cause my first two Blogspot choices were taken...
It is a preview of things developing
I also own the website:
http://pretrend.com
Perhaps most important why this blog's named Pretrend: cause my first two Blogspot choices were taken...
Wednesday, November 16, 2005
The Heroic Dose
I remember when I was perhaps ten years old. No - I wasn't challenging the classic heroic dose. But near my home was a large dirt hill separating a private development from the public road system. Many of us regularly traversed these dirt hills on our bicycles. Anyhow, one day they began to clear the hills away, but stopped mid-way. Perhaps they were called away to another job, or they didn't want to spoil a good job and use one day when five would suffice. In any event, half of the dirt hill was suddenly chopped away.
I had not given any thought at all to 'reentry' - absolutely not an instant's consideration - my bike hit hard, I was only partially in control, my balls, guts, chest and bike got badly busted (I partly protected my foolish head).
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Misguided
At times it may be difficult to recognize cause. If a system responds to infection, (let's say), with quick countermeasures, it may be difficult for observer analysts to recognize the infection for what it is: countermeasures may be labeled simply as syndrome, and cause is masked. Cases where underlying mechanisms have emerged only slowly include present understanding of intestinal flora, asthma, perhaps also how pathogenic exposure in poor childhood hygiene can lead to longer term benefits. We can hope ultimately that scientific methodologies will clarify what is happening. Are there many remaining cases where our imperfect knowledge of physiological, social or other interactive mechanisms clouds understanding?
There are phenomenon where observer interference is difficult to exclude. Perhaps our excitement at getting near may put something further away…
Friday, November 11, 2005
Religiosity
Many observers, both secular and religious, would agree that there are strong parallels in religious experience among differing faiths. Perhaps largely similar phenomena have given rise to differing labels and traditions. Outside observers choosing to focus on religious objects and rituals may be ignoring wider religious impulses and experiences.
There may be more than one parallel with Stephen Christman's research work at the University of Toledo, Ohio. He identified a relationship between strength of preference for using right or left hand, musical abilities, and brain development (focusing on hemispheric linking nerves of the corpus callosum). An interesting dimension is that strength of preference was found significant, rather than the simple classification of right or left (see Wolman 2005). Most people have some degree of mixed-handedness, some have extreme strong-handedness. Hypotheses include linking handedness with corpus callosum size, with belief in improbable events, and with revision of attitudes when faced with new information.
I wonder whether one day indicators might be found for recognizing or measuring better developed religious tendencies.
Wolman, David (2005) "On the other hand." New Scientist (5 November 2005) pp 36-39.
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