Iraq

I read an interesting article today comparing the Iraq War with the US occupation of the Philippines after the Spanish War. The article appeared in Foreign Policy in 2004 called Imperial Amnesia by John Judis. It showed the parallels not with Vietnam but how we destroyed the Filipino population bringing them to their knees by killing 200,000. We used 120,000 troops and over 4.000 died. Americans suffer from very short term memory while the world has long memories. The hatred that existed in Iraq before the US invasion was opened with the invasion.

Americans wake up to history. Turn off the TV's and learn something for once. The United States has always been a horrible at nation building but we never seem to remember this from generation to generation. We failed in Vietnam and we will fail in Iraq and Afghanistan. Call the troops home and start looking at our commitments overseas. Remember John Quincy Adams remark about we don't go overseas looking for monsters to destroy. Learn to live as a Republic again instead of an Empire.

Electric Bill

I have questions about my Excel Energy bill. What are these charges?

Here is the breakdown:
Energy Charge Summer
Environment Imprvmt Rider
Fuel Cost Charge
Resource Adjustment

I hate environmentalist as a top priority and it is only going to get worse in this country as we elect either another fascist or a communist. The end is near for the American Empire, may it die quickly.

Swine Not

I just finished a fun novel by Jimmy Buffet called "Swine Not." In the usual fashion of Jimmy this novel is fun loving and an enjoyable read. The book has narrative from two characters, Barley a young twin boy from Vertigo Tennessee and the pig named Rumpy. The pig and family end up in New York City when Mom accepts a job as a pastry chef at a fancy restaurant. Enjoy this book and read this book. It is light hearted fun.

Georgia

I heard Condi Rice talk tough against Russia today. Are we willing to go to war against Russia over a nation like Georgia? I concluded sometime ago that the leadership in the United States is insane. Now understand I don't just mean the President and his Republican hacks but also the Democrats along with their band of twits. I could also toss in the batch of religious leaders who are the purveyors of a twisted gospel. There was once a time when Americans cheered when our leaders told us we would not get involved in foreign entanglements. I long for that day to return.

Power of Envy

Envy is “a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc.”[1] Envy has been the major driving force behind why some tribes have prospered while others have remained primitive. When a group refuses to allow people to advance beyond the rest of the tribe envy exists. Envy says that if I can’t have it then neither can you. The envious person would rather see something destroyed so no one can have rather than anyone having it. I like what an article in the Wall Street Journal brings out “Do Americans Have Wealth Envy?” I think with the rise of Obama we are reverting back to those days of business versus labor aspect of society. The us against them mentality that existed for many years in this country.

My question is how do you balance the needs of the worker with the needs of business without making workers indentured servants to these companies. Prior to the Great Depression common laborers were treated poorly by business. Charles Darwin reigned supreme in business. Today without government involvement would they continue survival of the fittest still reign. History has shown man is capable to commit great evil against their fellow man. Why would anything be different since Carnegie treated his workers like dung.

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[1] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/envy

The Autobiography of Ben Franklin

I have been listening to an audio version of Ben Franklin’s Autobiography and have realized something. Over the years “success” books have come out being the “newest” thing in self improvement. I have tended to see them as rip-offs of Napoleon Hill’s material. After listening to Franklin I have concluded it is a vicious cycle in plagiarism. There is nothing new under the sun. The Success Movement started with Benjamin Franklin and continues to this day. I sad part is the modern church is also a product of Franklin’s Religion of Virtue. If you live good enough you will be accepted by God. I hear so many TV preachers talk about self improvement – if you confess the word just right or do this or do that and you will have blessings from God. The blessing of God are based upon His grace. I like Franklin’s ideas but I don’t use them to attempt to earn God’s favor.

We need to begin focusing upon the relationship aspect of the Gospel. I belonged to a club for 17 years were every week it was about how to get stuff from God. If the minister in charge ever talked about relationships it was just plain bad. He to this day doesn’t understand relationships and his whole message is based upon Napoleon Hill and Kenneth Hagin though he calls it the Gospel. I have enjoyed the Hagin’s teaching over the years but today I understand that isn’t the whole Gospel. When I listen to the “Faith” teachers on TV it is insanity. These people have made a quite a living off the gospel. Whatever happened to teaching about saving money as Malachi instructs. I will fill your barns, investments, with plenty and your presses, work, will burst forth with new wine. I suppose in away Franklin taught the importance of saving for the future. On a national level the question is, how can a nation build for the future without savings to buy the capital goods?

Why did the BJP Party Lose?

What were the reasons that the 380 million Indians voted out the Bharatiya Janata Party and elected the Congress Party led by Italian born Sonia Gandhi? During the campaign the BPJ focused on a pro-Hindu religious message along with the strong growth of the economy. According to the Guardian, my personal paper of record, the BJP highlighted the “8% growth, increased development and a surge in high tech industries” (AP). The problem that exists outside the developed areas, Bangalore, is poverty. As Lalita Law tells Friedman “alcoholism if rife and female infanticide and crime are rising” (Friedman, p.539).

The strategy of the Gandhi led Congress party was to focus on the 300 million extreme poor within India who are not benefiting from the economic growth. The Congress party focused on lack of basic infrastructure, electricity and water access for the rural poor. According to political columnist and member of the upper house Kuldip Nayar, “This is a verdict against globalization. Now the next government will have to think how to employ more hands, than machines” (AP)

If you listen to Nayar the vote was against globalization but really it was because the globalization is occurring at a slower pace than desired. The idea of Hindu nationalism used by the BJP was defeated for a more secular form of government. Thus both sides were correct though I saw nothing about environmental issues being part of the issues unless you look at basic infrastructure. One side note, 48 people were killed in election violence down from the 1999 election.

India’s Ruler Concedes Defeat, Associated Press, Guardian, Thursday May 13 2004, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/may/13/india2

China's Cultural Revolution

Following the genocide from starvation caused by Mao's Great Leap Forward Mao decided he was losing a grip on power inside China. In 1966 using the student population Mao began the Cultural Revolution. Mao's stated goal was to reignited the revolution. Actually, Mao's goal was to rid himself of what he termed the "privileged class" This class consisted of engineers, scientists and anyone else Mao considered a rival. Sounds more like an attack on the middle class that had developed and where enjoying their status.

There are three phases of the CR the needs to be discussed.

The Activist Phase from 1966-68. It was during this time period that Mao purged his enemies. During this time two sides developed. The first was led by Lin Biao and support by the PLA and the other side was led by Deng Xiaoping and the party machine. Mao sided with the PLA and used the students (Red Guard) to destroy outdated symbols and values. These phases would continue until a border clash with the Soviet Union in March 1969.

The second phase with the 9th National Party Congress. With the Maoist in control the rebuilding of the party machine and economic stabilization became priorities. Pragmatism replaced idealism as the central theme. In 1971 Lin Bao attempted a coup that failed and died in a plane crash fleeing China. This led to a purging of all Lin Bao supporters.

The final phase started with Deng Xiaoping becoming vice premier in 1973 until Mao's death in 1976. It was been estimated that between 2-7 million people died during the CR, most during the Activist Phase. (Poon)

I understand that there is presently political discussion inside China about the effects of the CR. Some have used it as a rejection of revolution and Maoism while others are showing more nostalgic toward it.

Poon, Leon. Home Page. 6 August, 2008. http://www-chaos.umd.edu/history/welcome.html