All Posts Tagged With: "A"
WILL THERE BE A NEW SHERIFF IN TOWN?
I’m not long on the antics of most law enforcement officers and I’m certainly not impressed with their acrimonious, truculent and intimidating methods. However, one grit and guts lawman has not only grabbed my attention, but has enamored me with his tactics. Can he win his fifth election to be one of history’s longest reigning sheriffs? Is his methods inhumane or unnecessary? All I know is this. If I were a resident of Maricopa County, Sheriff Joe Arpaio would get my vote.
Liberal democrats have coerced, bought and garnered votes of minorities and criminals for as long as I can remember. I am happy to see one lawman treat a criminal like a criminal. He takes no guff and apologizes for nothing. From my research he has done nothing but enforce local, state and federal law to the letter. He is controversial and has come under attack for many of his programs and various issues, but let’s face it, if he were doing something illegal or illicit wouldn’t he be prosecuted? Or at least get booted out of office?
Sheriff Joe has reduced recidivism with his tough, sometimes draconian, and often educational methods. He is known for erecting and managing one of the nation’s largest “tent city” jails, chain gangs, banning smoking, pornographic magazines, movies, unrestricted television and a host of other luxuries so many felons enjoy across the country. Yes, he has even banned coffee. It was designed to reduce “coffee attacks” on correctional officers, and in conjunction with banning salt and pepper, it amounted to a taxpayer savings of $20,000 a year.
He has also instituted study and drug recovery programs for inmates. His school, “Hard Knocks High”, claims to be the only high school program approved in American jails. He mandated two-week English classes for non-English speaking inmates. The course covers the three branches of government, the process of bills becoming law, state government and law enforcement. To his critics he said this. “These inmates happen to be incarcerated in the United States of America and in Maricopa County where I run the jails. We speak English here, not foreign languages.”
In 2007, Sheriff Joe inaugurated a jailhouse radio station called KJOE. The station broadcasts four hours a day, five days a week, playing only classical music, opera, Frank Sinatra and educational programming.
He instituted chain gangs, not for punishment, but for what he calls “rehabilitation”. Male inmates wear black and white striped uniforms, work eight hours a day, six days a week and perform tasks such as creating fire breaks, removing trash and burying the deceased in the county cemetery. The female chain gang, that’s right, female chain gangs, work seven hours a day, six days a week. To his critics he responded. “I don’t believe in discrimination in my jail system. Crime knows no gender and neither should punishment.” Damn! I love this guy.
There have been a myriad of complaints and controversy. In “tent city” where the inmates live in tents that get up to 138° indoors and 116° outdoors, one resident, James Zanzo’t, recounted the experience like this. “It feels like you are in a furnace. It’s inhumane.” Of which, Sheriff Joe replied. “It’s 120° in Iraq and the soldiers are living in tents and they didn’t commit any crimes, so shut your mouths.” Did I mention I love this guy?
I could go on eternally with his accomplishments and criticisms, but let me share the last, my favorite.
In 1995 the controversial sheriff used canteen funds to buy Newt Gingrich’s ten-part video lectures with the intention of playing them in the inmates’ cells. When he was queried as to whether or not he would provide his astute viewers a lecture series by a Democrat he replied. “For one thing I don’t know of any, and some people might say these guys already got enough of those ideas.” Amen brother!
Lawman Joe Arpaio has enjoyed a lengthy tenure as sheriff of Maricopa County and with the upcoming election on September 2, 2008 I believe his good deeds shall afford him another term. Although controversial and often sardonically excoriated, he has won four elections with as much as 83% of the popular vote. Sheriff Joe is the type of lawman America needs, after all, he is known as “America’s Toughest Sheriff”.
Diplomacy Is the Art of Saying “Nice Doggy” Until You Find A Big Rock
Sensing Weakness Putin Acts; Timid Recoil; U. S. Faces Threat, and Sides Are Being Picked
On a day when Russia is threatening a harsh response, beyond the diplomatic, to the placement of U. S. anti-missile radar and missiles Paul M. Weyrich Chairman and CEO of the Free Congress Foundation blames, if obliquely, cold warriors including George H. W. Bush for the wreckage in Georgia. His thesis is Russia should have been invited into NATO after the former USSR collapse and that would have prevented such aggression.
As unlikely as such deterrence seems; Weyrich’s contention is that had his advise and that of Edward (Ed) Lozansky, president of the American University, in Moscow, William S. (Bill) Lind, and Russian Parliamentarian Arkady Murashev been followed Russia’s paranoia would have been satisfied and such border wars avoided. Weyrich says that Boris Yeltsin, the first freely elected president of Russia said he was open to the idea. That maybe true but the conditions mot think including NATO members would be onerous.
President George H. W. Bush’s advisers were absolutely against this idea. If he had had the foresight to disregard their counsel and push for our idea how different history very probably would be today.
Weyrich recalls visiting with Bush in the Oval Office after Dr. Robert (Bob) Krieble and I returned from Moscow, where we had found that Mikhail Gorbachev, the political rage at the time over here, was not popular in Russia. Yeltsin was much more popular. He says he told Bush if Gorbachev were replaced, his replacement could be someone more to our liking but H. W. Bush said he feared a replacement would be a Stalinist.
At that time Russia was in turmoil. It was broke. The old Soviet system was struggling to somehow stay relevant; Russia had been exposed as a paper tiger unprepared for conventional conflict but armed to the nuclear teeth, and in any case hindsight is while precise-moot. Plus former Soviet satellites had turned to the West as savior and barely scabbed over from decades of Soviet brutality and repression, and were loath to let the recently caged Bear loose into their bailiwicks.
“Is it now impossible for us to start over? Must Russia be our enemy? If it were, would we be prepared to fight another war? I don’t have the answers but it seems to me we must begin to think outside the box. Surely we must have new advisers with new thinking. The alternative is to risk sinking into the abyss of a new war with Russia. Do we need this? “asks Weyrich. Answering ,”No.”
Unfortunately Weyrich skips the key point that the U. S. and its allies need not be Russia’s enemy for it to be ours. So much so that I detect a surging optimism on the extreme left that it maybe time to reconnect with Russian cash to resurrect the American Progressive Party aka., Communist Party USA, or likely by another name and a willingness in some dachas outside Moscow to try it because they have the cash to do it.
Denver Cabbies Dilemma: Vouch for a Democrat?
Not sure why the concern really exists but city officials in Denver are trying to defuse an unpleasant situation where Denver Cabbies demand cash instead of the vouchers given to certain Democrats to pay their cab fares.
After recent events it was felt that Denver cabbies will take the chance of reimbursement in order to show the city in a good light. Denver residents are proud of their city as they should be and do not want the world to see anything ugly.
Is Obama A Latter Day Othello and Can We Afford An Obama Speech to Ten Million Yorick Skulls?
Obama might, indeed, be worse than a latter-day Jimmy Carter.
Obama might, indeed, be a latter-day Jimmy Carter worries former Clintonista Dick Morris. Last week raised important questions about whether Barack Obama is strong enough to be president. On the domestic political front, he showed incredible weakness in dealing with the Clintons, while on foreign and defense questions, he betrayed a lack of strength and resolve in standing up to Russia’s invasion of Georgia.
First, he says, the Clintons bluffed Obama into amazing concessions. Hillary will speak on Tuesday night in prime time. Chelsea will introduce her. She will get to play a film extolling her virtues produced by Harry Bloodworth Thomason. Bill will speak on Wednesday night. Hillary’s name will be placed into nomination. She will get to have nominating and seconding speeches on her behalf. And, on Thursday night, the last night of the convention, the roll call will show how narrowly Obama prevailed. It will really be the Clinton’s convention.
How can Obama measure up to a resurgent Putin who has just achieved a military victory? When the Georgia invasion first began, Obama appealed for “restraint” on both sides. He treated the aggressive lion and the victimized lamb even-handedly. His performance was reminiscent of the worst of appeasement at Munich, where another dictator got away with seizing another breakaway province of another small neighboring country, leading to World War II.
Finally Obama corrected himself, spoke of Russian aggression and condemned it. The fact is we know so little about Obama. His experience is so thin that it’s hard to tell what kind of a president he’d be but electing him is a BIG risk.
Obama’s strength is in doubt. His palsied response to the Clintons’ attempt to make Denver a Clinton convention is an exhibit. He was easily flim-flamed/ But, In international affairs among dangerous adversaries flim-flam can equal millions and tens of millions dead including millions of Americans.
Obama an over-intellectualizing Hamlet who is incapable of decisive, strong action. With Iran on the verge of acquiring nuclear weapons and Russia resurgent, there isn’t much room for on-the-job learning.
A few words on China’s fallen hero
The track where Liu Xiang will not compete.
My Monday ESPN Beijing Bureau post dealt with Liu Xiang. At this point not much more needs to be said, but if I can add just one thing…
Concluding paragraph from the ESPN post:
Later that night, at the conclusion of the day’s track and field events, the Bird’s Nest’s giant screens showed a highlight package that included Liu Xiang’s face. First it was from the morning, his expression contorted with pain and the initial stirrings of unspeakable disappointment. A little later he appeared again, this time as part of a montage set to the Olympic song “Forever Friends.” It was an image everyone here is familiar with: the moment the hurdler crossed the finish line in Athens, his eyes lighting up as it dawned on him that he’d just pulled the biggest shocker in his country’s sporting history, exertion giving way to pure jubilation. It was a poignant moment, and one people here will want to remember. Who knows when we’ll see it again?
Liu Xiang’s problematic heel has been bothering him for years, and it may not get better. Anyone who runs knows how painful a bum heel can be. Now imagine trying to run at world-class speed while hoping over a set of ten hurdles, landing on your heels each time. When people say Liu Xiang was in “excruciating” pain, I believe it.
The question no one here is asking but everyone should be is, Will Liu Xiang ever be the same? Will he ever contend again at world championships? Will he be a medal contender in London? I’m not so sure. At 25, his career may be over. He gave China one incredible, unforgettable moment — that instant he crossed the finish line in Athens — and now he may have to take his leave. It’s too early. I understand why people here want more: Liu Xiang is a once-in-a-lifetime athlete, the sort who has a combination of charm, intelligence, dedication, patriotism, good looks and natural ability. When will China get another Liu Xiang? For that matter, when will China get another male athlete able to compete with the big boys in the glamorous track and field events?
It’s a question no one’s asking, and for good reason: we may not want to know the answer.
Current Big Foot Hoax Proves P. T. Barnum’s Adage ‘There’s a Sucker Born Every Minute’
Politicians Rely On Gullibility To Get Elected And There Appears To Be No Shortage Of It.
The current big foot hoax recalls one of the most famous hoaxes in American history. It was a 10-foot (3.0 m)-tall (3 m) “petrified man” uncovered on October 16, 1869 by well diggers in Cardiff, New York. It became known as the Cardiff Giant and was the creation of a New York tobacconist named George Hull. Hull, an atheist, decided to create the giant after an argument with a fundamentalist minister named Mr. Turk about a passage in Genesis that stated that there were giants who once lived on earth.
Hull had the giant carved from a block of gypsum, treated it with chemicals and acids to age it and buried is knowing it would be found by the well diggers He charge thousands of gullible people 25 cents to view it, and turned down an offer to buy it by sideshow man P. T. Barnum who then made his own copy displaying it for some years
Friday’s hoax seems to be the contrivance of the alleged Vegas con-man named Carmine Thomas Biscardi who staged a News Conference in Palo Alto, California but didn’t produce the body. Failing habeas corpus the crew displayed photographs of a Halloween gorilla costume draped with animal entrails., and some DNA results for something having nothing to do with s big footed anything.
It is not entirely clear how the Georgia men Matthew Gary Whitton and Ricky Traylor Chuck Dyer got wrapped up with Biscardi. Almost humorously Whitton and Dyer are chastised by the “legitimate” Big Foot research Organization (BFRO) as illegitimate.
In what became a letter day Orson Wells “War of the Worlds” hoax - albeit that was unintended Biscardi intentionally perpetrated a Bigfoot body hoax in 2005 on George Noory’s “Coast to Coast AM” (”C2C”) radio talk show. The show attracts 15 million late night listeners across the USA and Canada including many of the tinfoil hat wearing crowd. During this extraordinary radio hoax in the summer of 2005 Biscardi claimed to have a Bigfoot body.
He held the massive C2C radio audience in breathless suspense for a few nights, offering updates on “his team’s” progress with a bigfoot body, all while encouraging the audience to subscribe (for $14.95 per month) to his remote web cam, where they might possibly spot another bigfoot at a location in Northern California … it was a scam.
Noory smelled out the hoax, demanded proof and Biscardi confessed it was a hoax and scam.
Today’s media has so-far not even done the most perfunctory research into the background of those involved including phony claims of being an Army Ranger,prison guard of Biscardi’s history and record.
Poland Crosses the Rubicon - Russia Throws Conniption Fit
Poland and the U. S. have decided on a mutual defense alliance.
“We have crossed the Rubicon,” said Poland Prime Minister about the agreement reached with he United States to base American missile interceptors in Poland sending Russia into Low Earth Orbit. The US and Poland says the anti-missile missile system will guard Europe from Iranian missile attack. Russia say it is aimed at it.
“Crossing the Rubicon” is a popular idiom meaning to go past a point of no return and refers to Julius Caesar crossing the river in 49 BC deliberately as an act of war.
Regardless of the historic reference Poland and the U. S. have decided on a mutual defense alliance.
Plus it was an obvious reference to the force and ferocity with which Russia rolled into Georgia in recent days, taking the key city of Gori and apparently burning and destroying Georgian military outposts and airfields. Poland and other former Soviet satellites and republics in eastern Europe have been unsettled by Russia’s powerful and Brutal military attacks on Georgia.
In addition the United States has also reached an agreement with the Czech Republic’s government to place a radar component of the missile defense system in that country. That deal still needs approval from the Czech and Polish parliaments.
Tusk said that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization would be too slow in coming to Poland’s defense if Poland were threatened and that the bloc would take “days, weeks to start that machinery.”
“Poland and the Poles do not want to be in alliances in which assistance comes at some point later - it is no good when assistance comes to dead people. Poland wants to be in alliances where assistance comes in the very first hours of - knock on wood - any possible conflict,” Tusk said.
Finally, a real news story
Well, we finally found a story that the mainstream media can sink it’s teeth into: John Edwards’ infidelity. Honestly, if some of the real issues facing this nation received this kind of scrutiny, we might inspire the American people to help solve them. Instead, the mainstream media is indulging the public in the most unbelievable case of voyeurism I’ve seen in a long while. And, really, let’s get off the soapbox: This isn’t about John Edwards’ character or how he would serve as president. It isn’t even about the election, except in the minds of the Clinton supporters, who are now making the absurd claim that it cost her the primary. How you ask? Well, if Edwards had confessed sooner, Hillary would have gotten his supporters. The fact is that Edwards is a private citizen. He isn’t serving in Congress and he isn’t a candidate for president.
This is about someone with name recognition cheating on his spouse and lying about it. I dare say that is something we’d probably all do should we be caught in the same situation. And, lest I be accused of being a feminist pig, I’m talking about cheating women as well as men. I was struck by the absurdity of all of this as I sat in a hospital waiting room the other day watching CNN. I needed comic relief and I got it. The Larry King Live show was featuring that cute little waif, Nancy Pelosi, fresh off her book tour. I think the name of the book is Know Your Power : A Message to America’s Daughters. I’d have to say that she’s not the shining beacon on that front. She, however, is a different post for a different day. Anyway, back to the issue at hand. If Pelosi wasn’t enough to entice you, there was going to be a follow up on the John Edwards affair! Riveting, critical news. Critical in what context?
The mainstream media is now declaring Edwards’ political career over. Done. Finished. Kaput. That’s absurd also. There are other folks in office right now whose transgressions are literally heinous. They are still running the country. The mainstream media is barely exposing these issues, however. The corporate media machine simply receives the news from 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and parrots it to an unsuspecting public. We’re all too busy getting the lowdown on the Edwards affair anyway. We don’t have time for the real issues. I have groundbreaking news as well: The American public has a very short memory. By the time they buried Richard Nixon, he was being hailed as a great American. This too shall pass. Just ask John McCain how that works.
John McCain, a current Senator and a presidential contender, is a known cheater and has even confessed to multiple infidelities in his books. It’s a fact that he was still married and living with wife number one when he started courting 25-year-old beautiful and rich Cindy, his present wife. He basically divorced his first wife and then launched his political career using Cindy’s money. He’s front and center in this race and the media hasn’t touched it. Nobody talks about that anymore because that was 1979. If the media wanted fresh blood, they had it earlier this year when an alleged tryst was uncovered between McCain and lobbyist Vicki Iseman, but the maverick told the media it’s “not true” and they took him at his word and let it pass.
Of course, nobody talks about serial cheater Newt Gingrich either. Newt had an affair and divorced his first wife while she was recovering from uterine cancer. Then in 1999, he was caught in yet another affair with a 33-year-old congressional aide. And here’s the kicker on that one: He was caught in this scandal as he was spearheading the impeachment of Bill Clinton for a consensual extra-marital liaison. So, I find it hard to understand why Edwards’ career should be over. All things being equal, by the time Edwards chooses to run again (if he ever does), this will be mere beauty salon chat.
Newspapers across the nation are cutting back on staff, including reporters and editors. Covering these stories is giving these folks some practice in case they ever get laid off. They’ll need portfolio tear sheets anyway for their interviews with People and Us magazines.
And now, a few words from Senator McFalsehood
I‘ll admit right up front that I’m no fan of John McCain. In fact, I find him to be a pretty repugnant character and not very impressive presidential material.
I know. He’s a war hero. However, even on this point he has his detractors. There are those who served with him in Viet Nam who call him ‘Songbird.’ Some accuse him of giving up information pretty quickly. There are others who tell a story about how he received preferential treatment because of his high-ranking Navy father. Then, there’s the issue of his disability payment of some $58,358 per year, tax free, because he can’t raise his arms above his shoulders. Really? I think I’ve seen him do that a few times. We could focus on the bush-league anti-Obama ads (no pun intended) he’s been running. First, there was the Britney Spears/Paris Hilton ad. Then, for lack of a better description, there’s “The One.” One would think that the American people would need something bit more substantive from McCain than what these ads provide. Both of these are pathetic and juvenile attacks. However, it could very well be that I’m overestimating the needs of the American people. It doesn’t end here. There are other concerns.
I’d be concerned about anybody who wants to be the ruler of the free world who just can’t seem to get his information straight. I’ve been reading a lot of articles. Some people are questioning his age. Some people are wondering if it’s Alzheimers. I’m just plain concerned because I don’t think it’s either of those things. I think it’s lack of knowledge. I think he just doesn’t get it and I’m doubtful that he cares about getting it. What he cares about is getting to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and, in some cases, the twisted facts help him make his case. Here are the things the media should be focusing on, rather than the trivia they are so fond of analyzing, such as what candidate doesn’t wear an American flag lapel pin.
It goes without saying that McCain’s famous confusion between Sunni and Shia is now treated quite lightheartedly. This is serious misinformation, given the circumstances in Iraq. This isn’t an isolated incident. He continually refers to the country of Czechoslovakia, which hasn’t existed since 1993. As documented by Media Matters for America, McCain made an errant claim that Iranian operatives were training al Qaeda members for fighting in Iraq three or four times over the course of two days - once on March 17 while speaking with radio host Hugh Hewitt and twice on March 18 while speaking to reporters to Amman, Jordan. It took yet another out-of-touch politician, Joe Lieberman (I-CT), whispering the correct information in McCain’s ear before he got it right. McCain corrected himself in Amman saying, “I’m sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al Qaeda.”
Still, other gaffes by McCain border on falsehoods. In defense of Bush’s Iraq escalation (called a “surge” for political expediency), McCain claimed that the Anbar Awakening was a direct result.The fact is that the Anbar Awakening began months before the surge in troops was even announced. This fact is confirmed by Colonel Sean McFarland and Major Neil Smith, who co-wrote a published article stating that most of the progress in Anbar province occurred between June 2006 and February 2007, months before the first troops ever arrived in Iraq. Misinformation such as this should be a concern when Mr. McCain boasts superior judgment to Barack Obama on all issues Iraq. McCain also embellished facts in response to the Supreme Court ruling that the U.S. Constitution’s habeus corpus protection extended to all persons being held in U.S. prisons, including those at Guantanamo Bay.
On June 17 of this year, McCain spoke at a Pemberton, New Jersey, town hall meeting: “By the way, thirty of the people that have already been released from Guantanamo Bay have already tried to attack America again; one of them just a couple of weeks ago as a suicide bomber in Iraq.” However, according to the Pentagon, only 13 former Guantanamo prisoners participated in some form of terrorist activity since being released. None have been confirmed to have attacked an American target. The Pentagon report went on to state that a handful of these former detainees have attacked “coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of the 13, were three Chechens who were transferred to Russia, where they were rearrested for terrorist activities.” That’s quite a bit different than what McCain was implying in his statement.
Okay, so let’s not call McCain a liar. Let’s assume these are mistakes that were come by honestly. Frankly, it doesn’t make me feel much better about his being elected president.
Havin’ A Goin’ Away Party For The “Bushmen”
I’m havin’ a party!
“What kind of party”, you ask?
Since you asked, I’ll tell you.
It’s a “Going Away” party.
And, by the way, you are all invited, although, granted, a few of you will choose to skip the festivities because this particular “Going Away” party might give you the blues.
Speaking of blues, there will be plenty of music.
At the top of my guest list is “Ned Flanders”…I mean, Harry Shearer. Well, not exactly. What I mean to say is that the evening’s entertainment will include grooving to the bluesy-country-jazzy-rockified sounds from Shearer’s latest CD, “Songs of the Bushmen”.
The Russian Bear Is Back In A Big Way With New Attack Submarines
Russia Building New Offensive Nuke Armed Underwater Boats
The construction of new-generation nuclear-powered ballistic missile and attack submarines is a top priority for the Russian Navy’s development, the Navy commander said on Friday according to the Russian Information Agency Novosti
According to a new doctrine for the development of the armed forces, Russia will completely modernize the naval component of its nuclear triad by 2016.
Fourth-generation Borey-class nuclear-powered submarines armed with Bulava missiles would form the core of Russia’s fleet of modern strategic submarines.
The first submarine in the series, Yury Dolgoruky was built at the Sevmash plant in the northern Arkhangelsk Region and will soon join the Russian Navy. It will be equipped with 16 Bulava (SS-NX-30) ballistic missiles, which can carry up to ten nuclear warheads, and have a range of 8,000 kilometers (about 5,000 miles).
Two other Borey-class nuclear submarines, the Alexander Nevsky and the Vladimir Monomakh, are currently under construction at the Sevmash plant.
In 2009, the Russian Navy will receive the first nuclear-powered attack submarine of the Project 885 Yasen (Graney) class, named Severodvinsk.
Russia is also building a new series of diesel-electric submarines.
A spray of polls find discontent with Congress, and Reporters.
A new WSJ/Fox News Poll finds 75% of Americans demanding more domestic oil be produced.
It is then not surprising that just 15% approve of the job Congress is doing as Democrats block and delay any new oil production.
Fifty percent believe the media makes economic conditions appear worse than they really are, Only a quarter (25%) think reporters and media outlets present an accurate picture of the economy.
49% say reporters are trying to election Barack Obama president only 14% say they are trying to help M<cCain win.
An Investors Daily study of 255 reporters founds that 92% contribute to Democrats and less than 8% say they have contributed to a Republican
What If Peace Is Breaking Out all Over - A World Tour.
While the mass media continues to feature wars and terrorism, the overall trend continues away from such unpleasantness.
Such stories are anathema to the mass media, because they do not attract eyeballs, and revenue.
That’s the way people are, and the result is a distorted view of trends in global violence.
Worldwide, violence continues to decline, as it has for the last few years. Violence has also greatly diminished, or disappeared completely, in places like Iraq, Nepal, Chechnya, Congo, Indonesia and Burundi. Even Afghanistan, touted as the new war zone, is seeing less violence this year than last.
All this continues a trend that began when the Cold War ended, and the Soviet Union no longer subsidized terrorist and rebel groups everywhere. The current wars are basically uprisings against police states or feudal societies, which are seen as out-of-step with the modern world. Many are led by radicals preaching failed dogmas (Islamic conservatism, Maoism), that still resonate among people who don’t know about the dismal track records of these movements.
The War on Terror has morphed into the War Against Islamic Radicalism. This religious radicalism has always been around, for Islam was born as an aggressive movement, that used violence and terror to expand. Past periods of conquest are regarded fondly by Moslems. The current enthusiasm for violence in the name of God has been building for over half a century. Historically, periods of Islamic radicalism have flared up periodically in response to corrupt governments, as a vain attempt to impose a religious solution on some social or political problem. The current violence is international because of the availability of planet wide mass media (which needs a constant supply of headlines), and the fact that the Islamic world is awash in tyranny and economic backwardness. Islamic radicalism itself is incapable of mustering much military power, and the movement largely relies on terrorism to gain attention. Most of the victims are fellow Moslems, which is why the radicals eventually become so unpopular among their own people that they run out of new recruits and fade away. This is what is happening now. The American invasion of Iraq was a clever exploitation of this, forcing the Islamic radicals to fight in Iraq, where they killed many Moslems, especially women and children, thus causing the Islamic radicals to lose their popularity among Moslems.
Normally, the West does not get involved in these Islamic religious wars, unless attacked in a major way. Moreover, modern sensibilities have made that more difficult. For example, fighting back is considered, by Moslems, as culturally insensitive (”war on Islam”), and some of the Western media have picked up on this bizarre interpretation of reality. However, some historians like to point out, for example, that the medieval Crusades were a series of wars fought in response to Islamic violence against Christians, not the opening act of aggression against Islam that continue to the present. Thus, the current war on terror is, indeed, in the tradition of the Crusades. And there are many other “Crusades” brewing around the world, in the many places where aggressive Islamic militants are making unprovoked war on their Christian neighbors. Political Correctness among academics and journalists causes pundits to try and turn this reality inside out. But a close look at the violence in Africa, Asia and the Middle East shows a definite pattern of Islamic radicals persecuting those who do not agree with them, not the other way around.
While Islamic terrorism grabs most of the headlines, it is not the cause of many casualties, at least not compared to more traditional wars. The vast majority of the military related violence and deaths in the world comes from many little wars that get little media attention outside their region. Actually some of them are not so little. While causalities from terrorism are relatively few (usually 5,000-,000 dead a year worldwide), the dead and wounded from all the other wars actually comprise about 95 percent of all the casualties. The Islamic terrorism looms larger because the terrorists threaten attacks everywhere, putting a much larger population in harms way, and unhappy with that prospect. But in the West, and most Moslem nations, Islamic terrorism remains more of a threat than reality.
Current wars are listed in alphabetical orders. Text underneath briefly describes current status. Click on country name for more details.
The Taliban attempt at a comeback has been reinforced by drug gang profits and al Qaeda choosing the Pakistani border area the location for their last stand. With all that, violence nationwide is still lower than last year. A sharp increase in Taliban activity in 2006 brought forth a sharp response from government and NATO forces. Independent minded tribes, warlords and drug gangs remain a greater threat to peace, prosperity and true national unity, than the Taliban (which is based across the border in Pakistan). The newly elected Pakistani government is reluctant to make on the pro-Taliban tribes and various Islamic terrorist organizations. That has increased the flow of gunmen from Pakistan into Afghanistan. But the violence inside Afghanistan is growing, largely because of the growth of the drug gangs, and their support for tribes (especially pro-Taliban ones) that oppose the national government.
A few hundred Islamic rebels persist, despite the hostility of most Algerians. The local Islamic terrorists have now officially become a part of al Qaeda, and have turned to suicide bombing. This kills a lot of civilians, and increases the hatred the population already feels towards the Islamic radicals. The level of terrorist violence is still much lower than it was a few years ago. The population is not happy, and a general uprising remains a threat because of dissatisfaction with the old revolutionaries that refuse to honor election results, share power or govern effectively.
The Greater Albania Movement is driven by part time Albanian nationalists, full time gangsters, political opportunists, Kosovo separatists and some Islamic radicals. West Europeans got their way, and Kosovo became independent. Serbia disagrees with that, and Big Brother Russia offers all manner of support, and threats. Bosnia continues to attract Islamic terrorists, despite the local government becoming increasingly hostile to these foreign troublemakers and alien Islamic conservatism.
Dictators brew rebellion by suppressing democrats and Islamic radicals. But not much violence, just a lot of potential.
Rebel movements grew and united, aided by Sudanese backed Arab militias from across the border. The Chad government gave refuge to Sudanese Darfur rebels. The government thought they had a peace deal, but it quickly fell apart. European peacekeepers are arriving, but are having problems obtaining sufficient helicopters and air transport. Much of the unrest along the border is caused by refugees from tribal battles in Sudan, who bring their feuds with them. Prospects for peace are not good.
The confrontation with Taiwan continues, as do hostilities with neighbors, separatists, dissenters and ancient enemies. A new government in Taiwan plays down independence, and China responds with soothing words. But also China speeds up modernization of its armed forces, but in ways Westerners have a difficult time understanding. China has developed a major Cyber War capability, and has been using it for over a year. The targets of this, in Western Europe and the U.S., have figured this out, and a new crises is born. China has become major secret supplier of cheap weapons to bad guys everywhere. World class weapons are planned for the future, some 10-20 years from now.
After over three decades, leftist rebels more rapidly losing support, recruits and territory. Even leftist demagogue Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has dropped support for the Colombian rebels, although he is still providing sanctuary for them and their cocaine producing allies. The drug gangs and leftist rebels have merged in many parts of the country, and war in increasingly about money, not ideology. The leftist rebels are definitly losing, but all that drug money will keep them in the game for quite a while.
Multiple tribal and political militias, plus an increasing number of bandits, continue to roam the countryside. Peacekeepers and army action have reduced the size of these violent groups, but not eliminated them. However, there are fewer places that the bad guys can roam freely. Attempts to merge rebels into the army has not worked well. The last major problem is a Tutsi militia in the east, which will not disarm until the government destroys Hutu militias built around Hutu mass murderers who fled neighboring Rwanda in the 1990s. UN peacekeepers criticized for not fighting more, but that’s not their job. Congolese army not up to it yet either, so there it simmers.
Border dispute with Eritrea festers, and invasion of Somalia bogs down in local clan feuds. Internally, rebellious Moslem groups are a constant threat, especially with more active support from Eritrea. Ogaden province, right on the Somali border, and full of ethnic Somalis, has rebelled again. Not a big deal, but one more hot spot that burns up troops and scarce cash. These two border wars have been around for centuries, and not likely to go away now.
Peacekeepers keep a lid on two century old violence between the rich and the poor, and the criminal and political gangs. Peacekeepers have busted up many of the gangs, and sharply lowered the crime rate. But the government is still corrupt and prone to breed lawbreakers and disorder.
Kashmir is but one of many rebellions that beset the region. India also has tribal and Islamic rebel in the northeast, and Maoist (communist) ones in between. Pakistan has Islamic radicals in the north, and rebellious Pushtun and Baluchi tribes along the Afghan border. The Taliban had become stronger in Pakistan, where it originated, than in Afghanistan. Newly elected Pakistani government wants to make peace with the Taliban and the Taliban is willing to pretend it is cooperating. India and Pakistan both have nukes, making escalation a potential catastrophe. As a result, recent peace talks have lowered the possibility of war, but both sides continue an arms race. Pakistani Islamic radical groups continue to support terrorism in India and Afghanistan, and are still threatening the Pakistani government with attacks. Pakistan has always been a mess, and does not appear to be getting better.
Basically at peace, but separatism, pirates, Islamic terrorists and government corruption create a volatile situation that could get hot real fast. Islamic terrorists have been greatly diminished, as Islamic moderates flex their traditional popularity. Aceh still has a few diehard separatist rebels. Newly independent East Timor has been unable to govern itself.
The basic problem is that an Islamic conservative minority has veto power over the reformist majority. The supply of peaceful solutions is drying up. After that comes another revolution. Half the population consists of ethnic minorities (mainly Turks and Arabs), and these groups are getting more restive and violent. Meanwhile, the Islamic conservatives are determined to support terrorism overseas and build nuclear weapons at home, rather than improving the economy and living standards. Unrest and terrorist violence becoming more common, and government seeks foreign adventures to distract an unhappy population.
The “surge offensive” last year capitalized on years of work, crushed the Islamic terrorists. Violence plunged by over 80 percent. More areas of the country are now at peace (as some have been since 2003.) The Sunni Arab minority has worked out peace deals with the majority Kurds and Shia Arabs. Some Sunni Arab Islamic radicals are still active, but are in decline. Some Sunni Arabs, who had fled the country, are returning, but nearly half the Sunni Arabs are already gone. The Shia militias have been defeated as well, mainly by Iraqi police and troops. Corruption and inept government continues to be a major problem.
Palestinians are trying to make some kind of peace, in order to reverse the economic disaster they brought on themselves because of their seven year terror campaign against Israel. Palestinians are tired of terrorism, even though they still support it. The Palestinian economy has collapsed, as foreign charity dried up because the people elected the Hamas (Islamic terrorists) party to power. Civil war between radical Hamas and corrupt Palestinian old guard (Fatah) has split Palestinians. Iran backed Islamic radicals (Hizbollah) in Lebanon have revived fears of civil war up there. Hizbollah threatens to drag Lebanon into another civil war, or another war with Israel. Meanwhile, Israeli economy booms as Israel continues its effective counter-terrorism campaign.
An uneasy truce continues. The north and the south finally make a deal over money, religion and power. All this is watched over by peacekeepers set up between the factions.
Growing unrest, corruption and privation threaten the iron control that has long kept the north peaceful. North Korea continues to destroy its economy, in order to maintain armed forces capable of invading South Korea and keep its own population in bondage. Continued famine in the north has prompted China to send more and more troops to the border to keep hungry North Koreas out. North Korean military declines in power, as lack of money for maintenance or training cause continuing rot. Government split into reform and conservative factions, making change difficult to achieve. South Koreans are growing tired of the madness that still reigns in the north.
Turkish aircraft and troops now operating on the Iraqi side of the border, seeking to either destroy Kurdish separatists, or push their bases further into Iraq. Kurds continue 5,000 year struggle to form their own country. Iran is cracking down on its Kurds, while Turkey threatens even more action if the Iraqi Kurdish government doesn’t get serious about the Kurdish separatists who operate inside Turkey, from bases in Iraq. Iraqi Kurds believe they will get control of some Iraqi oil fields, providing cash for all manner of opportunities. But that is opposed by Iraqi Arabs and other minorities.
The U.S. border is like a war zone. The passing of one-party rule, the growth of drug gangs, and increasing corruption in the security forces, has triggered growing violence and unrest. The government has gone to war with the drug gangs, and the outcome is still in doubt.
Radical communist rebels succeed in eliminating the monarchy, via an alliance with political parties. This has decreased Maoist violence, and caused a struggle for control of the government. All this has triggered uprising by other unhappy groups (more radical Maoists, hill tribes, ethnic Indians).
Too many tribes, not enough oil money and too much corruption creates growing violence. The tribes and gangs (both criminal and political) in the oil producing region (the Niger Delta) are getting organized, and a lot more violent. The northern Moslems want more control over the federal government (and the oil money). Local rebels threaten loss of most oil revenue, which is getting the governments attention.
Various places where the local situation is warming up and might turn into a war. Zimbabwe and Yemen are hot right now.
Islamic minority in the south wants its own country, and the expulsion of non-Moslems. Communist rebels in the north fight for social justice and a dictatorship. Both of these movements are losing and the Moslems are negotiating a peace deal that inches closer to a done deal. The communists are taking a beating, and not willing to talk seriously yet.
Rebuilding and reforming the decrepit Soviet era armed forces continues. The war against gangsters and Islamic radicals in Chechnya has been won, but the Islamic radicals continue to operate in other parts of the Caucasus. Russia returns to police state ways, and traditional threatening attitude towards neighbors.
War between better organized and more aggressive Tutsis and more numerous Hutu tribes. It’s been going on for centuries, but the latest installment has finally ended, with the last Hutu group in Burundi giving up, then changing its mind.
A failed state that defies every attempt at nation building. It was never a country, but a collection of clans and tribes that fight each other constantly over economic issues (land and water). The new “transitional” government, was nearly wiped out by an “Islamic Courts” movement (which attempted to put the entire country under the rule of Islamic clergy and Islamic law). When Islamic Courts threatened to expand into Ethiopia, Ethiopia invaded and smashed the Islamic Courts. The Islamic radicals have turned to terrorism, and Eritrea continues to provide support. The country remains an economic and political mess, a black hole on the map. Not much hope in sight.
Tamil minority (19th century economic migrants from southern India) battles to partition the island. A long ceasefire ends and fighting has resumed. Tamils (the LTTE) are losing this time. LTTE will not go quietly, even though they lose a little more each month.
Moslems in the north try to suppress separatist tendencies among Christians in the south and Moslem rebels in the east and west. All this is complicated by development of oil fields in the south, and Moslem government attempts to drive Christians from the oil region. Battles over land in the west pit Arab herders against black Sudanese farmers. Both sides are Moslem, but the government is backing the Arabs. The government uses Arab nationalism and economic ties with Russia and China to defy the world and get away with driving non-Arab tribes from Darfur. The government believes time is on its side, and that the West will never trying anything bold and effective to halt the violence. So far, the government has been proven right.
Malay Moslems in the south are three percent of the population, and different. Most Thais, are ethnic Thais and Buddhist. In the south, however, Islamic radicalism has arrived, along with an armed effort to create a separate Islamic state in the three southern provinces. Islamic terrorists grew more powerful month by month for several years, and refuse to negotiate. Security forces persisted and are making progress in rounding up the terrorists. Meanwhile, civil war brews between urban and rural segments of the population, under the leadership of political parties that differ on how the nation should be run.
Religion and tribalism combine to create a persistent rebellion in the north, which was aided by Sudan. But now the northern rebels have been worn down, and the unrest is just about done with. Final peace deal with LRA rebels being negotiated. It’s taking longer than expected, and the LRA may just fade away before a final deal is made.
International terrorism has created a international backlash and a war unlike any other. The only terrorist victories are in the media. On the ground, the terrorists are losing ground everywhere. Their last refuges are chaotic, or cynical, places like Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Gaza, the Sahel, a few of the Philippine islands, and especially tribal regions of Pakistan (where al Qaeda is staging a last stand). They are being chased out of Iraq, Somalia and the Philippines. Iran continues to support terrorism in the face of much local disapproval. Syria and Lebanon are in chaos because of Iranian subsidized factions. Gaza went the same way. Islamic radicals are a traditional reaction to tyranny in their region, and the inability of local despots to rule effectively. Economic and diplomatic ties with the West are interpreted as support, leading to attacks on Western targets that created a devastating counterattack. The result of this in the Moslem world has been dramatic, finally forcing leaders and people to confront their self-inflicted problems. Al Qaeda is as self-destructive as its many predecessors. Al Qaeda suicide bomb attacks that continue to kill civilians, continues to turn Moslems against al Qaeda in a big way. But the terrorists justify such dumb attacks because their doctrine holds that Moslems who don’t agree with them, are not really Moslems. You can imagine how well that goes over with most Moslems. You can, but al Qaeda can’t, and that is what guarantees their demise.
Your Weekly Cuppa Dizzy: A Sad Update
Wow. This is very sad. A few days ago, in my (mostly) daily round-up, I posted a link in regards to the “Spam King” escaping from a minimum security prison in Florence, CO.
Now, news has come out that he has been found dead, along with his wife and child.
Israeli Icon Says Obama “is definitely a big concern for me.”
If this [Iranian] regime becomes nuclear, that we (Israel) will have to act because for us that is a question for the survival of our Jewish civilization
Natan Sharansky, former Soviet dissident who spent more than a decade in the communist Gulag now an Israeli citizen told Newsmax. com editor Ruddy “It is very alarming for me the way Senator Obama voted, the way he spoke about his desire to negotiate with Ahmadinejad, and the way some of his advisers think.” Sharansky a former Knesset member and deputy prime minister also told Ruddy,” if this [Iranian] regime becomes nuclear, that we (Israel) will have to act because for us that is a question for the survival of our Jewish civilization.” Sharansky’s comments carry great weight here and for policy-makers in the West. Though he resigned from the Knesset as a stalwart Likud backer in 2006, he has remained active in the political debate.
Sharansky is dubious of Obama saying, “He is definitely a big concern for me. Reflecting how many others feel he said Obama has “a little record or almost no record, while the one who he is competing with is McCain, and we know for sure his principles.” Natan also said “If Iran will not change, Israel will have to act. I think it will be very tragic if Israel has to act alone.”
The survival of the West depends on democracy, Sharansky argues. In his best-selling book, “The Case for Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror.” Sharansky believes democracy does not mean unlimited freedom overnight, especially for states that have no history of democratic institutions (such as Iraq. Instead, he argues for the gradual development of democratic institutions which takes time and patience.
Looking out at the world, he says “our enemies look so dangerous because they have a strong will.” This means they have beliefs they are ready to die for. “The free world, if it does not have values for which people are ready to die, will be powerless, its people decadent. It will be doomed to failure.”
Saransky laments weakened faith and patriotism in Europe and elsewhere. When describing Europe Sharansky paraphrases, John Lenons song “Imagine”as a place where there is no hell and no paradise, no borders, no nations, in a world where there is nothing to die for. He calls Europe a tragedy, but he says of America, “in general, its society is still healthy” underscoring the need for stalwart leadership.
His argument is “if you don’t stand for something- you’ll fall for anything.”
$100,000 A YEAR LETTER CARRIER!
May 1st it will cost you 42 cents to mail a one ounce letter a one penny increase from just one year ago. LAUGHABLY the post office made and makes much of its so-called FOREVER STAMP that you can use to mail a one ounce letter anytime regardless of what you then paid for the stamp. Of course you MUST pay the current fee when buying the stamp. “Increasing cost” is blamed for the increase and that includes skyrocketing pay – by 2010 taxpayers will shell out an astonishing $100,000 a year for a letter carrier. Politicians will not say a word because they depend on siphoning off USPS UNION DUES to their campaign slush funds.
What is not being said is to pay costs by 2010 a FIRST CLASS STAMP may have to cost as much as FIFTY CENTS — although at least five cents of that will be to pay for the deficit the USPS is running. Part of the increase will be to pay for a new uniform addition - a ski mask.