How about the Saudis buying and locating a floating power station in the port of Gaza. I doubt if that Israel will "Liberty" a Saudi flagged vessel. How about a US Navy vessel, they have the capacity to transfer electrical power from their on-board generators. Will Bibi try another "Liberty" attack on a US flagged ship? Would that buy some good will in the area?
"Bad education, populist politics, emotional attachment to a particular kind of consumerism" what I sense is the lack sense for history and time. In my present world view americans believe that the US has always had automobiles and cheap fossil fuels and therefore they are entitled by their creatore to always have automobiles, airline travel etc.
The story of the US really started with the industrial revolution, driven by plentiful cheap fossil fuels.
And George Washington crossed the Delaware in a boat driven by three Mecury 500 outboards, the painter just didn't show that, and his white chargers travelled in a horse trailer towed by a Hummer. Like wsie never shown :))
"He is hardly viewed at as a kook among Israelis or American Jewry – U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman once posed for a snapshot with him."
Rumsfeld posed for a snapshot and a hand shake with Saddam Hussein also. Didn't save Saddam, unfortunately didn't hurt Rumsfeld.
I'd expect no less from the Senator of the Sinai. Lieberman is a good reason to re-visit the naturalized citizen verbage in the Constitution. Anyone automatically eligible to a foreign passport should not ever be in line to the Presidency. I thought the grandfathering in of Alex Hamilton settled that issue.
Sorry for putting two separate issues into one comment.
"Anyone who believes the French and German governments aren’t engaged in similar activities is a sucker."
Are they sucking up US digital signals or just their own? As the article points out German telcoms have to dispose of metadata within 6 months.
I can't even prove that I attended first grade in Berlin way, way back. The student records have been destroyed per law. Some societies try to remember the past and learn from it.
Susan Landau illustrates a great example of the importance of who called vs what was said. One can project forward that the radical anti-abortion states would want and act on the information gleaned from metadata. So would the DEA.
Iraq's 1% are reaping the oil wealth. Mission accomplished. Under saddam the wealth was spread around, but that is so anti-capitalist AND un-American.
As for Iraq's artificial origin, Germany and Italy started the same way just 50-60 years before Iraq. Will those several small states be viable in an age where we are fighting for the "Last rays of Ancient Sunshine"?
When one nation threatens another's resources, in this case Iran's Nuclear program, that is a war threat.
After the trillions spent on nuclear deterent why are the conservatives so scared? The MAD doctrine is still there, the submarines and ballistic missiles are still there, so what is the problem? Are the war hawks facing the truth that the Nuclear weapons may not deter everybody?
More critical is the question of China and Russia's response to N Korean and US actions. Is this another Cuban Crisis, where the Castros were willing to take Cuba to the brink of destruction in their hatred of the US?
"Having West Texas crude go for nearly $100 a barrel is certainly a drag on the US economy"
All those oil royalties should enable the Texas oil well/ranchers to create many, many good paying jobs. Thats the meme spread by the conservatives. Right?
Civil war involved war taxes.
Spanish American war involved special taxes.
WW I involved special taxes.
WW II involved very high special taxes.
Global War on Terror lets not tax the people who are most at risk, and the greatest beneficiaries.
Just like Johnson wanted Guns and Butter without raising taxes during Viet Nam and the end result was an economic mess with no real exit.
Apply a war tax of 70-90% on the top dollar of the wealthy and the war would be over in record time.
Plus all the contractors who retired from government.
Regardless of all the administrative and other issues with the Washington establishment, When a Goverment employee quits his security clearance ought to be shredded. If the future employer wants the guy let them run an ab inito background check. (that could mean that Gen Petraeus might not even make confidential this time around).
If col/gen Great Guy is so great why is the government not retaining him?
What about Mali? Besides the fact that we have provided training and equipment to an army that defected and now has a clue of US tactics?
I wonder how many African-Americans were in the training mission, or was this like the intelligence outfit in Haiti that briefed Florida Governor Graham: all lilly white but they just knew what was what in Haiti.
Do some research into the revolution in Brazil in 1964. The US Ambassador was involved in that ant-democratic event.
I suspect the US Ambassador in Thehran in 1952 was also the go-to guy for Kermit Roosevelt when they brought Democracy to the Middle East.
This is what Ambassadors do and get involved with. Just like Military Attaches are spying for their country, overtly, but still conduits for information.
How much electricity would not be used for A/C use in the South South-West if roofs were painted a light colour?
Flying into DFW airport, It is interesting that industrial buildings have white to light coloured roofs, while the residential housing is almost always dark to black colour.
How about the Saudis buying and locating a floating power station in the port of Gaza. I doubt if that Israel will "Liberty" a Saudi flagged vessel. How about a US Navy vessel, they have the capacity to transfer electrical power from their on-board generators. Will Bibi try another "Liberty" attack on a US flagged ship? Would that buy some good will in the area?
Lets move on, the oil spill is no worse than the destruction of olive groves, they want to make the land un-appealing.
All this from the same end of the political spectrum that rationed immigration in the 1930's.
Gives dual meaning to the "Ship of Fools".
"Bad education, populist politics, emotional attachment to a particular kind of consumerism" what I sense is the lack sense for history and time. In my present world view americans believe that the US has always had automobiles and cheap fossil fuels and therefore they are entitled by their creatore to always have automobiles, airline travel etc.
The story of the US really started with the industrial revolution, driven by plentiful cheap fossil fuels.
And George Washington crossed the Delaware in a boat driven by three Mecury 500 outboards, the painter just didn't show that, and his white chargers travelled in a horse trailer towed by a Hummer. Like wsie never shown :))
Sorry for the snark but it's the season.
"Bad education, populist politics, emotional attachment to a particular kind of consumerism"
"He is hardly viewed at as a kook among Israelis or American Jewry – U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman once posed for a snapshot with him."
Rumsfeld posed for a snapshot and a hand shake with Saddam Hussein also. Didn't save Saddam, unfortunately didn't hurt Rumsfeld.
I'd expect no less from the Senator of the Sinai. Lieberman is a good reason to re-visit the naturalized citizen verbage in the Constitution. Anyone automatically eligible to a foreign passport should not ever be in line to the Presidency. I thought the grandfathering in of Alex Hamilton settled that issue.
Sorry for putting two separate issues into one comment.
GrumpyWithoutCoffee, thank you for your comment.
"Anyone who believes the French and German governments aren’t engaged in similar activities is a sucker."
Are they sucking up US digital signals or just their own? As the article points out German telcoms have to dispose of metadata within 6 months.
I can't even prove that I attended first grade in Berlin way, way back. The student records have been destroyed per law. Some societies try to remember the past and learn from it.
Susan Landau illustrates a great example of the importance of who called vs what was said. One can project forward that the radical anti-abortion states would want and act on the information gleaned from metadata. So would the DEA.
Today is a good day for Mark Twain's War Prayer.
Add the Phillipines to that list, What is the proper explenation of the anti-non-whites immigration laws starting in the 1920s.
Lets be honest if the Cubans crossing over to Florida were the same color as the Haitians there would be no "three steps on dry land" law.
Domestically there is always the confrontations against earlier settlers America.
Iraq's 1% are reaping the oil wealth. Mission accomplished. Under saddam the wealth was spread around, but that is so anti-capitalist AND un-American.
As for Iraq's artificial origin, Germany and Italy started the same way just 50-60 years before Iraq. Will those several small states be viable in an age where we are fighting for the "Last rays of Ancient Sunshine"?
When one nation threatens another's resources, in this case Iran's Nuclear program, that is a war threat.
After the trillions spent on nuclear deterent why are the conservatives so scared? The MAD doctrine is still there, the submarines and ballistic missiles are still there, so what is the problem? Are the war hawks facing the truth that the Nuclear weapons may not deter everybody?
More critical is the question of China and Russia's response to N Korean and US actions. Is this another Cuban Crisis, where the Castros were willing to take Cuba to the brink of destruction in their hatred of the US?
"Having West Texas crude go for nearly $100 a barrel is certainly a drag on the US economy"
All those oil royalties should enable the Texas oil well/ranchers to create many, many good paying jobs. Thats the meme spread by the conservatives. Right?
Civil war involved war taxes.
Spanish American war involved special taxes.
WW I involved special taxes.
WW II involved very high special taxes.
Global War on Terror lets not tax the people who are most at risk, and the greatest beneficiaries.
Just like Johnson wanted Guns and Butter without raising taxes during Viet Nam and the end result was an economic mess with no real exit.
Apply a war tax of 70-90% on the top dollar of the wealthy and the war would be over in record time.
Plus all the contractors who retired from government.
Regardless of all the administrative and other issues with the Washington establishment, When a Goverment employee quits his security clearance ought to be shredded. If the future employer wants the guy let them run an ab inito background check. (that could mean that Gen Petraeus might not even make confidential this time around).
If col/gen Great Guy is so great why is the government not retaining him?
Obviously the right wingnuts in Israel have learned nothing and forgotten nothing. Were their parents all survivors from the Ostmark?
And the US is reprising the passenger liner St Louis story.
What about Mali? Besides the fact that we have provided training and equipment to an army that defected and now has a clue of US tactics?
I wonder how many African-Americans were in the training mission, or was this like the intelligence outfit in Haiti that briefed Florida Governor Graham: all lilly white but they just knew what was what in Haiti.
Do some research into the revolution in Brazil in 1964. The US Ambassador was involved in that ant-democratic event.
I suspect the US Ambassador in Thehran in 1952 was also the go-to guy for Kermit Roosevelt when they brought Democracy to the Middle East.
This is what Ambassadors do and get involved with. Just like Military Attaches are spying for their country, overtly, but still conduits for information.
On Christmas the drone pilots are celebtating with their loved ones and giving presents to their children.
On New Year's they are probably too drunk or hung over to even drive to the "office/cockpit".
Plagiarising from some long ago blog posting:
After 50 billion dollars investment , how come "their Afghans" are beating "our Afghans"????
How much electricity would not be used for A/C use in the South South-West if roofs were painted a light colour?
Flying into DFW airport, It is interesting that industrial buildings have white to light coloured roofs, while the residential housing is almost always dark to black colour.
Dr. Cole
While the late Cmdr Jeff Huber (pen and sword blog) did not like you all that much, I think on this subject you two would have gotten along very well.