The USS Ronald Reagan & Fukushima

The Aircraft Carrier USS Ronald Reagan deployed for a humanitarian mission off Fukushima and the results are horrifying:

“We joked about it: ‘Hey, it’s radioactive snow!’ ” Cooper recalled. “I took pictures and video.”
But now “my thyroid is so out of whack that I can lose 60 to 70 pounds in one month and then gain it back the next,” said Cooper, fighting tears. “My menstrual cycle lasts for six months at a time, and I cannot get pregnant. It’s ruined me.”
The fallout of those four days spent off the Fukushima coast has been tragic to many of the 5,000 sailors who were there.

Compounded ironies: a nuclear power plant fails and a nuclear powered aircraft carrier with nuclear bombs sails to the rescue where no one thought to turn on the radiation detection systems.

Well, another Achille's heel has just been demonstrated on aircraft carriers, and that is the ocean water uptake systems for the on-board de-salinization systems.

1. Get the state out of nuclear power.  They exempt operators from liability, which means they are operated in dangerous ways.  "Cheap" is not the only factor in cost.

2. We have aircraft carriers in the Pacific to protect our markets for nuclear power in places such as Japan.  Bring all our forces home and we'd have a better economic balance.

3. End the poverty draft.  Return to where the wealthy pay for an army they themselves raise.

Feel Free To Email This To Three Friends.

The Difference Between Religion and Politics

The Pope and the President are sitting together on a stage at a huge mass rally in Yankee Stadium.  While someone is making an introductory speech, the Pope leans over to the President and says: "The difference between religion and politics is I can flick my hand and have all these people cheering and shouting for joy.  You cannot."

The President said, "Well I know I cannot do such a thing, but neither can you."

So the Pope waved his hand and smacked the President upside the head.  The stadium erupted with cheering and shouts of joy.

For a second the President was going to hit the Pope back, but then for the first time realized the difference between politics and religion.

Feel Free To Email This To Three Friends.

The Anarchist's Cook Book

I recall this title from my youth and giving it a once-over.  Something of a comic book.

Kings took their fear of the peace and prosperity inherent in having no king and attributed all violence to these people called anarchists.  To this day the idea of anarchists being violent is still prevalent.

One thing you must understand: if ever anyone in a group advocates violence, you can be sure that person is on the payroll of the state.

And the 19 year old who wanted to overthrow the system with violence, why today...:

But for William Powell, it’s also an opportunity, a chance to make the two chapters of his life into one. In the 40-plus years since he wrote "The Anarchist Cookbook," he has reinvented himself as an educator on the international stage, running a series of elite schools abroad, before settling in Malaysia. There he owns a teacher training center and writes books on pedagogy for the State Department.

Just so.

Feel Free To Email This To Three Friends.

The Hype vs Reality

Here is the kind of video meant to recruit kids into the military.



Here is closer to what is is like.



Whatever the French were doing in Vietnam, they found it worth giving up.

Feel Free To Email This To Three Friends.

USA Foreign Policy

Here is a famous quote by George Kennan, an elder Statesman of the USA, after WWII:

we have about 50% of the world's wealth but only 6.3% of its population. ... In this situation, we cannot fail to be the object of envy and resentment. Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity 

Ouch.  Reading what our top leaders say can be harsh.  This is proven to be taken somewhat out of context and the fuller quote is less damning, but to star with the facts is useful.  And here is a clarification...

So when you read the original it is a little less bad, but still pretty bad.  and being a thinking person, Kennan evolved in his thinking...  but once you've released a 1000 braves hard to call them back.

The real problem here with the misquote is it is damned awful. it is abjectly evil and invites total condemnation.  Better to quote the original (read at the link) and thena rgue against what the man actually said.

The error is his premise that envy is the natural result of 50% v 6%, and that this is something to be maintained.  Really?  How?  Why?  To what end?

So on the one hand we have the low-circulation insider marching orders, and on the other side we have the mis-quote, neither serves us well.  What is really going on needs to get wide circulation, and then wide discussion.  What we have is even more secrecy and more spying.

Do we want that?

Feel Free To Email This To Three Friends.

War Reparations

I may be a conscientious objector, and I can claim USA wars are "not in my name" but in fact USA borrows 46 cents out of every dollar it spends, and the only reason it can borrow so much is the lenders have faith USA can pay the loan back.

That faith is based on the military might that assures USA can steal enough from other countries to pay back the lending countries.

It is curious to me that the USA now has a "Africa Command," a military command over Africa, and four of five USA presidents will be at Mandela's funeral, a hero who fought to free Africa from foreign domination.  Odd that.

That 46 cents borrowed goes to pay for such things as "social security."  We steal from foreign countries to maintain our social security.  This is not right.  Well, I do not have to sign up for social security, even though I am guaranteed some $1000 a month or something, even if I expect to keep working, as I do.

On the other hand, there is nothing to keep me from signing up for the "free money" and then donating my social security checks toward war reparations.

So I went looking for charities devoted to war reparations.  no such thing.  So then I went looking for anyone who might be setting things rights after USA wars...  I found this:

phoenixclearanceltd.com

It is a business, but who cares if they get the job done.  So I wrote...

On 4/12/2013, at 2:34 pm, John Spiers <john@johnspiers.com> wrote:

Greetings!

Why is there no charity devoted to what you are doing, or specifically directed at making war reparations?

Anyway, there is your business sorting out the mess of war.

I am a Vietnam era conscientious objector, so I had no part in delivering the ordnance you seek to search and destroy, to recycle a phrase.  But I am an American, and the beneficiary of a system that can borrow 55% of its budget against fraud and violence-backed credit. So maybe not in my name, but in a few years I'll get my cut of the booty in the form of social security payments.

Of course, I can just not sign up for the dole, but it has occurred to me I could do so and direct the funds into war reparations charities to the surviving victims of those wars.  No such thing.  But nothing to keep me from sending it to you to clear whatever $1000/month might clear, in other words, pick up the tab for some clearances, as an act of war reparations.  Really has nothing to do with you, any more than the innkeeper who put up the injured traveller on the Samaritan's tab.  Just glad you're there, somebody doing something.

May I have your views on this?

peace!

John Spiers


The reply:

In reality today in Laos and Camdodia both victims of the 8 year secret bombing campaigns  it costs about $1000 min/ha (2.5ac) to clear UXO from the land every village school along the Ho Ch Minh trail has about 1ha every village family would like about 1ha for subsistence farming. PCL works very closely with every village our projects come in contact with we train and employ locals everywhere we go that way they get benefit from employment and cleared land. "Good for everyone"

If you are interested in doing something that truly makes an impact you would need to find others like yourself to raise about $8-10k/month.

If you cannot clear the problem and but wish to support victims in Laos contact COPE.

I suffer from PTSD from years of trauma and am currently back in New Zealand resting with family, but will be on my feet again in the new year.

 I ask you all to remember the sacrifices made by ex-service personnel demining and clearing other remnants of war. All of us in this calling have friends who have lost limbs and some their lives, some their sanity and most their marriages pursuing the humanitarian cause, it takes a big toll on those putting their military skills to good.

Thank you for your kind humanitarian thoughts a merry festive season to you and your family.

Yours in Peace

Michael Hayes

So, the idea is to direct the money yielded from imperialism to this company to clear the UXO left behind by our aggressive wars.  It is the least in the way of war reparations we can do, while eschewing the fruits of war we get here in USA even if we are conscientious objectors.

So when the time comes, I hope, by the grace of God, I can simply direct deposit my social security check to this company to clear mines.  If enough of us do that, whole lotta mines gonna get cleared.

Feel Free To Email This To Three Friends.

O Sensei Video

The sword and stick work shows an attitude that is missing from most instruction...



Feel Free To Email This To Three Friends.