26 August 2013

Update no.610


Update from the Heartland
No.610
19.8.13 – 25.8.13
To all,

The follow-up news items:
-- Private First Class Bradley Edward Manning, USA, was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in Fort Leavenworth Prison for disclosing thousands of classified documents [450].  WikiLeaks made the documents public in February 2010.  Manning was arrested in Iraq in May 2010.  He will apparently be eligible for parole as early as seven years hence, which I am not particularly impressed by that prospect. He will spend quite a few years in Fort Leavenworth military prison, and most likely they will not be pleasant years.  Now, Manning is claiming he is a transsexual woman named Chelsea.  “I am female,” he declared.  The whole transgender thing may be a ploy to gain transfer from the military prison to a federal prison, which is apparently more amenable to such gender identity issues and has less harsh living conditions.
P.S. – If anyone happens to know the exact date of Manning’s arrest, please let me know.  I have been unsuccessful in pinning down the day, and I would like to have it in my chronology file.  I try to be precise.  Thank you kindly.
-- Major Nidal Malik Hasan, USA, was convicted of 13 counts of capital murder and 30 counts of attempted murder as the lone shooter in the attack at Fort Hood, Texas, on 5.November.2009 [412].  While I still contend he was an Islamo-fascist agent and should have been tried as such, his conviction as a common criminal should produce the same outcome, which is fine by me.

Glenn Greenwald is the journalist for The Guardian [of London] newspaper, who collaborated with Edward Snowden [599 & sub] to disclose highly classified National Security Agency (NSA) documents.  This week, he became the news.  David Michael Miranda, Greenwald’s roommate, partner, companion, or whatever, was detained at London’s Heathrow Airport for nine hours, and had his laptop computer and several flash-drives confiscated.  Once Miranda was released and arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Greenwald made a public statement that explained a lot and made him the news.
I will be far more aggressive in my reporting from now. I am going to publish many more documents. I am going to publish things on England too. I have many documents on England’s spy system. I think they will be sorry for what they did. [...] They wanted to intimidate our journalism, to show that they have power and will not remain passive but will attack us more intensely if we continue publishing their secrets. [emphasis added]
So, this has become personal and a matter of revenge, rather than some idealistic act of journalistic purity.  At least we know what Greenwald is now, a terrorist with a journalist’s credential.  I think and believe GCHQ (Government Communications HeadQuarters, the British equivalent of NSA) and MI5 had probable cause to detain him and confiscate his stuff.  As noted below, The Guardian has also garnered the attention of Her Majesty’s Government (HMG).
            We must also add the name of documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras to the growing list of collaborators. 
            A friend, colleague, and brother-in-arms sent this article and comment:
Subject: Snowden Miranda
From: "Peter Gipson"
Date: Wed, August 21, 2013 7:05 am
To: "cap"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2398521/Pictured-Guardian-hard-drives-destroyed-ANGLE-GRINDERS-stop-police-getting-Edward-Snowden-leaks.html
 “Former foreign secretary Malcolm Rifkind says there is NO DOUBT reports using Snowden information played into terrorists' hands”
by Jack Doyle
The Daily Mail [of London]
Published: 17:18 EST, 20 August 2013; Updated: 15:56 EST, 21 August 2013
Comment:
“Miranda investigation. People like us who have served the state are well aware of the terrorist and fundamentalist threat and will support any move by the police to defend our country and our people against these vile people. Your Snowden has classed himself as any enemy of the state and of our people(s). The Russians have made a mistake by giving him ‘bed and breakfasts’ for how long, I suspect they will cast him off eventually and then he should face the anger of your judiciary.
“However Cap, such people are not without their so called supporters and here in the U/K we have The Guardian newspaper whose circulation I might add is not on the increase. You will be aware of the left wing outcry over the detention at Heathrow of Your Snowden’s man friend, who I might add looks a mess on the news items. He wouldn’t get through my recruiting door.
“My view and I might assume yours is if the Police believe in detaining any one then they have my support. And long may they remain diligent and alert.”
Best wishes my friend.
Peter.
 . . . to which I replied:
Peter,
            I’m still working on this story for this week’s Update, so my opinion may evolve as I learn more.
            I am convinced MI5 had ample evidence to detain David Miranda.  I would not be surprised if Miranda was a witless dupe, like an oblivious drug mule, for Greenwald, which is why they eventually let him go.  Now that we know what Greenwald really is, I suspect the clock is ticking for him as well.  Further, I suspect there is a reason he is in Brazil, other than his boyfriend Miranda.
            The left wing can cry all they want.  Most folks do not take kindly to traitors of any political persuasion.
            “That’s just my opinion, but I could be wrong.”
Cheers,
Cap
            As Greenwald and Miranda learned the hard way, the British have tools to protect State security that are not common to the United States, namely the Official Secrets Act 1939 [2 & 3 Geo. 6 c. 121; 23.November.1939].  As noted in the Doyle article, The Guardian is not immune to the Official Secrets Act either.  This whole Snowden affair is a long way from being over.  A mere few decades ago, the traitor and his collaborators would have found themselves guests of HMG in the Tower of London, and their stay would probably have been quite short.
 [FYI: Sir Malcolm Leslie Rifkind, KCMG (1.8.1997), QC, MP (for Kensington) is the Chairman of the House of Commons Intelligence and Security Committee, as well as the former Defence Minister and Foreign Minister.]
            There were many other pronouncements from the Press, other media, and the perpetual talking heads.  I have selected two articles for purposes of a vigorous debate.
“Black Helicopters: Britain's Blind Faith in Intelligence Agencies”
A Commentary by Christoph Scheuermann
Der Spiegel
Published: August 21, 2013; 10:44 AM
and
“The Real, Terrifying Reason Why British Authorities Detained David Miranda – The scariest explanation of all? That the NSA and GCHQ are just showing they don't want to be messed with.”
by Bruce Schneier
The Atlantic
Published: August 22, 2013; 1:01 PM ET
Manning, Snowden, Greenwald, Miranda, Poitras, et al, may have accomplished their stated public objective, namely a vigorous public debate regarding communications surveillance during the War on Islamic Fascism.  They are headed to the altar of martyrs.  Perhaps their self-sacrifice will be worth it in the retrospective examination of future historians; however, in the light of challenges faced by western democracies in waging war successfully in the age of electronic media, I do not see them in a favorable light.  It is easy to take an idealistic, purified political stance of total government transparency.  It is not so easy to execute that policy in the real world of bad men intent upon harm.  In a narrow intellectual perspective, we ought to know or have access to everything the government does, after all the government works for us.  The problem with such reasoning, if we know everything, so do our enemies.
            I can argue both sides of this issue.  We have seen hints that the NSA, or rather others agencies with access to the NSA data, has used the collected information for purposes other than national security.  I will attempt to argue that the reading of my eMail is not the real problem; it is when the government uses that information for enforcement of a political agenda, i.e., selective enforcement of whatever the contemporary point of interest like tax collection, drug enforcement, morality laws, whatever some agent or bureaucrat deems his particular cause célèbre of the moment, as if those wielding power are judge, jury and executioner.  Case in point, the public condemnation of former Governor Eliot Laurence Spitzer of New York, who injured no one, who damaged no property, simply because of our moral disapproval of his PRIVATE conduct.  His only offense, implied to the jury of public opinion, was a violation of our societal sense of propriety.  While I believe the NSA needs the full power of modern technology to find and localize the bad guys for appropriate interdiction, we cannot tolerate the abuse of that power.  If we are to continue allowing the use of this extraordinary power, we must have firewalls, filters and appropriate independent enforcement of violations put in place to eliminate or minimize the abuses.  If we cannot do so, then I will argue to close down that power and accept the consequences of more successful attacks on this Grand Republic, our precious citizens and our allies world-wide.

As if accentuating the criticality of limiting the NSA surveillance power to appropriate national security applications, we have this news item:
“Supreme Court asked to revive Virginia’s anti-sodomy law”
by Robert Barnes
Washington Post
Published: August 18
Virginia Attorney General Kenneth Thomas “Ken” Cuccinelli II will appeal the decision of the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court in the case of MacDonald v. Moose [710 F.3d 154 (4th Cir. 2012)].  He is seeking reinstatement of the state’s anti-sodomy laws despite the Supreme Court’s ruling in Lawrence v. Texas [539 U.S. 558 (2003); 26.June.2003].  I have not yet reviewed the Appeals Court ruling.  The Barnes article certainly gives me a chill, as it should all freedom-loving citizens.  The Cuccinelli appeal clearly states he believes the State should decide what is proper sexual conduct.  The thought of a state AG like Cuccinelli being successful returning to everyone’s bedroom becomes astronomically more sinister when coupled with the warrantless surveillance data collected by the NSA.  I need to read the 4th Circuit’s ruling before the Supremes decide 10 years is sufficient to invoke stare decisis.  The State has no proper interest in the private sexual practices, preferences and proclivities of citizens.  I am surprised the Court agreed to hear the appeal.  I expect they will reject Cuccinelli and affirm Lawrence.  The State has no interest in private sexual conduct, sodomy or otherwise.

From previous, recent discussion topics, the following StratFor article is germane.
“European Jihadists: The Continuation of a Historical Trend”
StratFor
Published: August 19, 2013; 0531 [S] CDT
We have many important lessons to learn from our European cousins.

I would like to add my praise and congratulations to those conveyed by the Press and media to Bookkeeper Antoinette Tuff née Hill at Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy in Decatur, Georgia, for her extraordinary composure, faith and instinctive skill in talking down convicted felon Michael Brandon Hill – so close to being another mass killer of school children and teachers.  God bless you, Antoinette.

News from the economic front:
-- In the category of better late than never, Attorney General Eric Holder said the Justice Department is nearing decisions on a number of probes involving large financial firms and that he plans to announce new cases stemming from the economic meltdown in the coming months. In a Wall Street Journal interview, Holder said, “My message is, anybody who’s inflicted damage on our financial markets should not be of the belief that they are out of the woods because of the passage of time.”
-- The preliminary PRC PMI reading determined by HSBC climbed to 50.1 from 47.7 in July, when it was at an 11-month low, as China’s manufacturing sector showed signs of stabilizing in August.
-- The Financial Times [of London] reported that central banks in the developing world have lost US$81B of emergency reserves through capital outflows and currency market interventions since early May.  The newspaper also reported that IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde declared the world needs to build “further lines of defence” against possible financial crises in emerging markets and the IMF remains ready to provide financial assistance if needed.

Comments and contributions from Update no.609:
“Thanks cap. Goodness me strong words indeed. I must have missed something earlier.
“But before I go on Cap, very good luck with your tests. I'll be thinking of you. We've been long range buddies for a goodly while now. I believe at least 12 years since I spoke to you via your web page re Kansas for my last novel.
“As for Gibraltar and the same goes for The Falklands, I had 4 months there, I can categorically assure you that the inhabitants want nothing whatsoever to do with the Argentineans or in Gibraltar The Spanish. And after all Cap whatever the treaties it's the people who decide or should decide. Of course in the Falkland Islands it’s the oil that speaks...bucket loads of it. And everybody wants oil.
“Yes you're probably right, these are as ever, distraction tactics by these governments especially so the Spanish.”
Ah well cap, we’ll stick to Italy for our sabbatical. At least they are a friendly bunch!
Best wishes my boy. (Anglo Saxon, again).
Peter.
My response:
Peter,
            Yes, the early part of the conversation was diffuse and not really transportable, which is why I picked it up on the meaty bits.
            . . . and a great relationship we have had, if I do say so myself, Peter.
            I’m sure the inhabitants are aligned.  I have no idea where this is going with Gibraltar & Falklands, but I do know Spain is barking at the wrong tree.  I didn’t know the Falklands had oil.  Surprise, surprise!  That explains a lot.

Another contribution:
“Congratulations on your 7th grandchild and sorry about your PSA readings.  Update No. 609 was quite interesting enjoyed the healthy debate. I am interested in your writings about the British Royal Air Force, keep us informed as to when it will be finished and published.”
My reply:
Gene,
            Thank you for your kind words.  Always appreciated.
            I will make a broad public announcement once the first two books are available.  The series tells the tales of fictional (and historic) characters among historic events.  I hope the series is an engaging and entertaining story that brings history alive.  Thank you for your interest.

Comment to the Blog:
“Congratulations on another grandchild! They are the best part of parenting.
“I hope your medical news improves. I admit to not knowing the details of your condition, but I wish you whatever’s the best outcome.
“Cap, that Gibraltar treaty is 300 years old. Very few treaties hold up that long. I’m not sure why Spain would join in the Falkland Islands dispute. Maybe they’re trying to slide something past the world while most attention is elsewhere. You know, the same thing Congress does to Americans.
“Nixon vetoed the War Powers Act? He looks better and better as time goes on.
“I frankly did not read the entire exchange of views that you quoted. My personal opinion is that Washington, particularly the Executive Branch, learned the power of a common enemy to unite/control people during World War II and has been abusing it ever since. From the War Powers Act to the NSA revelations runs an unbroken line of claiming more and more power to directly control the lives of everyday Americans and foreigners. Given the secrecy surrounding all this, I find it amazing that anyone in this day and age can see any of that as benign.”
My response to the Blog:
Calvin,
            Re: grandchild.  Indeed.  Thank you.  They are all treasures.
            Re: medical news.  You are welcome to ask anything you wish to know; I’ll gladly give you as much detail as I have.  The Update is an open forum and I try to find some balance between informative and offensive.  Anyway, I’m open . . . seek and ye shall find.
            Re: Spain.  LOL  . . . sliding something past.  Good one.  Not sure what is motivating Spain, but it will not end well for them if they persist.
            Re: War Powers Act.  I was not a fan of WPA when it was passed, and I am still not.  Some presidents have made some effort to comply, but ultimately most presidents have considered WPA unconstitutional, yet the Judiciary remains consistent – it is a political issue that must be resolved by the Executive and Legislative branches.  The Court continues to implicitly support the enormous power to act held by the President.
            Re: Nixon.  He did good things, but the balance is heavily weighted on the negative side of things.  I voted for the man back in the day, but today, I am not a fan.  He singlehandedly did more than any president to foster distrust of the federal government and stimulated some of the most intrusive, freedom-robbing laws in our history and those laws remain in force to this very day.  No, I am not a fan.  In that sense, he is quite like Hitler – he did a few good things, but did a whole bunch of really bad things – on balance, quite negative.
            While I am critical and skeptical of federal conduct from time to time, I am not quite so cynical.  Certainly the flawed human beings elected, appointed or hired to perform the tasks of powerful positions make mistakes.  As an example, Robert McNamara was an intelligent, capable and successful businessman who truly believed he could bring production line, efficiency, business practices to the task of national security, and at the more base level, the business of killing.  I hold President Johnson and SecDef McNamara personally responsible and accountable for a goodly portion of the 58,000+ American and Allied lives lost in Vietnam.  The list is endless across every administration; yet, I am convinced they were inherently good people, trying to do the best they could under the circumstances.  I even allow Nixon into that category.  Yes, I will agree, there is often far too much secrecy that is not warranted, e.g., TWA 800 investigation.  Nonetheless, I have faith that eventually we do find balance.
 . . . a follow-up comment:
“I will respond briefly to your comment that Nixon, McNamara, et al. were ‘inherently’ good people. I do not believe in ‘inherent’ goodness or badness in that sense. I believe that some people are drawn to specific lines of work with or without full awareness of the effects of power on human beings. I think George W Bush and Barack Obama have shown that. Their backgrounds and stated beliefs differ greatly, but their actual "on the ground" results resemble one another enough to make many of us nervous.
 . . . and my follow-up response:
Calvin,
            The realities and responsibilities of the presidency make demands that exceed ideology.  I think human beings are born as an empty book predominately, upon which are written the characteristics we learn or are taught to us during childhood.  There are some genetically instinctive traits that drive us to seek the amplification of others, let’s call it the tribal instinct.  There may well be some propensity to work in certain lines of work.  However, for jobs like the presidency, there is an enormous amount of luck and fate involved . . . and of course money.  I do not think guys like Nixon and McNamara were taught to be bad men like Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy, or John Gacy.  Circumstances and a narrow ideological perceptiveness led them to make the decisions they did.
   “That’s just my opinion, but I could be wrong.”
Cheers,
Cap


My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap                        :-)

19 August 2013

Update no.609


Update from the Heartland
No.609
12.8.13 – 18.8.13
To all,

Our 7th grandchild was born on Monday, 12.August.2013, to Sherri and Taylor – Wyatt Stephen Parlier, boy, 9 lbs. – 1.6 oz., 20.6 inches long, 10 fingers, 10 toes.  Mother & Son are in good health and recovering nicely from the birthing ordeal.  Another beautiful grandchild.  We are so blessed.

The news cannot always be good.  I have had three consecutive rising PSA readings since surgery.  Since I have no prostate, the data are disappointing and a smidgen disconcerting.  I have begun a series of diagnostic scans to see what we can find, so no treatment path, if any, as yet.  I am still collecting information and evaluating options.  Life goes on.

Just another personal side note of coincidence . . . this is the 609th edition of the Update from the Heartland.  The number happened to strike me as I am working on the page proofs for Book I [In the Beginning] and Book II [The Prelude] of my To So Few series of historical novels.  One of the main characters, Brian Arthur Drummond, was assigned to No.609 Squadron, Royal Air Force, at RAF Middle Wallop during the Battle of Britain, where he became a decorated ace and sprouted a reputation beyond his imagination.  I hope to make an announcement soon, once the books are available on-line in all electronic formats.  Perhaps this is a teaser.  ;-)

In the category of too bizarre and not widely reported in this Grand Republic, the government of Spain has apparently decided to contest the sovereignty of the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar.  The spark igniting this latest confrontation appears to be a dispute over fishing rights and an artificial reef in Gibraltar waters.  The Spanish have clamped down on the sole border crossing station, imposing upon the free transit of traffic between Spain and Gibraltar.  The complete reason for the border tiff is not clear, but the signs are not good.  Also, reportedly, Spain has joined with Argentina to contest the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands.  The British are rightly not going to be intimidated as they have deployed the Royal Navy Type 23 Frigate HMS Westminster to Gibraltar.
            The sovereignty of Gibraltar is clear and unambiguous.  Spain ceded sovereignty by the Treaty of Utrecht, ending the War of Spanish Succession [11.April.1713].  For the Spanish government to take these actions, they are defying the European Union itself and 300 years of history.  The sovereignty of the Falkland Islands is less clear from a legal perspective.  Argentina and the United Kingdom fought a war that ended on 14.June.1982, when Argentine forces surrendered to Her Majesty’s forces.  I suspect the Spanish must have some unspecified ulterior motive, but the wisdom of such blatant action if highly questionable and will not likely end well for the Spanish.  We are not going to unravel centuries of history because someone might not like the result.  Gibraltar is sovereign British territory and should & will remain so for centuries to come.

An extract from an exchange of opinions from another forum:
Contributor 2:
“Cap just flunked Constitutional Law 101. Again.
“The powers of the President are proscribed by the Constitution.  Just because every President since Lyndon Baines Johnson has taken dictatorial powers to wherever and whenever in the world to kill whomever (man, woman, and child) he feels he ought to kill, that doesn’t mean that each of them shouldn’t have been impeached by the House, and tried in the Senate, then sentenced to death for mass murder.
“And, no I’m no sniveling wimp. I’m a former officer (service from Vietnam through Desert Storm) in the United States Army who is sick and tired of seeing his brother/sister soldiers, sailors airmen, and Marines used as cheerfully disposable cannon fodder for the benefit of like likes of Boeing, Rockwell, Hughes, Honeywell, Haliburton, General Atomic, Standard Oil, Shell/British Petroleum, the Saudi and Kuwaiti royal families, et al.
“If Cap is so afraid of A-hab he A-rab murdering him in his sleep he should carry a gun (I recommend the M1911A1 from personal experience – shoot A-hab square between the eyes with a 230 grain slug at 850 feet per second, and it will leave a hole in the back of A-hab’s head the size of a tea cup saucer). People who talk bravely about national defense ought to be put in the front lines on the ground where they can be the first to feel the sting of battle.
“That way they can be the first to die so people like me can make up pretty posthumous lies about their dumb asses and pin nice medals to the flags covering their coffins. Not that they deserve such honors due the decent service members routinely killed in or out of action. But the irony should bring laughter in Valhalla.”
My response:
Darren (Jim),
            Since we seem to need bona fide’s, I am a retired, former Marine [infantry (recon), aviator].  I am neither a constitutional scholar nor attorney.  I am only and simply a concerned and curious citizen, who tries to maintain a balanced approach to all things political.
            FYI: if you must know, I’ve owned an M1911 for decades, along with assorted firearms for short and long range.  I know how to use them and I have sufficient ammunition for each.
            The Constitution offers considerable latitude to the President.  Congress passed the War Powers Act (resolution) [PL 93-148; 87 Stat. 555] over President Nixon’s veto on 7.November.1973.  [NOTE: A read-through of that document might be useful in this debate.]  The President’s authority as commander-in-chief has been challenged numerous times since 1973, and to my knowledge, the Judiciary (from the district to the Supreme Court) has repeatedly called the question a political one and refused to intercede.  The latest attempt being H.RES.292 – challenge to the President’s authority in Libya under the War Powers Act of 1973 [House: 268-145-1-18(3); 3.June.2011] [496] that failed to pass the Senate and thus died in Congress.  If the three branches of government cannot agree, I doubt we will.  I only offer my opinion for debate without expectation of acceptance.  You (or any other citizen) are entitled to your opinion as well.
            As with the interpretation of any set of words, so much depends upon definitions, perspective, context and bias.  So, if we wish to parse up the words of the law, let slip the dogs of war.
            Likewise, I am not happy with how the military has been utilized since 1945.  The military must be the choice of last resort after all other options have been depleted, kinda like a nuclear weapon or unholstering a pistol.  The history of my lifetime demonstrates less than optimal deployment by presidents on both sides of the aisle.
            “That’s just my opinion, but I could be wrong.”
Contributor 1:
“Thank you Cap, for your references and time to reply.  I won't speak for [Contributor 2], but tend to think he was directing his disgust in general at many, but not targeting you, though it read that way.”
Contributor 2:
“My apologies to the Marine in honor of his service.
“The War Powers Act was an abomination, and violates the Constitutional limitations placed on the Presidency to make war – war without a formal declaration by Congress subsequent to debate.
“Vietnam started this, with the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution (in reaction to an alleged attack on two U.S. destroyers which never actually occurred). Libya was another abomination, a civil war which we instigated for the sake of the Moslem Brotherhood. In like manner we pulled the props out from under Mubarak to place Morsi in power in Egypt. Concurrent with that we almost went to war against Syria (Cap’s brother Marines are still in Jordan). We went to war with Iraq, which is now more sympathetic to it’s sister Shia state, Iran, than it is to us.  Likewise we are bogged down in a war amongst the sweepings of central Asia which calls itself Afghanistan. All the treasure of this world is not worth the bleached bones of a single airborne ranger.
“We encourage our enemies not just to live amongst us, but we rob from the mouths of our own children to feed them. Just look at the upcoming September 11 Million Muslim March of Washington.
Peace, brotherhood, democracy? Under the direction of a President who personally despises truth, justice, and the American way?
“Do we need a Forever War in pursuit of an Empire? Do we need to fancy ourselves the new Rome? Do we need a federal CEO, which has evolved into an Emperor?
“When, bankrupt and devoid of what’s left of our industrial base, we finally stumble – who will be there to pick us up out of the fire?  Nobody.”
Contributor 1:
“Thank you [Contributor 2] for your reply to Cap Parlier. Thanks to both of you for your service.
“Sometimes I think many of these current wars are simply by proxy, driven between USA/Russia-China and Saudi Arabia/Iran (with those respective polarities, if you shall.  Seems we are doing much of the enforcement for Saudi Arabia (and some say         Israel).  Though this is not any new model, but follows a long tradition.
“What is very disturbing is that we're not getting traction and while we might have achieved short-term objectives and blown up a bunch of things, and killed many people, and lost all our own, what have we really achieved given the current condition/trend-vectors?  I think leaving some of those dictators in place in our allied countries (sure, payoffs and $elling them arms helped keep peace), brought our world much more stability than we now see.  As though the Muslim Brotherhood is gonna bring any stability in those place that will descend into theocratic dictatorships where you get no         options, only a binary choice, and the result of picking the wrong one is death (or the burning of Christian churches as we now see in Egypt). 
“I am also concerned of the blowback debt we've incurred, from those wars you mention.
“A big travesty too, is that now we have Afghan & Iraq War vets living homeless on the streets, joining the older Vietnam guys.”
My further response:
Darren (Jim),
            Perhaps his comment was general; however, it is difficult to make that jump given the first sentence.  Nonetheless, I shall take you at your word.
            I have a long history of resentment toward various administrations’ premature, inappropriate or just flat wrong employment of our military forces from Truman’s half measures in Korea, to Bush 43’s naïve, grossly inadequate plan (if we wan to call it that) in Iraq, including numerous in-between’s like Johnson’s shackles that cost so many lives in Vietnam, Carter’s abominable interference during EAGLE CLAW, Reagan’s terrible rules of engagement in Beirut, and Clinton’s Somalia incursion.  There are good presidential actions as well.  We do concur on the long list of inappropriate uses of military forces.
            I believe we are in agreement on the inappropriate use of military forces by various presidents.  I will argue it goes back beyond Vietnam.  This thread started with the law.  We can agree the law is ambiguous.  I will argue the law must be rather loose to allow the president latitude to do what must be done in confusing situations.  The best we can hope for is our public debate & criticism of past events to help shape the policies of the future.  As I have said before, if the trigger is pulled for use of military forces, it should be considered like pulling the trigger on a pistol . . . once fired we are all in.  Yet, the Constitution gives the President considerable latitude.  We can argue whether legislation like AUMF are legally adequate.  Regardless, the Judiciary has maintained the liberal interpretation of the Constitution.

News from the economic front:
-- The European Union's official statistics agency Eurostat reported the combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the 17 currency members rose 0.3% in 2Q2013 from the previous quarter, but the GDP was down 0.7% from 2Q2012. The EU appears to be emerging from its longest postwar contraction, but a resolution to its banking and fiscal crises remains a distant prospect.
-- U.S. prosecutors in New York charged Javier Martin-Artajo and Julien Grout, former J.P. Morgan Chase traders, with wire fraud, making false filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as conspiracy to falsify books and records, to commit wire fraud and to falsify filings.  The two traders were at the center of a series of bad gambles that cost the bank more than US$6B in losses early last year.

Continuing comments from Update no.607:
 . . . round four:
“I think you know about the big ones I've heard of, Chicago and Cleveland, supposedly having growing very close knit conclaves in which there are Sharia Law courts openly operating.  There are several other cities whose names I have forgotten where concentrated Muslim presence is growing rapidly, to include separate private Islamic schooling but conspicuously no noticeable voicing of protest against Islamic terrorism.  Surely you have heard of the stories from Great Britain and France, where political correctness has won over majority rights.  I recently heard The Netherlands made some progress against the demands of their huge Muslim population to have women wear identity-hiding clothing, or something like that, but I may have that wrong.  As usual, I am impressed by stories and quickly forget the details.”
 . . . my reply to round four:
            Yes, I am aware of some of those observations; however, these are hardly “takeovers” of our cities and towns.  There have been enclaves of immigrants for as long as this Grand Republic has existed.  I think it is natural to have familiar customs and language around you, to congregate with familiar influences and support, as you adjust to a new culture.  Most immigrants assimilate quite well.  Some do not.  I think the naturalization process is intended to filter out those who do not wish to or will not make an effort to assimilate.
            Re: Sharia Law.  I am not aware of any attempt for local supremacy.  I do not see such efforts as different from Christian communities who sought to impose their beliefs and values – the Salem Witch Trials being a classic case on point.  The first time someone tries to claim Sharia supremacy, they will get a good lesson in constitutional law.
            I have far more confidence in this Grand Republic than I have concern about the imposition of Sharia Law or Islamic custom.
 . . . round five . . . expanded to a wider group:
“Cap, longtime good friend of my brother and predictable admirer of truth and goodness, I hope you are as right as you are optimistic, but I disagree with your uncharacteristically simple comparisons on the subject of growing Islamic influence.
“What I have inadequately pointed out is, indeed, not yet ‘takeover,’ at least apparently not more than several united city blocks at a time here and there in this country and larger areas in Europe. However, what some optimists overlook is the avowed and unwavering purpose of Islamic fundamentalists, who hold unusual sway over passive Muslims as they adhere to controversial declarations from the Koran, to eventually not only "take over" but eliminate or subjugate all other religions and non-religious governments.
“In my opinion it is a naive and shortsighted mistake to compare the international trend to which I have been referring with either
“(1) historic American "enclaves of immigrants" who for maybe one or two generations for the reasons you cite were slow to assimilate but whose leaders never intended an overthrow of the system they came to enjoy, 
“(2) simple and understandable congregating of new residents of this country with familiar influences and support while adjusting to a new culture without plans to radically change it, or
“(3) the Salem Connecticut phenomena or similar short-lived religious extremism, perhaps equally evil but because of the lack of global intent nowhere nearly as historically dangerous.
“I agree that what you refer to as the naturalization process being "intended to filter out those who do not wish to or will not make an effort to assimilate," but the phenomena I refer to is the antithesis of such naturalization process and has the directly opposite intent.
“What to do, besides have 'confidence in our Grand Republic'?
“For starters, let's have a constitutional amendment establishing English as our unifying national language and forbidding use of taxpayer funds to accommodate those who do not learn our language.  We had better hurry up with this before there is no hope of outvoting growing minorities who, with Obama's calculated class warfare assistance, together already constitute a collective majority subject to easy taxpayer-subsidized political manipulation by the left.
“You are, of course, to be commended for your confidence and optimism, Cap, but I hope you will take a closer look at this matter and comment on it in the future.  Thinkers like you can make a difference, in a constructive and non-vindictive way.”
 . . . my reply to round five:
Roger,
            Indeed!  Thx for yr generous words.
            We can respectfully disagree.
            I cannot speak for Europe.  Nonetheless, I think we are witness to the beginnings of backlash to the dilution of their cultures in Germany and France.  Time shall tell the tale.
            I do not overlook Islamic fundamentalism.  What I said was, Islamic fundamentalism is no different from Christian fundamentalism – both have the same parochial objective – domination of all by their religious ideology.  Further, just as Christian fundamentalist do NOT represent all Christians, neither do Islamic fundamentalists reflect all Muslims.  Lastly, the misguided or extreme interpretation of the Qu’ran is again no different from the extreme interpretations of the Bible – old & new testaments.
            To your points:
(1) Chinatown enclaves in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City have existed for more than a century.  South Boston has been notoriously Irish for almost two centuries.  Lastly, if we define Usama bin Ladin (or now Ayman al-Zawahiri) as the leader of ALL Muslims, then perhaps you are correct.  Personally, I think such definition grossly exaggerates their sliver of Islam.  Yes, al-Qa’ida has that objective as does the IRI, but both combined are a very long way from representing all Muslims.
(2) Again, I believe you are exaggerating the influence of radical, fundamentalist Islam.  They have every right under the Constitution to believe whatever they wish to believe as long as no one is injured and they do not impose their beliefs on others.  I am not aware of any violation of either condition, other than criminal acts by individuals and those are dealt with quite handily by our criminal justice system.
(3) I did not intend my example to be expansive or all-inclusive; it was simply an early, graphic, representative episode.  The constitutions of several states required citizens to believe, attend and support a specific Christian sect; it took several decades after the Constitution was ratified to amend those state charters.  To believe Christian fundamentalism was not enormously powerful and dictatorial early in our history is to ignore that history.  We are not the pure-of-soul we like to claim we are.
            I certainly appreciate your opinion regarding English-only.  I can argue either side of that one.  For the record, I am not in favor of multilingual ballots, signage, legal documents including legislation, et cetera.  I am a practical English-only person.  Our system is and should be a subtle process, which albeit is lumbering.  You learn English or you will naturally be marginalized in our society.  I do believe our naturalization tests are only in English.  That said, I do not support a constitutional amendment to enforce English only.

Comments and contributions from Update no.608:
“Ha! I think you meant to write  'emasculate' instead of ‘immaculate.’
“Regarding POTUS' reforms on NSA activities, others (such as FT) have suggested that ‘rather than reducing NSA eavesdropping... in reality, Mr. Obama is trying to entrench the programme by gaining stronger political legitimacy for them.’  According to the article, ‘Mr. Obama was insistent that the bulk collection be retained.’  Observers are all over the charts on this, some saying he is stepping back, others the opposite. We'll just have to see.”
My reply:
Jan,
            LMFAO.  How bloody embarrassing is that!!  Must’ve been a Freudian slip.  You know, no matter how many times you look at words, sometimes you just do not see the word as written.  Thx for the catch.
            Re: NSA reform.  I am a firm believer these are necessary and legitimate tools to wage war successfully in contemporary times.  That said, I am immensely disturbed by reports about collateral use by the DEA of collected raw data as well as derived information to prosecute drug offenders.  Such collateral law enforcement usage is far more troubling and much closer to our rights as citizens than the use of such data in the War on Islamic Fascism.  This is why I am in favor of proper firewalls or filters to allow the collection & analysis for intelligence purposes as long as it is not used for domestic political (Spitzer) or law enforcement (DEA) endeavors.  Indeed, we shall see.

Comment to the Blog:
“Your first paragraph is not your best work. You surprised the grammarian in me by saying ‘immaculate our national defense apparatus.’ It took a moment to decide you meant “emasculate” the defense apparatus. Then I went on to dispute both that and the prior statement. First, if Mr. Snowden has achieved power, the pundits are recognizing it, not causing it. Secondly, the U.S. national defense apparatus is a multiple of the second largest.  It is far from being emasculated.
“I wish Mr. Soobzokov well in his quest.
“We have had no flooding in the immediate area here. Even the farmers, however, have had quite enough rain. It has begun to impede harvesting, and the wheat crop cannot wait long. For those of us with breathing issues and/or allergies, this has become an exceptionally difficult season.
“This one is subject to correction by someone who is more of a medical person than I, but I believe the correct phrase is ‘double radical mastectomies.’ That is, they are getting ‘radical mastectomies,” in which all breast tissue is removed, of both breasts (“double”) rather than ‘partial’ mastectomies (lumpectomies). I sympathize with those who must make those agonizing decisions, and I hope that medical research will come up with a cure or effective treatment for those cancers soon.
“I believe I wrote a ‘second round’ of last week’s reply, but I think I failed to send it. I wished to state that I never felt the Ayn Rand attitudes were held by all of the wealthy. Bill Gates and Warren Buffet provide examples of very wealthy people who have more insight and foresight than Ayn Rand. I will stand by my statement that some of the wealthy do indeed hold those self-serving and short-sighted attitudes, and they are doing a great deal of damage. Their lack of long-term vision will eventually bring them down, but they will do the entire nation still more damage in the meantime.”
My response to the Blog:
Calvin,
            Re: typo.  Good catch.  That was a test to see if anyone would catch it.  Naw, my bad, actually.  Yes, indeed, I did in fact mean emasculate rather than immaculate.  Sometimes, no matter how many times you read it, the word you see is not the word you wrote.
            Re: Snowden.  I have not heard any official attributive action to Snowden.  It is the Press, media & talking heads who have attributed the President’s initiatives to Snowden’s disclosures.  As Hitler and Goebbels said, if you tell a lie often enough, sooner or later people will believe it.  And, if other wannabees believe Snowden’s actions made the President do what he was not otherwise disposed to do, then there will be further, perhaps greater, compromises of our national security.
            Re: emasculate.  Good, timely intelligence is vital to a strong military.  No matter how big or how powerful our military is, without good, sound intelligence, they will lack focus and will be a mere fraction of their potential.  I do not want the Intelligence Community hobbled.  I want them insulated from politics and the temptation to use intelligence data for political or prosecutorial purposes.
            I will pass along your well wishes to Aslan Soobzokov.  It has been a long, arduous road for him in his quest to vindicate his father and find justice for the assassins.
            I hope you can find some relief for your breathing issues.
            Re: “double radical mastectomies.”  “Double” means what it says, i.e., both breasts.  You can remove one breast, or a portion of the tissue in one breast, as you noted; but, that is not the case in my paragraph.  “Radical” means removal of all associated tissue and often adjacent lymph-nodes.  Yes, it is a huge decision, especially when done for prophylactic reasons based on the BRCA1 test, which at best is probabilistic and distant.  
            I clearly share your hope for the advancement of medical research to find a cure for cancer.  It has become personal for me.  I have my 21-month check up tomorrow, so I anxiously await the latest results.
            If you have your second round, please send it.  We have extended discussions across multiple Updates . . . as we have done this week, as a matter of fact.
            Re: wealthy.  With the qualifier “some,” I readily concur.  Sometimes wealth occurs by more luck or fate, rather than intelligence, ingenuity or perseverance.  Yes, wealth is an amplifier for good or evil.
Cheers,
Cap


My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap                        :-)

12 August 2013

Update no.608


Update from the Heartland
No.608
5.8.13 – 11.8.13
Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/
To all,

The follow-up news items:
-- President Barack Obama announced plans to overhaul the operations of the FISA court and pledged to take other measures to disclose more information about secret National Security Agency programs.  The White House also announced the cancellation of a planned summit meeting with President Vladimir Putin of Russia in conjunction with next month’s Group of 20 economic summit in St. Petersburg, Russia.  A wide variety of talking heads across the political spectrum quickly attributed these and other actions to the Snowden disclosures [599 & sub].  I refuse to give the traitor such credit and recognition.  Then, I wondered, why would intelligent people give a traitor that kind of power and reinforcement?  My convoluted answer: those of the left want to emasculate our national defense apparatus, ostensibly to make us one with the world; and, those of the right seek the denigrate anything and everything Obama, even though some of the programs they revile have been around since the founding the NSA in 1952, and others were created under and approved by Bush 43.  All the politics aside, I disagree with the President’s recent, post-Snowden decisions in this matter.  We must find another way of protecting our rights while enabling enhanced intelligence collection processes; and, as the old saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer.  ‘Nuf said.
[PS: As Snowden’s father has publicly claimed, I imagine his son did tell the truth . . . as he knew it.  The problem is, like Bradley Manning, Edward Snowden has very little capability to place the facts he collected into a proper context or complete picture.  This is one of the principal errors of his actions.]

An update from Aslan Tscherim Soobzokov on his continuing efforts to find justice for his father [474]:
“Cap,
“How are you brother?
“Did not forget you.  Please be informed that I filed a Petition with the United States Supreme Court after the Court of Appeals denied my appeal. 
“The case is docket as 13-159.
“May Allah ensure Justice.
“Salam and God Bless,
“Aslan Tscherim Soobzokov”
 . . . to which I replied:
Aslan,
            Thank you so much for the update.  It is unfortunate the appeals court refused to hear your argument.  Did the court offer any rationale for their denial?  I hope you are successful with your petition to the Supremes.  I guess the Federalists have been in the dominant position so far.
            All’s well here on the Great Plains.  We’ve had lots of rain, some high water, and fortunately no flooding for us.  I’m nearing retirement and look forward to writing full-time.  I’m working to get my next two books published as electronic books.
            My very best wishes to you and your family.
Salam and may God bless you,
Cap

The Supreme Court’s recent ruling in the case of Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics, Inc. [570 U.S. ___ (2013); no. 12-398] intrigued me more from a science perspective than the legal question.  The case centers upon the discovery by Myriad Genetics, Inc., of the precise location and sequence of two human genes, mutations of which can substantially increase the risks of breast and ovarian cancer – the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes on chromosomes 17 and 13.  The company patented their discovery and consequently charged for the use of their information in prospective testing of women.  Signs of mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have led to women to seek a prophylactic, radical, double mastectomies, or hysterectomies – most notably in recent news the actress Angelina Jolie.  The Supremes were unanimous that naturally occurring nucleotides are not patentable.  They also limited the ruling to the specific issue at hand, leaving open the question of altered versions of naturally occurring nucleotides.  The most notable element of the Myriad decision is a rather curious, rare, minor sub-element.  Associate Justice Antonin Scalia felt compelled to write a very short, solo, concurring opinion, in which he said, “I am unable to affirm [the fine details of molecular biology] on my own knowledge or even my own belief.”  I have no idea why Scalia felt so motivated to declare his ignorance or unwillingness to study up sufficiently to avoid his declaration.

News from the economic front:
-- The People’s Republic of China (PRC) trade differential improved in July. Exports rose by 5.1% compared with the same month last year, after a 3.1% fall in June, while imports increased 10.9% year-over-year, a sign that domestic demand may be picking up.  The PRC maintained a trade surplus of US$17.2B, a positive sign amid widespread concern that for the world’s second-largest economy may be losing steam.
-- The Financial Times [of London] reported that the EU’s biggest banks will have to shed €661B of assets and generate €47B of fresh capital over the next five years in order to comply with forthcoming regulations aimed at reducing the likelihood of another taxpayer funded bailout.  The worry is greatest for smaller banks and the potential reduction of lending to the region’s small and medium size enterprises as a consequence of the new regulations.

Comments and contributions from Update no.607:
“Another good one.
“I've missed a few lately, so I may have missed your comments, if any, on Major ______(?)'s written confession (reported by Marc Levin) that he is  devout Muslim member of the Army of Allah dedicated to overcoming the evils of Christianity and constitutional governments in favor of Sharia law, etc, etc., as he renounced his citizenship and Army commission.
“I was all set to send a letter to the editor of Gannett's Clarion Ledger (Mississippi's primary newspaper), my only known way of expressing my opinion with any chance of public notice and fairly frequently printed, when I realized I am so forgetful these days that I could not recall the name of the Army officer who shot unarmed medical personnel at Ft. ____ four years ago, killing 13, and is finally being tried at this time for "workplace violence" rather than for the murderous war crimes he committed.
“Can you help me, before I further reveal my habitual ignorance?”
==Roger
My reply:
Roger,
            I think you are referring to:
5.November.2009 – Major Nidal Malik Hasan, USA, 39, rampage at Ft. Hood, TX, killing 13 and wounding 30, in a horrific attack – reportedly the worst attack on U.S. servicemen on U.S. military base. [412]
            His trial is supposed to start tomorrow (Tuesday, 6.August).  The judge has apparently allowed him to represent himself.  Unfortunately, the Army is treating this as a criminal act rather than a terrorist event.  I just hope he gets the punishment he deserves regardless of his political/religious motives or agenda.
 . . . round two:
“Maybe, under this administration, it is better for the Army to proceed on a "workplace violence" theory.  Obama's famous reluctance to call a spade a spade when it comes to Islamic terrorism is, in my mind, more confirmation of his overt sympathy for all things Islamic, his traitorous life-long disdain for his adopted country, and his agenda for our demise.”
 . . . my reply to round two:
            Appropriate observation, it seems to me.  The War on Islamic Fascism has never been clearly and distinctly defined from a legal perspective.  So, it should be no surprise such decisions are muddied and contaminated by the legal ambiguity.  To me, the question is quite clear.  In Hasan’s own words, he was motivated to “protect the Taliban,” which means actions were in support of or a direct contribution to the enemy’s conduct of the War on Islamic Fascism.  He should have been tried for treason, or at a minimum aiding and abetting the enemy.  As long as the outcome is the same and appropriate for his crimes, I suppose the path to conclusion does not matter much.
 . . . round three:
“The larger problem about the undeclared war is that the takeover of some of our cities and towns by Muslims, many of whom are at best silent about radical Islam and at worst overtly supportive, is well underway, just as in Europe.  Too put the future in far too simple terms, one could chose to predict the end of our republic as the historically assured result of takers outnumbering the earners or the intended result of installation of Sharia law in Islamic courts that eventually outnumber our constitutional courts.
“I, too, could be wrong, and I hope I am, but I see little to comfort those who predict our downfall at around the 250-300 year mark.”
 . . . my reply to round three:
            Do you have any examples that we might pay attention to regarding Muslims taking over cities and towns?
            I’m afraid I do not see it.  Muslims are not the boogey men.  The potential unwillingness of individuals who refuse to assimilate should and rightly so be a concern for all of us.  Sharia law is no different from the Inquisition – a religious court that has no place in a free society.
            Re: the 237th year of this Grand Republic.  I am quite familiar with Lord Woodhouselee’s Tytler Cycle.  I am not quite so pessimistic, or to paraphrase the words of Mark Twain, rumors of our demise may be greatly exaggerated.
Semper vigilans!

Contribution to the Blog:
“People continue to act surprised that bankers do unscrupulous things such as work both sides of wars. Your item from 1939 on the transfer of gold to Hitler’s Germany is indeed news to historians in the sense that it had not been revealed previously. This comes as no surprise, though. Banks exist to make money, not to further virtue.
“I had not noticed nor intended to paint all wealthy people as using Ayn Rand for their role models. I know a wealthy man and have known at least one other, neither of whom fit that model. Neither Bill Gates nor Warren Buffet fits the Ayn Rand concept either. However, I agree with the article that some of the wealthy use exactly that greed-based philosophy, and they are what is now known as conservatives. They also use the Tea Party dupes to further their cause, which prospers at present. The short-sightedness of their outlook will eventually bring them down in one way or another, but with even more suffering than they have already caused. You and I tend to agree on the role of government, except for the “intelligence” community and the size of the military.
“On the Supreme Court’s ruling on involuntary use of cheek swabs for law enforcement purposes (4th Amendment issue), I find myself in agreement with Mr. Justice Scalia, a rare event indeed. I agree that this particular kind of procedure should not be used prior to conviction. Search and seizure can be used differently on criminals, but one is not a criminal prior to conviction. Americans are innocent until proven guilty.
“Another Wall Street crook goes down, this one a Goldman Sachs gangster. I am slowly beginning to believe that the US Government will carry out its responsibilities in regulating the banking and finance industries.”
My response to the Blog:
            Re: bankers.  The profit motive does not just apply to bankers.  The profit motive is quite like a pistol on a gunslinger’s hip a century plus ago, which is precisely why balanced government regulation is required for good order and discipline.  We cannot depend upon the morality of individuals, as the destructive potential is too great.  That said, there are ethical bankers and corporate chieftains, so let us not indict all bankers.
            Re: conservatives.  You seem to paint with a very broad brush.  I think at the end of the day the issue is balance . . . between conservative & liberal, between profit & compassion, as well as all the other forces in our lives.
            Re: Maryland v. King.  The central issue was timing.  As I said, I could argue both sides.  The potential for abuse is real.  Nonetheless, there are two key elements to the King decision: 1.) involves violent acts with probable cause, and 2.) little difference between a cheek swab and fingerprinting + photographing + body search. 
            Re: Wall Street crooks.  First, those crooks are not confined to Wall Street; however, we shall use it as a generic reference to the “greed-based philosophy” as you noted.  Second, yes, we are seeing more convictions, but we are a long way from what is needed and warranted.

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap                        :-)