Update no.638

Update from the Heartland

No.638

3.3.14 – 9.3.14

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

To all,

The follow-up news items:

-- The situation in the Ukraine [637] remains troublesome.  Secretary of State Kerry has been shuffling around the region trying to find a diplomatic solution.  Putin continues to ratchet up his grip on Crimea as well as pressure on the eastern provinces of Ukraine.  Someone called for a referendum in Crimea, not exactly who or under what authority, as to whether the province should secede from Ukraine and realign with Russia. 

Aslan Soobzokov updated and expanded his website, devoted to protecting the reputation of his assassinated father, Tscherim Soobzokov.  Aslan’s extraordinary efforts are well worth your time to read and appreciate what happened to an innocent man, when the Press whips up emotions and a terrorist group decides upon vengeance for what they perceive was guilt by association.  We are all innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt by a jury of our peers. Tscherim Soobzokov was not given the respect due his citizenship.  Well done, Aslan.  Godspeed and following winds.

URL: http://www.tscherimsoobzokov.com/

Circa 02:00 [G], Saturday, Malayasia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared over the South China Sea near Vietnam.  The revenue flight was a Boeing B777-200 aircraft, bound for Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.  Too many conflicting snippets of information leave the misty image very confusing.  Early public reports indicate at least two passengers onboard the flight used stolen passports, which is never a good sign.  Further, in-flight breakups of modern transport aircraft in cruise flight are extraordinarily rare.  Various press sources report the FBI has deployed special agents to assist in the investigation.  If this was a terrorist attack, it would seem to be of the 1994 Bojinka blueprint planned out by Ramzi Yousef, now spending the rest of his natural life in solitary confinement.

News from the economic front:

-- The European Union announced it would make at least €11B (US$15.12B) in grants and loans available for Ukraine over the next few years.  A large portion of the money has strings attached and would need approval from member states and other institutions.  The EU adds to US$1B in loan guarantees from the U.S. to Ukraine.

-- The U.S. Labor Department reported nonfarm payrolls increased by a seasonally adjusted 175,000 jobs in February.  The department also revised the previous two months numbers: January 129,000 jobs, up from 113,000; and December 84,000 jobs, up from 75,000.  The unemployment rate ticked up slightly to 6.7% from 6.6% the previous month.

Comments and contributions from Update no.637:

Comment to the Blog:

“I find myself in agreement with Chris Hedges on Edward Snowden's moral courage. It is precisely the kind of public response that you present that puts his actions into the “moral courage” category. Beyond that, the argument you make is exactly the argument that Hedges refutes. There is no imaginable way that Snowden would have achieved any useful results by going through channels. That just does not pass the credibility test. The balance of your discussion is an ad hominem attack, which does not require an answer.

“The entire Ukraine situation is a tragedy and a mess. However, it is a conflict between Russia, the European Union, and each side's partisans within Ukraine. If the US government were smarter, it would put its energy into potholes and other important infrastructure maintenance in the United States. We could use some attention to education and various regulatory work as well. The Ukraine crisis is not our problem. If China has used the distraction to further their objectives in the Senkaku Islands, that is worth observing because it involves defining international versus sovereign airspace, but let's see how the Japanese do with it before we take any action that involves risking US lives or money.

“The tide has turned in government attitudes toward homosexual Americans.”

My response to the Blog:

            Re: Hedges.  If I understand and appreciate your reasoning, any USG employee may steal whatever he wishes from the government despite his sworn oath to protect classified material, and make public whatever he wishes as long as he believes he is correct.  Does that about sum it up?  If so, then there is no line, no classified material, no secrets – everybody knows everything.  The enemy will know in advance when, where and how we intend to strike.  Hey, while we’re at it, let’s tell all criminals when they are being investigated and when Law Enforcement is coming to get them.

            Whether the proper methods would have worked is moot.  The law provides for whistleblowers regarding classified material; the law also provides for the protection of whistleblowers.  To my knowledge, he has no evidence or experience as to whether the law works.  He based his actions on his gut check, with a goodly portion of egomania thrown in.

            Re: Ukraine.  So, again, if I understand your argument, any event outside our territorial limits is none of our business.  Correct?  If so, what hope do we have of free passage, freedom of commerce, et cetera?  If we accept or tolerate Russian aggression in Crimea, or Ukraine, when do we stand up to the mark?  Poland?  Germany?  France?  Great Britain?  Canada?  This discussion sounds eerily reminiscent of 1936-1941.

            Re: Senkaku Islands.  I think Japan is capable of handling this problem.

            Re: homosexuality.  I sure hope you are correct.  The federal government is moving in the correct direction, but state governments are still resisting, e.g., AZ SB 1062 and KS HB 2453.  I also worry about vigilantes who unilaterally decide to be God’s enforcer (as they perceive it), e.g., Westboro Baptist Church.

 . . . follow-up comment:

“Chris Hedges article/Edward Snowden: at no time has anyone suggested That Mr. Snowden or anyone else was entitled to “steal whatever he wishes” from the Federal government. What we have suggested is that he had a moral obligation to reveal massive wrongdoing perpetrated against US citizens and the rest of the world by the United States government. The notion that the law protects whistleblowers is easily disproven by a few minutes’ research. Law or no law, protection is not what happens to people who reveal corruption and incompetence at high levels of the US government. You have been diligent in finding legal precedents and other support for your positions. Consider other evidence before making sweeping statements.

“Ukraine: free passage? Really? They’re just afraid the Russians will shut off the oil pipelines through Ukraine. That’s not rational. The Russians will not give up that much money. Commerce? Same point. Putin is crude but not insane. The domino effect is not a prospect here, and if it were NATO would step up. Germany, France, et al can defend their own interests if that becomes necessary. Let’s not kid ourselves, though. Putin is not Hitler. We need to give up policing the entire world and only do legitimate defense of our interests.

“Of course some local and state governments resist the tide of history. It was ever thus. Hence the term ‘provincial.’”

 . . . my follow-up response:

            Re: whistleblowers.  I could accept your argument if he had at least made an attempt to utilize the law.  Yes, every citizen should have the courage to stand up to unlawful activities.  After all, the federal government is made up of flawed human beings who make mistakes and do bad things.  A criminal must not be allowed to hide behind the law (classified material).  What that fugitive in Russia did was essentially vigilantism, e.g., he decided by himself, in isolation, what was wrong (without context, the law or any other accoutrements of legality).  I cannot give him any slack.  The law depends upon injury, not perception of impropriety.

            Re: Ukraine.  The issues at play in the Ukraine are far greater than a local border spat.  I suspect you are seriously misjudging the forces at play in this crisis.  Folks may not like the use of Hitler as an analogy; however, his arguments as rationale are virtually identical to those Hitler used to feed his megalomania.  Even in the most optimistic and idealistic assessment, the Ukraine (western half) is a very long shot for achieving EU qualification.  Turkey is far closer, but they haven’t grabbed the brass ring yet.  Russia did not need to do this.  No Putin is not Hitler . . . yet.  I’m just sayin’.

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                        :-)