Update from the Heartland
No.348
11.8.08 – 17.8.08
Blog version: http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/
No.348
11.8.08 – 17.8.08
Blog version: http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/
To all,
The labor strike at my place of employment continues with no sign of progress toward a resolution. The strikers have been orderly, respectful (for the most part) and law-abiding. The truly sad reality of the American labor (union) movement is their leadership’s lack of vision, insight and comprehension. We see signs like: “Stop corporate greed,” “We want what we deserve,” and “We want more.” The union leadership seeks more political support for protectionist laws from Congress to preserve their influence. What they refuse to acknowledge is they are pricing American business out of the marketplace or forcing American business off-shore to remain competitive. Unions have closed the American steel and shipbuilding (other than military) industries, have nearly finished off the automotive and airline businesses, and are working hard on aviation in general. Union leaders and their political lackeys should be focused on helping American business be successful and remain competitive rather than their historic path of myopic me-ism. I have probably said too much already, but the mood struck me.
The follow-up news items:
-- Al-Qaeda operative Aafia Siddiqui – a female Pakistani national neuroscientist, highly educated in the U.S. – was recaptured by Pakistani security forces on 8.August.2008. Press reports have indicated that a treasure trove of actionable intelligence was captured with her. I am sure she is being given the opportunity to provide more information as well.
-- On 13.July.2006, former CIA operative Valerie Elise Plame Wilson and her hubby, former ambassador Joseph Charles Wilson, IV, filed a civil suit seeking monetary damages from Vice President Richard B. Cheney, former Senior Advisor to the President Karl C. Rove, former Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Jr., and ‘John Does’ 1 through 10, for injuries suffered by disclosure of her employment. They amended their suit on 13.September.2006, to name former Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage as one of the ‘John Does.’ United States District Court Judge John D. Bates dismissed the case on 19.July.2007 – Wilson v. Libby [USDC DC civil action no. 06-1258 (JDB) (2007)]. Of course, the Wilsons appealed. On Tuesday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s judgment to dismiss -- Wilson v. Libby [CCA DC No. 07-5257 (2008)]. Knowing how bloody political this whole Plame affair has been [149, 169, 188, 293, 307], I suspect the Wilsons will attempt an appeal to the Supremes.
-- Also on 8.August.2008, the same day as the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing, PRC, the Russians invaded the sovereign nation-state of Georgia [169, 212] – a former ‘republic’ of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. They quickly defeated the small Georgian army and occupied the provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The Russians also pressed their invasion south of South Ossetia to sever the primary east-west highway from the Georgian capitol of Tbilisi to the Black Sea. Europe and the United States can only prattled on about the unfairness of the Russian offensive action. The best neutral assessment to date appears to be:
“The Russo-Georgian War and the Balance of Power”
by George Friedman
Strategic Forecasting Inc.
Published: August 12, 2008 1508 GMT
http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/russo_georgian_war_and_balance_powerb
A friend and contributor offered this rather politically biased opinion for contrast:
“Two Morons: Bush and Saakashvili – President Bush, Will You Please Shut Up?”
by Paul Craig Roberts
CounterPunch.org
Published: August 13, 2008
http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts08132008.html
My opinion is simply:
If the [Roberts] article was not rife with parochial political bias, some of his valid points could be argued. P.C. Roberts clearly has no interest in a vigorous public intercourse, making his words easy to discount or ignore. Nonetheless, Saakashvili miscalculated the threats of the Russian bear and the support of the American administration, and W. has failed to produce the muscle necessary to make diplomacy work.
-- An article for your critical cogitation:
“FBI to get freer rein to look for terrorism suspects”
by Marisa Taylor
McClatchy Newspapers
Posted on: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/48078.html
U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey announced his intention to loosen restrictions on the FBI’s information collection (AKA domestic intelligence [139, 303]) that have been in place since the 1970’s. Given the mistakes, missteps and abuses of this administration, this little news flash does not give me a warm, fuzzy feeling.
-- During the annual remembrance in Japan of those two days in August [347] and with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in attendance, Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba noted that the United States was one of only three nations to oppose Japan’s UN resolution calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons. I always get a bit of a chuckle out of naïvely optimistic notions such as these. I want peace and prosperity for every single human being. I want each and every person on the planet to have the freedom to choose how they wish to enjoy Life, Liberty and their pursuit of Happiness. I want there to be no crime, no hunger, no suffering. I want everyone to be happy, content and satisfied. Great idea; not realistic or practical. As long as the World must suffer megalomaniacs like Usama bin Ladin, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Moktada al-Sadr, and all the others, we need the most powerful military on the planet as well as the means and methods to visit horrific violence on those who would harm us. So, we will hold onto our thermonuclear weapons for the time being . . . thank you very much.
As a postscript of sorts to the last item above, I am a committed and unwavering believer in the Teddy Roosevelt school of diplomacy – “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” With no muscle behind the diplomats, diplomacy is just words and hot air.
Now, we have folks ridiculing a Manhattan-Project-like national commitment toward energy independence. I certainly do not mind folks criticizing my notional Energy Project plan, that is what a vigorous public debate is all about. What I find quite odd and irritating are the yayhoos who condemns suggestions without offering their plan. Anyway, I thought I would expand my Energy Project Plan just a little bit more in hopes of instigating a constructive exchange. I see three time frame categories of advancement, which would actually be executed concurrently – the payoff would be short, medium or long.
Short Term (<5>
Comments and contributions from Update no.347:
“When we fail to punish combatants appropriately, it is a sign that our military courts are succumbing to public pressure over a war that is not popular, even though it must be fought and won. Anything less and our free society will change for the worse.
“And, critics of the war on either ideological or political grounds fail to look at history including our ending WWII with a nuclear attack on the enemy. We saved the world and did not go after the rest of the world. Now we are busy saving the world from terrorism with little help from the rest of the world except for a few brave nations with us. Someday, probably not in my lifetime, the terrorist threat to defeat freedom will be won at great cost probably. Only then will historians chronicle accurately the courage of the USA to take on this challenge in the face of condemnation and cowardice from within and outside our borders. The next President will have a difficult time turning his back on terrorism.
“In a free society, the most practical way to keep the press out of our private lives, is to keep them private. Edwards failed to do so. If one behaves like an idiot and hypocrite in any way the free press can see, brace yourself to be exposed whether we like it or not. I don't want to know about Edwards' private life, but he failed to keep it private - a lesson here perhaps for all of us.”
My response:
National will is a critical element in our ability to wage war successfully, and that is largely, if not predominately or totally, dependent upon the President’s ability to focus the People on the need for and objective of war. George W. Bush has failed in that task and critical responsibility. We can only hope his successor does a better job.
Well said regarding the War on Islamic Fascism (AKA Terrorism). President Roosevelt recognized the threat of Imperial Japan and the German Reich; he tried mightily to prepare the People, and in fact, discreetly violated the law to do so. But, it took far too long for the People to recognize the threat and focus on the objective – 10 years. We have been under attack for at least 30 years. I really thought the horrific events of 11.September.2001 would be sufficient to awaken and focus the People. Alas, I was naïve and sadly mistaken.
This issue of privacy is far too important to the future of this Grand Republic to let this topic pass easily. I would appreciate your opinion regarding how John Edwards failed to keep his private life private? What did he do that made his private affairs public? The lesson for me, beyond the obscene violation of the National Inquirer, is his lack of public honesty. We do not know what arrangements, agreements or such that John and Elizabeth Edwards may or may not have had, and it is none of our business and certainly not a matter of proper public interest. We are all sinners. We all have events that could readily become morsels for tabloid press, if the Press dug around in our lives. We, the People, must draw the line, and all that I have seen, read or heard regarding John Edward’s apparent affair with Rielle Hunter tells me the Press did not just cross over the line, they obliterated the line.
. . . round two:
“National will is troublesome these days. Like you I am disappointed in our failure to prosecute this war effectively. I am equally cautious about any successor in these times, but clearly there are striking differences emerging in the two frontrunners for the job. The difference between smart and wise is experience, and smart is not enough. The next president will need to be wise and courageous. It is those two features that may save us from ourselves and our enemies. We'll see who is up to it.
“Agreed on the war of 30 years and probably longer in my view. The attached article below reminds us how easy it is to ignore, forget, or fail to learn history. The events of 9/11 gave us a chance to respond together and stay firm. We did so in the short run, but lost our will. It is the trashing of ourselves in the media and by some political figures that helped us lose our collective will. How we regain it is a mystery right now. I submit that a wise and courageous leader at the helm is a step in the right direction.
“Privacy is a tough issues and I share your disdain for the media chasers. Regardless, here is how Edwards made his behavior public in my view. He became a public figure and, therefore, subject to a different standard in the media. I heard a previous VP candidate from the democratic party on television yesterday comment that the vetting of one's private life is essential when running for national office and nothing is off limits. The vetting of ones life to confirm trustworthiness, secrecy, and loyalty when the job of President, VP and cabinet member requires it is part of running for office and all national candidates know it going in. Edwards failed in all three of those standards and made himself fodder for the media. Like it or not, the standards for public figures differs in some ways from the rest of us as well as how the courts view public figures and privacy. I am prepared to draw the line with you on the invasion of privacy, but the invasion of a public figure's reckless behavior gets blurry. We can all condemn the media for doing it, but I suspect most people will say they are glad they learned it before entering the voting booth. So far, every single person who has spoken to me about it since the story broke has condemned Edwards, not the media. Such is the nature of a free press and sensational headlines even when we don't want to know.
“In effect, I'd say trustworthiness, secrecy, loyalty, wise, and courageous all come together in an ideal leader of nation. Unfortunately, it is hard to find someone with all of them all of the time. We should keep looking regardless. Let's hope our next leader has the integrity to pursue what is right.”
The labor strike at my place of employment continues with no sign of progress toward a resolution. The strikers have been orderly, respectful (for the most part) and law-abiding. The truly sad reality of the American labor (union) movement is their leadership’s lack of vision, insight and comprehension. We see signs like: “Stop corporate greed,” “We want what we deserve,” and “We want more.” The union leadership seeks more political support for protectionist laws from Congress to preserve their influence. What they refuse to acknowledge is they are pricing American business out of the marketplace or forcing American business off-shore to remain competitive. Unions have closed the American steel and shipbuilding (other than military) industries, have nearly finished off the automotive and airline businesses, and are working hard on aviation in general. Union leaders and their political lackeys should be focused on helping American business be successful and remain competitive rather than their historic path of myopic me-ism. I have probably said too much already, but the mood struck me.
The follow-up news items:
-- Al-Qaeda operative Aafia Siddiqui – a female Pakistani national neuroscientist, highly educated in the U.S. – was recaptured by Pakistani security forces on 8.August.2008. Press reports have indicated that a treasure trove of actionable intelligence was captured with her. I am sure she is being given the opportunity to provide more information as well.
-- On 13.July.2006, former CIA operative Valerie Elise Plame Wilson and her hubby, former ambassador Joseph Charles Wilson, IV, filed a civil suit seeking monetary damages from Vice President Richard B. Cheney, former Senior Advisor to the President Karl C. Rove, former Assistant to the President and Chief of Staff to the Vice President I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, Jr., and ‘John Does’ 1 through 10, for injuries suffered by disclosure of her employment. They amended their suit on 13.September.2006, to name former Deputy Secretary of State Richard L. Armitage as one of the ‘John Does.’ United States District Court Judge John D. Bates dismissed the case on 19.July.2007 – Wilson v. Libby [USDC DC civil action no. 06-1258 (JDB) (2007)]. Of course, the Wilsons appealed. On Tuesday, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the district court’s judgment to dismiss -- Wilson v. Libby [CCA DC No. 07-5257 (2008)]. Knowing how bloody political this whole Plame affair has been [149, 169, 188, 293, 307], I suspect the Wilsons will attempt an appeal to the Supremes.
-- Also on 8.August.2008, the same day as the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing, PRC, the Russians invaded the sovereign nation-state of Georgia [169, 212] – a former ‘republic’ of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. They quickly defeated the small Georgian army and occupied the provinces of South Ossetia and Abkhazia. The Russians also pressed their invasion south of South Ossetia to sever the primary east-west highway from the Georgian capitol of Tbilisi to the Black Sea. Europe and the United States can only prattled on about the unfairness of the Russian offensive action. The best neutral assessment to date appears to be:
“The Russo-Georgian War and the Balance of Power”
by George Friedman
Strategic Forecasting Inc.
Published: August 12, 2008 1508 GMT
http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/russo_georgian_war_and_balance_powerb
A friend and contributor offered this rather politically biased opinion for contrast:
“Two Morons: Bush and Saakashvili – President Bush, Will You Please Shut Up?”
by Paul Craig Roberts
CounterPunch.org
Published: August 13, 2008
http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts08132008.html
My opinion is simply:
If the [Roberts] article was not rife with parochial political bias, some of his valid points could be argued. P.C. Roberts clearly has no interest in a vigorous public intercourse, making his words easy to discount or ignore. Nonetheless, Saakashvili miscalculated the threats of the Russian bear and the support of the American administration, and W. has failed to produce the muscle necessary to make diplomacy work.
-- An article for your critical cogitation:
“FBI to get freer rein to look for terrorism suspects”
by Marisa Taylor
McClatchy Newspapers
Posted on: Wednesday, August 13, 2008
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/48078.html
U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey announced his intention to loosen restrictions on the FBI’s information collection (AKA domestic intelligence [139, 303]) that have been in place since the 1970’s. Given the mistakes, missteps and abuses of this administration, this little news flash does not give me a warm, fuzzy feeling.
-- During the annual remembrance in Japan of those two days in August [347] and with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda in attendance, Hiroshima Mayor Tadatoshi Akiba noted that the United States was one of only three nations to oppose Japan’s UN resolution calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons. I always get a bit of a chuckle out of naïvely optimistic notions such as these. I want peace and prosperity for every single human being. I want each and every person on the planet to have the freedom to choose how they wish to enjoy Life, Liberty and their pursuit of Happiness. I want there to be no crime, no hunger, no suffering. I want everyone to be happy, content and satisfied. Great idea; not realistic or practical. As long as the World must suffer megalomaniacs like Usama bin Ladin, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Moktada al-Sadr, and all the others, we need the most powerful military on the planet as well as the means and methods to visit horrific violence on those who would harm us. So, we will hold onto our thermonuclear weapons for the time being . . . thank you very much.
As a postscript of sorts to the last item above, I am a committed and unwavering believer in the Teddy Roosevelt school of diplomacy – “Speak softly and carry a big stick; you will go far.” With no muscle behind the diplomats, diplomacy is just words and hot air.
Now, we have folks ridiculing a Manhattan-Project-like national commitment toward energy independence. I certainly do not mind folks criticizing my notional Energy Project plan, that is what a vigorous public debate is all about. What I find quite odd and irritating are the yayhoos who condemns suggestions without offering their plan. Anyway, I thought I would expand my Energy Project Plan just a little bit more in hopes of instigating a constructive exchange. I see three time frame categories of advancement, which would actually be executed concurrently – the payoff would be short, medium or long.
Short Term (<5>
High petrol prices have caused citizens to alter their driving habits, seek other forms of transportation, and pushed the marketplace pressure onto the automotive industry to work for significantly more efficient and alternative fueled vehicles. Corn ethanol plants have begun the process of converting biomass capacity into alternative fuel production; yet, diverting food production to fuel production is NOT a winning solution. The use of other non-food plant matter is more reasonable. I am neutral-to-soft on the new drilling action. As I have argued before, I would hold our reserves of fossil fuels for the inevitable shortage as Middle East reserves are consumed. We must continue to search, explore, locate and tap domestic reserves, including ANWR. Fossil fuel production can be carried out in environmentally friendly ways. The rub regarding new drilling is finding a balance between production, preservation and time, as well as the return on investment for those who drill.
Wind power, gasification of coal, clean coal, and methane power are existing technologies that need sufficient capital investment for practical deployment.
Mid Term (5-10 years):
The electricity transmission grid is too close to the capacity edge, needs substantially more margin to enable electric drive vehicles and machines, and needs far more redundancy to protect the grid from disruption by natural forces, war or sabotage. Part of this effort must include mass installation of charging stations, presumably at current petrol service stations among other appropriate sites; in practical terms, electric drive vehicles must be able to reliably go across country with sufficient capacity to reach the next station or two in the middle of nowhere.
Practical, general, electric drive must have fast charging, high capacity batteries or electricity storage devices not yet imagined that charge as fast as filling a tank with gasoline.
We need to expand the work begun by the Germans a half-century ago to produce synthetic lubricants, as those derived from a petroleum base will eventually not be economically viable. Collateral with synthetic lubricant production will be the development of non-lubricated bearings, using magnetic, pneumatic or other means of reducing friction wear on moving parts.
Alternative fuel production, ethanol from other biomass sources that can be grown in marginal land with non-potable water from various sources, or by alternate means like the recently announced ethanol production using bacteria: Escherichia coli, Klebsiella oxytoca, and Zymomonas mobilis, that are naturally able to use a wide spectrum of sugars and convert them into ethanol. The problem is mass production, which several pilot plants are planned.
Long Term (>10 years):
Some of the riskier technologies may not work, to may take a long time to bring them to practical fruition. We must not be reticent to expend public treasure on promising technologies that may not work the way we need them to work. We need focused, dedicated teams working on technologies until now resting in science fiction like magnetic levitation, neutral gravity, electromagnetic transportation, fusion power, solar power, gravity elevators, hyper-drive interplanetary and interstellar transport . . . the list goes on. We will also find new technologies not even dreamed of by science fiction authors.
Business will invest in those technologies where a sufficiently positive return on its investment is attainable in a reasonable period, often 3 to 5 years. Government must invest in those technologies beyond the reach of business. Further, the Federal Government must provide the coordination and leadership to ensure focus, persistence and capacity. Our objective must be elimination of fossil fuel as an energy source in 20 to 50 years, and preservation of our fossil fuel reserves to protect those specific or unique purposes during the transition.
Some of the riskier technologies may not work, to may take a long time to bring them to practical fruition. We must not be reticent to expend public treasure on promising technologies that may not work the way we need them to work. We need focused, dedicated teams working on technologies until now resting in science fiction like magnetic levitation, neutral gravity, electromagnetic transportation, fusion power, solar power, gravity elevators, hyper-drive interplanetary and interstellar transport . . . the list goes on. We will also find new technologies not even dreamed of by science fiction authors.
Business will invest in those technologies where a sufficiently positive return on its investment is attainable in a reasonable period, often 3 to 5 years. Government must invest in those technologies beyond the reach of business. Further, the Federal Government must provide the coordination and leadership to ensure focus, persistence and capacity. Our objective must be elimination of fossil fuel as an energy source in 20 to 50 years, and preservation of our fossil fuel reserves to protect those specific or unique purposes during the transition.
Comments and contributions from Update no.347:
“When we fail to punish combatants appropriately, it is a sign that our military courts are succumbing to public pressure over a war that is not popular, even though it must be fought and won. Anything less and our free society will change for the worse.
“And, critics of the war on either ideological or political grounds fail to look at history including our ending WWII with a nuclear attack on the enemy. We saved the world and did not go after the rest of the world. Now we are busy saving the world from terrorism with little help from the rest of the world except for a few brave nations with us. Someday, probably not in my lifetime, the terrorist threat to defeat freedom will be won at great cost probably. Only then will historians chronicle accurately the courage of the USA to take on this challenge in the face of condemnation and cowardice from within and outside our borders. The next President will have a difficult time turning his back on terrorism.
“In a free society, the most practical way to keep the press out of our private lives, is to keep them private. Edwards failed to do so. If one behaves like an idiot and hypocrite in any way the free press can see, brace yourself to be exposed whether we like it or not. I don't want to know about Edwards' private life, but he failed to keep it private - a lesson here perhaps for all of us.”
My response:
National will is a critical element in our ability to wage war successfully, and that is largely, if not predominately or totally, dependent upon the President’s ability to focus the People on the need for and objective of war. George W. Bush has failed in that task and critical responsibility. We can only hope his successor does a better job.
Well said regarding the War on Islamic Fascism (AKA Terrorism). President Roosevelt recognized the threat of Imperial Japan and the German Reich; he tried mightily to prepare the People, and in fact, discreetly violated the law to do so. But, it took far too long for the People to recognize the threat and focus on the objective – 10 years. We have been under attack for at least 30 years. I really thought the horrific events of 11.September.2001 would be sufficient to awaken and focus the People. Alas, I was naïve and sadly mistaken.
This issue of privacy is far too important to the future of this Grand Republic to let this topic pass easily. I would appreciate your opinion regarding how John Edwards failed to keep his private life private? What did he do that made his private affairs public? The lesson for me, beyond the obscene violation of the National Inquirer, is his lack of public honesty. We do not know what arrangements, agreements or such that John and Elizabeth Edwards may or may not have had, and it is none of our business and certainly not a matter of proper public interest. We are all sinners. We all have events that could readily become morsels for tabloid press, if the Press dug around in our lives. We, the People, must draw the line, and all that I have seen, read or heard regarding John Edward’s apparent affair with Rielle Hunter tells me the Press did not just cross over the line, they obliterated the line.
. . . round two:
“National will is troublesome these days. Like you I am disappointed in our failure to prosecute this war effectively. I am equally cautious about any successor in these times, but clearly there are striking differences emerging in the two frontrunners for the job. The difference between smart and wise is experience, and smart is not enough. The next president will need to be wise and courageous. It is those two features that may save us from ourselves and our enemies. We'll see who is up to it.
“Agreed on the war of 30 years and probably longer in my view. The attached article below reminds us how easy it is to ignore, forget, or fail to learn history. The events of 9/11 gave us a chance to respond together and stay firm. We did so in the short run, but lost our will. It is the trashing of ourselves in the media and by some political figures that helped us lose our collective will. How we regain it is a mystery right now. I submit that a wise and courageous leader at the helm is a step in the right direction.
“Privacy is a tough issues and I share your disdain for the media chasers. Regardless, here is how Edwards made his behavior public in my view. He became a public figure and, therefore, subject to a different standard in the media. I heard a previous VP candidate from the democratic party on television yesterday comment that the vetting of one's private life is essential when running for national office and nothing is off limits. The vetting of ones life to confirm trustworthiness, secrecy, and loyalty when the job of President, VP and cabinet member requires it is part of running for office and all national candidates know it going in. Edwards failed in all three of those standards and made himself fodder for the media. Like it or not, the standards for public figures differs in some ways from the rest of us as well as how the courts view public figures and privacy. I am prepared to draw the line with you on the invasion of privacy, but the invasion of a public figure's reckless behavior gets blurry. We can all condemn the media for doing it, but I suspect most people will say they are glad they learned it before entering the voting booth. So far, every single person who has spoken to me about it since the story broke has condemned Edwards, not the media. Such is the nature of a free press and sensational headlines even when we don't want to know.
“In effect, I'd say trustworthiness, secrecy, loyalty, wise, and courageous all come together in an ideal leader of nation. Unfortunately, it is hard to find someone with all of them all of the time. We should keep looking regardless. Let's hope our next leader has the integrity to pursue what is right.”
[The contributor also provided the following link to a relevant article about Russo-Georgian War.]
“Russia's Power Play”
by George Will
Washington Post Writers Group
RealClearPolitics.com
Published: August 12, 2008
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/08/european_war_enters_the_presid.html
. . . my response to round two:
Our selection this coming November will indeed be important, more important than in peacetime, and perhaps even critical.
Yes, that is why I normally say ‘at least’ 30 years. I could and have argued for an earlier date like 1972 or 1967, but the 1979 date is easy to defend. Unfortunately, even after 9/11, we have a substantial portion of the American People who still refuse to believe we are or even have been at war with Islamic fascists and jihadistanis. I imagine there was a far smaller portion of our society who pretended we were not at war with Germany and Japan 65 years ago. It must be quite comforting to be clueless.
George Will’s article hit the nail squarely. One sentence seems to sum up the whole dreadful Georgia-Russia confrontation. “This crisis illustrates, redundantly, the paralysis of the U.N. regarding major powers, hence regarding major events, and the fictitiousness of the European Union regarding foreign policy.” He could have added and I will say, this episode also illuminates how drastically thin the U.S. military has been stretched under the Clinton and Bush regimes. Diplomacy has little potency without muscle behind it.
Your observations on the privacy of public figures like Edwards reflect reality, so arguing against reality is like trying to shout in a hurricane. Yet, as much as I rail against the tabloid press and paparazzi, my genuine ire focuses upon the hypocrisy and salacious verve of our fellow citizens and especially the subscribers of the National Inquirer, Star, and all the other bottom-feeding tabloids. I must reiterate my condemnation of Edwards for not telling the truth or at least avoiding the lie. Johnny Boy had Slick Willy Clinton as the perfect example; hypocrisy and dishonesty overpowers private choices and conduct (short of criminal). We do not know what agreements, arrangements or expectations existed between Elizabeth and John, or Hillary and Bill, or any of the others like Larry Craig, Mark Foley, Gary Condit: (Chandra Levy), Ted Kennedy (Mary Jo Kopechne), et al. And, my list is just a mere few of the American politicians, short of the larger body of business executives, actors, royalty, authors, and the myriad of other celebrities. I have a very hard time defending Edwards’ privacy because he always impressed me as an aloof, sanctimonious elitist, who placed himself above the rest of us peons – instant ignition for me. Yet, the National Inquirer went far beyond the line of tolerable Press behavior in stalking and hounding him. He did not commit a crime to my knowledge. If he had an intimate relationship with one or more adults in addition to his wife, the only public interest would be whether he was honest with his wife, but that is really between them. I could return to another favorite topic of mine – abuse of power. Monica Lewinsky was an intern in the employ of the President. Rielle Hunter was a supposed videographer in the employ of the Edwards campaign. Conflict of interest was enormous and pervasive. But, the difference here is Monica chose to confide in another woman who had an axe to grind and chose to violate that confidence. In the Edwards case, none of the principles disclosed the relationship. The message we send our youth and potential future leaders is ‘do not enter politics’ – your private life will never be private again. Of course, some will say live a life of monastic purity before you enter political service – oh wait, even the monastery has its sins. I remain deeply troubled by the National Inquirer’s conduct far more than I am about his relationship with Rielle Hunter. Edwards has never been on any positive list of mine and his stature in my mind has diminished substantially. I doubt we are societally capable of returning to a proper relationship between public and private, but I have always been a dreamer.
. . . round three:
“I share your concerns. In particular, it is the abuse of power that riles many of us. When a boss (President, presidential candidate, university professor, corporate leader, etc.) preys upon, or more indirectly takes advantage of, a subordinate (student, campaign worker, intern, coworker), and the subordinate participates, who is to blame? It is easy to say both, but it is the one in power who failed to show restraint in a position of authority. The same would be true even if the subordinate initiated the inappropriate events. It is still the one in power who must show restraint and discipline to not abuse the authority position regardless of the other person's failure of integrity. In this regard, Lewinsky and Hunter are not the first ones to be reviled even though they may have their own integrity issues to deal with from that moment on. I don't want a leader of monastic purity to elect since it will be hard to find one. I want a leader who understands and practices discretion and privacy. When one other person learns of the indiscretion besides the two parties involved, it is no longer private and all bets are off. The public figures you mention were all outed by somebody. The Enquirer did not make it up this time as another alien abduction. Thus, privacy was lost. Like you, I have no respect for anyone who behaves as though he or she is above any scrutiny. Regardless, I accept the negative side of a free press, even when they fail to let the truth stand in the way of a good story. It infuriates me, but I grudgingly accept it as part of our free society. That is why what goes on between two people regarding infidelities and such, should stay between those two people. It is up to them to keep it that way.”
. . . my response to round three:
Abuse of power is a really big deal with me, and your summary is spot on, from my perspective. The person in authority must have the moral strength and integrity to remove himself from a potential compromising situation. Edwards failed.
As you say, as with most freedom, there is a negative aspect, e.g., freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, freedom of choice, and our fundamental right to privacy. Freedom of the Press is no different. I cannot and would not tolerate any attempted legislation to constrain the Press from such intrusions of privacy. But, I can condemn them, and advocate others not buy their tripe. If it did not sell, they would not be able to do what they do. That said, dogging John Edwards at a hotel is not much different that climbing a tree with a long lens camera to take pictures of some celebrity enjoy the Sun or a dip in their pool, or sticking a camera up the skirt of some dilettante and finding they were going ‘commando.’ If paparazzi can do such things, then where is the line? Further, technology grows in power and pervasiveness by the moment; where will our outrage be when they hack into my personal computer or yours and rummage around your files to find some juicy tidbit for the public’s insatiable salacious appetite? I am still struggling with how John Edwards lost his privacy. Did Rielle Hunter tip-off the Inquirer? Did Elizabeth Edwards disclose her husband’s extramarital philandering in a Press interview? To my knowledge, they had a suspicion, and they staked out his travels until they caught him. Again, to my knowledge, the law protects the Press on such intrusions when felonious criminal activity is involved. Where is the crime here? Where is the public injury here? Where is the proper public or State interest?
At least the British got it right and have begun illuminating the line more brightly.
Mosley v. News Group [[2008] EWHC 1777 (QB); case no: HQ08X01303] [346]
Perhaps, one day, we shall learn another valuable lesson from our British cousins.
. . . round four:
“Well said. The line is blurry about this sorry episode. Unfortunately, criminal activity is not a requirement for a sanctimonious public figure to be vetted and dogged. I suspect we are not done hearing about this affair either since the latest hints at irregular activity with campaign funds. I simply don't want to know any more about him but feel certain his days as a serious public contender may be over. We can only hope...”
. . . my response to round four:
Indeed, we can only hope.
Another contribution:
“One more historical point on noting the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- while it was USAAF aircrews that piloted the planes- it was a USN engineer that did the final assembly in the aircraft, a USNA graduate at that.
My reply:
Well, thank you also for that little factoid. I did not know that. Do you happen to recall the assembler’s name & rank, and what class he was? I’ll note it in the Update. The USN also delivered the devices and operational personnel to Tinian aboard the soon to be ill-fated USS Indianapolis (CA-35).
. . . a follow-up comment:
“His name is William "Deak" Parsons-- he was the 'weaponeer' and performed the final assembly in the bomb bay on the way to Japan. They weren't entirely sure about the bomb and wanted to ensure that if there was a premature detonation during final assembly, that it would wipe out the B-29 fleet. It an interesting task, to say the least. A book about him is listed below. He was Class of '22
“Target Hiroshima: Deak Parsons and the Creation of the Atomic Bomb," Albert B. Christman, ISBN 1-55750-120-3. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1998. [Parsons was a United States Navy weapons specialist and representative to the Manhattan Project. He witnessed seven of the first eight nuclear bomb explosions; and served as the bomb commander and weaponeer during the Enola Gay's mission to bomb Hiroshima, when he performed the final assembly of the "Little Boy" nuclear weapon in the aircraft's bomb bay. He was the task force deputy commander during Operation Crossroads in 1946.]”
Another contribution:
“The situation in Georgia and that part of the world at the moment should be putting FEAR in the hearts of all of us voters, as we approach the up-coming election. SOMEONE is going to be the President who leads us right into the middle of a VERY big Crisis. Could Russia have timed what they are doing to hopefully get their choice of US President elected? Could be! We all know who THEIR choice would be. RIGHT!!!! The guy who wants change!! If he gets elected we will definitely have change!!!”
My response:
I doubt Russia even considered the U.S. presidential election. They have been itching to subdue the breakaway republics since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. They failed to seek international support or condemnation for their claims of ethnic cleansing. This is naked aggression for territorial gain and intimidation of a neighbor state that seeks alignment with Europe. The sad reality is, the West including the United States are grossly undersized to deal with the threats we face, and as a result we have little to no leverage with Russia. Our words ring hollow.
A different contribution:
“Cap, I've thought much about losing parents...lost my dad last September, my close friend and former business partner just lost his dad in January. I've spent probably too much time over decades worrying about my mom's health/status/future. I don't think we are ever ready to lose our parents, although often we might anticipate it or because of perhaps their failing health, we think about it daily and then it strikes. As ready as we might try to prepare ourselves, from psychological to spiritual, I still do not believe we as their children are prepared for the loss and change, the enduring memories. However, through time there is healing and life starts to brighten again and we come to terms with many realms, perhaps we could not prior to these life changing events.
“Often people say things like about loss like ‘they are not suffering anymore’ and while that is true, it does not solve the pain of loss, only God, time, family & friends and support can. And the strength in our belief that there is a better place for your mom, a continuance of her journeys, requires our faith, trust and love of the seen and unseen realms of this universe and heavens.
“I do much of my reflecting in life, with nature, at the ocean, with waves, pelicans, seagulls, blue skies with sunshine to cloudy days with moons. It is amazing if one is calm enough, you can witness all the change of nature in a 4 hour period. Our life is always changing, and times/models/orders/norms, seem to be changing at an accelerating pace (even younger folks sense this). But even with all this change, certain principles (history, destiny) do not change, that being your mom's love for you, your love for her, and her continuance while not physical for now, she remains in the most powerful places--your heart, soul and mind, and nothing and no one can ever take that from us.”
My reply:
Life goes on. Fortunately, my Mom’s great grandchildren reached sufficient age to know her and remember her. My Mother made a conscious decision four years ago not to take aggressive action in treating her pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma. I promised her I would do my best to make her end of days as comfortable as possible; I failed, and I will have more to say as soon as I finished the open letter I promised her I would write. We all handle these inevitable events in our lives differently. Again, thank you for your thoughts and kindness.
My very best wishes to all. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap :-)
“Russia's Power Play”
by George Will
Washington Post Writers Group
RealClearPolitics.com
Published: August 12, 2008
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/08/european_war_enters_the_presid.html
. . . my response to round two:
Our selection this coming November will indeed be important, more important than in peacetime, and perhaps even critical.
Yes, that is why I normally say ‘at least’ 30 years. I could and have argued for an earlier date like 1972 or 1967, but the 1979 date is easy to defend. Unfortunately, even after 9/11, we have a substantial portion of the American People who still refuse to believe we are or even have been at war with Islamic fascists and jihadistanis. I imagine there was a far smaller portion of our society who pretended we were not at war with Germany and Japan 65 years ago. It must be quite comforting to be clueless.
George Will’s article hit the nail squarely. One sentence seems to sum up the whole dreadful Georgia-Russia confrontation. “This crisis illustrates, redundantly, the paralysis of the U.N. regarding major powers, hence regarding major events, and the fictitiousness of the European Union regarding foreign policy.” He could have added and I will say, this episode also illuminates how drastically thin the U.S. military has been stretched under the Clinton and Bush regimes. Diplomacy has little potency without muscle behind it.
Your observations on the privacy of public figures like Edwards reflect reality, so arguing against reality is like trying to shout in a hurricane. Yet, as much as I rail against the tabloid press and paparazzi, my genuine ire focuses upon the hypocrisy and salacious verve of our fellow citizens and especially the subscribers of the National Inquirer, Star, and all the other bottom-feeding tabloids. I must reiterate my condemnation of Edwards for not telling the truth or at least avoiding the lie. Johnny Boy had Slick Willy Clinton as the perfect example; hypocrisy and dishonesty overpowers private choices and conduct (short of criminal). We do not know what agreements, arrangements or expectations existed between Elizabeth and John, or Hillary and Bill, or any of the others like Larry Craig, Mark Foley, Gary Condit: (Chandra Levy), Ted Kennedy (Mary Jo Kopechne), et al. And, my list is just a mere few of the American politicians, short of the larger body of business executives, actors, royalty, authors, and the myriad of other celebrities. I have a very hard time defending Edwards’ privacy because he always impressed me as an aloof, sanctimonious elitist, who placed himself above the rest of us peons – instant ignition for me. Yet, the National Inquirer went far beyond the line of tolerable Press behavior in stalking and hounding him. He did not commit a crime to my knowledge. If he had an intimate relationship with one or more adults in addition to his wife, the only public interest would be whether he was honest with his wife, but that is really between them. I could return to another favorite topic of mine – abuse of power. Monica Lewinsky was an intern in the employ of the President. Rielle Hunter was a supposed videographer in the employ of the Edwards campaign. Conflict of interest was enormous and pervasive. But, the difference here is Monica chose to confide in another woman who had an axe to grind and chose to violate that confidence. In the Edwards case, none of the principles disclosed the relationship. The message we send our youth and potential future leaders is ‘do not enter politics’ – your private life will never be private again. Of course, some will say live a life of monastic purity before you enter political service – oh wait, even the monastery has its sins. I remain deeply troubled by the National Inquirer’s conduct far more than I am about his relationship with Rielle Hunter. Edwards has never been on any positive list of mine and his stature in my mind has diminished substantially. I doubt we are societally capable of returning to a proper relationship between public and private, but I have always been a dreamer.
. . . round three:
“I share your concerns. In particular, it is the abuse of power that riles many of us. When a boss (President, presidential candidate, university professor, corporate leader, etc.) preys upon, or more indirectly takes advantage of, a subordinate (student, campaign worker, intern, coworker), and the subordinate participates, who is to blame? It is easy to say both, but it is the one in power who failed to show restraint in a position of authority. The same would be true even if the subordinate initiated the inappropriate events. It is still the one in power who must show restraint and discipline to not abuse the authority position regardless of the other person's failure of integrity. In this regard, Lewinsky and Hunter are not the first ones to be reviled even though they may have their own integrity issues to deal with from that moment on. I don't want a leader of monastic purity to elect since it will be hard to find one. I want a leader who understands and practices discretion and privacy. When one other person learns of the indiscretion besides the two parties involved, it is no longer private and all bets are off. The public figures you mention were all outed by somebody. The Enquirer did not make it up this time as another alien abduction. Thus, privacy was lost. Like you, I have no respect for anyone who behaves as though he or she is above any scrutiny. Regardless, I accept the negative side of a free press, even when they fail to let the truth stand in the way of a good story. It infuriates me, but I grudgingly accept it as part of our free society. That is why what goes on between two people regarding infidelities and such, should stay between those two people. It is up to them to keep it that way.”
. . . my response to round three:
Abuse of power is a really big deal with me, and your summary is spot on, from my perspective. The person in authority must have the moral strength and integrity to remove himself from a potential compromising situation. Edwards failed.
As you say, as with most freedom, there is a negative aspect, e.g., freedom of speech, the right to bear arms, freedom of choice, and our fundamental right to privacy. Freedom of the Press is no different. I cannot and would not tolerate any attempted legislation to constrain the Press from such intrusions of privacy. But, I can condemn them, and advocate others not buy their tripe. If it did not sell, they would not be able to do what they do. That said, dogging John Edwards at a hotel is not much different that climbing a tree with a long lens camera to take pictures of some celebrity enjoy the Sun or a dip in their pool, or sticking a camera up the skirt of some dilettante and finding they were going ‘commando.’ If paparazzi can do such things, then where is the line? Further, technology grows in power and pervasiveness by the moment; where will our outrage be when they hack into my personal computer or yours and rummage around your files to find some juicy tidbit for the public’s insatiable salacious appetite? I am still struggling with how John Edwards lost his privacy. Did Rielle Hunter tip-off the Inquirer? Did Elizabeth Edwards disclose her husband’s extramarital philandering in a Press interview? To my knowledge, they had a suspicion, and they staked out his travels until they caught him. Again, to my knowledge, the law protects the Press on such intrusions when felonious criminal activity is involved. Where is the crime here? Where is the public injury here? Where is the proper public or State interest?
At least the British got it right and have begun illuminating the line more brightly.
Mosley v. News Group [[2008] EWHC 1777 (QB); case no: HQ08X01303] [346]
Perhaps, one day, we shall learn another valuable lesson from our British cousins.
. . . round four:
“Well said. The line is blurry about this sorry episode. Unfortunately, criminal activity is not a requirement for a sanctimonious public figure to be vetted and dogged. I suspect we are not done hearing about this affair either since the latest hints at irregular activity with campaign funds. I simply don't want to know any more about him but feel certain his days as a serious public contender may be over. We can only hope...”
. . . my response to round four:
Indeed, we can only hope.
Another contribution:
“One more historical point on noting the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki -- while it was USAAF aircrews that piloted the planes- it was a USN engineer that did the final assembly in the aircraft, a USNA graduate at that.
My reply:
Well, thank you also for that little factoid. I did not know that. Do you happen to recall the assembler’s name & rank, and what class he was? I’ll note it in the Update. The USN also delivered the devices and operational personnel to Tinian aboard the soon to be ill-fated USS Indianapolis (CA-35).
. . . a follow-up comment:
“His name is William "Deak" Parsons-- he was the 'weaponeer' and performed the final assembly in the bomb bay on the way to Japan. They weren't entirely sure about the bomb and wanted to ensure that if there was a premature detonation during final assembly, that it would wipe out the B-29 fleet. It an interesting task, to say the least. A book about him is listed below. He was Class of '22
“Target Hiroshima: Deak Parsons and the Creation of the Atomic Bomb," Albert B. Christman, ISBN 1-55750-120-3. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 1998. [Parsons was a United States Navy weapons specialist and representative to the Manhattan Project. He witnessed seven of the first eight nuclear bomb explosions; and served as the bomb commander and weaponeer during the Enola Gay's mission to bomb Hiroshima, when he performed the final assembly of the "Little Boy" nuclear weapon in the aircraft's bomb bay. He was the task force deputy commander during Operation Crossroads in 1946.]”
Another contribution:
“The situation in Georgia and that part of the world at the moment should be putting FEAR in the hearts of all of us voters, as we approach the up-coming election. SOMEONE is going to be the President who leads us right into the middle of a VERY big Crisis. Could Russia have timed what they are doing to hopefully get their choice of US President elected? Could be! We all know who THEIR choice would be. RIGHT!!!! The guy who wants change!! If he gets elected we will definitely have change!!!”
My response:
I doubt Russia even considered the U.S. presidential election. They have been itching to subdue the breakaway republics since the dissolution of the Soviet Union. They failed to seek international support or condemnation for their claims of ethnic cleansing. This is naked aggression for territorial gain and intimidation of a neighbor state that seeks alignment with Europe. The sad reality is, the West including the United States are grossly undersized to deal with the threats we face, and as a result we have little to no leverage with Russia. Our words ring hollow.
A different contribution:
“Cap, I've thought much about losing parents...lost my dad last September, my close friend and former business partner just lost his dad in January. I've spent probably too much time over decades worrying about my mom's health/status/future. I don't think we are ever ready to lose our parents, although often we might anticipate it or because of perhaps their failing health, we think about it daily and then it strikes. As ready as we might try to prepare ourselves, from psychological to spiritual, I still do not believe we as their children are prepared for the loss and change, the enduring memories. However, through time there is healing and life starts to brighten again and we come to terms with many realms, perhaps we could not prior to these life changing events.
“Often people say things like about loss like ‘they are not suffering anymore’ and while that is true, it does not solve the pain of loss, only God, time, family & friends and support can. And the strength in our belief that there is a better place for your mom, a continuance of her journeys, requires our faith, trust and love of the seen and unseen realms of this universe and heavens.
“I do much of my reflecting in life, with nature, at the ocean, with waves, pelicans, seagulls, blue skies with sunshine to cloudy days with moons. It is amazing if one is calm enough, you can witness all the change of nature in a 4 hour period. Our life is always changing, and times/models/orders/norms, seem to be changing at an accelerating pace (even younger folks sense this). But even with all this change, certain principles (history, destiny) do not change, that being your mom's love for you, your love for her, and her continuance while not physical for now, she remains in the most powerful places--your heart, soul and mind, and nothing and no one can ever take that from us.”
My reply:
Life goes on. Fortunately, my Mom’s great grandchildren reached sufficient age to know her and remember her. My Mother made a conscious decision four years ago not to take aggressive action in treating her pulmonary squamous cell carcinoma. I promised her I would do my best to make her end of days as comfortable as possible; I failed, and I will have more to say as soon as I finished the open letter I promised her I would write. We all handle these inevitable events in our lives differently. Again, thank you for your thoughts and kindness.
My very best wishes to all. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap :-)
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