Update from the
Heartland
No.664
1.9.14 – 7.9.14
Blog version: http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/
To all,
The follow-up news items:
-- Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin continues to press his
hegemonic efforts in Eastern Ukraine [640,
657, 659], as his henchmen labor mightily to confuse and distract
international condemnation. NATO
leadership met at the Celtic Manor Resort in Newport, Wales, United Kingdom, this
week to discuss Putin’s actions and NATO’s response as well as the ISIL actions
and response.
I
acknowledge a lot of folks resent the comparison of Putin to Stalin or Hitler,
but ol’ Voldya continues to make the association with the two dictators of the
20th Century who singularly killed more human beings between them
than anyone or group of someones in recorded history. What is worse, Voldya keeps heaping on the evidence to
bolster the image emerging from the violence in Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. He has not been happy with the Ukraine
since the winter revolution, and the abdication and flight of his buddy Viktor
Fedorovych Yanukovych [21.2.2014].
Perhaps, Putin has a variety of motivations for his conduct like
resentment of the Ukrainian efforts to move closer to Europe rather than
Russia, or maybe he is seeking to return Russia to the glory days of the Union
of Soviet Socialist Republics; or he wants a lot of ground between Moscow and
his perception of a non-substantive threat. To my knowledge, after the capitulation of Germany in 1945,
no nation-state has threatened Russia.
I suppose in the Russian psyche anyone who resists their dicta or hegemonic
aggression is a threat.
I
have always been intrigued by the circular argument to justify bad
conduct. Stalin was a genuine
master, as was Hitler. Putin is
working feverishly to rise up on that infamous list. Each of them threatened their neighbors, and then used the
neighbor’s defensive actions to protect their people as rationale for taking
offensive action. The term used in
this forum is duality.
Has
anyone asked why so many of Russia’s neighbors – Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania,
Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine – either joined or aided the Germans during World
War II? Why is it Russia wants to
carve off parts of Ukraine? . . .
to help the disenfranchised ethnic Russian Ukrainians? Really? Where are the claims of abuse from this abused people?
We have two relevant opinions that may be
useful.
Best Defense Blog, foreignpolicy.com
Published: SEPTEMBER 2, 2014 - 11:58 AM
By Jakub Grygiel and A. Wess Mitchell
Best Defense Guest columnists
To my thinking, this is very sound advice. I would adjust this advice slightly. As Winston Churchill said in July 1940,
“What matters are actions, not words.”
Further, never threaten or even suggest anything we are not fully
prepared to execute. Russia has invaded
Ukraine, regardless of what words the President chooses to use. We cannot allow Russia to carve up
Ukraine no matter how angry Voldya may be . . . period!
Then,
two versions of the same George Will opinion:
“Vladimir
Putin’s Hitlerian Mind -- The Russian president’s fascist revival in
Eastern Europe poses a unique threat to the West.”
By George Will
National Review
Published: SEPTEMBER 3, 2014 8:00 PM
and
“An eye on the Baltic states?”
By George F.
Will, Opinion writer
Washington Post
Published: September 3 [2014]
Another set of related questions:
If Putin feels threatened, by whom?
Has anyone invaded Russia?
Has anyone encroached upon Russian territory?
Who is even threatening ethnic Russian Ukrainians?
I understand there are probably Russians who truly believe
everything east of the River Oder and north of the Black Sea is Russian
territory. If so, it is
delusional, revisionist history and cannot be tolerated by any freedom-loving
nation. If diplomacy cannot
succeed in returning the Russians to their borders, then war it is. Putin does not want to see NATO / U.S.
troops on its border and especially in Ukraine; then, we must mobilize and put
sufficient forces to defend Ukraine.
Putin has created this confrontation. We must not blink, concede, or allow Putin to gain what he
seeks.
News from the economic front:
-- The European Central Bank (ECB) unexpectedly cut its
benchmark main refinancing rate from 0.15% to 0.05% and further decreased its
base rate – 0.2% from – 0.1%, for their deposits parked at the central bank. The ECB remains concerned about
stagnation in the eurozone economy and fragile recovery from the Great
Recession.
-- United States District Judge Carl Joseph Barbier of the
Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans found the energy company BP was
grossly negligent in the Deepwater Horizon rig explosion and oil spill
{20.4.2010} [436, 442, 456], making the company liable for as much as US$18B in further
civil penalties under the Clean Water Act of 1972 (CWA) [PL 92-500; 86 Stat. 816; 18.10.1972]. The judge also found Transocean, the
owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig, and Halliburton, which performed the cement
work on the well, were each guilty of simple negligence. He ascribed blame 67% to BP, 30% to
Transocean, and 3% to Halliburton.
-- The Labor Department reported non-farm employment
advanced a seasonally adjusted 142,000 in August. The disappointing result breaks a six-month run of jobs
growth above 200,000 and came in well below expectations. The unemployment rate ticked down
another notch, from 6.2 to 6.1 per centum. The stumble in the labor markets reflects
the uneven U.S. economic growth and conflicts with numerous other positive
indicators.
London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR)
Debacle [552]:
-- In the continuing struggle to bring the perpetrators of
the LIBOR Debacle to justice, the march is not always relentlessly
forward. The Financial Times [of London] reported the third of a string of chief
prosecutors left government service and the investigation of the LIBOR scandal. The latest Department of Justice (DoJ)
lawyer to flee is the former chief of the fraud section Jeffrey Knox, who will
join Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett, the U.S.-headquartered law firm, as a
partner in its Washington DC office.
Knox follows the former head of the DoJ’s anti-corruption team Charles
Duross, who joined Morrison & Foerster this year, and the DoJ criminal
division’s former acting assistant attorney-general, Mythili Raman, who went to
Covington & Burling. These
departures are not a positive sign for those of us who want to see successful
prosecutions and prison sentences.
-- So we don’t lose focus . . . the infamous 16, involved,
international banks are:
- · Barclays [UK] – US$454M fine [550]; Singapore sanctions [600]; three charged {Johnson, Mathew, Contogoulas} [636]
- · Bank of America [U.S.] – Singapore sanctions [600]
- · BTMU [Japan] – Singapore sanctions [600]
- · Citigroup [U.S.] – Singapore sanctions [600]
- · Credit Suisse [Switzerland] – Singapore sanctions [600]
- · Deutsche Bank [Germany] – US$654M LIBOR profit [578]; set aside €500M (US$641M) for LIBOR liability [589]; Singapore sanctions [600]
- · Lloyds TSB [UK] – fined US$370M [659]
- · HSBC [UK] – Singapore sanctions [600]
- · HBOS [UK]
- · JPMorgan Chase [U.S.] – Singapore sanctions [600]
- · Norinchuckin [Japan]
- · Rabobank [Netherlands] – fined €774M (£663M, US$1.06B); CEO resigned; 30 others censured [620]; three charged {Robson, Thompson, Motomura} [631]
- · RBC [Canada]
- · RBS [UK] – £390M (US$612.6M) in fines, 21 employees involved [582]; Singapore sanctions [600]
- · UBS [Switzerland] – US$1.5B fine, two charged {Hayes, Darin} [575]; Singapore sanctions [600]
- · West LB [Germany]
Added to the list by the Monetary Authority of Singapore [600]:
- · ING [Netherlands] – Singapore sanctions [600]
- · BNP Paribas [France] – Singapore sanctions [600]
- · Crédit Agricole [France] – Singapore sanctions [600]
- · DBS [Singapore] – Singapore sanctions [600]
- · Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation [Singapore] – Singapore sanctions [600]
- · Standard Chartered [UK] – Singapore sanctions [600]
- · United Overseas Bank [Singapore] – Singapore sanctions [600]
- · Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. [Australia] – Singapore sanctions [600]
- · Macquarie [Australia] – Singapore sanctions [600]
- · Commerzbank [Germany] – Singapore sanctions [600]
Others involved:
- · R.P. Martin Holdings Ltd. [UK] – two charged {Farr, Gilmour} [583]
- · ICAP [UK] – fined US$87M + three executives charged {Read, Wilkinson, Goodman} [615]
I trust none of us will lose sight of what these banks have
done. Lest we forget!
Comments
and contributions from Update no.663:
“That engine is enormous. Every few years we ride the
Cumbres and Toltec narrow gauge railway at Antonito, CO. It's a family favorite.”
My reply:
It
is a very powerful machine, woefully under-utilized on such little excursions,
but it was nice feeling the monster perform.
We’ve
not done the Antonito train. We’ll
have to add that to our list. We
cannot remember if we have done the Durango train, but that should be done or
re-done, either way.
Another contribution:
“Trip sounds awesome. Going to put that on my bucket list
for a trip when I finally retire-3 yrs???...thx for info.
“Hope to see you again someday.”
“PS: what type bike are you riding? What bike trips (bucket
list) have you done? I love riding but [my wife is] not a rider.”
My response:
Worth
the effort. Timing is essential,
as most train excursions use a vintage diesel engine rather than the 3415 steam
engine. The Eisenhower Museum
& Library are also worth the visit to Abilene.
I’ve
got a 2011 Harley Road King . . . great bike. Jeanne will ride on short trips like to lunch or dinner when
the weather is moderate, but she refuses to ride more than 30 minutes or
so. Abilene has been my longest so
far 2.5 hrs on a roundabout, back road route. Next up for me will be Liberal to their aviation museum . .
. about 3.5 hrs each way. Then, KC
to the WW1 Museum . . . 4.5 hrs.
Still have Sturgis on the list; not done that pilgrimage as yet.
Round two:
“All sounds great...maybe join ya on the sturgis trip...let
me know if ever Orlando/Daytona way...we're headed (wx permitting) to
Pensacola, do aviation museum, back...spend nite in apalachicola on way
there...undecided on rtn trip..riding is my ‘flying’ now a days, and love the
"wind therapy"! Massive stress release.
“Safe rides my friend!”
My response to round
two:
What
you be ridin’, brother?
Pensacola,
ay. Y’re a lot farther along than
me. Enjoy the ride.
I
agree. The bike is the closest we
can get to flyin’ on earth. Love
it. Stress relief indeed!
Ride
safe. Take care and enjoy.
Round three:
“'07 Springer soft tail...great country, curvy, hilly roads
here..but rent a Limited for long rides...have done Key West and Apalachicola
(waved off Pensacola due to rain day delay, so re-sked)..did 2010 9-11 Memorial
Ride, Awesome..did auto train Sanford to Lorton, VA...3000 bikes, very patriotic,
all except NY city folks and Bloomberg, but paid our Respects to all lost in
spite of them!!”
My response to round
three:
Y're
way ahead to me. Key West is on my list of road trips, but that is not close.
As noted earlier, I'm building up; I've a lot of experience to acquire on the
way. I'm not so sure about large
bike rides . . . too easy to lose control . . . like a mob. Guess I need more experience, huh. Sturgis is a target for next year. A
friend of mine has been many times and offered to be a guide.
Round four:
“Roger all. I don’t normally do large groups. Do some
charity rides locally for right causes but usually 2-4 of us out on country
roads, try hard to avoid 4 lanes/Interstate (super slab) type routes, usually 175-250
miles/day, unbelievable therapy for me, come back pumped like from a good flight.
Let’s stay in touch about Sturgis, who knows, next year might be the year. I’ll
give you a call sometime and we’ll just catch up.”
My response to round
four:
Super
slabs . . . indeed! Country rides are so much more enjoyable. Lots of country
out here. By all means, let's stay in touch and look for the opportunity.
A different
contribution:
“I had read about the steam railway, sorry, railroad trips
from Abilene! I had no idea of the size of the loco, quite a beast especially
compared to the equivalent over here where these venues normally operate
smaller locos. None the less you had a stunning day in Abilene. Still one of my
dreams.
“We spoke earlier about the German invasion of the Channel
Islands. To my knowledge it’s a subject that seems to have passed the British
public by. Indeed as you know Churchill didn’t seem to be bothered by it and
believed than eventually it would end in failure but of course Herr Hitler had
other ideas. Ideas of controlling the Atlantic wall and whatever sailed onto
England. What did surprise me was those who cooperated with the invaders, those
who slept with them and generally made life comfortable for themselves and the
enemy. I suppose this went on in many societies. I wondered how we English
would re-act to such a situation. What a thought, a ghastly one at that.
“Then of course at the end of the war Mr Churchill knew of
the situation the invaders were in and waited for the surrender which took a
long time coming. Yes Cap, there must be a story there, part fact part fiction
perhaps. I need to return and do some digging. I did make a very useful lady
contact on our last trip who actually as a child remembered the invaders. I
must contact her. The island is full of history.”
My reply:
The
3415 locomotive is indeed a beast; much bigger than I imagined. I am so glad they restored it to
operating condition, and I truly hope they can continue operating it for a long
time. It was a very popular engine
among U.S. railroads in the 1st half of the 20th Century. The little excursion hardly displays
the power of the machine, but it is well still worth the effort to experience
the breathing machine.
I
will offer a slightly contrarian perspective. I think Churchill cared a great deal about the loss of the
Channel Islands; he was driven by history, preservation of the empire, and
sovereignty of the Crown. He was
also a realist. He recognized
perhaps more than anyone else on the planet at the time that without England,
the entire empire was lost. And,
after the debacle of the Battle of France and the monumental (verging on
catastrophic) losses on the Continent, the only hope the British had was to thwart
the impending & apparently inevitable German invasion before any German
soldier could set foot on English soil.
He even knew that the power of the Royal Navy would be seriously, if not
fatally, diminished without local air superiority. He had to husband the scarce resources very carefully. The defense of the Channel Islands
simply was not within the capacity of Great Britain in 1940. As tragic as the decision was, I
believe HMG made the only viable decision available – demilitarize the Channel
Islands to avoid unnecessary and unproductive bloodshed.
Collaboration
is always a very touchy issue. I
tend to divide such conduct into “getting along” and “aiding the enemy.” Being an informant for the enemy to me
is far worse that being a prostitute who services enemy soldiers. Most folks just want to live peaceful
lives, being friendly, respectful and compliant to an occupier, as long as no
one is injured or harmed, is simply getting along with life. Getting along is more akin to survival,
while aiding the enemy is quite like taking up arms against your own
people. Sometimes, there is a fine
line. I think there have been
collaborators in both categories in every occupation, in every war.
Yet, another
contribution:
“So wonderful to hear all the details of your experience.
Was this the train on the Rock Island line? There was a song about this, I
believe, probably several. The Atchison, Topeka, and the Santa Fe rings bells
too. Steam engines/trains are such a powerful feat of engineering that I can’t
help but be awe-struck.
“Your descriptions remind me of taking the train, though
not ‘steam,’ from Oakland, CA to Kansas. I remember you picking me up
at the station. I especially loved climbing the Rocky Mountains and how vast
this country is. I could not help but imagine what it was like to be able
to travel so fast, compared to a stagecoach. Marking a new era of profound
change. Though it was a very long trip, I will never forget the
experience. And arriving at the Topeka station having a boisterous laugh
because I had come full circle from a road trip years earlier.
“You talked about the smell of the land and it reminded
me how much you especially loved the fragrance of the freshly harvested
alfalfa fields on our sojourns through the rich valley of the San Joaquin
(California) on our way to the Parlier picnics as kids. Always amazes me
the memories that get triggered by a mere suggestion.
“Thanks again for sharing your adventure and I love it when
you open the Update.. with your life.”
My response:
“Rock
Island Line” made popular by Johnny Cash, as I recall.
Atchison,
Topeka, and the Santa Fe . . . also a railroad of the past; now part of BNSF –
the merged railroad Burlington Northern.
Yeah,
I remember the pick-up as well. We
considered a rail trip out on the last trip to California . . . too expensive
and too long. One day we will do
it, but we would have to go through Chicago to go through the Sierras.
Yes,
and I still do love the smell of freshly cut alfalfa, but it is much harder to
find out here on the Great Plains.
I have seen fields, but I’ve not been there when they cut them, as yet.
I’m
glad you enjoyed the Update. There
will be more travelogues I’m sure.
Comment to the Blog:
“That is a nice piece on the restored railroad. I am
surprised that you heard so little of the engine over the noise of the rails.
You have taught me something. Thank you.
“Your observation that the ‘training and application’ of
military tactics and equipment matters more than the equipment as such is
insightful. So long as ordinary people are treated as ‘insurgents,’ this is not
a free country. I would not mind having that equipment, with appropriate
maintenance, waiting somewhere near any given city for the time a prepper's
nightmare/dream comes true but in the meantime we need to see each other as
people, not ‘the enemy.’”
My response to the
Blog:
I’m
gratified the Update had some value this week.
Ordinary
people do not destroy property and loot stores under the cover of a
protest. There would have been no
reason to call out the heavy hardware, if there had been no riots. We should be directing our anger at the
instigators.
Round two:
“Re Ferguson: there is always plenty of blame to go around.
The police officer killed an unarmed man who had his hands up, and his
superiors initially refused to consider discipline, much less charges, against
that officer. Who then are the instigators?”
My response to round
two:
Armed
or unarmed is not the primary issue; deadly force can be applied without a
weapon. Was the officer
threatened? Was Brown compliant to
the officer’s instructions? The
combination of his size, location, defiance, belligerence, perhaps even
antagonism may have added to the threat.
Could
it have been the other way around, i.e., Wilson was just a rogue cop looking
for a fight, looking to kill a black man?
Sure, it could be. However,
the available evidence suggests far more strongly the former rather than the
latter scenario.
What
if Wilson antagonized Brown unfairly and unreasonably? Was confronting an armed police officer
in the middle of a residential street the correct way to protest an unruly cop?
There
are bad cops. There are also
proper ways of dealing with bad cops.
I’ve seen NO evidence that Wilson was a bad cop. I have seen evidence Brown was not the
innocent, little angel as he is portrayed.
Round three:
“According to the coroner, Brown had his hands up. Whether
Wilson had reason to dislike him is not an issue. The real tragedy is that
Wilson was not a rogue in the sense of being different from his fellows. He had
won an award and seems to have been highly regarded. The issue is the
departmental attitude toward black citizens.”
My response to round
three:
That
is not quite the way I read the coroner’s report. I believe the interpretation of the facts as reported
suggest Brown may have had his hands raised, not that he did.
If
the federal civil rights investigation yields rampant discriminatory actions or
even attitudes by the Ferguson Police Department toward citizens with dark skin
pigmentation, then there should be clear, definitive, aggressive action taken
against the police leadership in Ferguson. Short of those facts, let us remember antagonism of the
police could also be a motivation for the incident.
One last comment:
“The travelogue is fine with me. I enjoyed the outing
vicariously through your words. Thank you.”
My very best wishes to all. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Cheers,
Cap :-)
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