APRIL FIRST 2011 - Day Of Fools; The Day Of Rage

Happy Fools Day :>

edited 11/04/04

Onion Storm hits the Northeast... no joke... another day off from work. I don't mind, except it's one more vacation day I don't have this year, and it's been one of those years with winter storms.

It's been one of those years, period.

A few posts ago I designated today "The Day of Rage" for those of us here at home in the US. That day has come. So let's see what I can Rant and Rage about - whether you agree or not, well that's why you can post COMMENTS!

We are not a country "isolated" from the rest of the world - that is more obvious and apparent everyday; from the emergence of SUPERBUGS like MRSA, Tuberculosis and much more to come, to radiation drifting here from a crippled Japan. If you're not aware of what's going on in Japan right now and for the past few weeks shame on you - must be nice living in a hole in the ground. Their disaster is our disaster, same as with Libya, which fortunately, UN Resolution 1973 actually is a victory not only for civilians in Libya, but me too, as I called for action in a previous post to help civilians (rebels, they're called) in Libya.

Well President Obama has taken quite a beating over his actions in Libya, though I'm not surprised. Sure, he seemed slow on the action necessary to intervene in Libya, but, and this is a BIG BUT, for the first time in American history we have a President who worked with the international community before jumping into an overseas conflict. France actually got the ball rolling, and President Obama and SoS Hilary Clinton worked with France, Briton and the UN to establish a legal intervention... and of course our Congress is upset!

A little background: Our Congress supported former President George Bush in his hasty decision to wipe out Iraq... while a more rational war raged in Afghanistan. Iraq was unnecessary in my opinion, and Pres. Bush didn't get a UN mandate.He was more like a kid with a hand grenade eager to throw it... and Congress was an incapable parent who couldn't stop him. As a result, liberals now cry about how we're entrenched in two major wars, and how we shouldn't help rebels in Libya.

Well, hate to say it but if our elected officials had acted appropriately then, the war in Afghanistan would be over, and Iraq wouldn't have happened. We'd then be able to assist rebels in Libya without concerns of yet another war and the cost.

Can't wait to see what Tea-Party Republicans do to balance the National Debt... all I know is it won't be pretty.

I support President Obama and his actions in Libya. Just want to make that clear.

Other Fools news that is for real...

The other day I caught a news story - CNN, a statement by American Cancer Society, strongly warning, of use of medical marijuana for cancer patients. They claimed much more research needs to be done to determine marijuana is safe to use if you have cancer. What I found shocking was that "marijuana" has been used medicinally now for decades. And they are only now waking up???

Cannabis, akamarijuana, has been used since pre-history. It only got to be known as marijuana in the 1930's. Something I've already covered in a previous post.

I would give anything to see our country become the next step in the Master Plan for the human race. An awakening. 2012.

We are the pot with the boiling broth of nearly every "race" in the world. I put race in quotes as there aren't races, except in socially; there is diversity, a birthright, that what you're born with, you inherit at birth.

I found it ironic that our current Homeland Security Advisor, Janet Napolitano emphasized that the violence caused by the Mexican Drug Cartels has not crossed our borders. But how can that be??? The US population is one of the largest consumers of "illegal drugs" like cocaine and marijuana. The whole purpose of the War on Drugs is to stop the violence those drugs cause - yet the violence isn't here??? Are they, she, suggesting "pot-heads" just sit around and smoke marijuana peacefully? I think she is!

So why the WAR?

Why were three Filipino citizens put to death recently for drug trafficking? Image and additional subject matter courtesy CNN:

The irony of this whole death sentence is that the Philippine government mostly was passive about the deaths, with government officials stating that the three, two women and one man got what they deserved. To say otherwise, they said they would appear "soft on drugs". Well, drink up and smoke your tobacco.

Meanwhile, several Chinese citizens benefited from the deaths of the three due to strict regulations the Chinese gov't has imposed on organ donors. The following story highlights that scandalous news... in that, those put to death are legal fodder for involuntary organ donation... the goal, arrest more drug traffickers, put more to death, and hopefully provide much needed organs for transplant. The following link courtesy MSNBC: Chinese Man Wakes Up - Minus His Kidney!

The preceding wasn't a joke - it's us who are the fools!!! Reality Check!!! STOP THE HURT!!!!!

LIBYA: U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL PASSES RESOLUTION 10 - 0 TO PROTECT CITIZENS

The US, France and Briton along with Arab Councils voted to stop Gaddafi - his indiscriminate slaughter of Libyan citizens. 5 countries abstained from voting - Russia and China, but by abstaining, they allowed the resolution to pass without veto. The U.N. Security Council will use any means to intervene in harm to Libyan civilians, which includes the rebels who are civilians fighting for independence from a ruthless dictator who has ZERO legitimacy as a ruler of the country.

This in contrast to other countries like Bahrain, Yemen, Saudi Arabia who have established ruling parties, Kings or Queens.

Gaddafi is merely the overseer of Libya, a country that back in the 1970's established independence from foreign control. The type of government was established as one governed by the people, and the "leader" was Gaddafi who's been in a position of governance for nearly 40 years. He is not a king, and the people asked him to step down. He refused. Protests ensued, and violence that has claimed the lives of many hundreds of civilians.

Gaddafi instead vowed to maintain leadership against the wishes of the people, and has launched a violent retaliation against those opposed to his leadership. It should be noted that starting with France and the US, Gaddafi is no longer recognized as the leader of Libya. The international community which includes the Arab League, have asked him to step down and he has defied the order.

SOURCE: WIKIPEDIA

What this means:

The international community has vowed to use all means possible to prevent further harm to Libyan This includes military intervention.

My opinion: Hurray! I support intervention in Libya... in contrast my opinion about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are different. Iraq - No. Afghanistan; if GWB had kept focused on the initial military operations and not strayed to Iraq, all would most likely have worked out okay. But he didn't. We shouldn't let those military operations confuse us as to our intervention in Libya. The people of Libya need us, and we, the international community need to see Gaddafi ousted from power! As he has already been ousted.

BOBKAT'S VIEW OF WORLD NEWS - IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD!

Writing a blog with individual stories is fine, but reality has a way of overwhelming one. Such is world news as I see it.A few opinions to share:

LIBYA:

Colonel Gaddafi, "KING OF LIBYA", is close to crushing what many around the world are calling a civil war. Crushing "the Rebels".The "Rebels" have asked for help in their fight for independence from King Gaddafi. The only country thus far to offer any support that I can see is France. And why not - they came to our aid in 1776 against the British. With the Rebel Forces nearly crushed we have a madman as King, controlling North Africa. A King with a reputation... torture, terrorism, and deceit. Madness also. Last I knew we were buddy/buddy with Gaddafi... but President Obama has stated Gaddafi is no longer leader of Libya. "He needs to step down".

Well, he's not. He's the King, who isn't a King, crushing those seeking and fighting for liberation. We haven't lifted a finger to help.

Why?

Some cite the growing threat of other rebellions in the Middle East. Bahrain, Yemen, Saudi Arabia. Others are unsure of what just happened in Egypt and Tunisia. Both countries had dictators considered "friendly" to the US. On closer inspection, they were both tyrants and not worthy of our friendship. My opinion.

Then there's the two "wars" we are already sucked into... Afghanistan, which if Ex-Pres George Bush had stuck to his agenda would most likely be under control, but rather, he diverted the military to Iraq, a colossal mistake I assume by many.

There's war fatigue, on the part of the American public. So why assist rebels in Libya?

It's simple. Colonel Gaddafi is not the leader of Libya, he's a foreign power conquering Libya, and Libya is an Ally. What's happening in Libya is a Revolution, not a Civil War.

JAPAN:

Tragedy for which there are no words. A country as best prepared as technologically possible crushed by nature, and further destroyed by it's own high tech infrastructure/nuclear power plants. The loss of life, the damage, the people suffering - I don't think we as a world get it yet! Haiti, we could understand in that they were a poor nation, and helpless. But Japan? This is a cataclysm, the like of which we will feel for many years. I think right now the world is in shock. I think we need to come out of it!

GLOBAL WARMING AND ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS:

They're very real. The fourth largest mass extinction of life on the planet is underway NOW! It's predicted 75% of all life on our planet will be extinct within a couple hundred years or less. This compared to previous mass extinctions that took thousands of years, maybe millions. We're on an accelerated course to some of the most devastating changes in climate, and those in power seem to cling to skepticism and looking the other way. A lot is being done by others, but not anywhere close to what needs to be done.

CIVILIZED SOCIETY DOES NOT POINT THE FINGER AT THE VICTIM:

18 men, ages 14 - 28 gang rape and assault a young girl in Texas. I recall she was 14, but could have been 11. Doesn't matter. The community where it happened in in turmoil. Many on the side of the victim, many on the side of the alleged perpetrators. Those in the latter group feel a woman that young has the maturity to say "STOP". "NO".

Get real... Adults in a civilized society do not take advantage of underage girls!!! What were they doing having sex with her to begin with?

"MARIJUANA BY THE NUMBERS":

CNBC SPECIAL REPORT:

"If legal, marijuana would be a $40-billion-a-year industry in the U.S.

Though not nearly as popular as alcohol or tobacco, marijuana has become part of the nation's social fabric. Some 30 million Americans consume cannabis in the average year."

That can be looked at two different ways; 1) 30 million potential law-breakers subject to severe criminal consequences, Drug Rehap Programs; Discrimination; Alienation; FEAR; DARE; yet their risk of DEATH is near ZERO, compared to the harm (potentially and realistically) caused by tobacco or alcohol, which are legal.

OR: 30 million American taxpayers and citizens enjoying what God provided. Ganja! Free of FEAR.

It's time put our technology, our government, our people to work solving real issues, and not chasing fantasies.

CONCLUSION:

Choose your battles... wisely. On the list of potential extinctions we are up there on the list. There is a great deal that could lead to our extinction. Ignorance in particular. And look... "The Emperor Wears No Clothes".

Put together survival plans...

Gaddafi; The Libyan Revolution - 2011

Generally I just take world news in stride. Libya is the exception. Gaddafi in particular.

There are many photos of the fighting going on in Libya right now and the past few weeks. There are excellent maps of the conflict areas, who holds them, pro or rebel, yet I hear often "little news is getting out".

Maybe Julian Assange could do a better job! Fact is, Gaddafi is a nutcase. He claims many things:

1) The youth are on drugs provided by Al Quida. Hallucinogens. Terrorist are at our doorstep... deluding the children, that must be "silenced", lest they enlighten "my faithful". Gaddafi madness, but not so different than other historical events that claimed "drugs were distorting the people's sight". Gaddafi's delusion sheds light on our own paranoia that "drugs are to blame". Sometimes they are. The question is, what do you think - rebels high on drugs, or are they revolutionaries who could use our help???

2) His country is as Gaddafi puts it: is a "government of the people", "no leader but the people"... the same people he's murdering, the rebels - who are the people telling him to GO!!!

3) Recent evidence strongly alleges a connection betwee Gaddafi and terrorist acts. If true, a bounty should be put on his head, ASAP.

4) It's being called a civil war... but the Libyans aren't fighting against each other, but rather, the rebels are fighting Gaddafi "loyalists", making him something of a king, or so he's pretending.

Civil War I vote we stay out of it.

Revolution: I vote we assist the rebels with everything we have, like the French did to help us win our Revolution against Great Briton.

We need to act NOW.

Libya could become the stabilizing force in the Middle East. There's no question but that Libyan rebels have done something extraordinary - they need help.

The alternative is a Libya with a "Madman as King".