Packages
Friday, May 1, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Man-Made Disasters
Here is a quote from DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano, former governor of Arizona with SPIEGEL (a German Weekly New Magazine) :
I understand avoiding "over-simplification from the far right and from the far left," but if this is middle ground what is far left "acts of misguided youth?"
How about we just call it for what it is:
On {Date} we were { X } by { Y }.
X = action performed
Y= name of person, group, country
SPIEGEL: Madame Secretary, in your first testimony to the US Congress as Homeland Security Secretary you never mentioned the word "terrorism." Does Islamist terrorism suddenly no longer pose a threat to your country?
Napolitano: Of course it does. I presume there is always a threat from terrorism. In my speech, although I did not use the word "terrorism," I referred to "man-caused" disasters. That is perhaps only a nuance, but it demonstrates that we want to move away from the politics of fear toward a policy of being prepared for all risks that can occur.
The ArticleI understand avoiding "over-simplification from the far right and from the far left," but if this is middle ground what is far left "acts of misguided youth?"
How about we just call it for what it is:
On {Date} we were { X } by { Y }.
X = action performed
Y= name of person, group, country
A Change of Gears
Due to the lack of adventure over the past 10 months this blog has been dead, as shown by my single digit posts in 2009. I think I am going to change the pace a little bit and use this as a venue to compose my observations on Disaster Response, Human Nature, and Politics. This will be more of a random place to compose/document my thoughts so someday I will be able to pull them all back up and try to make sense of what ever I can. Because I hate people who complain without providing a solution, I will try to either provide a solution or at least identify why it this occurs so maybe some I can foster some growth within my own personal views.
A Quick Quote:
“He who receives ideas from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine receives light without darkening me"
Thomas Jefferson
Recent events:
Tea Parties
Swine Flu
NYC Airforce One Fly By
Terrorist events ===> "Man made disasters"
Current Administration vs previous Administration's Actions
"Right Wing Radicals"
Tea Parties
The Current Issue
The recent "tea parties" held across the country with the battle cry of "No taxation without representation" have pretty much made the conservative republicans look like @$ clowns. No one like loosing but we are far from a tyrannical government. I mean how did Obama get elected? oh shit we as a country voted him in. In the words of John Stewart (loose quote from memory) "you're now the minority, it's supposed to taste like a shit taco."
The Flip Side
Listen to any liberal and the language used to describe the actions of the past 8 years and try to talk to that person, good luck with that conversation. I can understand contempt for someone running your country against your views but I still feel that this falls into the category of congrats making yourself look like an @$$ clown.
Observations/Call to action
People look to actions that confirm their beliefs. We get in cars b/c we have a belief that it is a safe form of transportation and every time in the past nothing has happened.
Tea Party Thought Process
New administration + Lost Jobs = it must be the new administration (it had nothing to do with our own collective actions as a country over the past 2 decades)
The loosing team is always going to look for examples of how the winning team is wrong. To overcome this i think that we need to start viewing acts from outside the view of our self. No one does an action w/o the notion of what and who will benefit (minus 2 year old's and schizophrenics). This shoots down the argument of some one not acting "Rational." To you they might not be but i would venture to guess that it is to them.
Swine Flu
Jet setting has done amazing things for pandemics. I don't really know exactly where to go on this topic but we'll see if it dies down of it it turns in to the post apocalyptic scenario that the media seems to make it out to be.
My Thoughts
I'm not sure but i don't think dust particle mask that the people bought at the home depot on the way to the airport will keep them from getting sick. It might help stop the spread if they're already infected but I need to look into this a little further.
NYC Airforce One Flyby
I'm willing to chalk this one up to the disconnect between military thought process and some poor judgment. My main concern with this is the response from New Yorkers and the statement that "Terrorism does not work."
Maybe if you're trying to take over a country it does not work but if you're looking to freak out a city every time a low flying jet is seen over a city w/ a F-16 following, yup terrorism works.
Terrorist events ===> "Man made disasters"
I need to do some more research to figure out the motive behind this one. Every disaster is man made. If no one lived in New Orleans and Katrina hit would it still be a disaster? If no one lived in flood planes would a river cresting its banks be a big deal?
Now I agree that Terrorist is pretty much a fear mongering term but i don't think calling them
"Man made disaster creators" is the mark we were shooting for. I need to do a little more research to figure this one out but I'll post up what find out.
Current Administration vs Previous Administration's Actions
This falls back into the right side - left side of the first topic. The main point that I want to raise is the lack of how much we actually know about the actions of our government. With the push for the declassification of Bush Memos we start to get a glimpse of what is really going on. At the same time you know that A) there are hundreds of memos that are not being declassified and B) that the same memos are going out right now under the current administration. We'll just have to wait 4-8 years to find out what they say. Its politics. As with any organization, transparency is good for the public image and the support of followers but at the same time there are things that some people just don't need to know.
Observation
I, in now way, support being a blind follower of leaders. At the same time from time to time you might have to accept that the administration is working for the better good. This is an issue I struggle with but am working on.
"Right Wing Radicals"
It was put out that vets are a threat to our national security due to being disenfranchised with our government and having skills to do something about it. While a broad overstatement, this is not new news. Rudolph, Mc McVeigh, Hells Angles, KKK, Neo Nazi organizations ect. ect. ect. While yes they have been played down as "nuts," they the past administrations and govt officials they are far from being the free ranging radicles that they have been made out to be. Yes, they are threats but im going to fall back on my issue with complaining with no proposed solution.
Observations
What is currently putting us in this situation? The fact that people likely to join this organizations are the same type of person that would join the military (vs. people that have no desire to fight, not saying people in the military are all extremists). On the same note, do the liberal extreemist causes just not attract people of military background? Do this organizations just feed of peoples need to be in an organization with a structure and feel of that similar to the military?
Not exactly the most organized thought process but its a start. I'll be living in D.C. this summer so im bound to meet plenty psudo-intelectual liberal college students... fun fun.
A Quick Quote:
“He who receives ideas from me, receives instruction himself without lessening mine; as he who lights his taper at mine receives light without darkening me"
Thomas Jefferson
Recent events:
Tea Parties
Swine Flu
NYC Airforce One Fly By
Terrorist events ===> "Man made disasters"
Current Administration vs previous Administration's Actions
"Right Wing Radicals"
Tea Parties
The Current Issue
The recent "tea parties" held across the country with the battle cry of "No taxation without representation" have pretty much made the conservative republicans look like @$ clowns. No one like loosing but we are far from a tyrannical government. I mean how did Obama get elected? oh shit we as a country voted him in. In the words of John Stewart (loose quote from memory) "you're now the minority, it's supposed to taste like a shit taco."
The Flip Side
Listen to any liberal and the language used to describe the actions of the past 8 years and try to talk to that person, good luck with that conversation. I can understand contempt for someone running your country against your views but I still feel that this falls into the category of congrats making yourself look like an @$$ clown.
Observations/Call to action
People look to actions that confirm their beliefs. We get in cars b/c we have a belief that it is a safe form of transportation and every time in the past nothing has happened.
Tea Party Thought Process
New administration + Lost Jobs = it must be the new administration (it had nothing to do with our own collective actions as a country over the past 2 decades)
The loosing team is always going to look for examples of how the winning team is wrong. To overcome this i think that we need to start viewing acts from outside the view of our self. No one does an action w/o the notion of what and who will benefit (minus 2 year old's and schizophrenics). This shoots down the argument of some one not acting "Rational." To you they might not be but i would venture to guess that it is to them.
Swine Flu
Jet setting has done amazing things for pandemics. I don't really know exactly where to go on this topic but we'll see if it dies down of it it turns in to the post apocalyptic scenario that the media seems to make it out to be.
My Thoughts
I'm not sure but i don't think dust particle mask that the people bought at the home depot on the way to the airport will keep them from getting sick. It might help stop the spread if they're already infected but I need to look into this a little further.
NYC Airforce One Flyby
I'm willing to chalk this one up to the disconnect between military thought process and some poor judgment. My main concern with this is the response from New Yorkers and the statement that "Terrorism does not work."
Maybe if you're trying to take over a country it does not work but if you're looking to freak out a city every time a low flying jet is seen over a city w/ a F-16 following, yup terrorism works.
Terrorist events ===> "Man made disasters"
I need to do some more research to figure out the motive behind this one. Every disaster is man made. If no one lived in New Orleans and Katrina hit would it still be a disaster? If no one lived in flood planes would a river cresting its banks be a big deal?
Now I agree that Terrorist is pretty much a fear mongering term but i don't think calling them
"Man made disaster creators" is the mark we were shooting for. I need to do a little more research to figure this one out but I'll post up what find out.
Current Administration vs Previous Administration's Actions
This falls back into the right side - left side of the first topic. The main point that I want to raise is the lack of how much we actually know about the actions of our government. With the push for the declassification of Bush Memos we start to get a glimpse of what is really going on. At the same time you know that A) there are hundreds of memos that are not being declassified and B) that the same memos are going out right now under the current administration. We'll just have to wait 4-8 years to find out what they say. Its politics. As with any organization, transparency is good for the public image and the support of followers but at the same time there are things that some people just don't need to know.
Observation
I, in now way, support being a blind follower of leaders. At the same time from time to time you might have to accept that the administration is working for the better good. This is an issue I struggle with but am working on.
"Right Wing Radicals"
It was put out that vets are a threat to our national security due to being disenfranchised with our government and having skills to do something about it. While a broad overstatement, this is not new news. Rudolph, Mc McVeigh, Hells Angles, KKK, Neo Nazi organizations ect. ect. ect. While yes they have been played down as "nuts," they the past administrations and govt officials they are far from being the free ranging radicles that they have been made out to be. Yes, they are threats but im going to fall back on my issue with complaining with no proposed solution.
Observations
What is currently putting us in this situation? The fact that people likely to join this organizations are the same type of person that would join the military (vs. people that have no desire to fight, not saying people in the military are all extremists). On the same note, do the liberal extreemist causes just not attract people of military background? Do this organizations just feed of peoples need to be in an organization with a structure and feel of that similar to the military?
Not exactly the most organized thought process but its a start. I'll be living in D.C. this summer so im bound to meet plenty psudo-intelectual liberal college students... fun fun.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Nostalgic
In my quest for randomness I pulled up my old DeviantArt account. My journal had post from the end of my first year on Oklahoma to Mid Washington D.C. summer. It was interesting to see how i had changed in the 3 years from my first post. Anyway, for a quick update.
- the fraternity is shut down
- I bought a second handgun
- I'm being formally recruited for grad school (the new thing that i didnt know if i wanted to post)
Other than that nothing is new
- the fraternity is shut down
- I bought a second handgun
- I'm being formally recruited for grad school (the new thing that i didnt know if i wanted to post)
Other than that nothing is new
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