I dream of living in ... a World Without Dictators! I'm a Libertarian Paternalist in Slovakia - Freedom with Responsibility - 10% of income into your own Pension; Tax Loans for education, health, housing; now supporting Employment Maximizing Companies!

blog posts on immigration at The Truth Laid Bear

Democrats have contempt

I love raw onions, especially sweet-spicy red ones. I don't know how you can like spicy food w/o liking onions; though Cantonese-style Hunan usually tries to replace dry spice with wet onions (yechh).

Michae Totten says: "I have contempt for stupid people." I understood that to mean willfully ignorant, and of course such contempt-filled folk usually vote elitists-know-best Democrat. It's perhaps your worst trait. Half the people are below average in IQ, and that means they will make stupid decisions.

One way to look at religion is as an attempt to shape the behavior of such stupid people to avoid self-destructive acts, or those bad for civilization, like irresponsible promiscuity, or selfish stealing, or gratuitous cursing.

Many of these people will "do the right thing" more often because God tells them not to sin, rather than because they've reasoned themselves out of acting on their emotional desires.

(Being a pompous blowhard is perhaps one of my own worst traits, but I do try to be: "nicer to, people inferior to you", whether it's National Brotherhood Week or not.)

 

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/29/06 07:38 | link | comments (2)
hearts and minds, greys

Some thoughts on Social Security & Edwards

I don’t think some version of means-testing SS is a vote killer, depending on the “frame”: eg millionaires don’t need social security, like T. Heinz (some $2 mill in tax-free muni bond income?).

For the poor, who usually have both lower life expectancy at birth but also, more importantly, at age 50 or 60, raising the retirement age is more like a 10% cut for them (if they average 10 years now, to become 9), rather than a 5% cut (if they average 20 years now, to become 19).

I like “Working society” — and even advocate a full employment policy of voluntary National Service. For all. Instead of all other poor & rich & middle class subsidies & supports.I also want aid groups to be counting how many jobs they’ve directly created — poverty won’t be ended for a person without a job. It will be ended, one job (or a hundred?) at a time. (Charles Murray is now advocating a lump some $13 000/year payment to every citizen, no means testing, and scrapping all other programs). Edwards had a good, wonkish program in 2004. But he’s a loser. He lost his Senate seat. Maybe he join McCain in Unity80 or whatever the mixed third party (LOSER) campaign is.

Still, I’m glad he’s there to raise the issues. “one that favors the struggling middle class, which is most of us;”  The real problem is that most gov’t pork, in $, goes to the “struggling middle class” who, in a world scale are rich. The “help the poor” programs usually end up helping the not-poor much more; and no surprise, the poor stay poor.  (via Marc Cooper liking Edwards)

 

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/29/06 07:36 | link | comments
politics, economics

The media war against Bush -- supporting terrorists

Patterico has more on the LA Times justification for helping terrorists.

The WSJ has a new editorial by Congress Rep Hoekstra & Sen. Santrorum about the info war:
"Information is a potent weapon in the current war. Al Qaeda uses the Internet very effectively and uses the media as a terrorist tool. If the American public can be deceived by people who withhold basic information, we risk losing the war at home, even if we win it on the battlefield. The debate should focus on the basic question--what, exactly, we need to do to succeed both here and in Iraq. We are dismayed to have learned how many people in our own government are trying to distort that debate."

But the War on Terror will be lost, if it is lost, because of the info war that Bush is losing.

It can be won even without winning the info war (as the Sunnis get bought off by some Amnesty and stop supporting terrorists, foreign & local).  It will be won earlier if the info war is won.

To win the info war, Bush has to also fight the Moral Superiorty battle, and he's not really doing this, at all.  That's because Bush isn't facing up to Vietnam, & Kerry's Lie.

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/26/06 14:25 | link | comments (1)
media, wot

Boycott NY Times Advertisers

After reading Austin Bay's note on the NYT publishing more classified info, it's clear to me that their opposition to Bush has crossed the line into support for the Islamofascist terrorists.
And Bush is too wimpy to fight the NY Times, just as he's too wimpy to close the borders.

Isn't it time to learn from Leftist anti-capitalist tactics?
Boycott NYT advertisers.  Target the two or three largest advertisers:
"Don't buy from those who help terrorist murderers."
Campaign against advertising in the NYT.

Aren't there any angry mothers of American servicemen who can claim they believe the NYT was deliberately helping the terrorists to kill their child? and object to ?Macy's, ?Sak's, ?Ford, GM? I don't know who the 3 biggest advertisers are.

The NYT has a nice "buy ads" website. "They trust The Times for its integrity and sound judgment. And it is this influence that makes The Times the most effective vehicle an advertiser can find. When you advertise in The New York Times, you can expect unparalleled results."

The anti-ad campaign: " The Times has lost its integrity and sound judgement.  It is now using its influence to help the enemies of Pres. Bush, the enemies of freedom and democracy.  When you advertise in The Times, you support the enemies of America.  We demand that you stop supporting the goal of defeat."

Such a campaign could also push the politicians to act more responsibly -- enforce the laws.  Just as the unenforced border invites illegals, the unenforced secrecy border invites illegal disclosures.

Hugh Hewitt has a fine fisking of the NYT Bill Keller letter -- in my view, Keller should be fired (Larry Summers of Harvard was).  The NYT should follow Enron and Arthur Andersen into corporate oblivion.  Hugh's earlier post: "The Fourth Estate Has Become a Fifth Column"

Great letter to the NYT from Sgt. TF Boggs.

Patterico canceled his LA Times subscrition over this.  Cancelling subs is fine -- but boycotting advertisers will really hurt.

Michael Ledeen notes that the journos are actually more like politicians, w/o accountability.  Boycott their paper's advertisers is the way to get accountability. (Via Powerline)

I wonder if there is a "preponderance of evidence" that the NYT is supporting the terrorists, enough to convince a jury that the NYT is an accessory  to murder or wrongful death, along the lines of OJ where "beyond reasonable doubt" is too high a standard of proof. 

There are 4  quadrants of coverage: pro-America, anti-America, pro-terrorist, anti-terrorist.  It seems that most of the NYT front page stories are anti-American slanted -- much in the pro-terrorist side.

Ace of Spades says it's blackmail -- elect Dems or else all National Security secrets can be leaked.

Last, Best, Michelle Malkin has Fantastic posters about the NYT Blabbermouths.  I quite like the "Don't kill her Daddy" (at Darleen's Place) and The Times Spied, Soldiers Died (John Schrenko, no link).  My idea above is to claim that some Daddies have already been murdered by terrorists who do NOT wear uniforms (outside Geneva Convention) thanks to info given to them by the NYT.

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/26/06 07:48 | link | comments (1)
democracy, hearts and minds, islamofascism

Some Blogging Heads TV is fine

Robert Wright and Peter Beinart on BloggingHeadsTV

I agree with Peter B on the need for the US to embed it's World Cop actions in international orgs.  Orgs of democracies, like NATO far more than the UN.  He should read my own NATO based Human Rights Enforcement Group.

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/24/06 09:30 | link | comments (1)
technology, blogs, human rights, world cop

The Left wants a Draft - and Sacrifice

The purpose the Left wants a draft is to increase opposition to Bush and the War, and increase the Victimization feelings of college students. If they really wanted more bodies, one would support offering a new American Foreign Legion, for automatic front of the line immigration consideration for foreigners wanting to immigrate to America, and willing to serve for two (or three?) years in the US military -- after joining a preparatory English Language brigade which teaches English and Basic boot camp. (see Austin Bay on the Dems and their Draft)

Actually, whenever the Draft is discussed it should be pointed out that those arguing for it really don't believe the reasons they claim, they really want it for the opposition to Bush that it will generate.  They're lying, like David Kennedy of Stanford, and they should be called on it.

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/24/06 09:26 | link | comments
politics, military, world cop

The Patriotism sized hole in many souls

There is a very patriotism relevant post at Grim's Hall about John Wayne & love for America.

Lebanese readers might benefit a bit knowing that "Americans" are full of love for America -- or not, also.

I think my 15 year hiatus in Slovakia has only increased my own love for the ideals of America, without needing to live there. So I know I don't love "the land" the way some do.

Optimism and action to make things better -- not mere protest against what's not perfect.

It's funny how the US losing to Ghana in the World Cup sort of didn't affect me; yet it did. It made me sad a bit, mostly for the US fans (many military) watching, and yet also glad for Ghana. It was strange that Iran was also in the 32 teams of the World Cup.

There is a "patriotism" sized hole in many people's souls, that seems to want to be filled. Rooting for your country's team seems an excellent way to fill it.

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/24/06 09:16 | link | comments
hearts and minds

PovertyChickens and Minimum Wage

Marc PovertyChicken Cooper gets upset at the low minimum wage -- but doesn’t offer to hire anybody.

I'm morally against any minimum wage law (enforced by gov't power), because it is against the freedom of an employer to offer an opportunity to agree to a potential worker. Such laws are morally against freedom of choice.

The economic effects are more complex, as Luis said nicely-- but the mostly correct balance forgets an important issue, the total number of jobs "offered". Just follow a thought experiment -- raise the wage to $10/hr, then to $20/hr, then to $30/hr. Obviously, at some point most people will be "working" off the books, to avoid the law, the number of legal jobs will be far lower.

This already happens with the illegals. I recall the LAT interviewing many, all of whom seemed to have higher than minimum wage jobs.

Marc, why not do some real reporting and find out how many American citizens actually have min. wage jobs?

Thanks for your challenge: "Anyone who thinks it fair as is ought to give a try living on it for a month or two" -- I now call you a poverty-chicken.

If you want to increase the minimum wage, why not hire somebody? If increasing the wage of somebody isn’t important enough for YOU to do, why are you so hot to use gov't to make others do so?

"Fair" is not the same as "comfy". And the min. wage is not comfy, nor is being born poor in Mexico, or Slovakia. Life is not fair, but this doesn't mean it's good to use gov't force against people making peaceful, honest agreements you don't like.

Read Charles Murray's book Losing Ground, about the need for a First Step. Even your own personal story had you use a temporary min. wage job, to establish work habits and some consumption and some desire to consume more, meaning a willingness to do other work for more cash.

[Some of such work I need to do now, too.]

How about voluntary "universal" US national service -- for all foreigners who want to immigrate to the USA? Including an English language boot camp/ preparation that doesn't count in their 2 year voluntary commitment, followed by 2 years of service?

There should be a Volunteer National Service that pays low wages, but includes high repayment of education loans. The way "capitalism" gets things done voluntarily is easy to see -- it pays people who agree to do those things.

Of course, poverty-chickens have no things they're willing to hire poor folk for.

And the "sacrifice" desired is primarily to punish Americans for supporting Bush. Clinton's "no genocide" policy of happily accepting genocide INSTEAD of any sacrifice whatsover is the Leftist model ... let others die first, then apologize (and blame America, blame capitalism, blame the Jews...)

I support a gas tax -- but don't hear Al "Mr. Green" Gore talking it up. Maybe necessary, certainly the best overall policy economically, but highly unpopular.

Q&O has fine notes on minimum wage.

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/24/06 09:09 | link | comments
politics, economics

The Bush Plan -- the Iraqi Plan

The current Iraq War issue: stay until victory, or leave early. Bush says: stay until victory. But doesn't specify what that means. Dems say ... stay until ... go ... immediately ... it's all so complex (=you voters are too dumb)(also = Dems are too dishonest to really say).

The Bush plan: support democracy in Iraq, let the Iraqis take over. The new Iraqi plan: one by one, each of the 18 governates will have its security handed over to the duly elected Iraqi government. Probably complete in some 18 months or so, depending on how the handover goes. Hmm, just in time for 2008 "Victory in Iraq", and Reps saying: the Dems were LYING when they said democracy in Iraq was possible; Dems were lying when they said a civil war (of thousands killed in battles) was already happening; Dems were lying when they said Arabs couldn't handle democracy.

Myself, I'd say then the Dems were merely deliberately ignorant, and WRONG, not lying, wrong, wrong, wrong. And the press, constantly rooting for the terrorists, was biased against Iraqi freedom, and helped to kill a lot more Iraqis, and quite a few more Americans.

I don't think the Dems will split; they might even win in 2008 -- because they'll give up fighting against the Iraq war and claim they always wanted victory & freedom & human rights -- but that Bush's way was too expensive, was too slow, was incompetent, etc.

They'll do this because the Reps, despite terrible polls, will win again in Nov. 2006, and the Dems who actually want to win elections will shift their attacks on Bush and the Reps to other areas. (Many of which, like pork, the Reps are terrible on.)

Bunker, a Marc Cooper commenter, says, accurately, "Shiite death squads operate with virtual impunity. Summary executions are taking place very single day. The list goes on and on…" -- how do these facts show that the Dems have a better answer? The same (Muslim for Shiite) can be said for Darfur, and dozens are dying daily in Congo.

Dems who want the US to pull out "early" essentially want those Shiite death squads to win control. When the US didn't attack Fallujah in April 2004, it was terrorist death squads that got control.

US supported democratic Iraq will control Iraq, or death squads will -- like Clinton accepted in Somalia. Bunker, your position seems to be supporting victory for the death squads.

The real issue is time and patience.

When the best answer is that the elected Iraqis have to stop the death squad terrorism in Iraq, and it's going to take 5 years at least (or your choice of X), it's worse than silly to expect success in 4 or 3 or 2 years. Sort of like expecting corn that takes 12 weeks to be ready in 8 or 4 weeks -- doesn't happen.

The Dems never showed a better plan for faster Iraqi handover -- it's never about the Iraqis nor what is good for Iraq. It's always about what's good for their politics.

Same as in Vietnam, with My Lai and Kerry's Winter Soldier lies/exaggerations. The Dems never cared about the Viet people, only about leaving, and especially about making Nixon lose. Where were the NYT or CBS stories about the N. Viet takeover, and the resulting 600 000 murders, 1 000 at a time? Nowhere, because there was no care.

Clooney doesn't really care about those dying in Darfur, or else he'd be calling for Kofi to resign and for Bush to declare war, for humanitarian reasons. Which is costly, and would even result in some lives lost of Americans. I'm ready to support the US as a near-unilateral World Policeman, because the world needs one; but I'd much prefer a (democracy only) org ready to fight, or hire fighters, to stop oppressive gov'ts.

 

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/24/06 09:02 | link | comments
iraq, politics, democracy

Some future for Beirut

"I have more faith in their country than they do, but they know it better than I. Is my own judgment more objective or more naive? I ask myself that question a lot, and I don't know the answer. Perhaps I am a bit of both." --Michael Totten

To Michael:

It is human action that will build back Beirut, but not in a day, or destroy it again, perhaps in a day. Building & destroying seem symmetrical, but are not.

The "good" result will only occur if good people consciously work for it, and pay the prices to get it -- and even then, only if enough good people work for it against those who oppose it.

The locals do NOT know its future better than you, only its past better; themselves better; their friends better; probably their enemies better. But are these people really the decision makers of the future? I think not.

Do they know the West better? The Islamofascists? The future of Iraq? The future of Iran? As you've mentioned here before, Lebanon can be a model for Iraq -- but Iraq seems to me more likely to be a model for Lebanon in a few years, if Iraq "makes it."

I'll call Iraq a full democracy when: two more Prime Ministers have been democratically elected, and power has peacefully passed. Perhaps 8 - 20 more years.

How will the Iranian nuke issue be resolved? Or the Palestinian-Israeli (two states but what borders)?

The existential question these friends are struggling with also involves what personal price, if any, are you willing to pay, to invest, in helping create the good Lebanon result -- knowing that Hezbollah's idea of "good" is close to your own idea of evil?

Well, I'm investing in Slovakia, where one of the two best reforming economies in Central Europe (with Estonia) has just lost an election to a Social Democrat tax & spend increaser.

I don't quite believe Abu Kais when he says: "There is so much the international community can do for Lebanon when its own cannot steer away from self-destruction." I think there is quite little, realistically, that any internationals will, or should, do for a Lebanon that is unwilling to do more for itself. But I'm sure his blog, like this one, helps a bit.

 

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/24/06 08:58 | link | comments
democracy, islamofascism

Extrovert Accomodate Disorderly Stable Inquisitive

I guess I think this is me pretty well -- good and not so good. I'd prefer to be a "practical idealist", but not certain it's possible.

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/22/06 16:52 | link | comments (2)
greys

Catalan and Cantons

Please look at Cities and the Wealth of Nations by Jane Jacobs. The City-state is the right size for most government, and the "nation state" is a defensive tribal response to neighboring empires that are expanding.

Switzerland's cantons should have been the model, both for Europe, and a revitalized, decentralized, federal USA (more state power, less in DC). If territorial changes will be forbidden by some "superior" law, the rich cities will likely want to stop subsidizing the poorer areas. Not so strong generational feelings for areas in the US, but Belgium, Spain, the UK (Scotland & Wales), and maybe even Germany may split into autonomous units. Why keep a larger nation-state instead of two or more smaller ones, when each nation-state is "equal" in the EU?

Monaco is not "too small" -- so other regions aren't, either. Luxemburg has less than 500 000 people, yet is one of the richest states in Europe.

The EU should require Turkey to allow a vote on autonomy for Kurdish Turkey before starting or continuing serious Turkey accession talks. There's no good reason for regions to stay unhappily with a central gov't they don't like. (Austin Bay looks at the Catalan Autonomy vote)

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/21/06 16:25 | link | comments
europe, democracy

Homeschooler rights violated by Belgium?

The State is all too often guilty of violating human rights, every State.  This info about Belgium violations comes from the Libertarian Alliance. (More info there on contacts)

---

"BELGIAN STATE GUILTY OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES", SAYS FREE MARKET AND CIVIL LIBERTIES THINK TANK

In a Report published today by the Libertarian Alliance, the Belgian Government is accused of systematic human rights abuses similar in nature and extent to those in a post-Soviet republic. Journalists and homeschoolers are not safe in Belgium.

The Report - The Belgian State versus Home Schooling: The Persecution of Dr Alexandra Colen and Dr Paul Belien - by Professor John Kersey, is published by The Libertarian Alliance, the radical free market and civil liberties policy institute based in London.

Professor Kersey finds:

* That Dr Paul Belien, Editor of The Brussels Journal, has faced official and semi-official intimidation over an article he published in favour of the right to self-defence;

* That Dr Belien and his wife, Dr Alexandra Colen (who is a Member of the Belgian Parliament), face a systematic attack on their right to educate their children at home.

Commenting on the Report, Dr Sean Gabb, Director of the Libertarian Alliance, says:

"For a journalist, there can be few rights more fundamental than to freedom of speech. For parents, there can be no right more fundamental than of being able to bring up their children in what they consider the right values.

"We should all be shocked that these rights have been systematically violated in a country that is a member state of the European Union and of the Council of Europe - and that not long ago passed laws allowing citizens of other Western countries such as Israel to be put on trial for alleged offences committed outside Belgium.

"In other European Union member states, we should be particularly concerned. If homeschooling can be made illegal in Belgium, it can be made illegal in any other state. In Britain at the moment, parents have an absolute right to homseschool their children. The precedents set in the Belien and other cases may be applied here.

"As Director of the Libertarian Alliance, I have today written to the Belgian Prime Minister and to the Human Rights Commissioners of the European Union and of the Council of Europe. We require an assurance that the persecution of the Belien family will be at once ended.

"We encourage all others people who may be concerned about this denial of fundamental human rights to use the names and addresses supplied in the Report and to write letters of their own.

"The price of all liberty is eternal vigilance."

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/19/06 21:10 | link | comments
human rights

Hello Fico, Time Out Mikki, Goodbye Meciar

The Slovak elections have had Robert Fico's Smer - Social Democrats win a big 30% plurality, with current right reform Mikki Dzurinda SDKU with less than 20%, and then both Slovak Nationalists & the Hungarians (SMK)  almost identical almost 12%, and Meciar's HZDS almost 9% and last is my own Christian Democrats KDH at over 8%; lots of other parties less than the 5% cut off for getting into Parliament.

Fico wants to bring home the 100 or so Slovak troops in Iraq -- but it's not a big issue; the EU and joining the Euro zone was also not a big issue.

STV has fine results: (I have reduced most of the minor parties out)
Party                       Votes      %    Members of Parliament

KDH                         191 443    8,31      14

Aliancia nového občana       32 775    1,42               

Strana maďarskej koalície   269 111   11,68      20

Slobodné fórum               79 963    3,47               

ĽS - HZDS                   202 540    8,79      15

KSS                          89 418    3,88               

SDKÚ - DS                   422 815   18,35      31

Smer -  SD                  671 185   29,14      50

Slovenská národná strana    270 230   11,73      20

Total Slovak Parliament: 150, needing 75+ to form a majority gov't. 

Smer and SDKU is the only 2 party possibility, but Fico+Dzurinda is very unlikely.  Smer + SNS + KDH = 84;  SDKU + SMK + KDH (2002 coalition) = 65, not enough.  Would need SNS (NO! not with Hungarians) or HZDS (but probably only w/o Meciar; not likely).

Smer + SNS + HZDS = 85, but Fico & Meciar are not comfy with each other.
Smer + SMK + KDH = 84, but the Hungarians might not accept Fico -- but they might.  Also the Christian Democrats might not accept Fico; Minister of Justice Lipsic has mentioned preparing for opposition.

It is quite sad that Mikki has had such successful reforms, and they are just now becoming mid-term successful (unemployment has dropped from 17+% down to below 11%, and looks to go down further as Slovakia, and its flat rate, attracts more businesses).

The EU knows what to do to reform, but not how to do a reform and also get re-elected.  (I suggest Tax Loans!)

I'm pretty sure Mikki and Ivan Miklos are getting ready for lots of constructive criticism in opposition.


Good minor stuff:
The split-off group (from SDKU) Free Forum (Slobdne forum) had a small scandal, but was losing focus on what they wanted to do or be.  Ano, which had been the new party elected in 2002 but had suffered corruption and other scandals got only  1.4%.  The KSS Kommie party also missed getting in this year; it was a surprising disappointment last time.

Vladimir Meciar was emphatic and bombastic and nearly incoherent in this campaign.  It's time for him to really sing good-bye and leave, but I'm afraid he's too punch drunk to do so.  And probably all the folk who will leave him have left.

Fico of Smer suggests SNS and KDH has potential partners -- I'm writing to KDH to suggest a "tunneling tax" on the rich, unpunished "tunnelers" of Slovakia, rather than Fico's desire to scrap the flat tax with another progressive income tax.   It will be interesting to see.

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/19/06 17:46 | link | comments
politics, democracy, singularity ai

More on Vietnam

The USA cut and ran out in Vietnam, but did not lose major battles, not even in the Tet offensive.  The S. Viet people lost the war, thanks in part to the US running away.

From History Net:
Had the provisions of the Paris Treaty been enforced as, for example, the provisions of the 1953 Korean Armistice Agreement were enforced, the continuity of an independent, if feeble, South Vietnam could have been assured over a period of many years.
But that was not to be, for at the critical moment the United States reneged on its word. Not only did the Congress, as General Homer Smith has noted [in the April 1995 issue of Vietnam magazine ("Final Forty Five Days in Vietnam"), fail to appropriate the $1 billion in U.S. military assistance authorized by the Defense Assistance Vietnam program, but the U.S. government went back on its security guarantees as well...

"You have my absolute assurance that if Hanoi fails to abide by the terms of this agreement, it is my intention to take swift and severe retaliatory action," said then President Richard Nixon in a note to South Vietnam's President Nguyen Van Thieu in November 1972 on the eve of the signing of the Paris Peace Accords. But less than two years later Nixon was out of office, brought down by the Watergate scandal.

Also Army Archives have interesting info, but not enough, says $700 mil. was spent on indochina.

In the spring of 1975 world attention focused on the fall of Cambodia and South Vietnam to Communist-supported insurgent movements and invasion. On 12 April 1975 the last U.S. diplomatic and military personnel left Phnom Penh, Cambodia, just before the Khmer Rouge takeover. The hurried evacuation of Americans from Saigon and the fall of the South Vietnamese government to the Viet Cong and its North Vietnamese allies followed less than three weeks later. At the end of the fiscal year the coalition government in Laos continued its tenuous hold over that country, but a takeover by the Communist Pathet Lao appeared imminent.

… Aid to Indochina during fiscal year 1975 consisted of $700 million appropriated under the Defense Assistance, Vietnam, Program; $30 million for Laos under the Military Assistance Program (MAP); and $275 million in MAP funds for Cambodia. The presidential request for an additional $300 million for Vietnam and $222 million for Cambodia was before Congress when those countries fell.

I'd like to know the 1974 & 1975 votes on cash for S. Vietnam. My understanding is that there was a big bill the Dem dominated Congress voted against -- showing the US was not going to bail out the S. Viet gov't. The S. Viet gov't was "terrible" - cowardly, corrupt, with leaders more interested in sucking up to the US, and feeding at the aid pig-trough, than in helping the S. Viet people develop and defend themselves.
But the N. Viet commies were far, far worse; murdersously worse.
600 000 murders, after surrender, worse.

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/17/06 08:51 | link | comments
vietnam

Multi-national org leader rotation

All multi-national orgs play the "your turn, our turn" game -- including every major org in the EU, their central bank ("had to let the French have their turn"), the EBRD, and even the rotating presidency. The WB (US) and IMF (Euro?) presidencies are also national turfs.

The US should probably support the Indians at the UN.

The real prize would be the US and India setting up a joint, democracy only club (sorry Pakistan). One that could evolve into first, a massive humanitarian org (Indian people, US guns & supplies) and later into an alternate Human Rights peacekeeping force.

The UN is terrible partly because it has no competition! The US and India and Japan should start a competing org, but not leave the UN. (Though they could all reduce their funding for the UN and send that funding to the new org.) If the seat was to rotate each 4 years between Mumbai, Tokyo, and Chicago (?) (I was born there! But safest big US city), it could be a big splash. Via Austin Bay

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/17/06 08:33 | link | comments
un

Big mistake is too few translators

Austin Bay has other great news, and a good analysis about Shia & Sunni, discussing Sunni calls for Amnesty to ex-Baathists (& terrorists?)

I think the Shia should defer on Sunni "Amnesty" and at least require each Sunni with blood to pay -- like a house, or a new car. "Preponderance of Evidence" should be enough to convict supporters of terrorists, with a significant fine -- the Iraqi gov't needs to punish the guilty. More guilty getting lighter punishment is better than fewer getting jail/ tougher punishment. "Blood money" partial justice is far better than a Havel-type CSFR blanket amnesty, which allowed most guilty commies to avoid any punishment, and many to become capitalist rich.

I am too sad to be appalled by this: "The amount of information captured has overwhelmed intelligence organizations in Iraq, and more translators and analysts are assisting, via satellite link, from the United States and other locations."

Please, somebody -- tell Rumsfeld to increase translation capacity: a) have a 5 year, $1 000 000 year annual prize for "best automatic translation of Arabic to English" -- so that computers can get a much better first draft.

b) promise jobs to top 500 (1 000?) Arabic-English speakers who join a special translation corps.

c) offer to all US military training in Arabic -- with cash bonuses for those individuals who learn fastest/ best. Including US forces outside the ME -- possibly to include all gov’t employees who are willing to try

d) use Skype or other free Voice over IP between Iraq and the West for more communication.

(If you agree! Or have your own thoughts on how to increase US capacity.)

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/17/06 08:32 | link | comments
iraq, islamofascism

Personality Test

I'm an xNTP Myers Briggs Type -- but heard there was a better Global 5 test.
When I take it, I'll try to remember to update this post; or maybe a new one.

One of the original ideas of a Web Log was to keep track of these things -- but I'm so P (=open ended) that I too seldom go back.

[I'm split Extrovert - Introvert; iNtuitive-abstract, Thinking of decisions, P - open ended, messy desk]

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/14/06 23:09 | link | comments (5)
blogs

Truth or Goodness?

Have you noticed how all religions, as well as most atheists, have a fundamental assumption:
Truth is good.

I'm not sure it is -- but know that I would prefer pursuit of Goodness that might not be all true, over Truth that might not be mostly good. If there is a case, which I'm not sure there is.

I posted this comment on Not Me, but it fits on Ripple a bit -- what is truth? "nobody EVER commits suicide as an act of war"? The war is for the hearts and minds. Vietnam was lost, and 600 000 people were murdered, because the US public accepted leaving and letting evil triumph.

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/14/06 22:34 | link | comments (3)
hearts and minds

Send in more Clowns

Dr. Sanity has a great note on the next Bozo to replace Zarqawi.

It is unseemly to rejoice over the death of anybody; yet I feel a monster has been justly executed.  Making fun of such is called gallows humor.  Dr. Sanity also rewrites one of my favorite songs, sung beautifully (with aching, tears in my eyes beauty; college memories) by Judy Collins.  My Limewire also allowed me to get versions from Frank Sinatra, Robert Whitaker, Barbara Streisand  (twice, but the second time mislabeled as Carly Simon), Johny Mathis.  Shirely Bassey was listed but unavailable.

I know and love the Judy Collins version, so was not fully satisfied with Dr. Sanity's requiem for Zarqawi.  I've tried to improve hers a bit:

-----
Here are the original lyrics, as Judy sings them:

Isn't it rich?
Are we a pair?
Me here at last on the
ground,
You in mid-air.
Send in the clowns.

Isn't it bliss?
Don't you approve?
One who keeps tearing around,
One who can't move.
Where are the clowns?
Send in the clowns.

Just when I'd stopped
opening doors,
Finally knowing the one that I wanted was yours,
Making my entrance again with my usual flair,
Sure of my lines,
No one is there.

Don't you love farce?
My fault I fear.
I thought that you'd want what I want.
Sorry, my dear.
But where are the clowns?
Quick, send in the clowns.
Don't bother, they're here.
*
Isn't it rich?
Isn't it queer,
Losing my timing this late
In my career?
And where are the clowns?
There ought to be clowns.
Well, maybe next year.

---
I was surprised that the Barbara Sreisand version, like the author Sondheim, has an extra verse (at *)
What a surprise
who could foresee?
I've come to feel about you what you felt about me
Why only now when I see that you've drifted away
What a surprise, what a cliché

I quite like this unknown verse! Hope the good Dr. appreciates my modest effort.

Posted by: TomGrey at 06/14/06 21:24 | link | comments (4)
iraq, islamofascism