Just Where Are We Going?

       There are two articles in the New York Times today that give pause to wonder. First that U.S. flagged plane in Tehran Iran. It's owned by a 12 branch bank in Utah. Actually they claim to own it in name only. That is to say, they hold it in trust for somebody else. But what's it doing in Iran? We're supposed to have a whole bunch of sanctions against travel to or doing business with, Iran.
       The other is a story about two FBI agents interviewing a contractor working for a legal defense team for one of the people being held at Guantanamo Bay. The FBI then had the contractor sign a pledge not to tell the defense team about the interview. They've also found hidden mikes in rooms used by defense teams and detainees to meet that suggest the CIA is involved. What it all means is the Military Tribunals have been turned into Kangaroo courts. You have to read the whole article, but red lights are literally going off in the hearing rooms connected to FBI or CIA controllers.
       So why do I think these two articles are so closely related? It seems to show a government completely out of control with little or no oversight regarding who uses planes registered to the U.S. We didn't even know why it was there or who flew it there or for what purpose. At the same time, we have spy agencies peeking into what the defense teams are planning or doing and what the tribunals can or cannot do in private. So either America has become completely incompetent or it's gone completely rogue. My guess it's a little of both.
       Ever since 9-11, we've turned to the NSA and said, do whatever you want. Just keep us safe. You know that you wouldn't say that even to your pet dog. You need to put restraints on those folks. It's hard for America to claim the high ground, find fault with countries who flaunt human rights and then do exactly what we fault others for. It doesn't just lower us to their status, it puts us lower.

Another Bundy In Trouble.

       It's hard to imagine. In fact it's almost impossible to imagine, but I somewhat agree with Glen Beck. I know, I know, he's got several screws loose and a few missing altogether, but on this one issue and only one part of it, I agree. I'm speaking of this Cliven Bundy, the Nevada rancher who's been grazing his cows on protected federal lands for years. The BLM has successfully sued him several times in court but he still won't remove his cows or pay any rent.
       So the Bureau of Land Management sent in federal agents to take the cows. That's when Bundy rounded up a bunch of ultra conservative militia types to get the cows back.  Glen Beck has gone on record as disagreeing with bringing violence into the mix. He has said there is no excuse for introducing the kind of blind anger and attempted violence these militia men bring with them. Beck did go on to say the rancher was on sound principled grounds with his unwillingness to submit to the BLM or the courts, but he's against violence.
       Well good for Glen Beck and his stand against violence, but he's still way off on siding with this deluded rancher who thinks he can do as he pleases with the people's property. It just simply isn't his own private grazing land, ya know. I mean if he can do it and not pay the consequences, then what would stop me from buying a few cows and having them fatten up on some federal lands anywhere in the country. Come to think of it, Steamtown National Monument is federal and I'm sure there's some grass somewhere on the property. Why can't I keep some goats there? Or does it have to be cows?
       If Bundy is right and he does have the right to use any government land any way he pleases, then he might find himself in deep doodoo because every citizen within a thousand miles can put some cows next to his. The cows would be shoulder to shoulder and the grass would be all gone in about three minutes. Just wait till those militia types get the ideas to put their own cows on that land. If Bundy complained, he'd get a visit from those malicious militias.
      

Pakistan Is No Place For Crime.

       Well, it's about time! The Pakistani judicial system is finally cracking down on criminals. With a history of allowing many international criminals to live in Pakistan without so much as an investigation, criminals like Osama BinLaden and Hafez Saeed who has a $10 million price on his head, Pakistani police have arrested a grandfather, father and son for rioting and throwing rocks at gas workers trying to turn off the gas to customers who have not paid their bills.
       This criminal family who may have injured some workers, that's not clear in the report, have been arraigned and the youngest thumb printed. But what makes this incident so newsworthy, besides the fact that the courts are taking this crime so serious, is the fact that the youngest perpetrator is just 9 months old. But age should not be factored in. Guilty is guilty. Pakistan will brook no age discrimination. If he's found guilty of throwing rocks at those workers, that's it, period.
       In his defense, the boy's grandfather points out that the 9 month old infant can't even hold his milk bottle by himself yet. Of course we all know that can be faked. Babies scream and cry all the time just to get attention. It's a common ploy and one that should not be used as a defense tactic in such a criminal case. Next thing you know, the baby will be wanting the bailiff to change his diaper.
       So! If you're going to a rally against some gas workers, or any others and are planning on throwing anything at the demonstration, it would be best to leave that infant at home. Of course if the whole family is going, then leaving that baby home alone could be considered a crime as well. On the other hand, if that child can throw rocks, why can't he manage on his own. Nobody's gonna mess with a rock throwing, 9 month old hardcase. Especially if he's screaming and crying and needs his diaper changed. I can attest that any intruder will run the other way. Most dads too.

The White Man Wasn't Much Help To The Indians.

       Sitting in the waiting room at the doctors office this morning I read, in an old magazine, an amusing story of a meeting between the Six Nations, of American Indians, and a Colonist's contingent from Virginia. It seems the Virginians offered to take a half dozen Iroquois boys and support them generously while they attended the fine college in Virginia. After deliberating, the Iroquois thanked the Virginians profusely but declined. They explained they had sent a dozen boys to a white mans school once before. But when the boys returned home, they knew nothing of how to live among the native Americans. They couldn't hunt or fight or properly treat a deer, nothing. But they offered to have the Virginians send a dozen boys to them and they'd teach them to be men.
       Now what's funniest about this story isn't so much the sincerity of the Iroquois, or the Virginians, thinking they could help the other's children. What's funny is that neither could really help the other even though they thought they could.  And it's even funnier that folks haven't changed much over the intervening years.
       These days, in America, people seem to think that all young people should go to college, or just go get a job. The thing is that when we try to convince every young person to go to college, we do a disservice to those young people. Many will prosper as a result of attending college, but quite a few will not. I think that proves itself with the dropout rates we have that nobody wants to mention.
       All those who drop out of college or didn't attend in the first place, should, perhaps, have attended a trade school to prosper. The other opportunity we used to have in America is to apprentice under a craftsman. Mostly unions offered these opportunities. But Unions have been bad-mouthed by politicians so much that they've suffered in membership and are no longer strong enough to offer that training in the numbers needed. So ya see? We're still tripping over our tongues at a cost to our future.

A new Idea To Spur The Economy.

       As I started reading the New York Times this morning one article caught my eye. Citizenship for cash in Malta stirs Security Concerns is the title of the piece. It seems this island in the Mediterranean Sea has decided to sell citizenship for the paltry sum of $1.57 million. Some folks are concerned by this, partly because Malta has outsourced the necessary background checks to a private company that stands to make millions by approving everybody who wants it.
       Ya know, I'm surprised America hasn't given this a try. We do enjoy outsourcing things like jobs. and it would certainly create some real fun to watch certain states scrambling to come up with photo IDs for all these new citizens. Just imagine the polling place on voting day when some Saudi Arabian prince steps up to the keeper of the list of valid voters and in his own language gives his name. Imagine the look on the elderly lady who keeps staring at this white robed, bearded, dark skinned foreigner who wants to vote. how about the, under the breath, epithets being directed at this guy.
       But all jokes aside, for a second, think of all the money to be made by America, and what about the company assigned the task of doing the background checks? Some firm in India, no doubt. But what kind of price could we get. Malta has some real advantages, tax wise as well as other perks. It's an island in the Mediterranean for goodness sakes. Fun in the sun and all that. What do we have to offer? Our great Southwest is suffering under extreme drought, the whole of the north of the country is frozen over for half the year and the southeast and midwest keep having tornados.
       We've got a government so frozen in conflict that nothing can be accomplished, our tax laws are too complicated for anyone to fully understand, our education is slipping to middling, our healthcare has been too costly for all but the rich. Congress is all fogged in, and nobody seems to want anyone else to vote. So who would want American Citizenship if they knew all this? Maybe we could entice some folks to join if we offered a free vacation trip to Malta.
      

It's A Problem Of Visability.

       For a while now some bird has been decorating the windshield of my car. It seems to happen early in the morning, most mornings. I've tried to catch sight of it as it bombs my car, but so far I've had no luck. I don't even know what breed it is, never mind that I don't know which member of that breed it is. I've tried contacting the policia and even the gendarmerie, but they all claim not to have jurisdiction here. Even the Immigration and Naturalization Service won't help.
       I'd ask for help in this matter from Congress, but given their current record of achievement, I don't think I'll be around that long. You don't suppose the Supreme Court could help, do you? No, come to think of it, I don't have the kind of money that would make them want to bother. Maybe the Federal Elections Board could help. Ya know, I don't know if this bird is even registered. Maybe I could demand it show Photo ID, but then it isn't trying to vote, just dive bomb my car, and weapons do not require registration. Maybe Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms could help?
       Maybe Congressman Louie Gohmert of Texas could help. He's been known to champion some unusual causes. I think he still believes in his heart of hearts that Pres. Obama is not from America. I don't think this bird is from America either. Ya know, there's no wall along the border that's gonna keep any birds out. And no self respecting American bird would do what this bird is doing.
        I'd get a gun stand guard over my car, but this isn't one of those stand your ground states. It'd be just my luck I'd get arrested for carrying an exposed firearm. That's another question I have. How do you get arrested for carrying a concealed gun? If the cops saw it then it must not be concealed. If they can't see it, how would they know you have it? But getting back to that bird, I'm running out of ideas. Neither the Citizens United case or the McCutcheon decision from yesterday is of any help. Either with my problem or in cleaning up the money in elections problems.

As American As GM.

       I love America. I can't imagine living anywhere else. It's not unlike that venerable giant corporation, General Motors. You know, baseball, hot-dogs, apple pie and Chevrolet. In many ways for many years GM has been the face of America. It's strength was synonymous with America. Of late, though, GM has proven the power of money is greater than the power of integrity. Rather than admit to problems in it's vehicles, GM believed it would be cheaper not to admit these failures. It all came down to money. And it has come home to roost.
       Alas, poor GM has found that it wasn't more cost effective to cheat. But GM is still much like America of the last decade or so. America's actuarial deciders in chief have sworn that an open road to huge sums would not affect, or not adversely affect, our government and the election process. Once again the Supreme Court has decided that all the money in the country won't undermine the sanctity of our government or it's selection process.
       Really? Hundreds of millions of dollars, Billions of dollars? None of that will unfairly influence our untouchable legislators? Our pillars of ethics. Our leadership. Those who will serve only one master. That master, the people, can rest assure, sleep in confidence, that no representative will forsake their well being for the stench of riches beyond the means of any common man.
       Can you, a citizen of America, can you expect to receive the same access to your elected representatives in Washington or your state capital as the PAC or Super Pac that has given him or her hundreds of thousands for the last or next campaign? Your Supreme Court is absolutely sure you can have that access. Well at least five of the nine justices believe that, or claim they believe it. But how can any human claim that any other human will not succumb to the temptation of riches and power?
       Worse yet, who can suggest that corporations are people? Who can suggest that corporations act in the best interests of the people? Oh, wait, they are people, aren't they? I recall, just the other day sitting down for a beer at the local pub with GM. "Say GM, how's that car of yours? That Cobalt?" Then GM says "They're still on the road, don't cha know." Then I say " When ya gonna figure out how to make them start by themselves too?"