updating backlog of post Oct 19 - Oct 26, 2009

Oct 19 2009, 04:54 AM
Advanced Member Group: Admin Posts: 34,324 Member No.: 3 Joined: 20-November 07 Warn: (0%)	I am part of the "baby boomer" generation born right after WWII. Our parents' generation, the men and women who grew up during the Great Depression and fought in WWII, are rapidly dying out. Too many of my own generation have died prematurely. Certainly, there are no guarantees (other than those God offers) in this life. At 61, it has become apparent to me that my time on this Earth is limited. There is an expression "There is nothing like an old man in a hurry". So I better get to work trying to make peace and leave if legacy for peace while I still can. It seems to me that the WWII generation should have turned against war after WWII. They dedicated themselves to raising their families among which I number. We owe our parents' generation a great debt for their sacrifices. They did not move quickly enough on civil rights. My generation did that, but my generation has also become spoiled in my respects, me included. How to confront the powers that be and offer workable alternatives is the challenge. Without peace it is hard to imagine sustainable progress for human kind. We must move beyond war - including moving beyond so-called "limited" war as a means of settling disputes among nations and between groups. -------------------- Only after the last tree has been cut down, Only after the last river has been poisoned, Only after the last fish has been caught, Only then, will you realize that money cannot be eaten!!! (Cree Indian Prophecy)
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synergy	Posted: Oct 20 2009, 09:22 AM
Advanced Member Group: Admin Posts: 34,324 Member No.: 3 Joined: 20-November 07 Warn: (0%)	Pakistan 'striking at militants'....HURRAH!! QUOTE QUOTE ("Moon Puppy") QUOTE ("nuke_guy") Without war we'd all be speaking German or Japanese now or at best celebrate Victoria Day in May. The difference between then and now is there is no willingness from the commanders to actually do what it takes to win. In WW2 the commanders made the hard decision to take the war beyond the actual weapon users and actively involve the citizens that supported (or were enabling) the warriors. Now the commanders are attempting to selectively target on the warriors. While a noble goal it will remain ineffective as long as those brave Tally-ban and others hid behind women and children and blend into civilian non-combatants. Why does anyone expect anything other than limited results when limited actions are taken? This dovetails with what I have been saying about Total War, Maximum Effort. You can not fight a limited war and expect absolute victory. JohnRandolphHardisonCain replies: United States is not in a "total war" like it was in WWII. Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, and now the U.S. covert war in Pakistan as well as the U.S. proxy war in Pakistan are political wars. Terrorists do not threaten the existence of United States. At worse they are a major hassle, but not a threat to the survival of United States. Perhaps President Obama should ask Congress to declare war. Do you think they would? If Congress did declare war, who would they declare it on? And how would the war be resolved? Who would sign the surrender or peace armistice? Political wars never end with a clear cut military victor. Political wars always end through negotiations. It is time to negotiate an end to the U.S. war in Afghanistan. Ten years from now when the U.S. counterinsurgency war has failed, United States will be economically weaker, politically weaker, and militarily weaker. Pakistan may be able to put down an insurgency, buy they cannot end terrorism without some sort of compromise with large elements within their own population. -------------------- Only after the last tree has been cut down, Only after the last river has been poisoned, Only after the last fish has been caught, Only then, will you realize that money cannot be eaten!!! (Cree Indian Prophecy)
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synergy	Posted: Oct 25 2009, 06:43 AM
Advanced Member Group: Admin Posts: 34,324 Member No.: 3 Joined: 20-November 07 Warn: (0%)	The surge has failed! Does anyone seriously think that United States can massively draw down its military occupation force in Iraq and leave a stable situation behind? The pressure is on to escalate the number of U.S. troops occupying Afghanistan for a long counterinsurgency war. United States is caught between Iraq and a hard place. Iraqis certainly do not deserve this carnage, and it would not be so save for the illegal U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq. Former President George W. Bush spoke in Saskatoon, Canada on Wednesday, Oct 21st. Bush said: "An American president should never want to use wars, certainly not my first choice. I understand the consequences. ... (But) when you say something, you mean it. In order to be effective, you’ve got to back up your words. My point was that this time, we were serious. Cough up your weapons. ... I will tell you, I believe the world is a better place without Saddam Hussein. I believe the Iraqis are better off." Tell it to the 90 plus dead Iraqis and the 632 wounded Iraq, Bush Boy. Bush continues to justify his illegal war on Iraq by falsely the intelligence community was telling him Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. But now Bush embellishes that with the absurd claim that his war in Iraq prevented a nuclear arms race between Iran and Iraq. What a dithering fool! Bush did not finish the job in Afghanistan. He bungled and dithered in Afghanistan for 8 years distracted by his failed, unnecessary, illegal, immoral, unwinnable assault on Iraq and its people throwing them into unending chaos as long as American troops occupy that country. Twin Baghdad car bombings kill 90 QUOTE by Prashant Rao 7:38 am EDT Sun 25 Oct 2009 BAGHDAD (AFP) – Twin suicide car bombs blasted the justice ministry and the provincial offices in central Baghdad on Sunday, killing at least 90 people and sparking turmoil in the embattled Iraqi capital. Around 600 people were wounded in the attacks, which occurred within minutes of each other at around 10:30 am (0730 GMT) and left streets littered with charred bodies and torn-off limbs. The blasts destroyed dozens of cars and shattered water pipes, spewing dirty water on to nearby streets. Authorities closed off roads leading to the bomb sites as fire trucks and ambulances struggled through thick traffic to reach the blazing buildings. One of the attacks occurred at a busy intersection near the ministries of justice and labour, while the other was opposite the Baghdad provincial government offices in Salhiyeh neighbourhood. At least 90 people were killed and 632 people were injured, according to a tally of tolls from four hospitals in central Baghdad -- Al-Karama, Ibn Nafis, Medical City and Yarmuk. Shortly after the attacks, Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki visited the site of the Saliyeh bombing, where he spoke to officials and security officers but made no statement. "Why are they doing this to us?" shouted a man who gave his name only as Mohammed, sitting near the ravaged provincial buildings, his clothes covered in blood. "It's because of the election -- they want to defy the government," he said, referring to planned general elections in January. Thick smoke billowed over the stricken area and fires could be seen from two buildings whose windows had been shattered by the force of the blasts. Rescue workers in Salhiyeh said they had to cover dead bodies in blankets before picking them up because they were too hot to touch. Firemen meanwhile were using their trucks' ladders to reach the upper floors of the ministries, fearing that many dead and wounded could be trapped. Several helicopters were flying over the area and dozens of humvees were lining the streets around the bomb sites. The explosions were a grim reminder of deadly blasts which shook the ministries of foreign affairs and finance on August 19, in which around 100 people were killed. The twin bombings came as Iraqi political leaders were to meet to try to end a deadlock over a stalled election law amid growing concerns that the country's January 16 election will have to be delayed. The meeting was scheduled to take place at 3:30 pm (1230 GMT). There was no immediate information as to whether the meeting would go ahead as planned. Lieutenant General Ali Ghaidan Majeed, commander of Iraqi ground forces, warned in an interview with AFP on Saturday that the coming months could see an upswing in violence ahead of the January polls. He said security would likely only stabilise by the middle of next year after a transfer of power to a new government. "I am concerned that between now ... and July 2010, basically throughout the election and after with the transfer from the old government to the new government, maybe you will see terrorist activities increase," he said. Attacks have dropped dramatically compared to a year ago -- violent deaths in September were the lowest since May -- but remain high by international standards. However insurgents are still able to mount high-profile attacks, especially in Baghdad and the northern city of Mosul, which kill dozens. -------------------- Only after the last tree has been cut down, Only after the last river has been poisoned, Only after the last fish has been caught, Only then, will you realize that money cannot be eaten!!! (Cree Indian Prophecy)
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synergy	Posted: Oct 25 2009, 05:26 PM
Advanced Member Group: Admin Posts: 34,324 Member No.: 3 Joined: 20-November 07 Warn: (0%)	The surge has failed! QUOTE Sargbaby, Iraq had nothing whatsoever to do with the attacks on 9/11/01. Former President George W. Bush ordered the U.S. military to invade Iraq in March 2003. That ill-advised decision is what led to the ongoing violence in Iraq which will continue as long as any U.S. military personnel (combat or otherwise) remain in Iraq. That is the bedrock truth of the situation. Furthermore the U.S. military mission in Afghanistan will be defeated for the simple reason that United States has no legal or moral ground to occupy Afghanistan and wage war there for 8 years. United States does have the right to bring the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks to justice. Beyond that United States' effort at winning military hegemony over the Middle East and South Asia will fail. It doesn't matter what a U.S. President orders or what Congress approves. The U.S. military missions in Iraq and Afghanistan are doomed by history to fail. United States can only "succeed" militarily in destabilizing the entire region leading to a regional and perhaps world war. In waging wars for hegemony over the Middle East and South Asia, United States is in effect waging a war on Islam, and it will NEVER succeed. This country will exhaust itself in this doomed crusade. Bombings target government in Baghdad, 147 killed QUOTE By REBECCA SANTANA, Associated Press Writer 4:16 pm EDT Sun 25 Oct 2009 BAGHDAD – A pair of suicide car bombings Sunday devastated the heart of Iraq's capital, killing at least 147 people in the country's deadliest attack in more than two years. The bombs targeted two government buildings and called into question Iraq's ability to protect its people as U.S. forces withdraw. The bombings show that insurgents still have the ability to launch horrific attacks even as violence has dropped dramatically in Iraq. Many fear such attacks will only increase as Iraq prepares for crucial January elections. The dead included 35 employees at the Ministry of Justice and at least 25 staff members of the Baghdad Provincial Council, said police and medical officials speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. At least 721 people were wounded, including three American contractors. The street where the blasts occurred had just been reopened to vehicle traffic six months ago. Shortly after, blast walls were repositioned to allow traffic closer to the government buildings. Such changes were touted by Iraq's Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki as a sign that safety was returning to the city. The Iraqi leader walked among the mangled and blackened cars, which lay in front of blast walls that had been decorated with peaceful street scenes of Iraq. At the Justice Ministry, windows and walls on both sides of the street were blown away, and blood pooled with water from burst pipes. Al-Maliki has staked his political reputation and re-election bid on his ability to bring peace to the country and pledged to punish those responsible, who he said wanted to "spread chaos in the country, undermine the political process and prevent the holding of parliamentary elections." But the Sunday attacks seemed designed to paint the Iraqi leader as incapable of providing security to the beleaguered city, undermining much of his political support. The attacks occurred just hours before Iraq's top leadership was scheduled to meet with heads of political parties in order to reach a compromise on election guidelines needed to hold the January vote. President Barack Obama, who earlier this week reaffirmed the U.S.'s commitment to withdrawing its troops from the country, called al-Maliki to offer his condolences. "These bombings serve no purpose other than the murder of innocent men, women and children, and they only reveal the hateful and destructive agenda of those who would deny the Iraqi people the future that they deserve," Obama said. The fact that the vehicles were able to get into an area home to numerous government institutions — just hundreds of yards from the heavily fortified Green Zone where the U.S. Embassy and the prime minister's office are located — sparked demands that those in charge of the city's security be held accountable. ~~~cont'd~~~ -------------------- Only after the last tree has been cut down, Only after the last river has been poisoned, Only after the last fish has been caught, Only then, will you realize that money cannot be eaten!!! (Cree Indian Prophecy)
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synergy

Posted: Oct 26 2009, 05:53 AM

Advanced Member Group: Admin Posts: 34,324 Member No.: 3 Joined: 20-November 07 Warn: (0%)

Regarding the reality of man-made climate change and the denial thereof: Skepticism is warming up QUOTE The world is moving head with The 350 Movement while many Americans have their heads buried in the sand. 350 parts per million of carbon dioxide in the upper limit that scientists (who use objective criteria rather than political calculations) say the Earth's atmosphere can carry without irreversible climate change. Today we have already reached 390 ppm of CO2. In other words we are already the beyond the tipping point and must reduce the ppm of CO2 in the air if we wish to mitigate the worse effects of a dramatic warming in Earth's climate over the long term. This is not a right vs left issue. This is a scientific, informed, responsible position verses an uneducated, misinformed, irresponsible position taken by those who deny man-made climate change. This could well be THE critical issue of our time because competition for scare resources (including water) will drive wars as billions of people are negatively impacted by the reality of climate change. Posted by JohnRandolphHardisonCain on Mon Oct 26, 2009 6:39 AM