America’s Crisis Crisis

I’m tired, and I was thinking about this today and it finally dawned on me why, it’s the crisis and the war that has me down.  You see in America there is a crisis; do you know what the crisis is?  Well neither did I so I decided to do what you do in the modern technological age to find something out, I Googled it.  What did I find, well in the first four pages of a Google search, “crisis in America,” I came up with the following crises: 

Traffic

Obesity

Cheating in schools

Jobs/unemployment

Health care/medical

Energy

Food

Water

Housing/foreclosure

Debt

Education

Prison

Social

Unspoken

Bullying

Bible literacy

 

Not that this isn’t bad enough, but in the first four pages of a search “War on” I found we’re involved in the following wars on:

America (domestic terrorism)

Domestic air industry

Tea Party’s war on America

Drugs/marijuana/crack/methamphetamine

Terror

Kids

Science

Gaza

Poverty

Christmas

Guns

Cancer

Nonsense

ALS

Women

No wonder I’m tired, between the crises and the wars, not to mention two actual wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we all ought to be exhausted! 

 Maybe it’s time for just a little sanity in America, everything isn’t a crisis.  Yes, there are lots of problems in America, we’re too fat, too broke, losing our homes and our jobs, our education system is not doing the job it should, we are too dependent on foreign oil and kids killing themselves after being bullied is truly terrible.  But are any of these truly a crisis?  What defines a crisis?  What if I told you something out there has killed over 600,000 Americans between 1994 and 2009, 33,000+ just in 2009 alone, would you consider that a crisis?

How about the fact that more soldiers died by their own hands than by being killed by our enemies in 2010?  http://www.good.is/post/more-us-soldiers-killed-themselves-than-died-in-combat-in-2010/

To me, that sounds like a crisis, but don’t ask me, I’m just tired and cranky, what about you?

Osama Bin Laden is Dead

The US government is reporting that American operatives in Pakistan have assassinated Osama Bin Laden and are in possession of the body, here are some links to the story.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/02/osama-bin-laden-dead-obama

http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/source-al-qaida-head-bin-laden-dead-us-in-possession-of-body-obama-to-speak-sunday-night/2011/05/01/AF1D5hVF_story.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/2011/05/01/2011-05-01_osama_bin_laden_dead_us_has_body_nearly_10_years_after_911_terrorist_attacks.html

The circus that is American politics

So this is where we currently find the government of the United States of America.  In ring one we have our military situation, we are fighting a war in Iraq, a war in Afghanistan and doing a little bomb dropping in Libya.  Additionally, on just about every news show they get the chance, the government slips in a little mention of Yemen which is where I believe our next military action will occur.

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2011/01/25/the-next-big-terror-threat-part-2/

In the second ring we have the budget, the budget that our brave warriors in the house and senate barely negotiated at the last second to keep our government working.  Such proud warriors, putting their heads into the mouth of the lion to save our great nation the Republicans trying to defend us from such horrors as Sesame Street and Car Talk.  But don’t worry citizens, the republicans haven’t lost, they’ve just staged their forces for the 2012 budget fight and don’t worry, before they are done they will stop middle-class and poor women from getting low-cost health services.  And don’t even mention Obama Care, good God the very mention of the term could summon the devil and end the Mayan calendar, what was that, oops, apparently my typing it did the calendar thing, sorry.

http://examiner.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=20324:federal-shutdown-avoided-2012-budget-fight-looms-&catid=35:ap-news&Itemid=56

Finally in ring three, the center ring we have the upcoming 2012 presidential race.  Yes folks as expected President Obama has filed for re-election and we certainly have our fair share of potential challengers.  But had I told you two months ago that there would be one candidate getting the most press for their outlandish ideas, and it wouldn’t be Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich or Michelle Bachman would you have believed me?  No, my friends the monkey in the center ring with his fancy hairdo is none other than building mogul, I mean bankrupt, I mean Casino mogul, I mean bankrupt, I mean reality TV star, Donald Trump, the next President of the United States of America.  Wow what a circus that would be.

Terry Jones, a burning Koran in Florida, Karzai’s gambit and Death in Afghanistan

This is not the first time I’ve written about Pastor Terry Jones in Florida, a man who calls himself a Christian Pastor but is in fact nothing but a hate monger and a media whore, my last post was so entitled and the link is below:

http://zdeaconblue.wordpress.com/2010/09/08/pastor-terry-jones-is-nothing-but-a-christian-media-whore/

Recently Mr. Jones put the Koran on trial, judged it guilty and burned it in his church in front of his massive 30 person ministry.  You can read more about the sickening details below:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/under-god/post/un-workers-killed-during-protest-of-terry-jones-koran-burning/2011/04/01/AFLOqKIC_blog.html

Happily, as you will notice by the date of the piece I linked to, the US media basically ignored this act, finally treating Jones with the level of disdain he deserved.  In fact I had also planned on ignoring him in this blog as well.  However, and unfortunately, this past week in retaliation to this blatant act of disrespect, Mullahs in Afghanistan fired up their congregations and in fact violence and deaths ensued.  The news however was not ignored by the media in fact it has been a lead story everywhere.  In condemnation of what Jones did, the media became an equal criminal by playing up how Muslims took to the streets and in an attempt to kills Americans instead attacked and killed UN workers.

However, this morning on CNN and also in several news outlets I found there was much more to the story.  In fact, this was not Muslims running wild and being unreasonable and violent as many people and much of the media want to portray it.  In fact, what fired up the Mullahs in Afghanistan was a speech by President Hamid Karzai in which he called for Terry Jones’ arrest, which in fact Karzai knew could not happen under American Law.   A political gambit by President Karzai that has back fired as Taliban elements in Afghanistan incited the violence that led to 20 deaths.

http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/263719/karzais-incitement-andrew-stuttaford

So at the end of the day, Jones, Karzai, the Taliban and the American media are all to blame for the misrepresentations of Islam and the deaths of innocent people.

Reality Check: On Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan and America’s Military

The following is taken from a Marine Corps. Blog written by Sgt. Priscilla Sneden.  It’s a poignant piece about the reality of our world and the fact that folks seem to care more about celebrities than American War dead.   Thanks to my friend Jax for turning me on to this piece and to all the men and women who have served our country.

In the past few weeks, Charlie Sheen’s public antics have created yet another Hollywood media frenzy. Every major news organization has covered the star’s breakdown. He has more than 2.8 million followers on Twitter and his Good Morning America Interview has more than 7.8 million views on YouTube.

While I love entertainment news, as much as the next 23-year-old, it disturbs me that Americans seem to be more intrigued by Hollywood happenings than the fact that OUR service members are still engaged in two wars and humanitarian operations across the globe.

There are currently more than 42,000 soldiers in Iraq. As our combat role in the nation draws to a close, the U.S. Army continues to advise, train, and equip Iraqi Security Forces, enabling them to provide for internal security while building a foundation to defend against external threats.

According to the International Security Assistance Force there are 90,000 U.S. service members supporting the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. About 24,000 are Marines, conducting counterinsurgency operations in partnership with the government to protect the Afghan people, develop the Afghan National Security Force capabilities, and support improved governance and economic development.

We have thousands more Marines and Sailors embarked on Navy vessels guarding the seas – equipped and ready to respond to threats any place in the world.

Now, let’s put things into perspective. More than 130,000 Americans are in combat zones right now – they are mothers, fathers, sons and daughters- yet we are concerned with why Lindsay Lohan is back in court?

Prior to becoming a Marine, someone told me “only military appreciates military.”  While I think the statement is a bit harsh, it’s partly based on truth.  The fact that America would rather know about the next tinsel town scandal supports the idea.

It is no secret that the civil unrest in the North African nation of Libya is worsening, as forces loyal to Col. Muammar al-Qaddafi and Libyan rebels clash violently. Marines with the 26^th Expeditionary Marine Unit were directed by the Department of Defense to help evacuate Egyptians, who fled to the Tunisian border from Libya.

In an American Forces Press article released last week, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said NATO strongly condemned the use of force against the Libyan people. What NATO will decide from this point and what our role will be in Libya is way above my pay grade. But as a sergeant of Marines I can say I’d rather know about what is going on in the daily lives of my fellow service members than where the cast of Jersey Shore is headed next.

There is nothing real about reality television. You want reality? Ask a Marine, Sailor, solider or airman.

From the New York Times, a list of some of the brave Americans who have given their life in the service of their country during this year.  Please take a moment and think about their sacrifice and the impact of their deaths on their family.  It would be a good moment to also appreciate your own family.

HINKLE, Michael J. II, 24, Senior Airman, Air Force; Corona, Calif.; 28th Communications Squadron.

ACOSTA, Rudy A., 19, Pfc., Army; Canyon Country, Calif.; Fourth Squadron, Second Stryker Cavalry.

McDANIEL, Mecolus C., 33, Staff Sgt., Army; Fort Hood, Tex.; First Infantry Division.

MEIS, Christopher S., 20, Lance Cpl. Marines; Bennett, Colo.; Second Marine Division.

MICKLER, Donald R. Jr., 29, Cpl., Army; Bucyrus, Ohio; Fourth Squadron, Second Stryker Cavalry.

RODRIGUEZ, Arturo E., 19 Pfc., Army; Bellflower, Calif; 101^st Airborne Division

TOMPKINS, Travis M., 31, Staff Sgt., Army; Lawton, Okla.; 10th Mountain Division.

ALDEN, Nicholas J., 25, Senior Airman, Air Force; Williamston, S.C.; 48th Security Forces Squadron.

STANTON, Jordan R., 20, Cpl., Marines; Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.; Second Marine Division.

WEAVER, Jason M., 22, Specialist, Army; Anaheim, Calif.; 504th Military Police Battalion, 42nd Military Police Brigade.

WELLS, Mark C., 31, Staff Sgt., Army; San Jose, CA.; 45th Sustainment Brigade, 8th Theater Sustainment Command.

The next big terror threat

So after 10 years we have effectively dispersed the original core of Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Iraq, after drawing them to Iraq with a little war there.  But the problem with fighting terrorism, unlike fighting a country, is that there is no set army or location to destroy.  With cells that can develop, align themselves and then act independently of the center, it can be a never-ending project.  So unfortunately what this has set up is a permanent state of “war” for the United States a perpetual reason for the government to deploy our forces and spend money on the industrial war complex instead of those luxuries like healthcare, social security, education or the environment in America.

The next “BIG” threat is beginning to be painted in the media.  As the Iraq and Afghanistan wars start to wind down, the military industrial complex will need to create a new boogeyman for the US to focus and spend money on destroying.  So the next group that we will be told hates our freedom is Al Qaeda of the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).  These are not nice people for sure, they are aligned with Osama Bin Laden and have made similar calls for the overthrow of the Saudi Government and to destroy the west;

http://www.globaljihad.net/view_news.asp?id=1604

The leader of this organization is a man named Anwar Al-Awlaki, born in the United States of Yemeni descent who possesses both US and Yemeni citizenship.  You can read more about Anwar Al-Awlaki at the link below:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anwar_al-Awlaki

Although I won’t post the links here, Al-Awlaki has a Facebook page, he has YouTube videos and has used the internet in a way no other terrorist has before, a Bin Laden for a new generation of jihadists you might say.  Is Al-Awlaki and his organization a true threat?  Well they were reported to be behind:

A recruiting office shooting in Little Rock in June, 2009

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Little_Rock_recruiting_office_shooting

the failed 2009 Christmas airline bomber:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umar_Farouk_Abdulmutallab

and the failed October 2010, cargo plane bomb plot:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_cargo_plane_bomb_plot

When you look at this activity and how frequently AQAP is being mentioned on the news, I think we know who the next boogeyman is, or put another way, the next thing that is supposed to scare the hell out of us to give the government more control over our lives and distract us from the fact that Osama Bin Laden still runs free after 10 years.

Wikileaks and Osama Bin Laden

The other day on Facebook my brother posted a post that got me thinking, the headlines were that officials were closing in on Julian Assange.  My brother pointed out the irony that they’d found Assange but were not closing in on Osama Bin Laden.  Now I’m not prone to conspiracy theory but seriously, how is it after almost ten years, with the greatest military on earth, the FBI, the NSA and the CIA we can’t find Osama Bin Laden?  What the hell is up with that?

Conservatives out there talk a tough game but they had a hell of a long time with Bush in the Whitehouse to find and bring to justice the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks.  I think we all remember this:

http://www.sptimes.com/News/091501/Worldandnation/Bush_says_bin_Laden_c.shtml

Yet Bush didn’t smoke the terrorists out of their holes and bring them to justice, instead we’ve entered into a protracted war in a country that has never been conquered and now I hear politicians talking about permanent bases in Afghanistan to go along with our permanent presence in Iraq.  It seems to me that you are at greater risk to your own freedom if you embarrass the US government, than if you kill Americans.  Hence, Julian Assange can’t hide, but Bin Laden can.

Koran burning minister gets bill for $180,000

So you want to be a media whore and inflame religious tensions, great law enforcement will do its part to protect you, for a fee of course and that fee to paster Jones our current favorite media whore is a whopping $180,000 that’s some mighty expensive Koran burning, oh wait, he called it off, ooops, still get the bill.  Is that John Lennon I hear singing instant karma in the background?

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/17/florida.quran.pastor/index.html?hpt=T2

Pastor Terry Jones is nothing but a Christian media whore!!!

Pastor Terry Jones is nothing but a Christian media whore

So the question of the day is; how do you get people to pay attention to a nothing little church in the state of Florida?  I know declare war on the Quran and say it’s in respect to the people who were killed during the September 11^th attack in New York City, do it on 9/11 and start a Facebook campaign.  Obviously Terry Jones is a media whore and to give him proper credit a pretty good one.  He has the entire media world paying attention to his church.   I’ve seen more of him on the news in the last two days than either Obama or Palin and that’s saying something.  The logic is undeniably faulty as first, how does burning the Quran only attack “radical Islam” as he claims and secondly, how does burning the Quran honor the Muslim’s who lost their life on 9/11?

Essentially this guy is trying to sell books, he wrote a book entitled Islam is the Devil and this is a fabulous way to market his work.  He also, and I support this, has the right to burn any damn book he wants under the first amendment.  However, I wonder how he would react to me burning a van load of Christian Bibles in public, oh wait, can’t do that to the one true god’s book.  In the end it’s unfortunate that this person will probably inflame anti-American sentiment and probably get a few American soldiers and possibly civilians killed in the process.  But that’s ok because in the end it’s all in the name of good ole American capitalism so I’m pretty sure Conservative talk radio will have his back.  Capitalism of course always works best when you wrap it in either God or Country!

To read more about this auspicious event:

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/Afghanistan/burn-quran-day-sparks-protests-afghanistan-petraeus-endanger/story?id=11569820

The Pope has come out against the event but for those of you who don’t know, most evangelistic Christians don’t give a flying shit about the Pope:

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/09/08/2010-09-08_vatican_antidefamation_league_join_forces_to_blast_pastor_terry_jones_sept_11_ko.html

A little bit of background on Pastor Jones;

http://abcnews.go.com/US/terry-jones-pastor-burn-koran-day/story?id=11575665

Good God!  Even Sarah Palin thinks he’s wrong:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0910/41907.html

The Pakistan Flood, The US Economy and Terrorism

As part of my morning hating ritual and news addiction I often get out of bed in the morning and lay on the couch and watch CNN, more often than not nodding off and half hearing things.  I was struck while half asleep the other morning by a story on CNN recounting that the aid levels for the Pakistan flood were drastically low.  That US contributions to this disaster were significantly lower than those for Haiti.  This got me thinking, even in the early morning hours.  Below is a link to the raw numbers of donations for the disaster:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2010/aug/09/pakistan-flood-aid

For any of you not aware of the disaster below is a link to general story about the floods that have decimated Pakistan:

http://www.sacbee.com/2010/08/18/2965692/pakistan-flood-aid-falls-woefully.html

This made me wonder why this was going, as you can see from the aid link the United States is not giving at the pace it normally does.  I think initially this has to do with two things, first, consumer confidence in the economy is down;

http://www.conference-board.org/data/consumerdata.cfm

Secondly, I think Americans might just be disastered out at this point.  We have our own economic woes, we’ve recently dealt with a massive earthquake in Haiti as well as the BP oil spill.  I’m just not sure at this point Americans have the emotional and/or financial reserves to help out one more time, we need a break.  That may sound crass but may also just be the truth.  The issue that comes out of this however, is that Pakistan has/is playing a pivotal role in our foreign policy in the Afghan region particularly as we attempt to deal with both the Taliban and Al Qaeda.  A report on the impact of the flood on American foreign policy is contained below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/19/world/asia/19diplo.html

This is another little nudge on how important a role the natural environment and mother nature play in our human interactions, it’s not just about pollution and saving species, nature can very seriously impact our political and social lives.  A decimated Pakistan, particularly in the areas of little government control become the perfect breeding ground for groups like Al Qaeda to gain local support and cooperation.  Looks like mother nature just pushed back the US’s war on terror a step or two.