I have not offered my opinions as of late on some of the recent decisions and action by politicians on Public Policy. With regards to Bush's troop "surge", I wish there were some other alternative to consider that would be more preferable, but if this Iraq mission fails that nation will fall into the hands of radical Islamists who would hell bent on spreading death and misery throughout the world and Al-Qaida would be working hand in hand with a state that would have the same goals as they do and facilitate and fund their evil and treachery. So what choice do we have? I am very pessismistic about any success that can occur but to abandon that part of the world would be disastrous to the West. I do not see any other constructive alternatives being suggested by the dissenters--all they are saying is to get out and seemingly to heck with what happens after that. If that is all these dissenters can suggest then we are doomed to suffer tragedies and shocks that could result in further losses to our personal freedoms and liberties and untold harm and damage to our economy and others in the West. That may yet happen, particularly when and if the war with Iran commences, but that is not a total inevitability as I write (hopefully).
The idea of seeing images of al-Sadr and other Islamist extremists in Iraq on a stage with bin-Laden or some of his powerful associates raising their hands in unison with swords and rifles yelling out insults and shouting words of defiance towards the US and seeing that on al-Jazeera
for all Arabs and Islamists to see and rejoice in is a nightmare for all American citizens. Lets try to do what we can to prevent that nightmare from becoming a reality. And in spite of many citizens' reservations, Bush is doing what he believes he can to stop this more worse case scenario from eventuating. So far now---maybe the next 9 months or so-- I'll not object to this strategy and give it time to work---more accurately to give time to further develop and enlarge Iraqi security forces and increase the size of the region that exists without any civil unrest. This seems to be the only real hope to ending this situation as it is now but how realistic that is remains questionable at best. Lets hope it is much better than that for all our sakes.
The war drums continue to beat and an escalation in the conflict with Iran seems more likely as each day passes. There are already two full carrier groups deployed in the NW Indian Ocean and a large contingent of fighter and bomber aircraft groups are now on the ground in Romania and Bulgaria. This readying of forward strike forces so close to Iran with no other reason for their stationing there is very disturbing. I can envision numerous significant repeated airstrikes on Iranian targets, primarily military but some key economic and political ones as well. Long-range artillery and missles from the battleships and carriers would be launched as well and a strategy to completely nuetralize the fledgling Iranian Air Force and Navy would be part of this early war effort. What would happen next is up to some speculation. I can envision large movements of unrest and rebellion occuring throughout the Moslem world with the real possibility of several governments that are pro-American or at least neutral falling to extremists, particularly in Pakistan, Jordan, Egypt, and even Saudi Arabia. A large world war could blow up in a matter of weeks and many subsequent scenarios and consequences are largely unimaginable and inperceivable. I would think the likelihood of war with Iran is better than 60-40 right now and this only goes up daily particularly with continuous Iranian saber-rattling and threats of nuclear power deployment in the real immediate future. I believe large numbers of the Iranian civilian population (probably about 3/4) do not want this situation to escalate to this point but they lack the power and voice to change things right now as the hardline clerics and religious zealots are calling the shots and seem directed towards moving towards an all war with the Western "infidels" as they see that as the destiny and fate that their Allah wants and demands. Quite frightening and unsettling, huh? When this will all come down remains to be seen. With a wide scale ground attack very unlikely to be part of this war on our part, the airstrikes and artillery barrages can begin and occur at anytime as it will not be dependent on the time of the year and the related climate that had to be considered for the two land based wars in Iraq in the last 17 years. The worst case scenario is been read at this link:
http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0203-21.htm
Illegal immigration is still running amok across the SW US and the invaders have caused tremendous disruptions, problems, and tragedies throughout the nation but it is particularly striking in California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, and Texas. These invaders are putting tremendous strains on social services, all governmental levels of budgets, law enforcement, and the economy as a whole. They have destroyed the blue collar job market for non-college educated Americans particularly in the trades, distribution, and what remains of the manufacturing sector. I have witnessed this first hand in the Denver area as that area has been economically devastated by this invasion as many Americans cannot get good paying jobs anymore in such industries as construction, maintenance, and warehouse operations. I have read and seen that the impact in Phoenix and Los Angeles is staggering. And now Bush adminstration officials and major corporate mavens are working hard to establish the North American Union, a EU of this continent where the three countries would be economically and socially integrated with a common currency, no border controls, and specific funding of Canadian and American tax dollars that would go to paying for infrastructure, housing, and social welfare programs in Mexico. The negotiations and analysis for this profound action is ongoing without virtually anyone's knowledge and is being disregarded by the press and politicians. It will probably happen and be voted on before the year is out much to our loss as Americans. This terrible destructive direction towards globalism that has been ongoing for a generation has been a great mistake and has caused immense suffering for middle class and poor Americans across the nation and has had enormous economic consequences, particularly in regards to the American family... two income families with both parents working fulltime is now the rule and a result children are being raised in absentia and having their values and attitudes being shaped by highly destructive greedy societal elements such as rap musicians, cable TV, sleezy Hollywood movies, MTV, child pornographers, and host of other sorry disgusting entities and institutions including primarily mainstream Corporate America which has directed a successful propaganda campaign to mandate consumerism, waste, impoliteness, vulgarity, consumption, greed, violence, thoughtlessness, disrespect, and out and out stupidity among our youth and young adults all in the name of profit, greed, and power. And it only seems inevitable it will worsen. Successful parents who raise good kids have to be given a lot of credit for succeeding in spite of all the overwhelming corporate and cultural forces working intensively against them. How this can be reversed so more parents can succeed and more kids can become constructive adults with all or most of their talents, skills, and gifts realized in an economic and societal sense and way is one the greatest challenges facing our society.
I have a lot to say about global warming and the looming climate crisis that is facing mankind.
These two recent articles that came out in the light of climate report released last week were very disturbing and need to be read more than once:
http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0203-28.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines07/0203-03.htm
The implications of the conclusions reached by scientists that are discussed in these articles are downright frightening and horrifying, particularly for our young that were born after 1985 or later that will be middle aged adults in the second half of the 21st Century and even more so for their children that will be born in the coming 10 to 30 years. It is essential to stay aware of what is happening globally concerning the climate and the environment on a regular and long term basis to see if there are clear trends developing that are pointing us in those troubling directions that these two articles talk about. Lets hope that the almost unbelievably complex dynamics that make up the understanding of climate and what the future is will be far more difficult to understand and project than what is being talked about today. Hopefully that will mean that what develops, happens, and eventuates will be far less extreme than what is being envisioned today...
The author of the blog comudgeon ( http://comudgeon.blogspot.com ) has done a tremendous job in bringing us information about the CO legislature and its members. He has discussed some of the legislation being considered but I hope he gives us further information on the 10-15 most important or interesting pieces of legislation being considered in this session. I respectfully disagree with him on HB1072 as I consider growth and expansion of unions and union membership as one of the most basic tools and weapons that can be used to reduce the greed, excesses, and power that corporations have tainted and polluted our society, small business, small towns, and many individual Americans with. Increased union membership and participation in our society can move our government back in a direction where our capitalist economic system needs to be and this crazy Market Fundamentalism obsession that has plagued us for a generation can be put in its proper place and competition and compassion can be returned to their rightful place as predominant American values. Right now our (?) government works primarily for the benefit of Fortune 500 corporations at the expense of small business, the middle class and poor, the elderly, children, the handicapped and disadvantaged, rural and small town America, and entry level entrepreneurs. It is absolutely essential that this power is taken back for each of our sakes and as soon as possible. I just do not believe that most Democrats that are in elected office particularly on the Federal Level understand this and are prepared and commited to do what is necessary and what it will take to make this change happen and bring back the kind of prosperous America that is best for our families and working class that used to exist before the GOP took the reins under Reagan and continuing under the Bushes for the last 25+ years. Who will then prevent the economic promise of America completely failing and disappearing is not clear but the current cast of characters running for President and the crop of politicians in Congress, particularly the Senate, does not invoke any kind of excitement or reason for optimism... As of today, John Edwards is the only candidate running that is even talking about these issues in a promising way. You can learn more about him and his candidacy and his stand on the issues and his policy statements at his website:
http://johnedwards.com/
Please take the time to look what he has to say over before you summarily dismiss him. Compared to the other candidates, I believe he offers the best vision for people like me and the members of my family, my friends, and the communities I live and work in and belong to.
Thank goodness winter has retreated although probably only temporarily. Today brought us clear skies. light winds, and the warmest temperature since 15 December!!!!:
ASUS65 KRIW 060032
RTPWY STATE TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION TABLE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE
RIVERTON WY
522 PM MST MON FEB 05 2007 .
BR RIW 0205
M DH17/TAIRZY/TAIRZI/PP/SF/SD : :
NOTE - VALUES REPRESENT 12 HOUR HIGH...18 HOUR LOW...AND :
PRECIPITATION OVER THE LAST 24 HOURS ENDING AT 6 PM MDT : :
STATION HIGH LOW PCPN FALL DEPTH :
CYS : CHEYENNE : 54 / 31 / 0.00 / /
Well, I will close for now with another post, maybe two, coming before weeks end that may contain some good news about me on a personal level.
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