I think as we go about our lives we tend to take for granted what our forefathers fought so hard for. Slavery in the United States was abolished a long time ago, after a bloody civil war. Personally, I think for citizens of the US to, in effect, throw away their efforts by going to live in a land where slavery has been reinstated is to dishonor their memory.
I know it's the weekend, but tonight I'm feeling the need for a more serious subject to climb up on my soapbox and shout about.
I have here two videos. The first one is only about 11 minutes, the second is a bit longer at 25. Both are worth watching.
And this:
111 comments:
Foist
Oh, so here's where you guys are.
I think a year has passed since I last checked to see if you guys were able to continue commenting at Zeyad's blog (after he kicked everyone off the comments page with some really vile nastiness). Anyway, I came across the link for this blog in a comment left at his moribund blog, so now I can say hello to you guys (Lynnette, Petes, and Marcus).
I'm still traveling. Last September, I moved to Buenos Aires, but right now I'm back in Seoul.
Hope everyone is doing okay. When I have more time, I'll stop back and read some of the entries here. Just wanted to say I'm glad to see that you guys are still talking.
Hi, Z. :)
Hi Jeffrey,
It has been awhile! It's nice to see you found us.
Yes, we moved over here just to try to continue to discuss various issues. I always enjoyed that at Zeyads. At the time it seemed to be the best idea. Lee, Marcus and I still come here to chat. Petes has found activities offline to take up his time so hasn't been back for a while. I still see him via email. I have chosen to forget and forgive that nastiness you saw over at Zeyad's. He is welcome to post here when he feels like it. Although that's not to say I won't swat him over the head if he gets out of line. ;)
I think we would all be interested to hear about your travels if you would ever care to share with us. The world is changing so rapidly due to different factors that it's nice to hear some first hand accounts. I know I always enjoy reading Marcus' take on what is happening in Sweden and the EU.
Please feel free to rifle through the blog and the comments as you will. Obviously my writing skills do not match yours, but I try to get my ideas across or just have a little fun.
Oh, yes, Bruno stopped by some posts back and left a couple comments about life in South Africa. I forget which now, but you may find them in your travels through the blog.
An explosion today at a shrine in Bangkok. No details yet, so I don't know if it's ISIL related. But their way of doing things is, unfortunately, something that seems to be being copied.
Here's a rather interesting, if somewhat unfortunate, tidbit from that book I'm reading, Lawrence in Arabia, concerning the British advance up the Tigris River during WWI. Apparently it was a cakewalk until they came to Kut. Their force ended up being surrounded and cut off from their supply lines, as they had over reached. The British sent reinforcements three times to relieve the force at Kut. Because of the tactics used by the British, which weren't adjusted even though they had already failed, all attempts at relief failed. Lawrence, with a couple of other men, was sent to meet with the Turks to, basically, offer them money to let the men at Kut go. Before any deal was struck the garrison surrendered. Most of the men, troops from British controlled India, did not survive to see the end of the war. The British commander waited out the war at a villa in Constantinople.
Here's a summary of the bombing in Bangkok (including very graphic images of victims so be warned):
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=0e5_1439841805
The deathtoll is up to 27 now.
"Most of the men, troops from British controlled India, did not survive to see the end of the war. The British commander waited out the war at a villa in Constantinople."
Ahh, the benefits of a colonial empire. Well, for the commander that is...
That video was sad, Marcus. To deliberately cause that much death and injury is not the way to make a point. It is just a way to destroy.
Here is more on the bombing. It looks like they do have someone of interest to check out. It reminds me of the Boston Marathon bombing. The FBI seemed to do a good job on that, hopefully if the Thais would like help they will ask us.
Ahh, the benefits of a colonial empire. Well, for the commander that is...
I haven't finished the book yet, but I am getting the impression that Lawrence wasn't too thrilled with some of that either.
But what just floored me is that the British were so unable to be flexible in their tactics and so unwilling to listen to even their own intelligence people, such as Lawrence. It was just arrogance on their part. What was also surprising was the role that France played in encouraging the carving up of the Middle East into areas of interest for both it and Britain. It was this little competition on who could grab the most territory. And they were so sure they would win the war that they started all of this while they were apparently losing!
Lynnette:
"But what just floored me is that the British were so unable to be flexible in their tactics and so unwilling to listen to even their own intelligence people, such as Lawrence. It was just arrogance on their part."
Now what more recent global power does that remind you of?
Let's see here if you can make that connection, or if you're too biased to do so. It'll be interesting to see.
Lynnette?
lol!
But, Marcus, we are always changing our tactics! We might even change our strategy now and then too. Of course, it may not always work.
Hmmm..if Turkey isn't careful it will be the PKK that wins hearts and minds.
"Now what more recent global power does that remind you of?"
I have no doubt that you have a specific target in mind. But, I do have rather serious doubts that you actually have an analogy in mind. I think you're blowin’ smoke, for no particular purpose other than ‘cause that's just what you do.
So… How ‘bout you try to come up with a recent circumstance where the U.S.A. was ‘unable to be flexible in…tactics’ and ‘unwilling to listen to even [our] own intelligence people’.
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
"Hmmm..if Turkey isn't careful…"
I think Erdoğan is playing with fire here. He's hoping to put together a stronger nationalist coalition for the upcoming election, a ‘rally ‘round the flag’ reaction among mainstream Turks by providing them with a near and present enemy. He hopes to regain his recent electoral losses that way. There is the possibility this plan can backfire; Turkish voters might see this as Erdoğan's gambit and turn against him even further, but it's probably odds-on that he gets the ‘rally ‘round’ reaction he's hoping for. Longer-term though, he's courting trouble.
Longer-term though, he's courting trouble.
I think so too. He had come to at least some sort of agreement with the Kurds before ISIL appeared on the scene. What he is doing now is breaking it. That won't set well with people inside Turkey or outside, as the one villager in the article made clear.
The Kurds are probably our most effective ally on the ground in this conflict with ISIL. The Turks are obviously thinking that allowing us to fly sorties from air bases in Turkey will keep us quiet about any attacks on the Kurds.
Interesting analysis of al-Nusra's withdrawal from frontline areas of Syria.
"The Turks are obviously thinking that allowing us to fly sorties from
air bases in Turkey will keep us quiet about any attacks on the Kurds."
I think Erdoğan was also working with the fact that we still have the PKK designated as a terrorist organization. As long as that designation stands it'll be hard for the Obama administration to complain over much in public about Turkey pushing back against the PKK as well as pushing back against ISIS.
That was indeed an interesting analysis.
As long as that designation stands it'll be hard for the Obama administration to complain over much in public about Turkey pushing back against the PKK as well as pushing back against ISIS.
Yes, this is true. But perhaps we could nudge Erdogan about the quality of his pushing back against ISIL versus the PKK. Apparently there is some difference in the amount of air attacks between the two.
With new elections looming, I think we may be better served, by letting Erdoğan's domestic opposition make their own cases for change in priorities, and maybe even change in leadership, without our weighing in on things. There'll be plenty of time to strong-arm Erdoğan after the elections.
Speaking of, when are the elections in Turkey?
I know that ISIL has done some horrible things, but why is it that this really pisses me off? I mean, here is an elderly man who has done nothing, except study human history and our artifacts. He has made an effort to contribute to our understanding of the past and these morons snuff out his life because he doesn't fit with their beliefs or whatever nonsense they use to reason, or not to reason, with. *sigh*
The Erewan Shrine, where the bomb went off, is on one of the main roads in downtown Bangkok, right under the Skytrain, and if your goal was to kill a lot of people, that's where you'd put the bomb. That shrine is one of the main tourist attractions in Bangkok and right next to several large city shopping malls. When I lived in Bangkok, I stopped by there many times to snap photos of the locals and tourists as they burned incense sticks to supplicate the local Hindu deities.
I just checked the news and it looks like they still don't know who did it or why.
It's hard for me to believe that I was living in Thailand just last year. It seems like a decade ago. A month or so after I left Bangkok, there was a coup d'etat and now the country is run by the military. I didn't see that coming at all, even though Thailand has a history or coups.
When I lived there, for two months straight Thais slept in pup-tents on the main street under the Skytrain (very near the Erewan Shrine, in fact). You can't imagine how miserable their attempts at sleep must have been in the oppressive heat and humidity of Bangkok. And all of those protests and speeches and flag-waving and guitar playing meant zero, in the big picture. A few months later, the military simply arrested and removed all the democratically elected officials and assumed political control of the whole country -- and no one could do anything about it.
What seems strange to me now is the stability of the American political system. When I listen to Republicans and Democrats demonizing each other, I just smile.
Lynnette,
I just wanted to let you know how much I liked reading your entry "The Land of 10,000 Lakes."
Not too far away from you, down in Iowa, my dad had built a cabin on a lake a couple years after my mom and dad married, so all of the children (eight of us) spent many of our summer days at the cabin on Lake Delhi. He and two of his friends built it with wood from a pulled-down barn. The screen door had come from a chicken coop. Anyway, when I was reading about your days on the lake at your uncle's place, I was reminded of my own time at Lake Delhi. Thanks for writing that.
"Speaking of, when are the elections in Turkey?"
They're not yet scheduled. Erdoğan is still maneuvering.
Here is an update on the Thai bombing.
Does Thailand have CCTV around much of the city, Jeffrey? Perhaps it would be a good idea if they could find this same person in other areas, to try to track his movements. It also might be a good idea to have a few people fluent in languages other than Thai to try a few on that taxi driver to see if he could recognize one that sounded close to what the man was speaking.
It sounds like it was well planned to cause as much terror as possible.
What seems strange to me now is the stability of the American political system. When I listen to Republicans and Democrats demonizing each other, I just smile.
lol! Yeah, I know, there is always a lot of fuss and bother, yet we still keep chugging along. I still think the people who envisioned the American political system were very smart, even if all of the checks and balances do create gridlock. Sometimes gridlock actually is a positive.
And all of those protests and speeches and flag-waving and guitar playing meant zero, in the big picture. A few months later, the military simply arrested and removed all the democratically elected officials and assumed political control of the whole country -- and no one could do anything about it.
A replay of Egypt...and so many others out there throughout history.
I just wanted to let you know how much I liked reading your entry "The Land of 10,000 Lakes."
Thanks, Jeffrey. Those are memories I still cherish. Those were some fun times.
The screen door had come from a chicken coop.
OMG! The land we lived on when I was a child used to be an old farm. It came with a barn, which I vaguely remember, as my father eventually tore it down, and also a chicken coop. In fact my mother still raised chickens for awhile and I remember hunting for eggs in the coop and playing in it when the chickens were no longer there.
We had about 13 acres of land which was all empty except for the immediate area around the house which my dad put into gardens. It was great as a kid running around and exploring. No need for any store bought games, we just used our imagination. I feel a little sorry for kids now with all of the structured play. They are missing out on something really good.
Erdoğan is still maneuvering.
He better be careful he doesn't maneuver himself out of a job.
Talk about a show off!
I recall somebody comparing him to Donald Trump the other day. Don't recall who it was, just that they were trying to draw analogies twixt the two.
Ah, here it is; David Ignatius from the Washington Post. Ignatius usually has better sense. Bet this one don't make it to publication in the Post.
Hmmm...well, I can see the similarities. No, it probably won't make it into WaPo. They know that if Trump were to get the nomination they'd never get an interview with him!
A little scary though that so many people here seem to like him. Trump, that is, not Putin.
I find Putin's at home approval ratings a little scary; suggests a certain unreasonableness amongst the Russian general population.
Perhaps we Americans have more in common with the Russian people then we realize?
Figuring that Trump maxes out at about 20% of the Republican primary voters--maybe 9-10% of the general electorate, and probably wouldn't get even that when it comes time to pull the lever. Even with a Russian recession going on Putin's running in the 80's in Russia.
Not so much in common as you might suggest.
Lynnette: "Does Thailand have CCTV around much of the city, Jeffrey? Perhaps it would be a good idea if they could find this same person in other areas, to try to track his movements."
Knowing something about Bangkok my impression is that there are many CCTV-cams and that added together they would probably cover much of central Bangkok.
But it's not like London with a vast interconnected CCTV security grid and a centralised control-station.
In Bangkok my view is that it's more that most ATM:s, every bank, every officebuilding, every shopping mall and most residential buildings all have CCTV, but independent from eachother. So it would probably be a situation where police will have to go around collecting the imagery, tapes or digital copies, from a huge number of sources and then really put in lots and lots of manpower to try to find as much info as possible. Which, I would assume, is probably one of the things they are up to at the moment.
This is mu best guess but I feel pretty confident making it.
Figuring that Trump maxes out at about 20% of the Republican primary voters--maybe 9-10% of the general electorate, and probably wouldn't get even that when it comes time to pull the lever.
Last I heard the general polls were running around 51% for Clinton and 45% for Trump. That might be because of all the publicity with the email thing in conjunction with Trump's over the top policy stances generating buzz.
Not so much in common as you might suggest.
Well the numbers don't run even, but I still question some of the American voters who seem to like Trump's bulldozer style. It is a personality trait he seems to share with Putin.
So it would probably be a situation where police will have to go around collecting the imagery, tapes or digital copies, from a huge number of sources and then really put in lots and lots of manpower to try to find as much info as possible.
Probably worth it though. I would think you'd want to catch this guy, not just for justice for those killed and injured in the bombing, but for information on any future attacks that may be planned.
Tensions on the North/South Korea Border
If he isn't careful Kim Jong Un will stumble into war.
Lynnette: "Probably worth it though. I would think you'd want to catch this guy, not just for justice for those killed and injured in the bombing, but for information on any future attacks that may be planned. "
I agree. And I am sure the Thai police is doing just that at the moment.
But what I wanted to make clear is that (as far as I know) Thailand doesn't have a centralised surveillence apparatus in place. And the reason I contrasted this with London is that they DO have that (A legacy from the IRA attacks and built on from there).
But, the main point I would like to make is that central Bangkok is indeed covered by CCTV cams.
Lynnette: "If he isn't careful Kim Jong Un will stumble into war."
Nah, just the usual bluster. A bit ramped up this time around but no war on the horizon there. This bluster comes around every so often and is mainly for NK domestic consumption.
No side can win, and even hardliners on each side knows that. They can only both lose.
Yall shuld watch this:
http://www.svtplay.se/video/3186356/dox-the-forecaster
Especially yall blinkered Mericans who think ya'lls gubmint is actually serving yall.
But, the main point I would like to make is that central Bangkok is indeed covered by CCTV cams.
It looked like the bomber wore a pretty distinctive shirt & glasses. If he knows about the security cameras all over the place, they may want to check very carefully just in case he ditched the clothes and glasses.
Nobody has claimed responsibility, as far as I know. Usually if it's someone like ISIL or AQ they're jumping up and down pretty quickly to claim "credit". Perhaps it is domestic, related to the coup that Jeffrey mentioned. In that case I would have to wonder about the taxi driver who seemed to think the guy wasn't Thai. A good way to hide if you encourage people to look elsewhere.
No side can win, and even hardliners on each side knows that. They can only both lose.
Hopefully you are right. I don't have much faith in Kim Jong Un's maturity as a leader.
I'll have to watch the video later...
Our stock market appears to be swooning.
Our stock market separated itself from the American economy some time ago. A drop in the Dow doesn't necessarily signal an economic downturn.
No, it just makes all those retirees or soon to be retirees nervous.
But it looks like it's getting the willies over oil prices.
Evidence of the disconnect right there. A drop in oil prices would make more money available for use in the productive economy, but it freaks the 1% who're piling up the money to use to speculate on stocks rather than to invest in the production of goods and sevices.
Marcus?
That video says you can only watch it if you are in Sweden.
I think they're worried that the lower oil prices are a result of a gut of oil, which is partly a result of China's sinking economy, which can lead to a worldwide sinking sensation.
*yawn*
I feel the need for a nap before I go to bed. I was weeding in the garden for an hour and a half. *sigh* If you turn your back for a moment, okay maybe a few weeks, you get a weed infested garden. :(
"…which is partly a result of China's sinking economy…"
The production capabilities, and the markets for the products, are still there, but the belief that one can continue to game the underlying Chinese economy forever, and pile stock price hike upon stock price hike upon stock price hike is fading away. Suddenly the Chinese economy is supposedly in trouble--well, it is, but that's because they're gonna take the money and run, looking for the next bubble.
From William McCants of the Brookings Institute, analysis of how ISIS supplanted al-Qaeda and what we should be doing about it now. Quote from the summation:
"If you think all of that sounds a lot like the coalition’s current military
strategy, you’re right. It’s not a great plan, but it’s the best option at
the moment."
It is fairly long.
Stock investors usually look for the next bubble. It is, for the most part, an emotional, subjective type of investment. For most it is just another form of gambling because they do not have the inside knowledge of various companies necessary to make informed investment decisions. I think you see that to a great extent with Chinese investors now. This is really their initial experience with a stock market.
For American investors the stock market is almost a given for a 401k investment option. So they have hitched their wagons to that shooting star, for good or ill.
I see the markets in Asia and Europe are also sliding. As is the US market, again, this morning. There is blood in the water as people panic just a little. (Still think climate change is the real thing to panic over, but oh well, that's just me).
Kim Jong Un is putting the pedal to the medal with his "we are on a war footing" rhetoric. Basically he is throwing a temper tantrum over some loudspeakers. Obviously, because what the loudspeakers have been blaring is the truth and it is not at all flattering to North Korea.
And Israel is bombing in the Golan Heights.
I'll have to read the article later, Lee. I've a lot to do today, so gotta get to it...*sigh*
"For American investors the stock market is almost a given for a
401k investment option."
Also a hustle by the Masters of the Universe. I believe in Warren Buffett's recommended approach for the non-professional investor. Unless one has a specific reason to purchase a specific stock (a reason related to the company and not the market) then just go with a good index fund and keep the profits for yourself instead of giving half of it or more to your ‘money managers’.
@ Lynnette,
I just heard on Washington Week (PBS)… There are thirty-nine (39) separate Freedom of Information Act lawsuits demanding access to Hillary Clinton's e-mails from her time as Secretary of State. Thirty-nine.
Unless one has a specific reason to purchase a specific stock (a reason related to the company and not the market) then just go with a good index fund and keep the profits for yourself instead of giving half of it or more to your ‘money managers’.
That is the sensible approach. But sometimes it's hard to resist the flash of some of the more well known funds too. People always seem to think they can find the investment that will beat the market.
Thirty-nine.
Apparently enquiring minds really, really want to know! lol!
Kudos to the quick thinking American servicemen who stopped the terrorist attack on the French train today. Well done!
So perhaps there are times when the US military comes in handy...:)
More likely, inquiring minds want to make sure there's a new court ruling every other week or so to keep the issue in the news (working on the assumption that most people won't understand what the ruling was all about, but will remember they heard about it on the news again).
That was a good article, Lee.
I don't think there is any easy answer to eliminating ISIL. But if their goal is a worldwide caliphate, I think they may be in for a surprise. It's one thing to establish control in places like Syria and Iraq, it is another to do so in other areas of the world with strong governments.
"I don't think there is any easy answer to eliminating ISIL."
Certainly not a quick one. I've said it before; this is gonna be a long war. However, the enemy has no Great Power patron; no source of advanced weaponry, heavy weaponry, or advanced battlefield intelligence; no source of independent wealth. It's dependent on looting and on donations from fanatical supporters (which support doesn't include any national governments). If the locals can't handle this, with appropriate support, it's because they can't bring themselves to deal with it, not because the enemy is overwhelming.
Pope Francis is expected to have something to say about the deal with Iran when he addresses a joint session of Congress in September. Probably not something Boehner was thinking about when he issued the invitation to the Pope.
If the locals can't handle this, with appropriate support, it's because they can't bring themselves to deal with it, not because the enemy is overwhelming.
Well, as the article says fear does work. In this case you have people either giving in and just going with the flow or fleeing. I guess each individual has to weigh their own options. It's like the incident on the train in France, some people did nothing or tried to run and some stood up and took the risk to try to stop the gunman and prevent a massacre. I can't judge because I've never been in that situation, so don't know what my reaction would be.
Probably not something Boehner was thinking about when he issued the invitation to the Pope.
lol! Precedence has been set...and he of all people should have realized that!
"Well, as the article says fear does work."
It works better when the fearful lack options. In this case, the other powers fighting for supremacy don't seem much preferable to the locals.
Lynnette: "Kim Jong Un is putting the pedal to the medal"
Not that I aspire to be a language tutor but It's "pedal to the metal", actually.
I saw the story about the Yanks who stopped the terror attack in France. Even a bit under-reported in case the story hasn't taken off more is my opinion. These few guys could very well have saved a whole lot of people. The culprit had 300 rounds in his magazine collection and that tells me he didn't intend to maim just a few people.
The right folks in the right place at the right time, can sometimes make a huge difference. Heroes in my book - no doubt 'bout that.
"If the locals can't handle this…"
By this I meant ‘local powers’, Saudi Arabia, Iran, whatever passes for institutional power in Baghdad and Damascus these days, Jordan, Turkey, etc.
"Even a bit under-reported…"
It got reported on this side of the Atlantic. Perhaps the difference is that the ‘heros’ were Evil Merkins, soldiers no less.
And, just in passing… Marcus once asked if the e-mails thing was having an effect on Clinton. It wasn't much then, but the steady drumbeat is wearing on her popularity by now. She's leading Bush, Rubio, and Walker (the nearest three Republicans by only between 3-5 points nationally; although she's beating Trump by better than 10 points; these are RCP (Real Clear Politics) averages of recent, reputable polls). Some Democrats are getting twitchy ‘bout it, although she's still not taking it overly serious in public. She appears to be sticking with her strategy of waiting it out on the theory that they got ‘nothing, and it's gonna wear out on its own long before the votes are cast. That may be a good theory, but then again, the political reporters got very little to talk about other than Trump, and they're desperate for a story, any story that ain't Trump, so they keep trying to find one about Hillary. So, maybe it's not such a good theory this time.
Not that I aspire to be a language tutor but It's "pedal to the metal", actually.
Yes, you're right. A reference to speeding by tromping on the gas pedal in a car. I typed too quickly. ;)
And I heard there are some talks going on, but with Kim Jong Un's immaturity, who knows...
So, maybe it's not such a good theory this time.
We've got over a year to go before votes are cast, that's a long time for nothing else of importance to come along. Americans have short memories. This might work to Hillary's advantage.
There is always this possibility, Lee.
Biden was originally just making noises to let people know he was available in case Hillary falters. (Suppose there is something to be found in her e-mails?) I don't know how to tell when or if he shifts to being serious about actually running in opposition to her, but I don't think he's anywhere close to that yet. Hopefully, there'll be signs from Biden.
However, most of this is just press noise generated because the political reporters are desperate for a story that ain't Trump. (Only so many guys can cover Trump for each organization, and the rest of the desperately need to find something to report on.) And, so far, Hillary ain't cooperating by getting all freaked out over the e-mail thing, no matter how much they try to bait her with it she ain't been takin’ the bait. Not yet anyway.
"…and the rest of them…"
Martin O'Malley and Jim Webb are also running for the Democratic nomination for President. Think Marcus ever heard of either of them? Most Americans won't recognize the names either. No political reporter wants to be the guy who has to cover Martin O'Malley or Jim Webb. They don't even want to be the guy who has to cover Bernie Sanders (who's not going to be a serious contender either), even though he's getting big, enthusiastic crowds.
Hillary's making policy speeches and issuing policy statements, but nobody wants to be the reporter who covers those either. Those are not only boring but they require the reporter to learn stuff about economics and foreign affairs and domestic policy priorities and that's work, and boring work to boot.
Plus, ya do all the necessary work and the editor probably still won't publish your stuff ‘cause it's still boring, so you'll lose out to the guy who was reporting on Trump.
The reporters are in desperate need of a Clinton SCANDAL; they've got practice covering those; they already know how to do those; the readers are used to reading those; editors are used to approving them for publication. And, it's not even really hard work to begin with.
Politics, Turkish style.
Money quote:
"As the elections draw closer, there are signs that this incipient crisis might indeed
be working to Erdogan’s political advantage."
Hillary's making policy speeches and issuing policy statements, but nobody wants to be the reporter who covers those either. Those are not only boring but they require the reporter to learn stuff about economics and foreign affairs and domestic policy priorities and that's work, and boring work to boot.
Those are the kinds of things that need more in depth thought to understand. Something the American public doesn't want to devote much time to. Consequently neither do the reporters. Trump's sound bites are far more entertaining...and short.
"Something the American public doesn't want to devote much time to."
It's still too early. Nobody really knows where the economy is gonna be a year from now. Or, how ISIS is gonna be doing. And then there's Turkey and the Kurds goin’ on just now.
Too early; folks'll pay attention to such stuff later.
Nobody really knows where the economy is gonna be a year from now.
Nope. Kind of what's giving the stock market the shivers. Is the economy strong enough to withstand the Fed raising interest rates? Or is the Fed even going to go ahead and raise interest rates with China devaluing the yuan? Are oil prices going to go even lower? All of that is anybody's guess.
On the bright side for Hillary… If it weren't for the e-mail thing then the Republicans would be trying to investigate the Clinton Global Foundation and subpoenaing records from there and having committees convene over that. And the reporters would be trying to make that into something scandalous.
At least with the e-mail thing she already knows what's been deleted and what's not, and she don't have to worry ‘bout what Bill's maybe been up to.
Lynnette,
A house on 13 acres of land sounds like fantasy here in South Korea, where everyone seems to live in a tall apartment building. I have yet to see even a separate house with a yard. It's very odd (and necessary, due to the population density here, one of the highest in the world, I believe).
South Koreans work like dogs, but at the end of the day they still return to their small, expensive apartments. It's made me appreciate the low population density of the US and how it affects domestic architecture.
Marcus,
As you know, the Erawan Shrine is right in the center of the shopping area by the big city malls. In my photo files, I have lots of snapshots of people there, both from inside the shrine itself and from above along the elevated walkway, part of the Skytrain structure.
What's odd is that, as far as I can tell, no one has come forward yet to claim responsibility.
Lee C.,
It got reported on this side of the Atlantic. Perhaps the difference is that the ‘heros’ were Evil Merkins, soldiers no less.
I think you're right. I know Germans, for example, would not be happy about the actions of these Americans at all, even if it saved human lives. See how arrogant and aggressive Americans are? Even in someone else's country, they think they can do what they want. I know the German mindset well, and that's most likely the standard response.
It was in France and not Germany; maybe the Germans won't get too upset.
Lee: "It got reported on this side of the Atlantic. Perhaps the difference is that the ‘heros’ were Evil Merkins, soldiers no less."
It's gotten traction by now. Just took a while longer than I had expected for it to become big news.
Jeffrey:
"As you know, the Erawan Shrine is right in the center of the shopping area by the big city malls. In my photo files, I have lots of snapshots of people there, both from inside the shrine itself and from above along the elevated walkway, part of the Skytrain structure.
What's odd is that, as far as I can tell, no one has come forward yet to claim responsibility."
I too have been around that place many times.
It does seem strange that no one has claimed responsibility. Terror as a tactic means the terrorised part should get the message why they are being terrorised, otherwise it's pretty useless.
Marcus,
It does seem strange that no one has claimed responsibility. Terror as a tactic means the terrorised part should get the message why they are being terrorised, otherwise it's pretty useless.
Exactly. And I'm starting to wonder if anyone will come forward. It's been almost a week now.
Lee C.,
It was in France and not Germany; maybe the Germans won't get too upset.
Could be. But the Germans are the Masters of Europe now, so as they welcome with open arms all the Middle Easterners and Southern and Eastern Europeans onto German Soil, handing out bundles of Euros, France is part of their bailiwick, so they should be pissed off that some American Yahoos are going all Rambo on the Misunderstood Muslim.
"…otherwise it's pretty useless."
If the purpose is to drive off tourists then it matters less who's doing the driving.
Which reminds me… Nobody's yet claimed credit for that bombing of the Kurds in Suraç, Turkey. The PKK still thinks it was Erdoğan's boys.
Remember Robert Kagan's Of Paradise and Power?
I recall one of the main points -- and I could be wrong about this -- is that Americans see the efficacy of violence (here military) because they were one of the winners of World War II, while France and Germany were losers, so they took away the opposite (surrender-monkey) lesson. It was part of his thesis that Americans are from Mars (Men) and Europeans are from Venus (Chicks).
That's one way to explain why the three Americans jumped to action on that French train. Americans believe in the efficacy of violence to solve certain -- not all -- problems, both as a society and at the individual level. There's a time for negotiation, and then there are times when you just have to take someone out with extreme violence.
I still believe, for example, that we had to extirpate Saddam Hussein. What happened after his removal, of course, was much, much more difficult. When I was running IBC, I recall reading Zeyad's four articles on the tribal nature and history of Iraqi society, and linked to those pieces many times over our five-year run -- the first time, I believe, in Tribe or Party? -- where I wrote:
In times of political uncertainty or oppression, it seems, Iraqis look to their tribe for security. Can a country be both tribal and democratic? I don't know, but I think it would be safe to assume that Iraq and the other Middle Eastern countries, if and when they become democratic, will retain elements of tribalism. What they're looking for, I imagine, is a workable balance.
A workable balance? What was I thinking?
"That's one way to explain why the three Americans jumped to
action on that French train. Americans believe in the efficacy of
violence to solve certain -- not all -- problems, both as a society and
at the individual level. There's a time for negotiation, and then there
are times when you just have to take someone out with extreme
violence."
Americans, like everybody else, had learned to accept the airplane hijacking, let the hijackers take the plane where they wanted to take it, and eventually they'd probably get to go home. Sit tight and ride it out.
That changed on 09/11/01 when the guys on Flight 93 got the info over their cell phones--the other three planes had already been flown into buildings killing all aboard. So, the passengers consulted amongst themselves, considered their options, measured their chances, and then stormed the flight deck. Didn't make it, but they did stop the plane getting to where it was going. That's when things changed.
CBS News last night had one of the guys in front of a microphone, and he pretty much said it was a ‘fight or die' type of decision. I don't know if that's a peculiarly American reaction these days, maybe it is, maybe not.
Jeffrey,
It's made me appreciate the low population density of the US and how it affects domestic architecture.
It was one of the things I loved as a kid, all that open land. Now it seems to be filling up quickly with new housing developments and I bemoan the traffic clogging the road on my day off. But I am sure we still do not have the population of South Korea.
Unfortunately we ended up having to sell off all of that land, except for four lots, to pay for sewer and water assessments when I was around thirteen. So it ended up as a housing development.
Btw, Jeffrey, how are the South Koreans reacting to the saber rattling of Kim Jong Un? That is, the average man on the street?
What's odd is that, as far as I can tell, no one has come forward yet to claim responsibility.
It makes me think it was domestic, rather than international. They may simply be copying tactics used by AQ or ISIL.
Lee C.,
That's a good example of s situation where the use of force is really the only option -- similar to the one on that train in Paris. I doubt if there was a way to negotiate with the guy holding the AK. I think Kagan would argue that the belief in the use of force is, in fact, American and, these days, not shared by Europeans.
CBS News last night had one of the guys in front of a microphone, and he pretty much said it was a ‘fight or die' type of decision. I don't know if that's a peculiarly American reaction these days, maybe it is, maybe not.
It may be better if it were a universal reaction nowadays. I look at all of those people in Syria and Iraq who calmly marched to their death under the hands of ISIL and wonder, didn't they realize? They were going to die. I think if I knew that I'd want to go out fighting, like they did on Flight 93.
Nobody's yet claimed credit for that bombing of the Kurds in Suraç, Turkey. The PKK still thinks it was Erdoğan's boys.
Maybe they're right. They do seem to play dirty over there.
Lynnette,
Btw, Jeffrey, how are the South Koreans reacting to the saber rattling of Kim Jong Un? That is, the average man on the street?
The average South Korean doesn't think about North Korea very often. They're kind of numb to anything related to North Korea.
What the North Koreans did was far worse than saber-rattling. They snuck across the DMZ, planted a land-mine where South Korean soldiers patrolled, and then later a South Korean stepped on that spot and the mine blew both of his legs off. A senseless, evil, cowardly act.
And there's nothing, really, that the South Koreans can do. Here's a situation where a violent, in-kind response would most likely escalate into a hot war with high casualties. So what to do? I have no idea.
New fuss by the neo-cons about the Iranian nuclear deal says that ‘Iran gets to pick the nuclear inspectors for their sensitive military sites, and can pick their own people, pick Iranians.’ This is a bogus argument insofar as it implies that Iran gets to pick Iranian inspectors to check ongoing nuclear work. What's happening is that the Iranians are being allowed to take the background readings at closed nuclear facilities on sensitive military bases and submit those to the IAEA. Conceivably, this will allow them to escape direct detection of prior nuclear work that they deny having done, but that we know they were doing anyway, ‘cause we have other means. In short, they're not going to admit they were lying, and we're not going to inspect the places they were lying about but which are long closed down now for base readings, but they don't get to inspect their own ongoing nuclear operations either. The IAEA does get to send in its own people to make sure there's no nuclear work going on now. (The military base in question has been bulldozed over and repaved so many times they probably couldn't prove anything with background readings anyway, but that's not the point either.)
Jeffrey,
What the North Koreans did was far worse than saber-rattling. They snuck across the DMZ, planted a land-mine where South Korean soldiers patrolled, and then later a South Korean stepped on that spot and the mine blew both of his legs off. A senseless, evil, cowardly act.
Yes, I had heard about that. It strikes me as odd. Why on earth would they do that? Because of the joint military exercises between the US and South Korea? I honestly have to wonder if Kim Jon Un isn't worse than his father.
And there's nothing, really, that the South Koreans can do.
Actually, I thought the loudspeakers were a rather clever idea. They are non-violent, yet they get a point across. They also managed to raise Kim Jon Un's blood pressure, apparently.
Hopefully the talks that are being held can calm the waters.
"Jon" should read "Jong"
New fuss by the neo-cons about the Iranian nuclear deal says that ‘Iran gets to pick the nuclear inspectors for their sensitive military sites, and can pick their own people, pick Iranians.’
Cherry picking portions of the deal to fit their bias, without examining the detail. Sounds like a lot of politicians with an agenda.
"Actually, I thought the loudspeakers were a rather clever idea."
I'd been wondering about sending him a few aerial photographs of himself; just send ‘em through the regular mail, no return address.
"Cherry picking portions of the deal to fit their bias…"
This is not cherry-picking; this is intentional misrepresentation of the facts. This is as bad as putting Jim Inhofe in front of a camera to discuss global warming.
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