Here
we are at the start of another year. It seems like only yesterday
that I was writing a New Years post highlighting a song by John
Lennon. Obviously not too many people listened as very little has
changed for the better...yet. I was trying to think of something to
write about for the beginning of a new year, but was having some
difficulty with the creative process. Lol! Thankfully someone gave
me a little help. I have not read much philosophy and so I had to
do a little Googling. While we may not always agree with everything
a person believes, that doesn't mean there is no wisdom to be found.
“Every man takes the limits of his own field of vision for the limits of the world.”
What I found rather ironic about that quote was the source,
Arthur Schopenhauer. He was a man who seemed to have little faith in
positive outcomes for various paths in life. To expect to be happy
in life would be a fools errand. Yet he didn't seem to realize that
perhaps that was his limitation.
In any case, I understand how
hopeless things can look. But within all of the weeds of life there
are small wildflowers reminding us that there is beauty in the world.
There will always be rough patches, there will always be tough
times. The trick is to find those little wildflowers and hang on to
their hope for a better place.
While pessimism may shelter us from disappointment it will also shut
out hope. And hope is what makes life during difficult times
bearable. And, okay, maybe just a little chutzpah. :)
(What can I say, it's New Years Day, and you all know what's on TV!)
Happy New Year Everyone!
Update:
I have been told that I have maligned Arthur, that he was a man of humor who loved animals, that he was merely trying to make sense of the wretched existence of some. If so, I make my apology to his memory. But I still believe that hope is what will make that wretched existence bearable.
Update:
I have been told that I have maligned Arthur, that he was a man of humor who loved animals, that he was merely trying to make sense of the wretched existence of some. If so, I make my apology to his memory. But I still believe that hope is what will make that wretched existence bearable.
115 comments:
You seem to have a font change goin’ on there.
Hmmm...I think you're right. I'll see what I can do...
...in the mean time, it appears that there are those out there who are rather unhappy with Donald Trump and are making it known.
This election year could prove to be very interesting.
"'ll see what I can do..."
I was more interesting in discovering how you did it. Thought it'd be a neat trick to add to my répetoire if it could be made to work here in the comments' section.
"…there are those out there who are rather unhappy with Donald
Trump…"
And some of them are Republicans.
History doesn't actually repeat itself; very seldom anyway, but it often does rhyme
I don't generally do this; I may never do it again. I'm not much of a youtube follower, but I didn't get a chance to look at that Wizards of Winter thing in the last thread on account of they said it was unavailable. But then I noticed I still had the link in my clipboard cache, and went and looked at it. So, I thought I'd offer this up for you to look at. Star Wars Theme with Christmas lights. It just may trump the Wizards of Winter thing.
I was more interesting in discovering how you did it.
I think it happened because of the way I copied the quote originally. I copied if from the internet into a word processor program on my computer, which copied the original font. From there I copied it to the blog. So the original font appeared to be copied intact all the way through the process. In the blog you can highlight various pieces of the post and change the font as well. It took me awhile to get it all uniform. I actually had it changed to New Times Roman and then decided I didn't like that and got it all back to the original blog font.
The Wizard thing disappeared? Dang it! I hate that when that happens. I've noticed that periodically old YouTube links in the blog will become unavailable as well. An annoying risk when using that, I guess. Oh well, I can't imagine too many people are looking at old posts anyway.
It just may trump the Wizards of Winter thing.
Wow! You just may be right. lol! I was sure the neighbors would be rather irritated, but when I read through the comments all I saw was support for the family's efforts. I also found this year's light show.
I just finished your article from the last thread, Lee. It was very good. I will link to it again here to make sure Marcus sees it. He would also find it interesting I am thinking.
ISIS is a revolution
It is late now so I will not comment yet. I will sleep on it.
"The Wizard thing disappeared?"
Ummmm… No. For some reason it reported itself unavailable the first time I tried to look at it, but then showed up last night.
I thought they overdid the camera work in the Star Wars themed clip. Too many cuts. Although the Wizards thing might have been helped if they'd done a little bit of camera work, I thought the Star Wars clip had way too much camera angle swapping.
David Ignatius, writing off of his customary, primary perch at the Washington Post, thinks that the next presidential election will bring us an at least partial return to foreign policy strategies that were outmoded even before Obama took office.
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And the camera work was better on the second Star Wars clip. He also had larger pallet to work with. Clearly the best of the three.
I am drawing the line at cat videos; ain't doin’ no cat videos. Know that now.
I rather liked the aerial shots in that second Star Wars light show.
Lol! Don't worry I'm not looking for cat videos. I just thought those holiday light shows rather interesting...from a distance, of course. I would never want one like that in my neighborhood. Although I do appreciate the time, effort and expense those people went to to put on a Christmas show for other people.
I see that Hillary's contentions that terrorists were using Trump's position against Muslims entering the US as a recruiting tool is actually occurring.
Off to do errands...
"…Hillary's contentions that terrorists were using Trump's position
against Muslims entering the US as a recruiting tool is actually
occurring."
Gotta be Obama's fault somehow. Perhaps Radio-Right-Wing will let us know how that works on Monday?
‘We don’t have many new ideas and we can’t agree on those we have.’" From Lee's ISIS article
And this is a huge problem. Because as I see it this is a multi-faceted war with at least two significant "fronts". The first being on the ground in the Middle East. The second being the one in the West, particularly in Europe.
I have my doubts as to this being a true revolution simply because the leaders of Daesh are so intent on eliminating a huge segment of the regional population, the Shia. As such I can't see this as an Arab revolution. I can certainly see that many people would dearly love to do away with the artificial borders, yet to do so would mean an all inclusive Caliphate. Not seeing that happen. Plus you have the Kurds who feel they have claims to part of the territory in contention. They are certainly not part of this "revolution". No, for change to be truly revolutionary there must be actual change. What I see is merely changing one set of despots for another. No change, no revolution, except perhaps in who controls what territory. That people in the Middle East have no ideas on how to combat what is taking place and cannot agree on what to do only reinforces the thought that this will be a bloody long term fight.
For the West, especially Europe, it will be critical to counter Daesh's message with a more positive reality on the ground in immigrant's new countries. For the countries of Europe have a flood of new immigrants who need to make a choice, leave their issues back home or bring them with them. They need help to make that choice easier with a more positive outcome in their adopted countries. Europe hasn't done so well with integration in the past, so this will be a huge hurdle, and thus a battle in this war.
What was so disturbing were the polls taken in countries like Germany where you had people sympathetic to Daesh's aims.
Recruiting in the West by Daesh, and the various attacks here, make this the second front.
A couple of things mentioned in the article, the first being about people on the ground in places like Syria resenting being bombed by outside forces. Of course they are angry about that. You see it in attitudes toward Russia in Syria. You see it in Iraq, although it seems to be more on the line of thinking the US is actually working with Daesh because they are not bombing enough or in the "right" place. The Iraqis don't really trust us.
The other thing was the idea that Daesh is trying to draw us further into the quagmire of the Middle East. That does seem to be the case. We will need to be careful of how we proceed militarily. Even if that means people will underestimate our ability on the ground, such as those in Syria who seemed to have little fear of the US. I don't know if that is to our advantage or not.
Hmmm...now, if I'm quick enough, I might be able to bake some peanut butter/chocolate cream cheese, chocolate chip brownies...:)
"Because as I see it this is a multi-faceted war with at least two
significant 'fronts'. The first being on the ground in the Middle East. The
second being the one in the West, particularly in Europe."
It appears to me that most Muslims believe differently (certainly those living outside the U.S.--more on this later). That's another point that Mr. Scott Atran missed in in his fairly long piece.
From the Washington Post Ms. Yasmine Bahrani writes:
"When I asked another class what responsibility we have to explain
to others that terrorists don’t represent all Muslims, the response was
mixed. One Saudi student said it was not at all our responsibility. ‘If a
(Western) person wants to learn about Islam, he should Google it,’ she
said. Another, an Egyptian, was angered by the question: ‘If I hear one
more time that Muslims have not done enough to condemn terrorists
….’ Many Muslims are weary of such criticism."
As far as many Arab Sunni Muslims are concerned, the assaults on The West are the problems of The West, and no concern of theirs. They're not particularly bothered about it; they have their own matters to attend to.
Of course, this is vastly different than would be the reaction in the Christian or even Heathen or Atheist West if some wild-assed, self-professed Christian denomination started killing Muslims or Jews or Hindi or Yazida (or, to more closely match Da'esh, Muslims and Jews and Hindi and Yazidi and anybody else who they thought got in their way) supposedly in the name of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The Pope would be screaming condemnation from Rome, as well as the Archbishop from Canterbury, whomever is head of the Eastern Orthodox Church would join the noisemaking, along with damn near every Protestent Church big enough to not be labled a cult.
Now, here in America we got it sort of good in comparison. Our Sunni Arab Muslims were treated like people (they were fortunate enough to get classified as ‘white people’ back when that really mattered). They've mostly integrated into society without needing to give up their version of Islam. And they like that. They have more religious freedom here than they would be back home in Sunni Arab Muslim land. And they like that too. I think fully 60% of the arrests being made on Islamist terrorist subjects are the direct result of the subjects being flagged by a fellow Muslim who hunted up some law enforcement and told them to keep an eye on the guy over there talkin’ some bad shit. Don't want none of that ‘round here. And then, of course, the law guys watch him and sometimes find his bad friends too; which is more busts on top of the 60% that is direct result of tip from fellow Muslims. We got it fairly good here so far as getting along with our Muslim population is concerned, and it's workin’ out for us. (Which is why we need to shut Donald Trump and his ilk down quick.)
But, I think we gotta come to accept that most (non-Syrian) Sunni Arab Muslims don't see Da'esh as any of their concern, so long as Da'esh is still in Syria. Besides, they are useful for fuckin’ with Shia for instance, and maybe now Jews too. That they're screwin’ also with the Cross-worshipers and other heathens and pagans is of no real concern to them. I think that's the truth, and we need to face up to it.
"The Iraqis don't really trust us."
Guys coming back from the wars (plural), who have experience with both, have said that, compared to the Afghani, the Iraqi Arabs are a sullen, paranoid, and xenophobic people who don't trust each other either. (Mind you this is a comparative thing, I'm not assigning absolute values here.)
ISIS is not a revolution, just a battle in a sectarian war.
‘If I hear one more time that Muslims have not done enough to condemn terrorists….’ Many Muslims are weary of such criticism."
Peer pressure goes a long way to tamping down bad behavior. It is perhaps one of those "new ideas" that have been lacking.
(Which is why we need to shut Donald Trump and his ilk down quick.)
Hillary was correct in her assertion that Trump's behavior only plays into the hands of terrorist recruiters. A little more peer pressure of our own wouldn't come amiss. The skywriters had it right.
But, I think we gotta come to accept that most (non-Syrian) Sunni Arab Muslims don't see Da'esh as any of their concern, so long as Da'esh is still in Syria.
Ahhh, but that's just it, Daesh has been crawling around outside of Syria too. They are becoming everyone's concern.
"They are becoming everyone's concern."
Not rapidly enough to suit me. Let's recall that Assad intentionally emptied his prisons of jihadi types in the hope that he could turn the rebellion into something perceived of as a conflict between his rule and giving it over to the Caliphate instead (a cynical ploy that's been more successful than pleases me). Russia intervenes, claiming to be fighting Da'esh, but is mostly interested in attacking native Syrian rebels rather than fighting Da'esh. Turkey/Da'esh coöperation with one another is one of the worst-kept secrets in the region. The Saudi would prefer al-Nusra to Da'esh (I see little reason to prefer one to the other), but would obviously prefer Da'esh to Assad, because they consider Assad an Iranian ally, and their big concern is Iran, not Da'esh.
They are, in fact, not anybody's primary concern (except ours, including the EU in that reference), and they are on the list of possible future allies of everybody else except the Russian/Shia alliance.
The locals, except the Shia and the Jews and everybody else non-Sunni, just ain't all that bent ‘bout them being genocidal religious fanatics, viewing them as valuable potential future allies against any non Sunni targets, of which they think they potentially have many, including us. (May want to attack us later, may want Da'esh around to carry the ball for them when the time comes.)
"Peer pressure…is perhaps one of those ‘new ideas’ that have been
lacking."
Now there's a thought worth looking into. Has it really not crossed their minds, or, rather, is it one of those things they've thought of but rejected? One of those ideas ‘not agreed upon’?
"ISIS is not a revolution, just a battle in a sectarian war."
Still, Mr. Atran did make some good points in that long article, which is why I linked to it. It had ideas worth examining (specifically those regarding Da’esh's attractiveness to many Muslims in Europe, if perhaps not quite so many in the U.S.) and that's true even if I didn't buy into all of it.
Financial Times on hard times ahead for Saudi Arabia, and will they really weather the transition to a social structure in which oil money ain't enough to pay the graft and feed the population? What happens when Saudi subjects discover they may actually have to work for a living some day?
(If you decided to not register with the Financial Times, let me know and I'll quit dropping in links to any of their stuff. Be a waste of time.)
Personally, the thing I think what's most likely is the House of Saud falls from power and the place goes full-tilt jihadi-land on us one of these days, either under Da'esh leadership or under the leadership of a Sunni Arab rival Islamist organization.
The locals, except the Shia and the Jews and everybody else non-Sunni, just ain't all that bent ‘bout them being genocidal religious fanatics, viewing them as valuable potential future allies against any non Sunni targets, of which they think they potentially have many, including us.
Personally I think they are someone's creation that got out of control, rather like Frankenstein's monster. I have read quite a few accounts of local Sunni tribesman battling Daesh and trying to find allies to help. But the Iraqi government was not exactly forthcoming, at least not very quickly. So a lot of those people have been killed in the fighting, costing us valuable allies. A waste all the way around.
One of those ideas ‘not agreed upon’?
Yes, I suspect it is one of those ideas not agreed upon. But perhaps only Erdogan knows for sure.
But it is more than just Daesh. It is the idea that only force, and the more extreme the better, is the way to get things accomplished.
While moderation may be considered lame by young people's standards, as mentioned in your article, it is ultimately the thing that creates societies worth living in. Revolutionary fervor is exciting, glamorous and for those caught up in it a highly charged adrenaline rush. But it is moderation that carries the ideals to reality. It creates something that the majority of people can live with. So, considering the history of the Middle East, it would be moderation that would be the truly revolutionary idea.
It had ideas worth examining (specifically those regarding Da’esh's attractiveness to many Muslims in Europe, if perhaps not quite so many in the U.S.) and that's true even if I didn't buy into all of it.
Oh, don't get me wrong, I agree that the article raised some very good points. That I chose to just focus on his theory of Daesh as a revolution doesn't mean I didn't agree with that. This point of Daesh supporters in Europe was definitely one of them. Even with the discussions we have had with Marcus in the past, I was still surprised at this. I don't know why.
I was also interested in his speculation about whether or not people in the West would have the passionate commitment to a cause, such as some of the Daesh fighters do. There are many out there who seem, well, to lack substance.
Personally, the thing I think what's most likely is the House of Saud falls from power and the place goes full-tilt jihadi-land on us one of these days, either under Da'esh leadership or under the leadership of a Sunni Arab rival Islamist organization.
If the House of Saud falls I'm thinking the country will probably fall into civil war, such as Syria did. You will have Iran involved as well.
(If you decided to not register with the Financial Times, let me know and I'll quit dropping in links to any of their stuff. Be a waste of time.)
No, I didn't register. I still might, I'll let you know. It does look like it has some interesting articles.
"If the House of Saud falls I'm thinking the country will probably fall
into civil war…"
Transitional phase, very probably. Who wins? Who's been allowed to organize politically in Saudi Arabia and has a leg up already? (Not to mention that Islamists have been winning the civil wars in much less Salafist environments all across Sunni Arab Muslim Land.)
We've probably seen the bottom of the gas prices, considering the tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia. I filled my tank the other day at $1.58 a gallon.
And, in that vein it might be wise to remember that:
"All past threats to the Al Saud, dating back to the 1920s, have been caused
by conservative Sunni anger at modernisation or ties with the West."
Reuters
Greatful refugees celebrate their arrival in Köln Germany:
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/01/04/revealed-1000-migrants-brawl-rape-sexually-assault-steal-one-german-train-station-new-years-eve/
I wonder what's gonna happen when the german pressure cooker blows....
Not sayin’ that particular piece ain't valid (I've not even looked at it yet), but I would caution you against taking anything coming out of Breitbart at face value.
That piece is backed up by several german language sources and every incident mentioned in the Breitbart piece can be found there.
Die Welt:
http://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article150611629/Sexualdelikte-in-sehr-massiver-Form.html
Stern:
http://www.stern.de/panorama/stern-crime/silvesternacht-in-koeln-am-bahnhof--maenner-umzingeln-frauen-6631416.html
Suddeuche Zeitung:
http://www.sueddeutsche.de/panorama/straftaten-an-silvester-voellig-enthemmt-polizei-staunt-ueber-gewalt-in-koeln-1.2805623
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung:
http://www.faz.net/aktuell/gesellschaft/kriminalitaet/uebergriffe-in-koeln-straftaten-einer-neuen-dimension-13997272.html
But since my german is rusty and I didn't know if either you or Lynnette read german at all I went with the only English translation I could find.
Had it been white Europeans doing something similar to "refugees" I could have given you a gazillion links in any language (you'll see when that day comes). But since it was "refugees" violently attacking white Europeans there wasn't much to choose from. Which is why, even though you're correct that we shouldn't take everything at face value, we need outlets like Breitbart.
It seems now Daily Mail has picked up on the story:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3384423/German-police-hunt-group-1-000-men-Arab-North-African-origin-sexually-assaulted-numerous-women-threw-fireworks-crowds-Cologne-train-station-New-Year-s-Eve.html
They should be deported every single one of them, and count themselves lucky they got off easy.
"…we need outlets like Breitbart."
Perhaps you do. We (Americans) certainly do not. A story like that would get picked up by credible press, although, being in Germany, it probably wouldn't get front page headlines.
More to my point here, though… Your response suggests you're already aware of Breitbart's reputation for a relaxed and casual attitude towards telling the truth, to put it charitably, and you didn't need my warning. Breitbart being an American media company, I wasn't sure.
I notice that the Daily Mail has reported one allegation of rape (which is one too many, but not an actual outbreak).
"They should be deported every single one of them…"
I think rather that the rapist should come to discover that in Western societies it's the rapist who's punished, not the victim. Then he can be deported, after he's served his time. As for the gropers, I'd be down with deporting them en mass.
@ Lynnette,
PBS' Frontline is doing a two hour hatchet piece on Benjamin Netanyahu.
How to win friends and influence people…
Sweden has stepped up the blockade at the Danish border; Denmark has responded by stepping up its blockade at the German border. No doubt the Germans will be less than pleased. Guardian
And the objects of their wrath will likely be the Swedes and the Danes.
^That's what happens when you have incredibly stupid and unsustainable policies in place. Sooner or later you're forced to do a 180.
I don't give a shit what the german politicians will think 'bout it. And the wrath of the german people is more likely to get aimed at Merkel when they come to their 180-moment, which will be soon.
"I don't give a shit what the german politicians will think 'bout it."
I gotta wonder if that's a viable long-term position or merely a temporarily gratifying short-term defiance. We shall discover soon enough, I guess.
"…when they come to their 180-moment, which will be soon."
Ah, one of the critical considerations in determining whether you have a viable long-term position there. I wish you luck with that; I do. I admire Merkel's inclination towards charity, but do not admire her discount of the practicle considerations. She's got a nation, and to a lesser extent an extended alliance, to lead--unbridled inclinations towards charity can lead to disastrous results. And, unlike the inclinations of a certain Swede I know, I don't particularly want to see the E.U. brought down a peg or two.
"practical"
PBS' Frontline is doing a two hour hatchet piece on Benjamin Netanyahu.
Tonight? I'll have to see if I can stay awake. I started reading comments/links last night and starting falling asleep (not that it was boring). I was tired. Busy at the moment at work, so will have to catch up later...
The criminal outrage in Köln is being picked up more and more. German politicians, late on the ball, are forced to react as is mainstream media:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35237173
Wouldn't ever have happened if not for peoples' outrage and the spread of alternative media. I've seen so much of this crap swept under the carpet for fear of being labeled "racist" or "aiding a xenophobic narrative" it makes me sick.
Lee: "Ah, one of the critical considerations in determining whether you have a viable long-term position there. I wish you luck with that; I do."
The problem is when so many are shut out of the official debate and have real fears and concerns that are brushed aside, ignored or ridiculed; and when that goes on for too long, the result will be like I descibed above: a pressure cooker that blows. Not a measured response to the situation. That train has left the platform and is long gone now.
It looks like the New Year's Eve attacks in Cologne have made it to CNN.
Hmmm...the phrase "Its the economy, stupid" comes to mind. Never mind the Sunni/Shia schism, Saudi Arabia has something more dangerous to deal with...expensive gas.
"Saudi Arabia has something more dangerous to deal with...."
Here's the best part (short run). Euroweenies have been bitchin’ at us for ages about the U.S.A. supposedly ‘supporting’ the evil Saudi regime. Now that The West doesn't need the Saudi anymore, and we in the U.S.A. are in a position to extricate ourselves from that very pragmatic deal which was of so much benefit to those self-same Euroweenies,…Now we're gonna hear a bunch of crap from the Euroweenies ’bout how the bad outcome in Saudi Arabia that we helped staved off for so many years is somehow our fault now that it's finally comin’ ‘round to happenin’.
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And, I believe I mentioned to Marcus earlier, that, if there were anything to that story it'd show up in credible media here in the U.S.A. So, lo and behold….
North Korea is claiming to have detonated a thermonuclear device (hydrogen bomb) My guess is they finally got one of their nukes (atomic bomb) to work.
The NYT has picked up on the immigrant violence in Cologne, Germany and on the public outrage it's sparked.
Even beyond the usual circle of anti-immigration activists, similar concern could be heard over whether the government’s policy had come at too high a price to social stability.
Unfortunately, as Marcus has been saying, there is a point here. When you have such a large number of people coming into the country all at once it makes it difficult to absorb them into a culture.
It appears in this case that the revelry associated with New Years Eve was used as cover for a round of robbery, and sexual assault was used as a diversion. Not to belittle this, but it seems as if it was organized to make robbery easier.
Whether they were part of the latest influx of refugees is probably immaterial. There have been problems with migrants from within Europe as well. As the videos that Marcus linked to in the past on Sweden show. The perpetrators should be deported, wherever they are from.
My guess is they finally got one of their nukes (atomic bomb) to work.
And they are jumping up and down saying: look at me! look at me! Yeah, well, whatever...
Lee,
Any thoughts on the standoff in Oregon?
"Occupy Nowhere". Young Mr. Bundy wasn't happy with the way his last challenge to the government ended, what with Old Mr. Bundy's unfortunate quips about happy black slaves. He wants another crack at his 15 minutes of fame. The locals aren't impressed, and the feds have decided to ignore him to death, which will probably work.
Lee: "The NYT has picked up on the immigrant violence in Cologne, Germany and on the public outrage it's sparked."
That article is a good one, I wish we had such news outlets in Sweden. I want to add some info on just one piece of it:
"“There are no indications that this involved people who have sought shelter in Cologne as refugees,” Ms. Reker said."
That mayor is an apologist for anything refugee-related and it's her ilk that are a huge part of the problem. First of all the police in Köln have made 8 arrests and all of those had their asylum-papers on their person. OK, this is not 100% proof that those 8 were the guilty ones, but it's beyond any doubt that among the 1000 head crowd of rioters and criminals there were many so called "refugees", most of whom are in fact not refugees at all but economic migrants.
Second, NYT hasn't picked up that Frau Reker had the bad taste to advocate setting up behavioral guidelines to prevent this from happening again. Not aimed towards rapist clan-people who do not belong in Germany to begin with, but towards german girls and women. She quickly turned around when she got a flood of hate from not just the right but from feminists and leftists also, but that's what she said. Internet sites with guidelines for girls how to try and avoid becoming sexual victims in the "new multicultural Germany" was what she first suggested.
I actually believe she will strand trial as a traitior or face exile herself, within her lifetime. As will many others of her kind. We might well see peoples courts in coming decades here.
The mood in Europe is boiling. It's way, way worse than anything MSM can imagine or will try to describe. I could tell already when only Breitbart ran with this story that it was going to get huge, and it's actually way more important than it seems in media and it won't go away anytime soon. Becausse it goes to the heart of it all.
Ungrateful f-cking parasites and invaders who trick themselves into our naive societies and thank our hospitality with rape, theft and looting. Spineless politicians who try to stick their heads in the sand and when they are forced to react spend most of the time worrying about a backlash against their precious "refugees" and seem to care very little for their own people and nation. A crooked media which tries to cover it up and hope it will pass unnoticed because it doesn't fit their agenda setting narrative. This story has it all. It's a microcosm of what's seriously wrong with much of Europe.
Other than that I was pleased to read the comments in the NYT article.
Lee: "Now that The West doesn't need the Saudi anymore, and we in the U.S.A. are in a position to extricate ourselves from that very pragmatic deal which was of so much benefit to those self-same Euroweenies,…Now we're gonna hear a bunch of crap from the Euroweenies ’bout how the bad outcome in Saudi Arabia that we helped staved off for so many years is somehow our fault now that it's finally comin’ ‘round to happenin’."
I don't really know where you expect to find that reaction. Could be you're right but I've not come across those feelings over here.
As for myself personally I am on record here on this blog saying I long for the day when the US takes its protecting hand off the terror sponsoring princes in Riyadh.
"That mayor is an apologist for anything refugee-related and it's her
ilk that are a huge part of the problem. *** We might well see peoples
courts in coming decades here."
Bolshevik ‘justice’ and mob violence may indeed be a danger there, but; I'm not willing to predict that just yet.
"I long for the day when the US takes its protecting hand off the
terror sponsoring princes in Riyadh."
We had been protecting the corrupt princes against the terror sponsoring princes. They, in turn, simply doubled down on the corruption and went ahead tolerating their terror sponsoring brethren so long as the terrorism was directed towards the outside rather than against the House of Saud. That game has about played itself out though. But we're not doing so much protecting these days. The terrorists, while a menace, are not the existential threat to America that was the Soviet Union and its Warsaw alliance.
She quickly turned around when she got a flood of hate from not just the right but from feminists and leftists also, but that's what she said. Internet sites with guidelines for girls how to try and avoid becoming sexual victims in the "new multicultural Germany" was what she first suggested.
Unfortunately some people tend to look first at what the victim should have, or not have, been doing to prevent the crime. While it may obviously be wiser to walk in safer neighborhoods, this incident wasn't that kind of circumstance. This was merely a crowd of people celebrating New Years and a criminal element tried to take advantage of the situation.
Lynnette: "While it may obviously be wiser to walk in safer neighborhoods, this incident wasn't that kind of circumstance."
Agreed, it most certainly wasn't. Some victims came out of the trainstation wearing winter clothing and were just trying to get past the crowd.
Lynnette: "Whether they were part of the latest influx of refugees is probably immaterial."
It would have been immaterial, if not for the fact that several politicians and most newspapere have been bending over backwards to try to disassociate this outbreak of vile crime from the "refugee crisis". Well, now police sources reveal that of the 15 arrests so far the suspects all have been in Germany for only weeks or even days. 14 claim to be syrians and 1 is Afghan:
"Diese Personen seien „definitiv erst wenige Tage oder Wochen“ in Deutschland gewesen: „Von diesen Personen waren 14 aus Syrien und eine aus Afghanistan. Das ist die Wahrheit. Auch wenn sie schmerzt.“"
http://www.express.de/koeln/polizei-fuehrer-berichtet-meine-nacht-mit-dem-brutalen-mob-23315166
So yeah, it's a "refugee"-problem. We need to close the outer Schengen borders and do it NOW before this spirals completely out of control.
The number of female victims who have filed a report with the police has now reached 150. So it was hardly a few isolated incidents.
Just imagine if the crowd would have been ethnic german, perhaps a gathering of football supporters, and the victims muslim women. How do you think the coverage would have looked then? I can damn well guarantee you it wouldn't have taken media 4 days to begin telling that story...
Lee: "Bolshevik ‘justice’ and mob violence may indeed be a danger there, but; I'm not willing to predict that just yet."
It won't be Bolsjevik if it comes. But social strife and mob violence might be closer than you'd think. That's not to say it's unavoidable, but it's a definite probability and also something historically not that uncommon to Europe. I can tell you that the situation, IMO, today is far more explosive than it's portrayed in the MSM. There are even some voices from well within the establishment who are voicing their concern. For instance:
"Swiss army chief André Blattmann warned, in a Swiss newspaper article on Sunday, the risks of social unrest in Europe are soaring. Recalling the experience of 1939/1945, Blattman fears the increasing aggression in public discourse is an explosively hazardous situation, and advises the Swiss people to arm themselves and warns that the basis for Swiss prosperity is "being called into question.""
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-12-30/swiss-army-chief-warns-social-unrest-calls-upon-citizens-arm-themselves
Another case of me not finding a more mainstream english language source but where the original swiss source is solid:
http://deutsche-wirtschafts-nachrichten.de/2015/12/28/schweizer-armee-chef-warnt-vor-sozialen-unruhen/
I know this is off topic, but it is a really amazing story that I wanted to share. The couple apparently are from Minnesota. Now this is the type of innovation that derives from the freedom to be creative.
"It won't be Bolsjevik if it comes."
‘Bolshevik’ is Russian for ‘majority’; not for ‘commie’.
But social strife and mob violence might be closer than you'd think.
You'd probably see the same thing here if the numbers were the same, percentage wise. It is human. But it is also something that could very well hurt the existing social and governmental structures in Europe. Cooler heads must come together and target those who are instigating this. They also need to look at what to do with the people who have arrived and those who are coming. So far, I think you are right Marcus, they haven't done a good job of filtering or integrating. Not all of those who seek refuge are criminal. It is a fine balancing act to help those in need and filter out the bad apples. But in the long run it would be beneficial to try to find that balance. Otherwise you just play into the hands of people like Daesh who would possibly seek to destabilize Europe if they could.
Lee: "‘Bolshevik’ is Russian for ‘majority’; not for ‘commie’."
I didn't know that. I thought it was a name for the early revolutionary communists only. Googled it and I see you're right.
The masss attacks on women in Köln has so far grabbed most headlines since it was the biggest one. But the trend is there all over, and New Years eve was eventful in other spots as well:
Mass attacks by migrants on women in Hamburg:
http://www.bild.de/regional/hamburg/sexuelle-belaestigung/auf-der-reeperbahn-44017940.bild.html
Mass attacks by migrants on women in Stuttgart:
http://www.unsertirol24.com/2016/01/04/junge-frau-arg-zugerichtet/
Mass attacks by migrants on women in Frankfurt:
http://hessenschau.de/panorama/sexuelle-uebergriffe-an-silvester-auch-in-frankfurt,silvesternacht-anzeigen-100.html
Mass attacks by migrants on women in Helsinki - Finland:
http://svenska.yle.fi/artikel/2016/01/07/polisen-trakasserifall-anmaldes-efter-nyarsfirande-i-helsingfors
Mass attacks by migrants on women in Kalmar - Sweden:
http://www.friatider.se/arabisk-ny-rsmobb-ven-i-helsingfors
"I know this is off topic…"
Saw that on PBS last night. I think it was PBS.
Nope that's not the ‘cardboard’ article I saw. Not even close.
After the attacks in Köln, Slovakia stops all muslim immigration:
http://www.focus.de/politik/ausland/reaktion-auf-vorfaelle-in-koeln-slowakei-verweigert-muslimischen-fluechtlingen-die-aufnahme_id_5195879.html
"We do not want that which haoppened in Köln to happen here" saye their prime minister.
I have to say the former eastern European states have it right on most matters these days. Possibly because they suffered so under traditional communism they have it easier to identify communisms' decendants such as cultural relativism and norm-critique than the softer and more decadent west does.
Poland just elected a fine conservative government, the Chech Republic has got a fine government and of course Hungary is led by the best politician in the world, Victor Orban, who has the balls to stand up to both the Eurocrats and Frau Merkel despite them all being frothing at the mouth pissed at him. Puts his own nation and people first he does, and calls a spade a spade, which I'm sad to say is a rare thing these days.
Off topic again...
The joys of Minnesota weather.
But the trend is there all over, and New Years eve was eventful in other spots as well:
I noticed that about Hamburg elsewhere. Given how widespread it was you have to wonder if there was some kind of organization, if only on social media. Rather like they organize flash mobs, only this has a criminal intent.
Why the Saudi are freakin‘ out.
And why we should stay the hell out of it anyway.
Both very good articles, Lee.
It is interesting that, according to the first author, the Saudis should be so oblivious to the reason the United States, or to be more precise the American people, are so adverse to going to bat for the Saudi royal family. They may blame Obama, thinking him an idiot, or just naive, but we have not forgotten that the majority of the 9/11 attackers were Saudi, and that there are so many people in KSA who support Al-Qaida and its Wahhabi ideology. No, if the Saudi royal family falls, and I suspect too that this is likely eventually, they will have only themselves to blame. As for Iran, I can't think that we are any more kindly disposed towards that regime either. But that doesn't mean we can't deal with them when it is in our interest to do so.
I think the Saudis are right to be concerned about their future. Their problems are real. But so too are the problems in the rest of the Middle East. The whole place seems to be imploding at a rapid clip. There is a reason there are so many refugees streaming into Europe.
*sigh*
adverse should be averse
P.S.
I really hate insurance companies.
Der Spiegel has a fairly long piece on the New Year's dust-up in Cologne.
Thanks, Lee.
I'm going to a play today, so I will have to read it later.
Kind of cold this morning. 11° below zero.
It looks like we are showing the flag" after North Korea's claim to an H-bomb.
Headline: "For Republicans, Mounting Fears of Lasting Split"
The boys at the NYT don't quite get it.
They understand there's a split in the Republican Party, and they generally get where the fault lines reside. But they don't get the ‘why’ part. As in: ‘Why were working-class whites overwhelmingly voting for a political party that served the interests of Wall Street bankers and lawyers in the first place?’
That article was long, but worth the read. Germany has a problem. As does much of Europe. This is a large number of people. Integration must take place or there will eventually be a backlash that may destabilize the country. What I found rather disturbing was that apparently those people whose asylum requests are rejected are still allowed to stay. Only now they have no hope of a better future. That creates a population that has no choice but to possibly engage in criminal activities in order to survive. A dangerous situation.
It's a war Lynnette. Only it's not understod to be so by the natives quite yet, but it is an invasion and a war aiming to conquer. The invaders are quite clear on that, not all of them but a significant portion.
https://archive.org/details/MuslimImmigrantBragsAboutGangRapingAGermanVirgin
^You'd be mistaken in thinking that mentality is something rare amongst the invaders. It's very wide spread and goes hand in hand with the idea and desire of conquest amongst these folks.
Sooner rather than later the natives will wake up, the awoken will reach critical mass. Then you'll have the invaders, the defenders and the state which will take on a different shape depending on nation. In any case this cannot end in any other way than with rivers of blood.
The German federal police BKA says the arabian rape-game called "taharrush" is believed to have come to Europe. It's a game some arabian men play where they get together in a large group, surround women and rip their clothes off and abuse them sexually and rape them. It's most common in North Africa and especially in Egypt where it was prevalent during the Tharhir square demonstrations.
I knew of it, but I didn't know it was established enough that they actually have a name for it.
Again we have to start with Breitbart, until MSM catches up (or you can google the term and get German sources):
http://www.breitbart.com/london/2016/01/10/german-authorities-fear-repeat-of-cologne-as-taharrush-comes-to-europe/
"What I found rather disturbing was that apparently those people whose
asylum requests are rejected are still allowed to stay."
I found that rather curious myself.
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‘Archive.org’? What's this -- a ‘youtube’ for dubious materials?
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"…where it was prevalent during the Tharhir square demonstrations."
I was (still am) under the impression that in Tahrir Square, Cairo in the Egyptian uprising the practice was mostly instigated to intimidate demonstrators (by both Muslim Brotherhood and by Mubarak's enforcers in the crowd).
"‘Archive.org’? What's this -- a ‘youtube’ for dubious materials?"
Probably something like Liveleak with much material Youtube would remove.
"I was (still am) under the impression that in Tahrir Square, Cairo in the Egyptian uprising the practice was mostly instigated to intimidate demonstrators (by both Muslim Brotherhood and by Mubarak's enforcers in the crowd)."
In any case, it ain't pretty:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMGQAbEA23Q&feature=youtu.be
And you can't really explain away the attacks during New Years eve in at least 8 European cities with anti-democracy enforcers from the MB.
The main topic in Swedish media right now is about similar attacks that were rampant during a music festival in Stockholm in August but was covered up by police leadership and media and probably to some extent by politicians. The story only broke after the attacks in Köln when individual police who had tried to sound the alarm and girls who were victims of sex-attacks made a new effort to raise their voices. And yes, by all accounts it was the same sort of culprits.
Politicians and media are scrambling to blame the police only. It's a "double betrayal" of the victims according to our PM.
Also making news is that some swimming halls have had to segregate based on gender because pre-teen girls have been sexually molested at such facilities. Also a new and exciting development here.
Recommended reading for Lee:
https://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/egypt_sexual_violence_uk-webfinal.pdf
"And you can't really explain away the attacks during New Years
eve in at least 8 European cities…"
Not trying to explain it away. Rather, I was suggesting that you may be looking at somewhat different phenomena. I would also note that we don't have such coördinated attacks occurring over here.
"Not trying to explain it away. Rather, I was suggesting that you may be looking at somewhat different phenomena. I would also note that we don't have such coördinated attacks occurring over here."
Different demographics, different infrastructure and I think the reaction against such outrage would be dealt with much harsher in the US and rightly so.
Just a quick link...
So maybe we steal a leaf from the terrorist's playbook. There's more than one way to bankrupt someone.
Back later...
Sell everything!
Any thoughts?
I'd be more worried if the Royal Bank of Scotland had been right last time (they had to be bailed out as I recall).
I'd say sell if you have debt, any debt, and pay that off before you put anything into stocks. And only put money you don't need for a long time into stocks. And, at this point, stick with defensive stocks. That's How I feel at least.
I did take a beating on Statoil though. Didn't think oil would fall so low and misjudged Statoil as a sort of defensive stock.
I knew I could count on you guys for sensible responses. Sometimes I see those types of articles and get a little unsettled. I know that remaining well diversified is the best course, but sometimes it's hard not to think about cashing in some stock investments. But then what do you replace them with? And even those who are close to, or actually in, retirement need long term investments, such as stocks.
I also bought an oil stock recently. It's still slightly above what I paid for it. But it does seem to be fast deflating, along with oil prices. *sigh* Well, hopefully they don't cut the dividend.
Usually I don't buy individual stocks, but sometimes I gamble just a little.
I listened to part of the President's State of the Union speech tonight. While I don't always agree with the President it was nice to listen to someone who is intelligent and thoughtful in his ideas. So different from Donald Trump.
More on that sell everything guy.
Lynnette: "I knew I could count on you guys for sensible responses. Sometimes I see those types of articles and get a little unsettled. I know that remaining well diversified is the best course"
A lot of prople make the mistake and sell off when the market has already fallen quite a bit and then they start buying again when it's already risen. Instead of buying cheap and selling expensive they end up doing the opposite.
Now, obviously buy cheap and sell expensive is easier said than done. But there is a way for even amateur investors to try to get it right.
First of all you need to establish your over all acceptance of risk. Let's say you're not that young, but you still have say a decade left in the workforce and you can afford some risk in your long term savings, then you might want to go with a 50% share in interest bearing papers and a 50% share stocks/funds. Anyones' personal risk acceptance might be lower or higher and it might (should) change when we get closer to retirement and will soon need the money, or at least wish to have it available. But let's use 50/50 as an example here.
So in "normal" times you allocate 50% into interest bearing instruments and 50% into the stockmarket, through stocks, funds or such instruments. That's your baseline.
Now say the market goes up faster than the interest rate as it typically does in a booming market, they your stock holdings increase in value and will constitute a larger share of your savings. At a pre-determined point, say when your assets in stocks reach 60% of your total worth you re-allocate back to 50/50. Meaning you sell off some of your stocks and put the money into interest instruments. You go back to your baseline once your holdings deviate from that basseline by 10 percentage points.
In a falling market you do the opposite. If your stocks fall in value and drop to 40% of your total worth then you take money from interest bearing instruments and buy more stocks, thus re-allocating your portfolio back to 50/50, your baseline.
This means you have a tactic for selling when stocks are priced high and buying when they are priced low and you base this on a strategy to uphold a level of risk you have actually thought out and decided on with a clear head in advance. That means you have a tool to use to avoid panic decisions. You now only need the dicipline to follow through.
Of course you still need to diversify the stock-portfolio or stock with broad funds because the strategy won't work if you put everything into one or a few high risk companies that might skyrocket but might also go bust (think the IT boom/bust).
^Me
I have never been very good at re-allocating. I think part of it has to do with tax issues, but the bulk of the problem has to do with the decision of where to put what is sold from stocks. This is because bonds look so iffy with the interest rate environment being on the upswing. In non-taxable retirement accounts, of course, it is this last that is the sticking point. If the market ever stabilizes I will look more closely at re-allocating as I think I am still too heavy into stocks. Perhaps it is actually not too bad a time to buy bonds as the price may be cheaper now.
It appears that there is a winning ticket in our $1.5 billion Powerball lottery. It was sold at a Seven 11 in California. I hope that there are multiple people in on that ticket. It would be nice to spread the wealth around.
Correction, there were 3 winning tickets sold, one in California, one in Tennessee and one in Florida. I hope they all had multiple owners.
Another attack. This time in Indonesia.
I note that a spokesperson for Daesh states that foreigners aren't safe in Muslim lands. He fails to mention that neither are Muslims.
The Republicans are debating again tonight (on Fox). Last debate before the opening primaries in Iowa and New Hampshire. Given Obama's last State of the Union speech, I'm expecting them to compete for who can be ‘the most pissed off ever’.
That's Fox Business channel; not FoxNews.
No, I did not watch the Republican debate, but I have read the reviews.
Conventional Wisdom seems to be that Trump and Cruz both came out of it at least as well as they went in; they ‘won’ in that sense. Rubio did okay but barely okay, so he kinda ‘lost’ in the debate. Everybody else don't matter any more, including Jeb!.
Supposedly Trump and Cruz both scored Republican points (which are a special class of Republican primary points perhaps not relevant in the real world, but these are Republican debates after all).
Just to make things tidy, the Turkish government claims to have arrested three Russian nationals in connection with the Da'esh attack in Istanbul last Tuesday. VoA
lol! A subtle stab at Putin?
So, my family and I have been having problems with my sister's BlueCross BlueShield drug coverage. As in they are not paying for rather important meds for her, at first saying it was an error, and now saying they don't know what's covered. We are paying out of pocked, a rather extreme amount as they are brand name, to get the drugs for her. I have sent emails to my local representative, who is a Republican, and my national representative, who is a Democrat. I will see if I get any response from either one. Next I will consider contacting the Star Tribune to see if they are interested in doing another article on the quality, or lack there of, of health insurance in the US. I am furious at the lack of resolution in this matter. My opinion of BlueCross BlueShield has sunk to rock bottom.
E-mails are cheap. Can't hurt to add your Senators to that list, also the State Board of Insurance, or whomever regulates insurers in Minnesota (Maybe let BlueCross/BlueShield know about that last one).
Thanks, Lee.
I sent one to Amy Klobuchar. I have talked to someone at the MN Dept. of Commerce. I have filed a complaint with them.
I think they may have one of the medications resolved. We will see tomorrow when I go to pick it up.
Just to make things tidy, the Turkish government claims to have arrested three Russian nationals in connection with the Da'esh attack in Istanbul last Tuesday.
And just to make things even more tidy they are ramping up actions against the PKK.
Marcus: " Hungary is led by the best politician in the world, Victor Orban, who has the balls to stand up to both the Eurocrats and Frau Merkel"
Have a look at this vid, Marcus. These are two close pals of Orban, discussing the Köln assaults. No prizes for guessing the "global power" that László Bogár refers to are Joooos. His pal Zsolt Bayer (co-founder of Fidesz), is a columnist for an anti-Semitic rag who has referred to Jews as "stinking excrement" and to gypsies as "unfit to exist".
The guys are basically unreconstructed Nazis, having a field day on the back of those brutal assaults. The European left has scored a massive own goal with the cover-ups but their opponents are no saints. I've no sympathy for either camp. Between them I could see the EU unravelling within five years, with even the possibility of bloodshed. It's not like we don't have a long history of it.
"…they are ramping up actions against the PKK."
Yeah, Erdoğan wants to make sure he gets his licks in on the Kurds before peace breaks out in Syria or some other unfortunate like that happens.
"Oil prices crashed 6 percent on Friday to close below $30 a barrel
for the first time in 12 years, resuming this year's breathtaking rout as
Chinese stock markets fell further and traders braced for an imminent
rise in Iran's exports."
Reuters
$1.48/gal this morning. I guess the dust up between the Iranians and the Saudi isn't scaring much of anybody.
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And, I finally got around to watching Obama's last State of the Union speech. He's proven to be a disappointment to me in several respects, but, given who's running this time, I'd vote for him a third time if he could run again.
David Ignatius in the Washington Post with what we may describe as ‘Ignatius insights’ on the current market and political turmoil in China. (I'm not sure how good his read on China actually is, but, in spite of him sometimes seeming full of himself, he doesn't usually go off half-cocked, so I thought I'd toss it in here.)
It looks like the sanctions on Iran have been lifted.
We have here a young Muslim woman complaining about American prejudice against Muslims.
I must admit, I had some difficulty summoning up much in the way of sympathy for her.
Profiling happens to many people, not just Muslims. Those questions she was asked on entering the country regarding here passport, her destination...etc. are pretty standard. I have been asked the same, and I am not Muslim. The man who harassed her on the street? Many women have experienced worse, who are not Muslim. And, frankly, there are some areas in the Middle East where women are bought and sold. Just ask those who have lived in Daesh-land.
There are truly incidents of hate crimes committed against Muslims in this country. One occurred recently very close to where I live. The perpetrator was arrested and is being charged. There are also many incidents of hate crimes in the Middle East...against Muslims. One was reported on recently in Zeyad's recent post. You will always find hate. How it is dealt with is critical to a country's functioning. Wallow in it, ignore it, accept it, and eventually that country will just break apart.
"You will always find hate. How it is dealt with is critical to a country's
functioning. Wallow in it, ignore it, accept it,…"
I got the distinct impression that seeks it out so she can wave it in the air and howl in indignation. But, I did expect you to be more sympathetic to her claims than I. I find myself to be pleasantly surprised.
I got the distinct impression that seeks it out so she can wave it in the air and howl in indignation.
I rather think you are right. There were a number of incidents of support she received, which she did mention, but it was the more negative aspects of her experiences that she was focused on. I prefer a little more balance and understanding of both positions. The security she experienced is a far cry from that which those farmers in Ramadi experienced.
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