Sunday, July 1, 2012
Pirate Vs. Ninja
If you have ever wondered about the Pirate vs. Ninja debate, (like I know you have). I have often wondered who is the better killer... Well, I've come across this video of a song explaining one person's opinion. I have to say it's hard to disagree, but I'm still up in the air on this.
Soap Boxing...
The neo-conservatives claim that the war on terrorism will be won by us sending hundreds of thousands of troops halfway around the world. They say that the war in Iraq has made us safer. The exact opposite is true. When we invade foreign lands and tell others how to live we spread a message of American arrogance, not freedom. Here is the cold hard truth: the Middle East has been embroiled in conflict for millenia over religious reasons. Their hatred toward one another is rooted in their worldview. It is part of who they are. The notion that we can change someone's worldview using guns is absolute idiocy. Yet politicians love to talk about "peace in the Middle East" as though us telling them to sign a peace treaty is going to solve anything. If these people want to stop fighting they will have to do it themselves. We are not going to change them.
Concerning Iraq, the only way we could truly change the collective mindset of the people is by indoctrinating the next generation into Western thinking. To do this we would have to take over their school system for several decades. Think this is stupid? Revolutions don't happen over night. Look at Nazi Germany: the philosophy that unfolded in Hitler's totalitarian dictatorship was sown in the minds of Germans long before World War 2 ever broke out. Furthermore, had America and Europe left Germany alone after WWI and never imposed the Versailles Treaty we might have never had WWII. The Germans were full of anger because of our interventionist policy. Yes, the Versailles Treaty was interventionism. Don't kid yourself into thinking otherwise.
We went into Vietnam foolishly thinking that it was our job to stop the spread of communism. If the politicians in Washington had spent three minutes studying communism they would have known that communist countries cannot support themselves. They implode. Communist economics is a failure. The Soviet Union made that incredibly clear. And so is it a surprise that Vietnam ended up abandoning communism anyway? Today we have good trade relations with them. Likewise, we continue to meddle with North and South Korea and not surprisingly the two nations have remained separate. We have prevented the Koreans from re-uniting despite the fact that North and South Korea want more relations with one another. Interventionism always accomplishes the exact opposite of what it intends.
The War on Terror is also a joke because we fail to realize that terrorism is a tactic, not an army itself. There is no such thing as "fighting terrorism." Can we fight terrorists? Yes. But by the virtue of their tactic we cannot deal with them like we would with a regular army. Its like trying to wrestle a jellyfish. Furthermore, terrorists are made when Muslim extremists have children. Once again, its part of their worldview. Do we think we are going to change their worldview with our guns and bombs?
The question we need to ask ourselves is, "Why are Muslims using terrorism against us?" Bin Laden has repeatedly said that he attacked the US because our Saudi Arabian military bases were an insult to Islam. The terrorists hate us because we are on their land, not because they hate our freedom and prosperity. Unfortunately, the neo-cons will never wake up to this. They think that there is something patriotic about telling other people how to live. And yet if some other country invaded our land and tried to tell us how to live wouldn't we be quite angry, too? We would not tolerate it. And yet we arrogantly think that every nation should worship our way of life and accept it without question. Let other nations take care of themselves. We need to mind our own business.
"We should protect Israel!" is what the neo-cons cry out. "We need to invade Iran!" Iran is just as likely to invade Mars as it is Israel. Iran has no army. It does not even touch the Israeli border. "But they will launch nuclear missiles at Iran!" We have no evidence whatsoever that Iran has nuclear weapons. "But Iran has nuclear power plants!" This is not the same as a nuclear warhead. Warheads take time to develop, and we would know if Iran had tested one, even if the test occurred underground. Furthermore, Iran is allowed to have nuclear power plants under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Finally, if military history has shown us one thing its that Israel is more than capable of taking care of itself. So let's leave these countries alone.
Concerning Iraq, the only way we could truly change the collective mindset of the people is by indoctrinating the next generation into Western thinking. To do this we would have to take over their school system for several decades. Think this is stupid? Revolutions don't happen over night. Look at Nazi Germany: the philosophy that unfolded in Hitler's totalitarian dictatorship was sown in the minds of Germans long before World War 2 ever broke out. Furthermore, had America and Europe left Germany alone after WWI and never imposed the Versailles Treaty we might have never had WWII. The Germans were full of anger because of our interventionist policy. Yes, the Versailles Treaty was interventionism. Don't kid yourself into thinking otherwise.
We went into Vietnam foolishly thinking that it was our job to stop the spread of communism. If the politicians in Washington had spent three minutes studying communism they would have known that communist countries cannot support themselves. They implode. Communist economics is a failure. The Soviet Union made that incredibly clear. And so is it a surprise that Vietnam ended up abandoning communism anyway? Today we have good trade relations with them. Likewise, we continue to meddle with North and South Korea and not surprisingly the two nations have remained separate. We have prevented the Koreans from re-uniting despite the fact that North and South Korea want more relations with one another. Interventionism always accomplishes the exact opposite of what it intends.
The War on Terror is also a joke because we fail to realize that terrorism is a tactic, not an army itself. There is no such thing as "fighting terrorism." Can we fight terrorists? Yes. But by the virtue of their tactic we cannot deal with them like we would with a regular army. Its like trying to wrestle a jellyfish. Furthermore, terrorists are made when Muslim extremists have children. Once again, its part of their worldview. Do we think we are going to change their worldview with our guns and bombs?
The question we need to ask ourselves is, "Why are Muslims using terrorism against us?" Bin Laden has repeatedly said that he attacked the US because our Saudi Arabian military bases were an insult to Islam. The terrorists hate us because we are on their land, not because they hate our freedom and prosperity. Unfortunately, the neo-cons will never wake up to this. They think that there is something patriotic about telling other people how to live. And yet if some other country invaded our land and tried to tell us how to live wouldn't we be quite angry, too? We would not tolerate it. And yet we arrogantly think that every nation should worship our way of life and accept it without question. Let other nations take care of themselves. We need to mind our own business.
"We should protect Israel!" is what the neo-cons cry out. "We need to invade Iran!" Iran is just as likely to invade Mars as it is Israel. Iran has no army. It does not even touch the Israeli border. "But they will launch nuclear missiles at Iran!" We have no evidence whatsoever that Iran has nuclear weapons. "But Iran has nuclear power plants!" This is not the same as a nuclear warhead. Warheads take time to develop, and we would know if Iran had tested one, even if the test occurred underground. Furthermore, Iran is allowed to have nuclear power plants under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Finally, if military history has shown us one thing its that Israel is more than capable of taking care of itself. So let's leave these countries alone.
Cheat to Win
I watched the movie "Amazing Grace" this weekend and found it surprisingly applicable to today. I'll summarize for anyone who hasn't seen it.
It takes place during the late 1700's in Great Brittan and slavery is a common everyday reality. William Wilberforce is a member of the British parliament, basically their congress. Growing up, he was influenced by his pastor who happened to be a reformed slave ship captain and the author of the hymn "amazing grace". His pastor said he lived with 20,000 ghosts, a ghost for every slave he had on his ship.
William takes this issue of slavery to heart and does all he can while in parliament, he first starts out as a lone minority with only a very few supporters, a small group of pastors, former slaves, and former slavers who campaign for several years for the cause. These campaigns are extremely effective with people all over GB supportive, but, the support does not seep into parliament.
5 years William brings "the abolition of slavery" bill to the British House of Commons but never wins a majority vote. There is money and power in slavery, this time is the height of the British Empire and nobody wants to give up power to the French or the Americans who both have a strong presence in slaving.
William and his group decide to attack from a different direction, basically cheating. Slave ships fly an American flag regardless which country they originate from. GB and France are at war during this time. France will fly the American flag on its ships to avoid British aggression. At this time American ships have protection from Pirates and the like from the British. So the cheat was to simply remove the British protection to hurt the French.
Slave ships no longer under British protection would then lose the revenue from the slave trade, making it harder and harder to make any money for anyone involved in slaving. So the "Abolition of Slavery" act passed easily when it was brought up for the final time 2 years after.
The thing that struck me was William had never been against the others inside his parliament. Anyone educated in the matter found no reason to continue slavery, but the true opposition was outside the parliament the super-powerful few who made fortunes from slaving. Those who were above feeling anything for slaves, those who were in power and wanted to stay in power by any means necessary.
William just made it un-profitable for slaving, I doubt he actually changed any minds of the super-elite to a greater moral state'.
How does this tie in today?
I love politics and try to keep up with it as much as I can. I have learned that politics are not merely philosophically or ideologically opposing viewpoints but mainly of power and control.
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