Monday Thoughts

Ok, the weekend is gone. It's snowing here in paradise, at sea level, down to the beach. But much of the lowland snow will be gone by early evening overnight at the latest, as the temperatures warm. Typical, but the snow will stay a few days in the surrounding hills and outlying areas where the temperatures aren't moderated by the water. It's still beautiful.

And I love the silence of falling snow. It absorbs every sound except of yourself. You hear the snow and yourself. Nothing more. Nothing less. And huge snow flakes falling gently on the mind. Always a moment to savior.

And the world goes on. To the news.

All the money we've given Pakistan and we still can't get them to agree to let us into their country to fight Al Qaeda. The arrogance. But who's arrogance? We're currently flying over the Tribal areas in Pakistan with drones and even firiing rockets into village we suspect have Al Qaeda members. Pakistan insists they're fighting the Taliban who is aligned with Al Qaeda who is their target.

Then it's reported that we've been holding secret meetings with Pakistan's military and Security office officials for "joint" operations, only to be rebuffed in private and public. Gee, those Pakistanis just don't understand our mission? Or do they, and they know that it would infuriate the Taliban to retaliate against the Pakistan military as they already have, except with a vengenance? What don't we understand?

We don't understand that President Musharraf is hanging on to his country with threads and we're not only helping him with aid, we've made the mistake to tie all our interests to him. But Musharraf knows that he can't tilt too far to our side without offending most of his own country. If he fails, we fail, and will likely lose a a moderate ally - moderate meaning it's an ally as long as the checks keep flowing.

We know if we don't support Musharraf, we've lost and he's lost. Even a simpleton like me with a basic understanding of things can see it's a very volatile and vulnerable country held together by a strong military and our money. Either breaks and it breaks. So, it makes me wonder what all is going on behind closed door we don't know about?

Onward. Can someone put a sock in Cheney's mouth? Why does he keep arguing for complete control and legal survellence of citizens? He keeps arguing that we should have broad surveillence laws to catch terrorists, and he's willing to sacrifice the Constitution to do it. Let's hope the Democrats are smarter, but being an election year and the Republicans will use fear as a weapon in the campaign, I'm not holding out for much hope.

We need our civil rights and liberties back to keep the corporate and military industrial complex from stealing our democracy and republic. We're going down the wrong road to fight a few terrorists, and at what price?

Companies do cost-benefit analyses to assess if something is worth doing, and if the risk are sufficiently small versus the damage if it fails. Why isn't Congress and the government doing this with fighting terrorists? It's not a war against terrorism, but a handful of international terrorists. Let's weigh the costs accordingly because we're sacrificing the 99.99999% of our population for the 0.000001% potential terrorists.

Ok, I keep ranting on this topic. We didn't need the Patriot Act then and now, and we don't need an updated version. We don't need a Homeland Security Administration with broad oversight on many agencies. It's all cosmetic shit to make us feel good but doesn't work. It's an impulse buy, like the Hummer, to make us feel macho, but we can't afford to drive, so it sits in the driveway except Sunday afternoon drives in the country.

I'm deeply saddened our country has gone off the deep end and won't come back. Future generations will live in a world where everything is known about them, and all their movements monitored and questioned. And every "bad" moment or act will be taken as a threat, to be detailled into your life report and held against you later. Is this what our country is about? What happened to Freedom of ...., anything.

We're losing our freedom and spirit to feel free.

Enough. The economy. Ok, the best solution I've read is simple. Forget tax rebates or any stimulus plan. Simply repeal the Bush tax cut, and it 2-3 years we'll be back on track in the right direction. Not hard Congress. So what don't you understand?

Oh, I forgot. You're for rich people and corporations. You're Bushies... No real backbone or real interest in people, just your people.

This one I love. The FDA is now, just now remind you, requiring drug companies to include the risk of suicide in the studies of reactions and side effects. Like Duh? Or what? Some drugs by themselves or in combination are mentally and emotionally lethal to people, and they're just now coming around with all the news about it to include it in study requirements.

Wow, the FDA is on my side? Not!

Ok, parting jestures? The Washington Post reported article) that the White House has no comprehensive e-mail archive system. This includes daily archives of e-mail for critical periods where e-mail correspondence would be important to understand what was really said that just their word. Lost. Your government too.

Me thinks something is being hidden from the American people, like the truth behind their lies?

Second, the Center for Public Integrity report on the Bush Adminstration's Iraq War card. And you don't think Bush and Cheney shouldn't be impearched for high crimes and misdemeanors? Inventing or distorting information and lying to the American people, Congress and the U.N. to invade and occupy a soverign nation, which didn't have any connection with Al Qaeda and 9/11, isn't enough?

So, where has our country gone. To soldiers dying in foreign lands for what? Enough said for now. I'll enjoy the snow for the time it's in the neighborhood.