The Current Administration

My nightly routine is usually getting off of work, coming home and checking out the current news. My news sources range from local TV news here in L.A. to online papers and publications from around the world. As I was reading the headlines of current news out of Washington D.C. there was one article that caught my eye.

Cheyney, others OK'd harsh interrogations

The article discusses the use of interrogation tactics such as "water boarding" which simulates drowning. I just find it appalling that we preach to the rest of the world how wonderful we are and that they should follow our lead in "protecting" the world from terror. When we continue to do the things this article suggests there is no wonder that others around the world hate the United States.

Perhaps they should ask Presidential Candidate John McCain what he thinks of "harsh interrogation tactics". Our elected leaders in Washington are acting like the school yard bully all for their own benefit. It just amazes me that our very own elected leaders get away with such blatant disregard for our own laws and that of international laws. Has anyone heard of the Geneva Convention? Oh wait I forgot we are the United States we don't have to answer to any international law.

And before you go run your mouth and tell me that "perhaps you should go live in another country then" realize that what makes America great is the fact that we are allowed to DISSENT. We are allowed to question the elected leaders! They are supposed to be working for US! So spare me that garbage of "don't like it then leave it" crap.

What do you think would happen if a foreign government was found to be "water boarding" American soldiers? We would not sit around and take it. We would want the leaders of that country arrested and tried for WAR CRIMES!

And yet we sit back and let Cheyney and his croonies run rampant and do what they want to do all in the name of the WAR ON TERROR.

Has anyone stopped to think that the War on Terror is a war that has no end in sight? Remember a little thing that began in the Reagan days called the "War on Drugs". Now lets see how did that turn out?

Ask yourself when was the last time that you truly and honestly felt threatened by some foreign country? Where you really afraid that Saddam Hussein was going to send his troops over here and start killing innocent women and children? No you weren't. You probably had forgotten all about Saddam until George W. and Cheyney brought his name up after 9/11.

Here is the official definition of terror as provided by our very own United States government:

Official United States Government Definition of Terrorism

"[An] act of terrorism, means any activity that (A) involves a violent act or an act dangerous to human life that is a violation of the criminal laws of the United States or any State, or that would be a criminal violation if committed within the jurisdiction of the United States or of any State; and (B) appears to be intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by assassination or kidnapping."
(United States Code Congressional and Administrative News, 98th Congress, Second Session, 1984, Oct. 19, volume 2; par. 3077, 98 STAT. 2707 [West Publishing Co., 1984])

Go ahead and re-read that. If you take our own official definition of terrorism then the United States is guilty of being a terrorist state.

My parents always used to tell me to "treat others the way I wanted to be treated." Shouldn't that same law be applied to how we treat other countries? When we were kids all of us had the "school yard bully". He would "terrorize" you or perhaps one of your friends. And you sat there wishing you could beat him up yourself or that someone else would finally put him in his place. Perhaps that's how the rest of the world views the United States. They are just hoping that some day there might be somone to knock us off our perch. And we wonder why so many people despise us and hate us.

Until Next Time
Spiral Out

The Puppets at Play

Well now this is my first entrance into the world of blogging. I have written so many "random" thoughts down on paper over the years that I figured it was about time to get them out into the world.

I may not even write daily but then again sometimes after watching the 11:00 news at night I get fired up about things going on in the world. So this blog, in the end, will probably take on a political tone more times than not.

Simply because I am so disgusted at the way American politics are today. All of our elected officials say one thing and do another. It's not about being Democrat or Republican anymore. They don't have the interest of you and me in mind. They have the interest of Corporate America! It is a sad reality but we are coming up on some troubled times.

The financial industry is blowing up right before our eyes. The good ole might "greenback" is at all time lows. The price for a barrel of oil is at record levels. (And yet the gas companies are announcing record profits year over year) A large chunk (75 square miles or twice the size of the state of Deleware) of Antarctica just broke off into the ocean with another large chunk just barely hanging on by a thin layer of ice. Tornados are landing in downtown Atlanta. Fires raged out of control in Southern California last year. Homes are foreclosing at an alarming rate. New Orleans still has yet to be re-built but yet we can spend BILLIONS and TRILLIONS of dollars on foreign soil in a "war" that has no end in sight. We have reached 4,000 dead brave American soldiers in the "war" in Iraq and the fighting continues and for what?

We have candidates spending millions of dollars on elections but yet we have not solved the immigration problem, the healthcare problem, or the social security problem. Politicians are blowing smoke up each other's you know whats and not getting anything done. They are more concerned if Roger Clemens took steroids. Wasting our tax dollars to interview professional athletes to determine if they shot a needle full of steroids into their rear ends. Someone please stop the madness in Washington D.C.

Well that might just give you a little hint as to what I will be blogging about.... Until next time I get fired up. Now remember that what I write here is certainly my opinion on the happenings of the world. I am not going to be citing any sources at length. I may mention a few here and there but this is about one man's opinion, one man's beliefs, one man's convictions. That one man being ME!

Spiral Out!