Who are the bad guys, again…

The Iranians continue to show themselves as dangerous, unreliable and untrustworthy. Anyone who has studied the international law understands the perpetual contention around territorial waters and borders. The Iranians make all sorts of claims, which are not recognized internationally, about the extend and shape of their territorial waters.

The United States and other nations routinely conduct FON events (freedom of navigation) to underscore the fact that these boundaries are unrecognized claims. This is not the case for the captured British sailors. To me the case is fairly clear that the British VBSS (vessel board search and seizure) team was tricked. The British MOD indicates that the reported position of the target vessel was well within Iraqi territorial waters and the arrival of Iranian naval assets was a surprise (indicating a planned event) to the UK forces.

The sailors are now in Tehran, separated to prevent any possible rescue. The Iranians will not harm them, unless they would like some serious hurt landing on their heads from US and UK forces. They are simply putting their thumb in the eye of the West reminding us that our precious rules and laws make us beholden to their outrageous behavior.

It’s enough to make me want to simply raise the black flag…

Knock, knock...

The Iranians really don't like the British. They have had terrible relations with them since the start of the 20th century. In a great summary of UK / Iranian relations, All The Shah's Men provides a superior account of why the Iranians and the Brits are at such loggerheads.

Compounding this issue is the idea of borders and ownership of the Arabian / Persian Gulf and the Shaat-al-Arab. There is no doubt that the UK soldiers most likely crossed over the "line" in the SAA and were grabbed by Iranian naval units. The actual sovereignty of this stretch of muddy water has been in dispute for decades. The Iranians have even placed a flag and heavy machine gun on a sunken crane near the Iraqi oil terminal KAAOT in the Shaat-al-Arab. They use this as a platform to exert their national boundaries and threaten Iraqi and coalition naval assets.

Not a nice group. Routinely they will run out from the shore in their Boghammer attack boats and "dare" forces to engage.

The fifteen British sailors and marines do not deserve to be interrogated. They should be released in accordance with international agreements.

If not, the Brits should act.

Vive la France...

I like France.

There I said it. From their devil may care attitude to their vigorous, albeit futile, defense of their culture. The French know some things the rest of the world could stand to learn.

I worked for some years for a French company. I know a number of fine French citizens. I like french fries.

One of the most remarkable things the French have done is that they have opened their UFO files to the world.

This is amazing!

The fact that a nation of serious scientific and defense capability (the French have nukes, quite a few, in fact) would reveal this to EVERYONE should be a lesson for other nations - how about us? I am not sure if there are some redactions for masking sensor capabilities or other national secrets, but the cases and evidence themselves for these events should be public.

Why?

Simply put, the more we can examine these phenomenon, the more likely we are to understand them. Perhaps they are all a series of "non-events", perhaps not.

Unlike crop circles, widely proven to be hoaxes, sightings of unidentified flying objects are as yet still in the realm of the possible for all sorts of explanations.

Like the poster in the X-files - I want to believe.

Sic semper ignorance...

Skeptic magazine is running a tribute to one of the greatest popularizers of science and wonder of the 20th century. He is, of course, Carl Sagan. I became a Saganite in high school. When the first airing of his COSMOS series appeared on PBS, I forced the school play rehearsals for Sweeney Todd to be adjusted in order that I could see the series.

Sagan provided the necessary wonder and layman's language for the immense possibilities, discoveries and limitations of science. He gently addressed myth and its place in the human psyche and fought against "pseudoscience" and promoted a political viewpoint of humanity as a custodian of the planet (very anti-war / disarmament / etc.).

Cosmic Connie, one of my favorite writers, posted a great essay on the continual struggle between skepticism and the "unknown". I must confess to being in a similar quandry.

I want to believe in aliens, ghosts, magnetic fields, the Bermuda triangle and other amazing possibilities. I have had some strange personal experiences (seeing a "ghostly figure" on the USS LEXINGTON, recording some EVP in Charleston, etc.). However, until we can measure these things in a meaningful way, they are simply that, possibilities. What is disheartening is that there are a LOT of people who profess to "know" the answers and a lot of folks who simply believe them

I think this is an age old struggle and is unlikely to end anytime soon. For each time we unveil a new level of knowledge, there is still the next horizon to be imagined and unlocked. This is, actually, a good thing. It forces us to think of the possible while proving the probable.

Time and Tide...

It is amazing the plethora of self help gurus who peddle their wares throughout the planet. Most famously, of late, is the Australian Rhonda Byrne who developed The Secret. Many of these people have taken the karmic philosophy and spiked it for Western consumption. The West, having been failed by a largely corrupt church and the rise of rationalism, has sought desperately to reconnect with it spiritual side.

It is sad that so many folks simply refuse to accept that acts of kindness, personal responsibility and individual humility are more than adequate pathways to personal spirituality. I have been on my own quest of late. It's not been pleasant, either.

And yet, there comes a moment when a crystallizing vision arises to focus all your thoughts, hopes and fears.

And it is this.

You are responsible for your own actions.

You will bear the consequences of those actions.

There is a definable, demonstrable good and evil in the world.

So let it be.

It is too much...

I've said it before, this guy is hilarious! Check out the home page for all the episodes. I don't know much about the origins of this, but the sheer precision guided humor is perfect.

COMING SOON - The DADTDPDH deneoumont!

We are all Spartans...

The newest blood and glory movie ( a remake) is coming to town. It is the 300 and is a stylized version of the battle of Thermopalye. The Spartans stood against a horde of Persians under Xerxes. The Spartans were led by Leonidas Leonidas, and a core group of 300 soldiers (and several thousand allies). Leonidas was told he was doomed and indeed fell in battle. The Persians were defeated and Sparta was saved.

A recent posting on Drudge Report has reporters making analogies between Bush and the two leaders in the movies. Considering this is an ancient story and a remake at that. The question seems secondary.

However, I do have an opinion. Bush is Leonidas and we are Sparta. I really don't know who Xerxes is in the modern context, perhaps simply a representation of the backward nature of some of our opponents.

Let me offer a few comparisons;

1) Bush (although not falling in battle) , will suffer a similar political fate for a time. That is until history returns to judge our actions.

2) The Spartans sent an all volunteer force to deal with an unpopular, but critical, conflict.

3) Leonidas is played by Gerard Butler (initials G.B.) - okay, that's a stretch.

I strongly believe that this conflict will define the course of the world for the next century. I think it will be made moot by creeping technology. For example, Honda is launching a hydrogen car in 2008 in California. America has arisen, not with a bloody vengance, but with an eye to its security through energy and independence.

Once again the flailings of the trailing edge of the planet will be disregarded. Hopefully, these societies will embrace true equality and reexamine some of their extreme social practices. Until then, count me among the 300.

Spam, Phish, and others...

Good morning! It's Monday. While Scoot is locked in mortal combat with the forces of ignorance, I get a chance to catch up on all my fan mail.

Wait a a minute, I don't know anyone in Nigeria. Yes, dear reader(s) it is time for the annual diatribe on spam and other internet abuses. Let's begin by reviewing the top few spam e-mails, sexual aids aside.

1) Hello, I am Kwanodallala Mugabartilsg from Lagos, Nigeria. I have $20 million (did I say $20 million, I meant $40 million) in a numbered account. No wait, don't delete me, it's legitimate I sw**

2) Congratulations! You have won the Lithuanian lottery, presently valued at 100 million euros, that's 5 billion in US dolla**

3) Timmy was born without a head, his fondest wish is to annoy the crap out of every living thing on the planet. Won't you send this message alon**

4) I swear this is true! A professor at a University in a large western state sent this out. Taking large doses of mercury and rubbing them gently on yo**

And now my newest, and most recent,

5) My name is SGT David Ess, serving with the Third Infantry in Iraq...

Ah yes, the desperate plea of our soldiers in Iraq, strangely sent out from Yahoo Japan. I am sure the SGT needs enough money to buy an Iraqi lottery ticket in order to purchase more mercury for the little headless boy he and his platoon have adopted...

The net has proven the depth and height of humanity. I think I have learned that there are folks who would gladly pick our pockets as pick us up when we fall. Once again it is the understated and overlooked who tend to do the most good.

On another note...

Scoot, I am with you. I look forward to the return of your intellect to the ethereal world.

Never Give Up...

It seems that a set of septegenarians in Costa Rica were accosted by a trio of thugs, The group attempted to rob the tourists and found, despite their youth and possession of weapons, that the Americans were not too happy to be robbed.

In fact, after the seniors decided to resist, two criminals fled while the one who was armed was engaged in a struggle with the travellers. Regrettably, the assailant died.

Wait a minute, did I say regrettably? I did. It is regrettable when anyone loses their life. In this instance I place the blame squarely on the perpetrator. His actions required a response from the vicitms, I simply do not think it was the response he expected.

I think things have changed a lot since September 11, 2001. There is no tolerance for the bullying of innocents.

Conflict...

McArthur said;

“The soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war.”

It is with this quote that I begin today's philosophical post. There are a lot of folks out there who profess and proclaim the evils of war (and they do exist). They demand that under no circumstances should we engage in conflict.

There is some merit to this belief. And yet it comes from a position of unbridled strength. The United States has enjoyed, for many years since the end of World War II and near unparalleled military, economic and social supremacy over the remainder of the world. In the scale of global history, this is a very short time period.

Other nation states and empires enjoyed similar influence for far longer and with greater force. Rome, the Greeks, the Birtish Empire and even some of the Asian and American cultures exerted significant influence over a relatively sizable persentage of the population.


What is different is the level of premeability of our influence. We can reach any corner of the globe with our media, our culture and influence. This provides a VERY short half-life for many of these influences (thank heaven polyester never survived!). It also marks us as the culture to challenge, if only because we represent the image of a global hegemony.


And so it is with conflict. The media is hyping our possible clash with Iran, our obligation in Darfur, our error in Iraq, our lack of commitment in Afghanistan, our vulnerability in Korea, our disinterst in the Balkans and any number of pro or con discussions about the use of military might. Sort of a damned if we do or damned if we don't world, huh? The world wants us and yet they hate us. They covet our social structure and condemn all that it delivers.


So which is it? Do we exert influence in all its measures (the infamous DIME acronym) or not? Unlike every other nation, we can put forth our values across a broad spectrum. As the Oscars come up in the next few days, we will export our film culture to the world. Despite the crass materialism and self-flagellation of this event, it eclipses Cannes and any other recognition of film.


Frankly, I serve in the hopes that one day my sons will not have to. It's really that simple. I would much rather we were spending money on space exploration and colonization, new technology and moving towards the Star Trek universe. But we're a LONG way from that.


Does there need to be an Apocalypse before we can realize our potential as a species? Or is the role of our nation one of shepherd, to help guide the planet through a very tough period into one of stability and tolerance?


War is not always the answer, however, I think it depends on the question.

Wierd...

Okay, I was checking the blog for aesthetic purity when I noticed this in the corner;


Except it wasn't the picture shown, it was some raven haired tyke in a crib with a sippy cup. In fact, the image keeps changing!

What next?

So here is the query, has blogger been hacked? Or should I say, when has blogger not been hacked?

I'm pretty sure this is another Al Queda attack on the infrastructure of free speech. Either that or it's a test run from Hillary's anti-blogging squad to insure no unfavorable news on her policies leaks out to the helpless electorate.

UPDATE: Scoot reports that the HTML images from his Super Hero survey were removed! Perhaps Obama and his ultra-hip, tech squad are launching a counter attack!

BBC...

I am travelling. When I travel I like to watch BBC World Service. It's much better than CNN international and you can't get Fox outside the USA. I watched Hardtalk in which the US ambassador for our HIV initiative, Mark Dybul, was being accosted by a smug, supercilious BBC interviewer about the moral underpinnings of policy. In addition to posing anecdotal and erroneous statements to Mark, the BBC displayed a horrible bias in their reprot. Some key facts.

1 - The USA contributes the largest amount to HIV eradication than the rest of the world combined.
2 - The USA policy is science based with a three tiered approach in the developing world (Abstinence, Behavior, Condoms)
3 - HIV is on the uptick due to educational gaps across the world, including some poorly chosen statements from some ;frican leaders and underreporting in Asia.
4 - The impact of the sex trade is a major contributor to viral propogation.

In my opinion the BBC did a disservice to the anti-HIV effort. Dybul did a great job answering questions.

Zen and the Art of War...

If you haven't yet, please check out this hilarious set of vignettes about Mr. Deity on YouTube. I am unaware of the origin but it's well crafted and executed. YouTube has become the new media of choice for the wireless generation, or as I like to call them - the impatient ones. I suspect that Citizen Primus and Secundus will quickly assimilate knowledge and wisdom at a rate that makes drinking from a firehose look simple by comparison.

Where does that leave the parents? We are desperately trying to keep up with changes in our society as it affects our children. Thas has been the challenge since the advent of the 20th century. When I was growing up it was easy, the Soviets were the bad guys, we would soon be living on the moon and professional atheletes were some of the most respected role models around.

Now we have an amalgam of "bad guys", some of whom are our own citizens, entertainers are defining socially acceptable behavior and we'll likely be able to custom order replacement organs within the next two decades. What's a parent to do? How do you convey your morals and beliefs to children when they very well may be wrong?

Some time ago children grew up in an age in which racism and religious intolerance were the norm. In some parts of the world, this is still true - google Islamic Madrassa. But as time changed and more information and awareness spread, the changes in belief evolved.

What we face in our world today is nothing short of miraculous. We have achieved levels of wealth and prosperity unheard of in our history. We have access to information beyond the dreams of the greatest librarians to have existed. Our science is reaching into realms in whihc the average layman has no hope of comprehending.

And here is the problem. Arthur C. Clarke once stated that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable form magic". This presents a real challenge for our world. Will we, as science races away from the realm of understanding of humaity attain a priesthood like quality? Most people today have only a rudimentary understanding of how things work or the fundamental laws behind our universe and engineering. We have become a planet in which we no longer care how our world operates only that it does.

And thus my personal dilemma. I admire pure spiritualism. This is, in my opinion, defined by a true humility of intellect. It represents a frame of mind that there is much to learn and we are far from knowing everything we can know about our existence. I have a firm belief in a higher moral precept. We should strive to look after our fellow humans and seek to better our planet for all. However, our actions should not suffer injustice and threats to the innocent.

Call it a warrior spirituality. Bill Roggio had a great post on his site about the nature of our changing society. There are spiritual luddites out there who seek to retain their influence of thought and doctrine through fear and intimidation. They include many sects and groups - including some you may not originally consider.

Rather than dive into a diatribe of who I think they are, I choose to offer my vote for the first law of techno-spirituality.

In all your actions, seek to affirm life and the means to sustain and improve it

This is a ripoff of the Hyppocratic Oath, Ten Commandments and the first tenet of Zen Buddhism. We are bombarded by so many messages, how we help our children to understand what is right and wrong becomes an increasingly tough challenge.