Tuesday, July 24, 2007

Giuliani: Villain of 9/11, never a hero.

Mr. Giuliani is on very shaky ground when it comes to talking about terrorism: his Mayoral office misled New Yorkers as to the extreme dangers from the toxic dust fallout from the 9/11 attacks, to the extent that thousands of people are now suffering chronic and severe illnesses, including mesothelial cancers; several hundred have died already, including a number of members of the FDNY and NYPD.

If anything, Giuliani's office's actions have exaggerated the toll of the attacks, and could result in more premature deaths during the coming decade than what happened on the day of 9/11 itself. The dangers from breathing such a dense atmospheric suspension of sub-micron particles of asbestos, PCBs, mercury, lead, cadmium and other toxic elements and compounds are well known to his office (and others), and any action taken by Giuliani and company in lying to, or misleading New Yorkers as to the safety of the air and water should be regarded as criminal negligence and gross dereliction of duty. People should be charged for multiple counts of manslaughter at the very least, and that includes not only Giuliani and his complicit officials, but also parties in the White House (James Connaughton et al) who ordered the EPA to lie about the dust, even altering the scientific data gathered on the toxicity/content of the dust to make the situation appear much safer than in reality.

This issue must be raised by the mainstream media in the coming election campaign, but to date, virtual silence still reigns. If the American public were aware of this scandal to just 5% of the extent they know about, for example, Paris Hilton's antics, Giuliani would never again be regarded as the "hero of the 9/11 attacks, but instead, one of the villains.

Tuesday, July 17, 2007

High School Cannon Fodder

Teenage kids are being increasingly targeted as cannon fodder by aggressive recruitment drives by the Department of Defense. Are these children wise to the ways of the world? Hell, no way. Ethnic minorities and working-class whites are undoubtedly in the bull's eye - the military is sold to them as an attractive and even glamorous mode of employment that's way more exciting than flipping hamburgers or punching cash registers, in an employment world where institutionalized racism still hangs on... (please excuse the hint of rhetoric there). Many of these kids really do believe the recruitment hype... including the one about "proudly fighting for America in the name of freedom and justice". I have no bother with that concept at all, if were real and sincere, that is, when it refers to an occasion when America gets genuinely attacked. (Of course I hope none of us here will ever see that happen).

Will we ever see the Department of Defense truly live up to its name? The last two times America was attacked, Pearl Harbor and 9/11, we weren't exactly defended... (on 9/11, the USAF was deliberately stood down by Pentagon brass ?!!) .... and the other numerous wars over the last 60 years in which we have gotten into have had little, at best, to do with "defending America and liberty". The Iraq war, for example, is a particularly egregious example of how our troops have been betrayed by their government, and used as a private security force in the service of big business, and for promoting a political doctrine, which has nothing to do with the notion of "fighting for our country".

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Al Gore! Environmentalism... libertarianism... big government, small government... rules and regulations... ouch!

Al Gore's son has just been busted for being a naughty boy. The nanny media predictably get all antsy about it and lump all environmentalists alongside him..... How weird things are getting:

There are some folks out there who must hate the Earth to such an extent that the slightest faux-pas by a prominent environmentalist, or a member of his family, or spokesperson is met with a shower of verbal bricks. Weird... what's so "wrong" with this planet (apart from the corporate polluters whose short term profit requirements reign supreme over every other consideration), that some people can't resist throwing bile at those who are more comfortable with a "responsible stewardship" approach? Nobody complains about running a company properly... but as soon as "looking after the planet in a sensible fashion" gets an airing, so many folk get bent out of shape. What is that all about anyway? In my book, the term "tree-hugger", as a simple example, should be a compliment,, but it's always used as an insult, or for "name-calling" intent. That is so weird.

Earth is the only place we've got.. anywhere else, (if it exists) is unknown and inaccessible. What's so wrong (or embarrassing, etc etc?) about supporting the health of the Earth for the sake of those who follow us? One would have thought that everyone with kids would be super-concerned.... but apparently not. Perhaps the animosity is generated by the necessary regulations that come with "responsible stewardship", and that these rules, regulations and laws often have a habit of getting in the way of the free market. I am no fan of big government myself, and some of my more Libertarian views get severely tested by this issue. Libertarianism is all well and good, but in the process of claiming ones rights and liberties, is it correct that we trash the rights and liberties of others en masse? Civilization is always a series of compromises.. and Alex Jones should recognize that. I appreciate much of what A.J. et al have to contribute.. but their stance on global warming and refusal to even consider that human activity could be even a contributing factor, is destroying whatever credibility he has... and that is extremely frustrating in these days of ever more powerful centralized and consolidated media, when the alternative sources need all the credibility they can muster.