If you wish to understand the core thinking behind American - and consequently Western - behavior in the world today please read this article Zero-Sum in Brussels: the Savage Vision Driving a Terror-Ridden World by Chris Floyd.

As we've come to expect from the mainstream media, the attack in Brussels has set off yet another wave of the drums of fear, to remind us that we really need to be afraid.

The supreme irony with all this is that Western policymakers are the very people who have created the situations that produced the fear in the first place. And now it's a vicious circle and it's played out for so long that you'd think common sense would have gotten involved to demand an end to it with some semblance of justice. Or at least you'd think this mentality would have withered because it can't stand the test of time (an eye for an eye and we're all blind). But no, not yet anyway, it hasn't. The same mentality/mindset that suckered us into the military invasion of the Middle East in the first place is still on power. And now they are even richer, more powerful, and more determined then ever. They truly believe in the zero-sum game Chris Floyd describes so well.

As evidence look at the fear being whipped up over Brussels, which of course will lead to more tightening of 'security' (aka surveillance), and very likely an escalation of war in the Middle East.

How do we get out of this mess? I think the solution lies in revising our election system so our best people can rise to the top based on their positions on issues important to us. Such a system would first be used to develop the list of important issues. With this done, the system can collect candidates and their positions on the issues. Then it can match our individual positions on the issues to the candidates, to help us identify candidates with matching positions. In other words, we develop the list of issues - as opposed to being told what they are, so we can decide who to vote for based on a comparison of our own positions on these issues with candidates positions. Anyone can announce candidacy for any position by registering and stating their position on the issues relevant to the position. Think of it as a giant matching process, made possible by computer and Internet technologies. All it needs to work is our participation. Who would operate it? The USPS would be my choice. Like it or not they are in the "mail protection" business, and whatever they wind up doing to secure our snail mail will apply to protecting electronic messages as well.

It's a whole concept that has probably been debated since the ancient Greeks that fell into the "good idea but we can't do it" bucket. But times have changed and now we have these amazing computer and Internet capabilities that could support such a system without breaking a sweat.

I'm saying all this because I have absolutely no doubt there are many truly capable and qualified Americans out there, we just need to give them a path to governance. There is still time to start undoing the damage wrought by the fear-mongers.


Bill

The heroin epidemic in perspective

It seems we fail to appreciate the magnitude of the opiates drug problem. Reading yet another particularly good article on this problem.

I also couldn't help but notice that almost all of the articles I read on this subject neglect to connect the dots between the opiates problem and the massively flooded drug supply chain, a giant piece of it coming from Afghanistan. From here we can connect the dots back to the invasion of that country because prior to the invasion the Taliban had virtually stopped poppy production in that country. It was post invasion that the Taliban allows poppy production and so it can suck revenue from it.

When our troops are finally withdrawn from the Middle East and the true cost of the loss to this country by the invasion is calculated, let's be sure it includes a fair share of the cost of opiates addiction here at home.


Bill

What's war good for?

Because the invasion of the Middle East has been going on for so long, writers/thinkers have had ample time to study, evaluate and present on the situation.

Two articles published today stand as excellent examples

"1. We’re Never Winning These Wars: America Has Zero to Show For Its Decades of Bloodshed in the Middle East" by Tom Engelhardt


2. Failed US Policy in the Middle East by Ellen Rosser



Bill

Chris Hedges interview

Chris Hedges is one of the great thinkers of our time. If only people would take the time to listen to him.

This CSPAN interview with him seems to have been made in 2012, but it's timeless.

Why Is America in Decline? Chris Hedges on the U.S. Empire & Death of the Liberal Class (2012)



Bill

Article and song

One of the most informative articles I've seen on privacy/security re the Internet and social activities
http://www.wired.com/2012/11/ff-mat-honan-password-hacker/

Heads up on a great song that may be an oldie but I hadn't heard before
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pt2PnfdqzTg


Bill

catching up

It's been a while since I've posted anything here, but as the situation in America keeps worsening I feel I have to do something. Since my means are limited, basically to what I can accomplish with writing, I've decided to revive this blog.

Some time back, I stopped writing what I thought was original material when I discovered other writers who are better equipped and more talented saying the same things I tried to say, so I turned my attention to reading what they have to say and passing on the better articles I come across.

Today's picks are:

1. "America Is Being Destroyed By Problems That Are Unaddressed" by Paul Craig Roberts

2. Why "WWIII Is On the Horizon" also by Paul Craig Roberts


Paul Craig Roberts website can be found here

Also, a link to Wikipedia's article on the Project for a New American Century, which should be required reading for anyone taking current events seriously.


Bill

Easy to understand summary of disasters in the Middle East

If you're not clear on major events in the Middle East, please read this excellent commentary "The six most disastrous inventions of the 21st century"

Gary Leupp does say the people responsible for the invasion should be prosecuted. I'll go a step further and say their punishment should be to personally visit each family who suffered a casualty at their hand to apologize and ask for forgiveness.

Bill