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March 31, 2006
On Coming Around Again
"We need stronger immigration laws"
"Broken Borders"
"Illegall aliens flooding our streets"
We've heard it before, in fact these were headlines in 1991, 1994, and 2001. This immigration thing comes up every few years, protests errupt on both sides, and in the end it's put to sleep with nothing done to solve the issue. It's just one of the many elephants in the American living room that nobody seems to want to talk about. The LA Times (of all papers) put it best today:
"When a persistent problem drives a wedge through the American public, elected officials should be locked in a room and required to fix it. Otherwise, what are they good for?"
I for one agree. While our paid politicians squabble over who's the most red or who's the most blue, nothing is getting done. I say we should do more than lock them in a room. We need to, as our politicians employers, demand that they come up with some manner of solution to this issue or pack their bags so we can hire someone who can.
Posted by at 01:15 AM
March 30, 2006
On Strange Friends
Environmentalists and hunter's make strange bedfellows to be sure but look out because here it comes. You can bet that you'll start seeing a lot more granola eating, Bush bashing, Prius driving, tree huggers at the same meetings with carnivorous, Clinton hating, pickup driving, NRA members. Why would these two groups merge, you may ask? Because they have the same issue at mind. That issue is what to do to keep urban sprawl out of wild lands.
Environmentalists want to keep wilderness wild on principle, hunters so that it can be utilized for outdoor sports. Both recognize that without some human intervention there will be no wild lands left in a few short decades. Both recognize that the animals and plants that live there, once gone, are gone forever. Both recognize that since humans have stopped the fires, floods, and other catastrophies that used to thin the weak of the plant and animal populations are now controlled by humans, it must be up to humans to provide for or eliminate the sick and weak, else see entire populations become so.
It's a new day for our wild lands and two powerful lobbies are behind them. It's my hope that with these two groups learning to communicate and appreciate each other's views not only will there be enough great outdoors for my great grandchildren to enjoy but that other groups will learn from the example and cooperate for a common good rather than argue and get nothing done. This doesn't mean that I'm going to start eating granola, and I still prefer my pickup over a Prius (they're just so funny looking, why can't a hybrid car look nice?) but it does mean that, for my part, I'm going to listen more closely when the World Wildlife Federation talks, or when Greenpeace has something to say. I hope other hunter's and outdoorsmen, like myself, will too.
Posted by at 11:00 AM
On Tirades
Tirade: A speech of violent denunciation.
This definition is according to Google and is exemplified by Thursday's Editorial in the Chico ER regarding the parking situation downtown. The result of yet another Charette in this city to come up with a solution to the downtown parking situation was to state that there is no parking problem downtown. According to the City only 58% of the parking spaces are taken up, which hardly constitutes a problem. Of course, they studied such a huge area that on the outskirts there were lots of parking spaces. So, if you want to walk 9 blocks to get to where you're going then you have no problems.
I happen to agree with the Editorial, which I'll leave you all to read, as I could hardly say it better. We're being duped. Parking downtown is a problem, the study conducted by our City was purposely flawed to allow the City to further ignore an issue that's been staring it in the face for a good while now. That's our tax dollars at work, people.
Posted by at 10:45 AM
March 25, 2006
On Bush's Immigration Plan
President Bush's immigration plan spurred protests from a few hundred thousand mostly hispanic people. The new plan would essentially make it a federal offense, rather than a civil, to be in the country illegally. It would also pose strict measures against people who contribute to illegals crossing or residing in the country. I'd like to make a few points about the plan.
1. It's about time. This has been a problem that's been ignored for years and it's taken a constant battering by the likes of Lou Dobbs on CNN to get anything done.
2. I support the measure and will continue to support any further measures against illegal aliens.
3. I support legal immigration. This is America and we must continue to be a safe haven for those who feel that they need one. I say "welcome to America, let me help you become a legal citizen."
4. Bush also proposes a guest worker program. I support this too. Like it or not America runs on cheap labor, and most of that cheap labor is Hispanic. If we kick them out completely we will grind our economy to a near halt.
5. Vicinte Fox is criticizing Bush for his stance on illegal immigration. Well, I criticize Fox for driving his poorest, most needy, most desperate citizens to flee their country to ours. I criticize him for not feeding or housing or clothing his poor. I criticize him for providing handouts for illegals hoping to cross the border. I criticize him for creating such a huge gap between the rich and poor of his country. I criticize him for wasting one of the most beautiful natural paradises and contributing in turning it slowly into a dump. I criticize him for making his country's poor problem into our poor problem.
6. I find it interesting that every time there's an issue with illegal aliens its Hispanics who do most of the protesting. It's almost as if most of the illegal aliens in this country are Hispanic. Hmmm...
There are more points to be made on this topic but I'll stop now for brevity.
Posted by at 06:12 PM | Comments (3)
March 20, 2006
On The Pledge
"I pledge allegance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisable with liberty and justice for all."
For those who don't know, that's the Pledge of Allegiance to of our country. There's been a lot of debate about the words in that pledge, but that's not what this post is about, so I'm not getting into it. What I want to talk about is the indivisable part. When these words were adopted as the pledge of our country it was intent of the founders of our country that it never be divided. The idea was that America would stand together as a nation of brothers and sisters for all time. I begining to think that intent is falling apart.
I think our country is the most divided today as it has ever been since the Civil War. And what divides us this time? Political ideals. Americans are stuffed into cramped little categories of either Republican or Democrat. We're separated by living in either a "red" or "blue" state. Our media would have us believe that every American out there is as radical one way or the other as they can be, and that moderates who think for themselves are somehow mistaken and must fall into one or the other party line or else find themselves outcast. This is done because it makes good news. Plain and simple.
We stand a country divided, on the brink of political civil war. Our political parties are a contest of who can be the most "whatever". "I'm the most Patriotic because I have so many medals from war", "Well I'm the most religious because I go to church twice a week"...blah blah blah. And if our politicians are so divided, so must we be, right? We scoff Iraq over it's impending civil war based on religious ideals and yet we are no better based on our political ideals. It's sad, so sad.
We are proving that our fore-father's we wrong. We are not indivisable under God. We are doing our best to divide, to disagree, to create discord. When we're this politically divided how can we be unified in anything, under God or not? On the other hand, since we've abandoned God in our politics, how could we ever hope to be unified under Him again?
Posted by at 06:15 PM | Comments (1)
March 18, 2006
On The End of Era's
It's an end of an era for Chico, I think, and I'm not entirely sure that it's a bad thing.
A few years ago the City of Chico, recognizing a problem with it's downtown party atmosphere, decided that it was going to put a major halt to some of the biggest party days; Halloween, St. Patricks Day, and Labor Day. In years past these days were made famous by enormous, wide scale parties spread all over the general Chico area but concentrated mostly in the downtown area, near the campus. Fights, rapes, riots, drunk driving, alcohol posioning, drug overdoses, and a general drain on the cities resources prompted a call to action. The city realized that it was spending most, if not all, of it's public agency resources on a small percentage of it's population, leaving the rest of the tax-paying city without proper police, fire, and ambulance coverage. It was a long standing joke when I was growing up that if you wanted to rob a bank you did it on the North side of Chico on Halloween night, because there were no police up there, they were all stuck downtown dealing with the drunks.
The first action Chico took was to try to concentrate the party. It "roped" off a several block area and provided lights and public toilets, hoping to keep most of the partying inside that area. In a way it was a success, what they wanted to happen did occur, most of the people were inside the area ordained. However, the grand result was a failure, the concentration of that many conflicting interests, compounded by alcohol created a slew of problems, and poor access for the people charged with solving those problems. So, the next thing Chico tried was to shut it down for good. Radio announcements, TV announcements, and newspaper announcements not just in Chico but in other cities told people to stay out of Chico on the party days. It was made clear that increased fines were in place, and warnings were not being given. It worked. Halloween, St. Patty's day, and Labor day have been virtually non-events for the past couple of years.
In a way this is good. Public agencies are left to provide help for those who are paying for it, the citizens of Chico, all of Chico, not just downtown. The amount of violence is way down, and the amount of substance-related medical problems are way down. Yesterday's St. Patty's day was only slightly busier in the ER than any other Friday night, which is to say there were plenty of drunk college students but they weren't in every bed.
In a way this is bad. People should be able to go out an have a good time. I'm all for it. But in moderation. There's no reason that going out and having a few green beers, or dressing up and having a few, or floating down the river should be banned. It's fun, and it's tradition. But there's no excuse for getting sloppy, violently drunk and then needing medical attention, or causing someone else to need it. That's over the line.
Posted by at 10:15 PM | Comments (1)
March 16, 2006
One Movies and Phones
Today on the news was a report about declining movie theater sales in the US. The theater industry is blaming cellular phone activity during movies on the decline in sales, stating that people who go to a movie to relax and enjoy a show are being driven away by those who let their phones, pagers, and whatnot ring during the picture. While I thing this may be part of the problem I certainly don't thing that it's the entire story. Let me also say that I think that people who let their phones ring, and talk on their phones during movies should be drug out of the theater and allowed to be beaten by their felllow movie goers. One can do little to prevent a child from losing interest in the show and becoming restless, and certainly little can be done to keep a baby from crying (though both circumstances should be controlled as soon as possible) but there's lots that can be done to keep a phone from ringing, and you definately don't have to answer it!
The cellular industry countered by stating that it's necessary for movie patrons to have their phones on and take calls during movies, citing doctors on call, and people with emergencies at home. Well, 20 years ago there were doctors, and people with emergencies, and they managed then, they can manage now. A doctor on call should know better than going to a movie theater anyways.
The reason I think that movies theater sales are slipping is multi faceted. I think cellular phone use, and other general rudeness plays a part in it, though a small one. The cost, I think is a major factor. Chico has cheap movies compared to other cities at $7.50 a ticket. Multiply that by a family of four, add a couple of sodas and popcorn and you've got a $50 evening, more than most families want to spend on two hours of entertainment that's sure to be interrupted by a cellular phone. In addition to the cost I think that moves just aren't that great any more. I find myself less and less drawn towards movie theaters unless the picture has special effects that can be better appreciated with a theater's technology, or its a film that I just must see. Speaking of technology, it's getting pretty good at home. Large, super crisp TV's, good surround sound, and high quality speakers make an evening at home nearly as enjoyable as going to the theater from an AV standpoint, and it won't cost $50.
If the movie industry is truly seeking legitimate reasons for declines in sales at theaters it better consider all the points, not just point the finger at cellular phones. I find it hard to believe that the decline in movie theater sales and the dramatic increase in movie piracy have nothing to do with each other. I think better movies, better economy, and cutting edge AV technology are what's called for if the industry wants to revitalize.
Posted by at 10:56 PM | Comments (1)
March 15, 2006
On Good Advice
I recieved a piece of good advice today, and I've been thinking about it a lot so I thought I'd pass it along.
"Don't accept a no from someone who doesn't have the authority to say yes"
I like it, and it's very good advice. Thanks Brad.
Posted by at 10:50 PM
On Bumpy Roads
I've written about road conditions in Chico a couple of times before, as have a few fellow bloggers. One cannot talk about the horrid road conditions in this town without at least mentioning East Ave. between Cohasset Rd. and California Park Dr. This is possibly the worst stretch in town. There's potholes everywhere, the road is uneven, and the half-assed patch job that was done a couple of years ago has exacerbated the problem becasue now it's peeling up.
Well, today on Channel 12 news the problem was addressed and the city roads guy (can't remember his name, sorry) answered some questions. Apparently the patch job was meant for a temporary fix to last over the following winter, but it's still there. The city acknowledges that there's a problem, the road is bad, and needs to be fixed. So, when's it going to happen. After September of this year is the earlies projected date. The city wants to wait until underground infrastructure is in place and the road is done being torn up before they replace it. That makes sense but doesn't address what people who have to drive on the stretch are going to do. He did elude to the possibility of the holes being patched sometime in the next few weeks, but I'm not holding my breath.
The problem with admitting there's a problem and then not offering a solution is that it makes you liable for damages done as a result of the problem. Damages to the tune of increased tire wear, alignment problems, brake problems, shock and strut problems, and steering problems. If any regular commuter of East Ave can prove that the road caused accelerated wear on their vehicle, they may have a case. My other issue is that the projected date of completion of a project by cities, and when it actually gets done are usually two very different dates. In other words, I'll be very surprised to see any improvements started on East Ave. in September. Besides, once it gets started in September then it'll rain, work will stop, and we'll be left with a muddy pit until it dries in spring....or summer....or whenever.
Posted by at 10:40 PM
Special Kerry
As if we didn't already know.
Posted by at 04:33 PM
On Chico Homeless
The Chico ER reports today that a recent census found 778 homeless in the city of Chico, though there are probably more that did not participate in the census. Honestly, that doesn't surprise me. Chico provides an atmosphere that is comfortably for a homeless population, and so we have attracted a number of homeless from other areas.
Chico, with it's homeless shelters, variety of churches, large parks, and college campus makes a nice, safe haven for those who find themselves on the fringe of society. The weather here is mild, even in the winter, though the summer days and nights make Chico ideal for living in the park. When the sky does open or the wind blows, there are shelters that wait with open doors and warm meals. Churches of every variety dot our landscape and offer charity to those who need it. The campus, with its laid back and generous students provide pocket money to most who ask for it. How do I know these things to be true? I've asked. I find myself in the unique positon to at least once weekly to be talking to one of the areas homeless and I often ask about their story, as in many cases it's pertinent to their care and because I'm interested. Many say they've come to Chico from other areas because Chico is known to be a nice place for homeless people due to the reasons I've just described.
What does surprise me about the homeless population in Chico is the age. Many, many of the homeless in this town are young, not children young, but 20's and 30's young. What has happened in this short amount of time to cause these individuals to become homeless and destitute? Why are they sitting on a corner, reduced to begging for my change rather than putting their young bodies into service to make money? Is it misfortune that's placed them there or choice? These questions I have no answers for but find myself wondering about often.
It's nice to hear that Chico is "heads and shoulders above" other counties when it comes to helping our homeless populations, but rather than counting them and moving along, perhaps we could identify some of the reasons for their homelessness and move to correct that problem, helping them back into the work force. Especially in the cases of our young homeless, who still have the majority of their lives ahead of them to contribute to themselves and to the community that's working so hard to make them feel welcome.
Posted by at 10:33 AM | Comments (1)
March 13, 2006
On Brewery Expansion
The ER reports this morning that Sierra Nevada Brewery is expanding its warehouse facilities, an upgrading it's bottling facility. Awsome, but that's not why I'm excited. There's the hint that Sierra Nevada might (MIGHT) put out a new brew this fall. That's really exciting news. So far Sierra Nevada hasn't put out anything that I could honestly say I didn't like. Oddly my least favorite of their brews is Pale Ale, their gold standard, but it's still pretty good beer. A close second to that is Bigfoot. Both are just a bit to strong for me to drink casually. Not to say I don't like strong beers. I love Guiness and other stouts and porters. I like pale ales, I like hoppy beers, but those two from SNBC just don't do it for me.
So, what's my favorite? Definately their Best Bitter. Yum Yum Yum. That stuff needs to be put on bottle as soon as humanly possible. My taste buds will sing and my liver will enlarge. Far from it's name the stuff isn't all that bitter, it's nicely hoppy, but crisp and refreshing. It goes especially well on a hot day as it reminds you a bit of Autumn and the promise of cooler weather. Of course, the fact that I had it at my wedding brings back fond memories of that as well.
I'm excited to see what this "new brew" might be if it actually develops. If I got a vote it'd be for something along the lines of a Chocolate or Oatmeal Stout, as both are good. Whatever it is though, it'll be delicious, I bet.
Posted by at 10:30 AM
March 10, 2006
Shriner's Screening Clinic
This is a really cool cause, I'm so thrilled to get to be a part of it. If anyone knows any kids who could benefit, wants to help out, or wants more info drop me a line.
I've left the flier as a downloadable file for anyone who has a slow internet connection. Nice of me, huh.
-Jordan
Posted by at 04:26 PM
March 09, 2006
On Destructive Government
It was just a few days ago when I was ranting on about our city government needing to address our existing infrastructure, now the state is trying to do just that.
Our governor has proposed a huge bill to sell bonds and spend other monies to improve the state's infrastructure. This will go towards things like fixing levees, roads, sewers, prisons, and other state-owned interests. And we need it! Levee's are a disaster, Katrina ain't got nothing on what could happen to California if a few key levee's failed, and that's a real possibility with the shape their in. Everyone knows our roads are terrible. Just cross into Nevada for a firm look into how a road should be. Prison walls need patching, bars need replacing, and sewage systems need to be brought up to capacity for California's booming population.
THe problem with this is that the monies are now globbed down in partisian politics. This guy over here wants some of the money spent on affordable housing instead of prisons. This guy over there wants some of the money spent on homeless shelters instead of sewers. Everyone wants a bit of it to fund whatever pet project they're working on rather than what the money is actually inteded for, which is infrastructure. And all of this before the voters have even approved the bond measures!
What will end up happening is that either the entire project will be scrapped because too many holes get punched in it or the bond monies will be spread so thin that no noticable improvement will be made in any of the places where it's spent. If this makes it onto the June or November ballot I urge all of you, as voters, to read what the money is being spent on carefully. It's possible that you'll think you're spending money to improve a road when most of the money will be spent to build a statue of Dianne Feinstein or some other such crap.
Posted by at 12:12 PM
March 08, 2006
On Wasted Efforts
The Enloe Hospital expansion is back in the news today with the Neighborhood Association trying deserately to find a way, any way, to keep a big hospital from being built in their back yard. Enloe has said time and time again that there simply is not enough money to build a new hospital somewhere else, and that a remodel/expansion is the only economically feasable way to provide the community with the hospital it needs to remain healthy.
But that's not the meat of the story right now. You see, it doesnt matter how big a hospital a community has, or how many cutting edge, state of the art procedures it can perform, or how many parking spaces it can provide. All these things don't matter if the hospital doesn't have the staff to care for the patients. Enloe Nurses voted a couple of weeks ago to strike if contract negotiations didn't make progress, and they're not making progress. Today, March 8th, is the last day of bargaining. If the administration and union don't come to some agreement tonight Enloe will be given an Intent to Strike notice from the union. Negotiations will continue up to the strike day, but if things continue the way they are now Chico will soon see a hospital without nurses.
Okay, that's pushing it. Enloe will spend a hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars to hire registry nurses to replace the striking nurses. These nurses cost around $1000 per nurse per shift. Multiply that by the couple hundred nurses at work every day, multiply that by a few days, and that's quite a tune of cash spent.
Where Enloe's troubles really get started is that a lot of nurses are talking about quitting all together. There's lots of other places to work for a nurse, there's a shortage after all. Many nurses feel that it's simply not worth the hassle wondering if they're going to have to strike. They also feel that they don't want to work for an employer that isn't willing to negotiate with them for a better situation. Add that to a new computer charting system that is so dismally ineffective and so hindering to patient care and you have a massive hemmorage of staff wanting to leave the hospital.
Should you care? Absolutely!!! This is the regional trauma center! This is the regional cancer center! This is the big hospital for the region! When a patient is too sick for anywhere else they come to Enloe. Who's going to take care of your loved one when they're sick and need the best care available if all the best nurses have left for greener pastures? Maybe I'm wrong though. Maybe all the nurses are wrong. Unfortunately, nobody has heard from the community about all of this. If you think the nurses are right, write letters, emails, make phone calls. If you think the nurses are wrong, write letters, emails, make phone calls. The community is going to be affected by a nursing strike, and it isn't going to be pretty. The community needs to get involved here. Right, wrong, or indifferent, Enloe and CNA need to know what the community thinks about the situation at Enloe.
Posted by at 10:13 AM | Comments (1)
March 07, 2006
Ryan PT-20 Trainer
As I've mentioned before I like building plastic model aircraft. Below are pictures of my Ryan PT-20 Trainer that I just finished. I liked the kit because it was very simple and thus easy to build. My last kit was a P-38J that was a pain and so I needed an easy "win". The kit is made by Testors, has all of 40 parts to make two varients of the aircraft (the other is on floats). I liked this varient because the wings are bright yellow and the American markings are bright and vibrant. The rigging is fishing line stretched as tight as I could and secured with superglue. The metal coat is Testor's Model Master Polished Aluminum which I like because it buffs out shiney and I hate because it takes over a week to dry thouroughly. I'm happy with the way this came out.
Posted by at 10:20 AM
March 06, 2006
On Sheehan Arrested
Cindy Cindy Cindy. You just have to be in the news, don't you?
Cindy Sheehan was arrested again today after refusing to leave the grounds of the US Misson to the United Nations. She and other anti-war protesters arrived there to deliver a petition with 60,000 signatures demanding the "immediate withdrawl of all US and foreign troops" from Iraq. As the story goes the Mission refused to accept the doccument but offered to provide a Mission employee for Sheehan to speak with. Sheehan refused and layed down on the steps of the building, refusing to leave. She was arrested a short time later.
Richard Grenell, the spokesman for the U.S. Mission, said in response to Sheehan's arrest: "We invited her in to discuss her concerns with a U.S. Mission employee. She chose not to come in but to lay down in front of the building and block the entrance. It was clearly designed to be a media stunt, not aimed at rational discussion," Grenell said.
I think that says it all. I feel for this woman over the loss of her son, but he was a soldier in a VOLUNTEER military who died. That happens, that's sad. When you sign up for the military you agree to follow the orders of the Commander in Chief. Nowhere does it say you only have to follow orders if you agree with the cause, or if your mom agrees with the cause, or if the guy you would have voted for is in the office. You follow orders, period. This was the agreement between the United States and Sheehan's son.
All of the Cindy Sheehan stunts are for attention. She likes coming off as the martyr mom who lost her son. She likes to be the voice of the most radical of the radical left. She likes getting in the paper. She likes the attention.
Posted by at 09:43 PM | Comments (2)
On Flooded Streets
Row Row Row your boat, gently down....Sherman ave? Wait, that's not right is it?
Yep, it's right. A lot of streets are flooded now but Sherman ave at 5th ave is especially soggy. Of course, this is nothing new. If the grand rain total for the year were 3 drops Sherman at 5th would still be flooded. There's a rain grate there on the corner, I don't know why it doesn't drain, but it doesn't. Hasn't for years. Every winter that little section has at least 2" of standing water against the sidewalk, on wet years, like this, the water extends across the road, over the sidewalk, and over the lawns of the people who live there.
Why hasn't the city done anything about this? I realize that years is a short amount of time to get anything accomplished when the city is concerned but come on. The people that live on that corner should be furious, letters should be written, calls made. They probably have, but the problem is still there. I've said before and I'll say again. The city of Chico must first address the infrastructure it has before it considers adding any new development!
Posted by at 01:54 PM
On The Oscars
Oscar ratings were down 10% this year from last. I'm honestly not surprised. Upon reading the list of films nominated for Best Film I realized that I had only heard of about half of them, and had only seen two. Admittedly I don't spend a lot of time keeping up on the film industry, stars, celebs, or anything of that matter, but I do watch movies and I watch a pretty diverse group of films, so I think I should have at least an idea that some of these films exist.
The problem is that the films that get nominated for awards are generally not the films that the average Joe Movie Watch likes to watch, but the films that make the biggest splash for whatever reason. Crash was a huge movie because it slapped people in the face with the idea that everyone is a racist in some way or another. Brokeback Mountain was about gay cowboys, need I say more. Other movies can make an equally big splash with enough budget to buy the publicity.
People, though, are weary of all of it, I think. We get hit so hard with the hoopla for the latest superhero movie, then the film comes out, then all the marketing stuff (dolls, lunchboxes, Mc Donald's toys, cereal, etc), then one of the stars does something dumb and is on the news for a week, so by the the time the awards come out people don't want to hear about the film any more. As for the case with the "slap your face" films, people don't always want to watch a movie that is attempting to enlighten them, they just want to watch something that entertains them for a couple of hours.
Casa Blanca was one of the best films of all times because it was neither "slap your face" or huge budget. It was just a good film. A good setting, a good idea, great acting, and an entertaining story line. Great film. I don't need Crash to further erode my faith in humaity.
Posted by at 12:32 PM | Comments (1)
Quick Note
I've had a few people ask me why their posts don't appear immediately on the blog, especially after they've posted a couple of times. The answer is that the program waits for me to verify the post before it appears on the website. I get an email saying someone has something to say, and allows me to read the post before I approve it for the site. This is nice because it keeps people from selling Viagra or whatever on the site or uselessly throwing out profanity. It's bad because unless I check my email multiple times a day it can take hours to get someone's comments posted. The site says after a person is approved once they'll be automatically approved for future posts. Not true, don't know why it says that.
SO, don't think I'm ignorning you if you, oh faithful blogger, don't see your post quickly after submitting it. I don't check my email or my blog at work so there's a 12-14 hour block of time when posts won't get up, though I do check it immediately before and immediately after work. Just be patient with me, I said before and I still stick to the promise that I'll post almost everything with very very few exceptions.
Posted by at 12:32 PM
March 01, 2006
On Modern History
On page 9 of his book Flyboys, James Bradley writes a paragraph that I think has a lot of meaning for today. The paragraph was originally about the end of the war with Japan and their refusal to surrender, despite being vastly outmatched. Below you'll find the edited version of the paragraph for modern times. The original is in the extension.
...American military experts had concluded that Radical Islam was beaten. Yet the empire would not surrender. Americans judged the Muslims to be "fanatic" in their willingness to fight with no hope of victory. But Islam was not fighting a logical war. Islam, a desert religion, existed in its own moral universe, enclosed in a separate ethical biosphere. Radical Muslim leaders believed that "Islamic Jihadt" was the key to beating back the barbarians at their door. They fought because they believed they could not lose.
When refering to Japan this exerpt is used to identify why America chose to begin its intensive air campain against Japan. This strategy called for the complete destruction of Japans industry and the death of "about half of it's populace" by order of Franklin D. Roosevelt. American B-29's began bombing Japanese cities with napalm night and day and eventually, after Roosevelt's death, Truman called for the dropping of two atomic warheads.
Now, am I saying that America should once again begin carpet bombing cities? Should we endeavor to destroy about half of the Muslim population because a few of the radical leaders can't figure out how to live peacefully with the rest of the world? No. But I am saying that when fighting a similarly fanatical enemy similarly drastic measures may have to be taken if we are to be victorious. We will never, repeat never, win the hearts and minds of the radical Muslims in the Middle East. Their hate for all things we are is engrained too deeply. They would rather die in fire than to even consider an attitude of tolerance towards the West.
...American military experts had concluded that Japan was beaten. Yet the empire would not surrender. Americans judged the Japanese to be "fanatic" in their willingness to fight with no hope of victory. But Japan was not fighting a logical war. Japan, an island nation, existed in its own moral universe, enclosed in a separate ethical biosphere. Japanese leaders believed that "Japanese spirit" was the key to beating back the barbarians at their door. They fought because they believed they could not lose.
Posted by at 11:52 PM | Comments (2)