What to Do
The sovereign leaders of ancient tribes and nations resent being told anything, especially by a weak leader from a young nation like the United States.
Mind our own business Mr. President. You are helping the Taliban and Al Qaeda recruit more jihadists than all that has previously happened.
These people listen to what is said, and then like a child, they watch to see what you do. When they don’t match immediate distrust is ignited. So far we’ve shown them cultural and current event ignorance, arrogant disregard and disrespect for history, betrayal and false hope killing thousands of whose loved ones will now be easily recruited.
It is presumptuous of you to lecture any other countries leader about how to control insurgencies and rebels. They have far more experience than you or anyone from our young nation. Everywhere else in the old world a failed insurgent is imprisoned, tortured and murdered to prevent recurrence; that’s what must happen there. Successful rebels will kill all of the old regime resisters that might imperil them. It just the way life works.
You Sir must stop encouraging the rebellious to overthrow existing governments, especially since we will not and cannot support or defend them.
You Sir are getting them killed by the hundreds of thousands.
Shut up about things which are none of our country’s business. I doubt that any Arab sovereigns called and asked for your uninformed, inexperienced opinion. Apparently, you are ignoring advice from your advisors, not consulting them, or they are the most ignorant pretenders to ever advise a President.
Who is the ruler and why, of a sovereign nation is not up to the United States. We must work with them like we find them. If we continue to interfere in their internal affairs we will reap more misery than our corrupt, bankrupt, poorly managed, fledgling nation can afford or survive.
Say only carefully planned and fully vetted things important to Americans, and;
Shut up about the internal affairs of others, and; especially stop commenting on things about which you are ignorant or incompletely informed;
Which is apparently nearly everything, including inciting immigrant violence in Arizona, or Union violence in Wisconsin?
No one is waiting around for your speechwriters and advisors to think of something cleaver for you to be seen and heard saying.
Pretty much everything would be better if you would just, stop talking and do some work!
19 March 2011
Knowing and Doing,
For What Purpose?
I spent much of my life’s time, energy and personal resources seeking knowledge detrimental to some other important personal activities.
I wanted to know as much as I could about many subjects; economics, money management, business, religion, politics, philosophy, history, science, ecology, government, human behavior, foreign cultures, and many more. It seems now that I found something interesting about nearly everything.
Going and doing were most important to me for what I hope is the first half of my life. Now that I’m less physically capable and less energetic, I’m less driven to go, but still enjoy visiting and learning about other countries and cultures. I’m less driven to do all the things that occur to me that could be done, although I seem to always have a constructive project in the works.
I am still driven to know. I investigate study and learn several new things each day. I have little more idea why now than before. Some interests are clearly driven by personal needs, some by passing curiosity, some by the need to accomplish, some by simple puzzlement.
And so recently I find myself wondering, for what purpose am I drawn to know? All knowledges have a price, some are very costly.
Many subjects I study just to relieve the irritation of not knowing; some just to refine what I know and how I feel about current or historical events; others just to explore alternative beliefs.
In even the most ludicrous ideas and ridiculous humor is often a grain of simple fact or drop of pure truth. And in the most serious subjects and human predicaments is an occasionally uproariously funny moment.
So, the purpose of this quest to know, I’m not sure. It is true I have learned much. Of course, I began knowing little. It wasn’t to beat my parents. They were both well informed, wise, thoughtful and kind for their time.
I was driven to know, not to take advantage, but to use meager resources wisely. I know that often I sought to avoid misery, although not always or strongly. There are things to be learned from misery.
Having almost always had a reasonable amount of money, or able to get some; I have never been destitute or broke. I’ve lost significant amounts by poorly chosen or badly timed decisions. I’ve occasionally spent more than I could lay my hands upon in the short term. I used money wisely and productively for the most part, saved hard and invested carefully in recent decades and have chosen wisely more times than not; but chasing riches only held me captive until my mid thirties when I recognized my mortality and confronted my fallibility.
Monetary wealth is not what drove me to know. It’s a simple task to accumulate; just use much less than you make.
Maybe it is the simple joy of understanding, or the effort of the quest, or the thrill of surprising discovery.
Esteem, some seek status through the display of what they know. I don’t recall doing it, but I’m sure I took pleasure from knowing what others did not.
Developing and nurturing self-esteem is important, so never take things you haven’t earned, to do so damages self-esteem, because no matter what you say or how you are treated, you will always know, you did not deserve it. To learn was easily available, relatively cheap, they couldn’t tax me for it, or easily take it way, and I will always know I earned it.
Whatever the reasons, I would rather know than not know, even the worst things.
I spent much of my life’s time, energy and personal resources seeking knowledge detrimental to some other important personal activities.
I wanted to know as much as I could about many subjects; economics, money management, business, religion, politics, philosophy, history, science, ecology, government, human behavior, foreign cultures, and many more. It seems now that I found something interesting about nearly everything.
Going and doing were most important to me for what I hope is the first half of my life. Now that I’m less physically capable and less energetic, I’m less driven to go, but still enjoy visiting and learning about other countries and cultures. I’m less driven to do all the things that occur to me that could be done, although I seem to always have a constructive project in the works.
I am still driven to know. I investigate study and learn several new things each day. I have little more idea why now than before. Some interests are clearly driven by personal needs, some by passing curiosity, some by the need to accomplish, some by simple puzzlement.
And so recently I find myself wondering, for what purpose am I drawn to know? All knowledges have a price, some are very costly.
Many subjects I study just to relieve the irritation of not knowing; some just to refine what I know and how I feel about current or historical events; others just to explore alternative beliefs.
In even the most ludicrous ideas and ridiculous humor is often a grain of simple fact or drop of pure truth. And in the most serious subjects and human predicaments is an occasionally uproariously funny moment.
So, the purpose of this quest to know, I’m not sure. It is true I have learned much. Of course, I began knowing little. It wasn’t to beat my parents. They were both well informed, wise, thoughtful and kind for their time.
I was driven to know, not to take advantage, but to use meager resources wisely. I know that often I sought to avoid misery, although not always or strongly. There are things to be learned from misery.
Having almost always had a reasonable amount of money, or able to get some; I have never been destitute or broke. I’ve lost significant amounts by poorly chosen or badly timed decisions. I’ve occasionally spent more than I could lay my hands upon in the short term. I used money wisely and productively for the most part, saved hard and invested carefully in recent decades and have chosen wisely more times than not; but chasing riches only held me captive until my mid thirties when I recognized my mortality and confronted my fallibility.
Monetary wealth is not what drove me to know. It’s a simple task to accumulate; just use much less than you make.
Maybe it is the simple joy of understanding, or the effort of the quest, or the thrill of surprising discovery.
Esteem, some seek status through the display of what they know. I don’t recall doing it, but I’m sure I took pleasure from knowing what others did not.
Developing and nurturing self-esteem is important, so never take things you haven’t earned, to do so damages self-esteem, because no matter what you say or how you are treated, you will always know, you did not deserve it. To learn was easily available, relatively cheap, they couldn’t tax me for it, or easily take it way, and I will always know I earned it.
Whatever the reasons, I would rather know than not know, even the worst things.
Freedom Fighters
Rebels, Who are They, What Do They Want?
I think rebellions are a lot like genetic mutations, most all are bad, but fortunately very few can reproduce.
I think the leaders of some countries have jumped way ahead of the facts. I don’t think they know hardly anything about those who are attempting to overthrow leaders in any other country, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, wherever.
Admittedly, many of these current leaders are not friendly to the US, or ethnic populations and most are stealing the wealth of the people and the country they all profess to love.
Wishing a leader friendly to the US would take over someone else’s country is naïve and selfish. If we want our sovereignty respected we must respect the sovereignty of other peoples and places.
The first question that should be answered by human intelligence is, who is this current crop of rebels and what are they about? Are they just killing their long time oppressor, overthrowing their current government, killing ethnics they hate, stealing treasure, yearning for freedom, or do they just want to be the oppressor for awhile? Do they have leaders who might be capable of running an entire country? Do they want freedom? Can they handle it? Are they any better than what’s there?
These questions should have at least partial indications and answers before our leader says or does anything.
It is said, that one person’s freedom fighter is another person’s terrorist; cleaver, but not very useful.
It is shameful if the US has encouraged this current crop of rebels to believe the US will help them throw off their oppressors and take charge of running a country.
It’s terribly foolish for the US President to comment upon the fitness or timeliness of another counties leader, or hint at assistance, wishing out loud for an outcome, that may never come resulting in thousands of dead.
Who are these rebel people and what do they actually want? We cannot and should not even condone their actions until we know for sure; and should never support a new murderous regime over an existing poor leader we know but don’t like.
It should not be our business, unless it’s crucial to our prosperity and security.
Let their friends help them. They likely understand them better than we do, and may know more about what’s needed in their neighbors’ country.
While we mind our own business, not commenting until we know; if the devil we know is worse than one we don’t know.
I think rebellions are a lot like genetic mutations, most all are bad, but fortunately very few can reproduce.
I think the leaders of some countries have jumped way ahead of the facts. I don’t think they know hardly anything about those who are attempting to overthrow leaders in any other country, Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, wherever.
Admittedly, many of these current leaders are not friendly to the US, or ethnic populations and most are stealing the wealth of the people and the country they all profess to love.
Wishing a leader friendly to the US would take over someone else’s country is naïve and selfish. If we want our sovereignty respected we must respect the sovereignty of other peoples and places.
The first question that should be answered by human intelligence is, who is this current crop of rebels and what are they about? Are they just killing their long time oppressor, overthrowing their current government, killing ethnics they hate, stealing treasure, yearning for freedom, or do they just want to be the oppressor for awhile? Do they have leaders who might be capable of running an entire country? Do they want freedom? Can they handle it? Are they any better than what’s there?
These questions should have at least partial indications and answers before our leader says or does anything.
It is said, that one person’s freedom fighter is another person’s terrorist; cleaver, but not very useful.
It is shameful if the US has encouraged this current crop of rebels to believe the US will help them throw off their oppressors and take charge of running a country.
It’s terribly foolish for the US President to comment upon the fitness or timeliness of another counties leader, or hint at assistance, wishing out loud for an outcome, that may never come resulting in thousands of dead.
Who are these rebel people and what do they actually want? We cannot and should not even condone their actions until we know for sure; and should never support a new murderous regime over an existing poor leader we know but don’t like.
It should not be our business, unless it’s crucial to our prosperity and security.
Let their friends help them. They likely understand them better than we do, and may know more about what’s needed in their neighbors’ country.
While we mind our own business, not commenting until we know; if the devil we know is worse than one we don’t know.
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