Showing posts with label Eye Off The Ball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Eye Off The Ball. Show all posts

October 9, 2016

Losing All Political Perspective

So here we go again into our politicians pants to uncover every locker-room lewd remark they have made. 

Yes, it's abhorrent and criminal for our politicians, religious leaders, coaches or anyone for that matter to rape or inappropriately sexually touch someone else against their will. 

The problem is that we are losing all common sense and perspective. 

When we are focusing almost exclusively at this point on getting that next verbal sexual gotcha on a hot mic from people running for office, instead of on what they've actually done (good and bad) in their lives, then we are being lead astray by powerful elites fighting for and to keep the power they most greedily worship.

Words do have meaning, don't get me wrong, especially when we hurt someone with them or when they demonstrate true moral lapses in the person.

But when words are taken out of context, exaggerated, or dug up from decades ago just to sling dirt then we have a powerful political machine that is working to hurt and not help our political process. 

What's even worse is that we are becoming the laughing stock in the world in the process of the mud fest. 

An article yesterday in China mocks the chaotic U.S. political system as a highly flawed "political show."

If we and the media remain gripped in people's political pants here, then the real and potentially catastrophic issues will continue to not be on the table or our lips. 

The effect is that rather than being able to effect positive change at home and in the world, we are heads down in the sand, as for example:

Russia deploys nuclear-capable missiles on Poland's (and NATO's) doorstep

ISIS continues it's global reign of terror and remains strong and determined

War crimes are being committed and "red lines" crossed daily in Syria

- Iran and North Korea continue their nuclear hated-filled march on the U.S. and western allies

- Bioterrorism is an increasingly dangerous threat as agents are "relatively inexpensive, easy to produce, conceal and transport" 

- Cyberwarfare is now being considered an existential threat, even as our democratic elections themselves are under attack by the latests hacks from Guccifer 2.0 and DC Leaks. 

Our national debt has increased $9 trillion (almost doubled) in the last 8 years and is threatening key pillars of our social entitlement system, including social security and medicare. 

The global economy is on the rocks as the impact from easy credit sputters and future growth is stunted.

As these and other risks increase to the U.S., our leadership remains in a narcissistic fugue with their desire for power and sham legacies, and politics have become grotesquely about killing off the opposition by actual death or by a thousand cuts of verbal mutilation.  

Sex sells and has us mesmerized, but we are missing out on all the real world drama, danger, and any meaningful dialogue. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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October 4, 2016

Are We Leading The World To The Brink

Thanks to some of the worst leadership in generations, we are bringing the world to the brink of disaster.










In 1991, at the end of the Cold War and with nuclear disarmament initiatives underway, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists rated us at 17 minutes to midnight (the best it's ever been) on the famous Doomsday Clock that represents the countdown to global disaster. 


However by 2007, right before this administration, with far greater concerns of a nuclear terrorist attack, we were down to just 5 minutes to midnight.

And now in 2016, we are at a mere 3 minutes to midnight, and "the probability of global catastrophe is very high," as "world leaders had failed to act!"


Moreover, with the current slate of candidates for Presidency both receiving negative ratings of about 60% from registered voters, there is obviously great consternation by the people of the U.S. as well as the rest of the world on the direction we are going in or lack thereof. 


Again today, flailing on the leadership front in Syria, almost 6 years into the war there, we are again "considering tougher options" after the "red lines" were eviscerated, plan B never went anywhere, and we acknowledged that "we have no good options" there, while Russia is bringing in the big guns!


In dangerous world situations, the wrong action by leadership can spark an escalation and lead to negative consequences, but no action, displaying uncertainty and weakness, or attempting a losing appeasement strategy can lead to an even more emboldened enemy and then the Doomsday Clock can strike midnight and we can all pretty much just say one last goodnight. 
;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)

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September 30, 2016

One Nasty Election

This is one nasty election. 

Forget about getting any real answers to questions of the economy, national security, healthcare, education, the environment, and so on. 

No, instead we have candidates down in the dirty disparaging each other, fighting about what they said about the former Miss Universe and the like. 

This is beyond utterly ridiculous!

While integrity and character of the utmost importance in choosing our elected officials and leaders, I think we need to differentiate between the life of reality television and an election. 

The level of smear campaign, pulling out all the stops, seems to have never been greater. 

The greed and lust for power has taken over all sensibilities, and the people of this country see it and are disgusted by it. 

And to the rest of world, we must look like a complete bunch of imbeciles here.

Power has infected and corrupted our leaders and system putting them above the people and nation they govern rather than for them. 

As to whether there is the slightest genuine concern for the welfare and future of the citizens of this great country--that is a complete roar of utter laughter and despair. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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September 27, 2016

Left or Right?

This sign from yesterday reminded me of the debates last night. 

Arguments, attacks, and counterpunchs between the candidates (and the parties they represent).

But in the end, the sign is pointing us in the wrong direction anyway. 

While we keep hitting each other up for getting and maintaining the awesome scepter of American power, our competitors on the international stage are moving on with their personal and national agendas, and we are in seemingly perpetual gridlock. 

The big problems that we face are not going away, and declaring who is the winner of the showtime debates, daily rallies, and witty sound bites, may feel good from the standpoint of whether our candidate is winning or not, but frankly is not solving any of our problems either.

A good fight is spectacular to watch, but we can be our own worst enemies as we are lost in shallow policy and rhetoric debates amidst leadership confusion, indecision, and (un)popularity contests, and even the winner may take home nothing but the rights to hoist another upside down sign.

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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August 20, 2016

Russia's Iron Fist

Russia is enormously resurgent (as is China), and they are modernizing their military, while we are "busy" and distracted with ridiculous dysfunctional political infighting here in the U.S.

- Between Republicans and Democrats. 

- Between Trump and Hillary.

- Between running mouths and utter corruption. 

- Between what our values are and aren't.

- Between racism and cop killings. 

- Between sequestrations, filibusters, and government shutdowns. 

- Between fighting terrorism and not even being able to say it's name and origin. 

- Between support for NATO and our allies and abandoning them. 

- Between invading Iraq and Afghanistan and then hasty and wasty retreats. 

- Between capturing terrorists and locking them away in Gitmo and then throwing them back out on the streets to plot and attack again. 

- Between calls for a strong military, policing the world, and keeping the peace and that being replaced by leadership from behind, disengagement, appeasement, and weakness.

- Between a healthy, vibrant economy and a shallow recession, failing Obamacare, slowing innovation, and ballooning national debt and welfare state. 

In the meantime, the Russians, if no one has noticed is moving critically forward in the world. 

- Ukraine's Crimea has been gone since 2014, separatists are fighting in the east, and tens of thousands of troops are massing on the border. 

- Georgia's Abkhazia and South Ossetia was  occupied by Russia in the war in 2008

- Chechnya was taken by Russia in 1999 and Grozny, the capital, was completely leveled. 

- Bases around Damascus and in Iran have been built up and are in active use in the civil war in Syria going on today, and Aleppo, the largest city in Syria is becoming apocalyptic. 

- The Baltics are under threat by encroaching Russian forces. 

- U.S. military ships and planes and being regularly "buzzed" and Russia is flying mock nuclear bombing runs on the U.S.A. and Europe. 

Russia is proposing a counter-alliance to NATO by them, China, India, and arch enemy, Iran

So while the U.S. spends more on military than the next 8 nations combined, with the U.S. at $610 billion to Russia's much more modest $85 billion, nevertheless, we are falling over our own feet, while Russia is clearly on a determined march.

We can't afford to play politics and suck our thumbs here at home, while Russia is determined and strategic in their moves geopolitically advancing their interests.

We are playing a losing hand and wasting valuable blood and treasure unless we get our democratic house in much needed order, focus, and resolve. ;-)

(Source Photo: Andy Blumenthal)
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October 29, 2015

A Blooper With Our Blimps

Oops, so this is one for the books...

The multi-billion dollar Raytheon-built military JLENS surveillance blimps are pictured above.

They are supposed to sense and alert us to a possible devastating surprise cruise missile attack on the U.S. eastern seaboard.

However, one of them lost its tethering and went sailing into the skies and had to itself be tracked by NORAD and two scrambled F-16 fighter jets. 

What was designed to surveil instead needed surveillance. 

The JLENS crashed landed in Amish country, Pennsylvania and took out the power to 20,000 people.

We need a strong, capable, and ready military!

If we are trying to improve our posturing with the Russians, Chinese, and Iranians--this is not the way to put our best blimp forward. ;-)

(Source photo: here with attribution to Bill Dickinson)
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