Author: R J Adams

“The fact is governments deal with the United States because it’s in their interest, not because they like us, not because they trust us and not because they think we can keep secrets.” ~ US Defence Secretary Robert Gates, November 29th 2010.

If the publication of ‘secret’ cables by Wikileaks this week proves anything at all, it’s that our leaders are a bunch of immature children with no better view of the real world than the five years olds they seem determined to emulate.

But, then, most of us knew that already.

It doesn’t take a certificate from Mensa to work out that the cossetted upbringing and lack of parental control so typical of the overly-privileged American family, coupled with places at universities bought rather than earned, hardly endows an average diplomat with the ability to know anything other than the narrow field of indoctrination bestowed on him by his inadequate education.

Is it any wonder they spend their time sending silly messages, labeling the president of Iran, “Hitler”, and suggesting Gadafi is ‘having it off’ with his nurse?

More concerning, is a US government that will hand out seventy year jail sentences for those who dare to hack into its computer systems^[1] while merrily hacking into everyone else’s, and stealing private data from all and sundry, including such an august official as the UN Secretary-General, himself, Ban Ki-moon.

In an attempt to close Guantanamo Bay Detention Center, Slovenia is offered ‘a chance to meet with President Obama’ if they are willing to take one of the prisoners. It sounds uncannily like a TV quiz show prize.

The South Pacific island nation of Kiribati is offered ‘millions of dollars’ if it will take Guantanamo prisoners, while Brussels is told it could be “a low-cost way for Belgium to attain prominence in Europe”.

When CIA agents snatched a German citizen in Macedonia in 2004, wrongly assuming him to be an al Qaeda member, US diplomats went to great lengths dissuading Germany from issuing international arrest warrants against the agents. Not that it was blackmail. The US diplomats merely “pointed out that our intention was not to threaten Germany, but rather to urge that the German government weigh carefully at every step of the way the implications for relations with the US”.

When faced with the consequences of this behavior, politicians, old admirals and other brass-dangling military men lumber out of the political woodwork muttering on the irresponsibility of those publishing these facts, and how ‘it could well cost American lives’.

From White House spokesman, Robert Gibb:

“To be clear — such disclosures put at risk our diplomats, intelligence professionals, and people around the world who come to the United States for assistance in promoting democracy and open government.

By releasing stolen and classified documents, WikiLeaks has put at risk not only the cause of human rights but also the lives and work of these individuals. We condemn in the strongest terms the unauthorized disclosure of classified documents and sensitive national security information.”

Oh, please! And what of all those who came to the White House for assistance in suppressing democracy and open government, and got that assistance?

The leaked cables implicate plenty of those, too.

The scenario portrays an overweight, self-serving, school bully believing he has the power and weight to push everyone else around. Yes, he has the biggest catapult, and a baseball bat inside his jacket, but the area between his ears is devoid of all but a low animal cunning. It’s this that makes him so dangerous.

I could be describing the US political system today.

But, then, most of us knew that already.

^{[1] Wikipedia – Gary McKinnon}

Filed under: Open-ing government

My family doctor’s office now charges $500 an hour. Regular readers may remember a visit I made there in September. I related how it’s now controlled by a Catholic company, the ‘Holy Shit Holy Shit Medical Group’.^[1]

This morning I received a bill for the visit. I now know how the company got its name. After opening the envelope, I exclaimed, “Holy Shit!”

It read, “Office visit – est 15 mins – $124.”

That’s $496 an hour – and that was only to see the practice nurse!

Two weeks ago I had my annual check up with the cardiologist at the local hospital. They demanded twenty dollars as soon as I entered the waiting room. When I queried this absurdity I was told, “All co-pays must be paid upfront now. It’s a rule of the hospital.”

But, what about the poor, I thought? Then I remembered. There are no poor people in America. There’s only the middle class.

That must be why America refuses to negotiate with North Korea. There are no middle class – only the elite and peasants. Despite the entreaties of China and the other three nations that make up the ‘six party talks’, America is refusing to return to the negotiating table until Kim Jong-il gives up his nuclear ambitions.

Not surprisingly, Kim isn’t keen to do as America insists. Every so often he wipes Uncle Sam’s face in the mud by a display of defiance that leaves the US more frustrated than before. Last week it was a grand display of its latest nuclear technology, especially laid on for a party of American scientists. They came home flabbergasted, with tales of an Iranian-like capability.

Today, we hear how US ally, South Korea, had its ears singed when military maneuvers got too close to North Korean territory. Kim Jong-il ordered his military to open fire with real shells.^[2]

It really is time the United States stopped trying to rule the world. They’re hardly Mister Pickwick. Nothing succeeds like talking to people, and that is as true with Kim Jong-il as anyone else. China knows it; Russia knows it; in fact, the whole world knows it, apart from that particular section of the North American continent controlled from the White House.

The real truth is America doesn’t want to talk. It wants to invade. It deliberately takes an aggressive stance against other nations, then provokes a stand-off when the other side refuses to comply. Right now, the US is waiting the opportunity to take on Iran militarily, and it would love to march into North Korea and overturn the ruling elite there.

Sadly for the US warmongers, South Korea stands in the way. Any warlike intent on America’s part would provoke a huge military response from the North against the South, and Kim Jong-il likely has the capability to demolish Seoul before US bombers could even get a sniff of Pyongyang.

It’s also unlikely any US invasion would produce cheers and whoops of approval from North Korean citizens, unlike those Iraqis foolish enough to welcome the invasion of their country, little realizing what horrors it would bring them.

Kim Jong-il’s people are even more heavily brainwashed than their US counterparts. They’d fight to the death in support of their dictator, even if they hated him.

Of course, if America ever manages a successful invasion of North Korea, life would drastically improve for the citizenry. They’d all immediately become middle class.

Though, they still couldn’t afford to visit the doctor’s office.

^{[1] “Getting Healed By Jesus” Sparrow Chat, September 30th 2010}

^{[2] “South Korea warns North of ‘enormous retaliation’ after attack” Guardian, November 23rd 2010}

Filed under: Middle class, medical and military

It’s the time of year for buying calendars. I went to the store and browsed the selection in the rack. At least fifty percent of them were overly-sugary, hypocritical, “Christian-based” offerings. Another forty percent were advertising pop singers I’d never heard of.

Eventually, I selected one with nice pictures of mountains. I like mountains. I thought it’d be nice to have mountains on my wall – a different one for every month.

When I got home I studied the cover more closely. To my horror, at the top in small print it said, “Dayspring Christian Connections”.

At the bottom, in equally indiscernible sized writing: “A 2011 INSPIRATIONAL CALENDAR.”

I don’t want to be inspired by a calendar. I just want it to tell me the date and have a pleasing picture. Neither am I the least interested in all the holy crap splattered over the brown cardboard stiffener inside. Where does all this rubbish come from?

God is never early and He’s never late – He’s always right on time and His plan for you is good.”

He’s obviously not using American Airways, then.

or

When the time is right, the King of Kings will return.”

I searched through every month but no-one had marked the date. Which is not very good when I’d paid $4.95.

Dayspring’s “Vision”, it says, is “connecting people with the heart of God, through messages of hope and encouragement, every day, everywhere”.

It’s a bloody calendar, for God’s sake, not a telephone exchange. And, it presupposes ‘God’ has a heart. Do divine immortals require an organ to pump blood? Does this mean ‘God’ has a body? I guess he must have if he needs a heart.

But, enough of this frivolity. Presumably, it’s necessary to have a short memory before becoming a Christian? I ask because, while it’s been a few years since I last read the Bible, I seem to recollect that Jesus threw the merchants out of the temple in Jerusalem because he was pissed off they were using it as a marketplace.

I don’t think it places too much emphasis on that incident to suggest the same Jesus would be equally pissed off with those who use his name to further their own marketplaces.

Of course, it’s always possible the money raised from selling so-called ‘Christian calendars’ is used expressly for feeding the hungry, healing the sick, and promoting peace on Earth. Just the very attributes Jesus of Nazareth promoted.

So, who are ‘Dayspring’?

They’re a subsidiary of the conglomerate known as ‘Hallmark Cards’. Their purpose is neither to feed the hungry, heal the sick, nor promote peace on Earth. In fact, the sole purpose of ‘Dayspring’ is to fatten the bellies of the wealthy and powerful who control these international conglomerates.

They’ve got short memories, too. They’ve forgotten the bit about the camel and the eye of a needle.

The ‘Dayspring’ website will guide you to a wholesome Christian outlet in your town, the only available retailers of ‘Dayspring’ products, where you’ll be able to purchase a greeting card, or other item of Christian tat, including a selection of ‘inspirational’ calendars.

Or, you can do as I did, and get it from Wal-Mart.

My Dayspring calendar, along with its trite, holier-than-thou messages, and hypocritical quotations, will be used as kindling the next time I light a fire in the fireplace. At least, then, it will be of some use. It’ll keep us warm.

I don’t believe in a Christian god. Neither do I believe that Jesus of Nazareth was either divine, or immortal. I’m quite glad of that. I’d feel so sorry for both if I believed they were ‘out there’ somewhere looking down on this nation with all its false piety and hypocrisy.

In America, the temples are all marketplaces now.

^{[1] Dayspring website}

Filed under: Free shipping on orders over $50