Author: R J Adams

““A thing of beauty is a joy forever; its loveliness increases; it will never pass into nothingness” ~ John Keats.

Some days are diamonds, some days are stone. Today definitely qualified as the latter. Driving blizzards across central Illinois all day have done nothing to transform the constantly bleak landscape into anything resembling “scenery”.

Four years of life in this barren place have caused me to ponder frequently on what produces the plethora of obesity, obsession with “shopping”, and a mindset that regards “cook-outs”, “cook-ins” or “cook-anything” as the be-all and end-all of social entertainment.

The answer is, of course, obvious. There’s bugger-all else to do in this place.

Boredom is what drives the mindset of the “Heartlands”. Boredom leads to over-eating and over-spending, which in turn manufactures obesity and credit card debt.

There is one outlet. The local churches in the “Heartlands” have no trouble filling their pews. It’s another form of entertainment; a way to placate the boredom for a few hours and give the mouth a rest between Big Macs. Although, passing my local Methodist the other day, I noted a sign outside advertising: “Cook-In Chili Supper 7.30 Wednesday”.

Perhaps the churches need a little help after all.

I have yet to determine whether it’s a nationwide problem, or peculiar to the “Heartlands”, but replacing boredom with overeating, over-spending – and undoubtedly, over-worshipping – cannot be a healthy answer for Americans, whether in Illinois or elsewhere.

Life in the “Heartlands” is possibly the most boring in the civilized world. Anything remotely interesting has to be manufactured. The place itself lacks any form of natural beauty. Quite possibly, at one time, nature’s loveliness may have lifted the soul and warmed the heart, but if so the Archer Daniel Midland corporation and its multi-thousand acres of corn long ago obliterated anything resembling what in Europe is colloquially known as a “beauty spot”.

It would be ludicrous to suggest that the North American continent is devoid of natural beauty. The problem, for most Americans, is that anywhere worthy of a visit requires an expensive airplane flight, or a week of slogging behind the wheel. Unless, of course, you’re one of the stinking rich who have bought up all the real estate within two hundred miles of such places, in which case you have the right to enjoy them at your leisure.

For the people of the “Heartlands”, a picnic at a natural beauty spot means barbecuing a slab of beef from Wal-Mart on their back porch, enjoying the purulent scent of ADM’s local ethanol plant, and with a view – if they’re lucky – of five-foot high, genetically-modified corn stalks stretching to the far horizon.

Now, it’s remotely possible that the reader may begin to form an opinion suggestive of the writer being somewhat dissatisfied with the virtues of life in the American “Heartlands”. Nothing could be further from the truth. The writer is ready to partake and enjoy to the full all the virtues life in the “Heartlands” has to offer.

It’s just that, after nearly five years in this flat, boring, God-forsaken place, he has yet to find any.

Filed under: Disgruntled thoughts

Australian Prime Minister John Howard, a close personal friend of George W Bush, has never been known for suave charm and delicately-tongued rhetoric. Not to put too fine a point on it, he’s a loud-mouthed bum who shows about as much finesse as the Aussie Red-Back Spider that may likely bite his ample butt while he sits on his toilet seat (we can hope!).

Consequently, it doesn’t come as too much of a surprise to read that Howard has stuck his fat nose into US affairs by condemning Barack Obama for his promise to pull American troops out of Iraq, if voted into presidential office in 2008. Howard is quoted by the BBC thus:

[Obama’s stance on Iraq] “……will just encourage those who want to completely destabilise and destroy Iraq, and create chaos and a victory for the terrorists to hang on and hope for an Obama victory. If I were running al-Qaeda in Iraq, I would put a circle around March 2008 and be praying as many times as possible for a victory not only for Obama but also for the Democrats.”

It makes one wonder how many telephone calls have been flying across the Pacific in the last few days, between the White House and Canberra. Obviously something has prodded Howard’s sudden verbal diarrhea. Is it, perhaps, because George W Bush has lost so much support at home he is forced to turn overseas for a politician prepared to speak out for him?

Howard went on to say that withdrawal of US forces would mean defeat for Washington and end hope for peace in the Palestinian territories! Perhaps he should open his eyes and see there is no hope for peace in the Palestinian territories, whether the US remains in Iraq or not.

Peace in the Palestinian territories, like peace in the Middle East generally, requires not only an American withdrawal of troops, but a completely new set of American foreign policies – towards that region in particular, and the rest of the world in general.

John Howard’s criticisms are not just of Barack Obama, but of the American people, who by a large majority have shown their contempt for the policies of the present US administration and its overseas supporters like John Howard and Tony Blair. He is also disparaging his own people, who have made it very clear they do not support the Iraq war, or Australia’s part in it.

In fact, John Howard may well find himself on the opposition benches later this year, as his popularity in the polls is way down and Australian elections are due in 2007.

If he is ousted from power by the Labour Party it will be cause for celebration, not just among Australians, but by all who view freedom and democracy in a somewhat different light than the Bushes, Howards, and Blairs of this world.

BBC report HERE.

Filed under: Ignorant peasants

Vladimir Putin’s comments on US aggression at a security summit in Munich “……may signal a more assertive Russia” according to some correspondents, says a BBC report.

US Senator Joseph Lieberman said Putin’s remarks were “provocative” and “sounded more like the Cold War.”

Are all American politicians total idiots, or is Lieberman atypical?

The BBC’s report says Vladimir Putin told delegates at the summit that America’s “very dangerous” approach to global relations was fuelling a nuclear arms race,” and that nations were “witnessing an almost uncontained hyper use of force in international relations……. One state, the United States, has overstepped its national borders in every way,” he continued, “”This is very dangerous. Nobody feels secure anymore because nobody can hide behind international law. This is nourishing an arms race with the desire of countries to get nuclear weapons.”

Since when was speaking the truth considered “assertive”, “provocative”, and reminiscent of Cold War rhetoric?

Whatever one’s personal opinion of Vladimir Putin and his handling of Russia’s problems, he should be applauded for speaking out against preemptive US aggression when other nations prefer to sit on their hands and pretend it’s not happening.

After the speech, Russian spokeman Dimitry Peskov explained:

[The speech was] “not about confrontation, it’s an invitation to think. Until we get rid of unilateralism in international affairs, until we exclude the possibility of imposing one country’s views on others, we will not have stability.”

Does any sane person find that illogical?

Just what does Joseph Lieberman hope to achieve by his arrogant, overbearing attitude to a voice of sanity on the world’s political stage? Is he so blind he cannot see what others see – that US policy is creating division, hatred, war and suffering throughout the world?

Earlier in the conference German hard woman Angela Merkel had announced that the international community was determined to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.

By “international community” she, of course, means Europe and America, who between them have nuclear weapons sufficient to destroy the planet umpteen times over.

Rather than attempting bully boy tactics to persuade Iran away from its present policy, perhaps if those nations made some effort to implement the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty they signed way back in 1968, and agreed to extend indefinitely in 1995, it may persuade Iran that nuclear weaponry was not necessary to that nation’s security.

That is not going to happen. Instead the Big Five have consistently ignored their obligations under the Treaty while demanding compliance from the weaker, non-nuclear, countries.

By any standards that constitutes bully-boy tactics. The very same aggressive stance criticized by Vladimir Putin in Munich.

More from the BBC report HERE.

Filed under: Insanity reigns OK?