COMMENT
Aug 1, 2009
On the passing of Michael Jackson: A tsunami of emotion traveled across the globe as billions of tears flowed for one of the greatest entertainers in history.
December 30, 2008
Well, Obama has won....and I will disagree with the comment below, but am happy to see that he has chosen Hillary as his Secratary of State. Mr Obama has a huge challenge waiting for hin on his presidential desk. But he has chosen a great team to help him deal with one of the worst situations in history. Wars in too many places, financial scandals on Wall Street, rising un-employment etc. But he has leadership qualities not seen in a President since Kennedy. I am confident that he will rise to the ocasion. But no one should expect miracles immediately! The financial crisis to me is a "reset to reality." Speculation with basic needs like oil and gas that benefit those "gamblers" needs to be controled and/or eliminated. Exchange rate flucuations with major currencies is caused more by speculation than by the basic needs of everyday life on the street. And this too needs to be considered and controlled. Those who are profiting from this are only depriving hard working people the benefits from their everyday labors. I wish Obama the best of luck when he takes office. And I also hope that he is protected more than any other President in history.
May 27, 2008
I am in Japan as I write this. NHK, the Japanese government owned network, is known world-wide for their documentaries. And lately, "global warming" is a big topic. I have been watching some programs regarding the North Pole. The research about the problmes with polar bears, the disappearing ice flows is very moving. The problems are far more serious than most people are aware of. Sometimes I wish that my really good friend, Charles Hapgood, was alive to see this day. When he wrote his book about the earth's shifting crust, he proved that the North Pole had shifted many times. People laughed at his theories at that time, even if Albert Einstien had written the forward to his book. But now, the shifting of the North Pole has become the "melting" of the North Pole, and this is something that mankind has not fully understood. The "green" movements around the world are far too often laughed at. The seriousness of global warming goes far beyond the the message conveyed in the Oscar winning film by Al Gore. It is something that each individual on our precious planet needs to think about every day. Each drop of water saved, each item re-cycled and every small effort to conserve energy will help. Seeing those polar bears lose their natural environment is a message. Most people seem to think, "oh,that's the North Pole, so it has nothing to do with us." Wrong thinking! |
Febuary 6 2008
Well, in looking at the frequency of my "comment" posts, I realize it has been a while. Now, with the US Presidential election process in full swing, many people ask me about what I think. For me it is pretty simple.I should mention that for some reason I can NOT vote. The first time I really tried was when it was obvious that keeping Bush from a second term was the best thing. But, that's another matter. Obama is obviously the "buzz" name of this Presidential campaign. To me, he has enormus potential, but needs serious experience on the world stage. My ideal Presidential ticket is Mrs Clinton as President, and Mr Obama as Vice President. He could re-define the role, and if they do a good job, then in 8 years he can present himself for the Presidency. My positive attitude about Hillary Clinton is based on the fact that Bill is there. If people like her or not, she is very intelligent, has a wealth of experience, and again, Bill. One of America's biggest and most immediate challenges is to repair the damage caused by the Bush administration. Iraq problems are huge and multi-multi-faceted, besides economic and enviromental concerns. The list goes on, but though many friends say it is impossible, a Clinton/Obama ticket would be impossible to beat. |
January 4, 2007
| It's been quite some time since I added to this page....so first, I wish that 2007 sees resolutions to the many confilcts around the world, be it Iraq, Somalia, Israel or whatever......as futile as that wish may be..... Violence, war and ethnic or "religious" based problems are the last things we need. I recently saw Al Gores film on Global Warming on the net..... WOW..... This is a problem that the world political process should be focusing on, besides hunger and disease. (I may be repeating myself.) But regarding Iraq, as I have previously discussed, it is even MORE obvious now that George Bush is completely lost, has no idea what to do, and in my opinion it will be the next President who will have to clean up this mess......if "clean up" is a proper term. I personally think it will be at least 10 years before stability arrives in this region, IF at all.... I was watching the TV series, "24 hours" for the first time in the past few weeks... It is not, of course, on TV in France, and though I saw it in the rental shops, I had had no idea what it was.... But when at the end of series 2, when the President was taken out of office on a short term, I was thinking about Bush, however, wishing that would be useless, because DickCheny or anyone else in the administration is equally useless... Guess we are gonna have to be patient until 2008...but we will have to live with the daily tragedy of suicide bombings and deaths of innocent people who play no role in this so called "war on terror." Usually when Presidents leave office, one of the first things they do is raise funds for a Presidential library..... Mr. Bush should forget about that......what is there to read or document that was positive since he's been in office?? A waste of money! My suggestion would be a telephone booth size structure......where the only books relevant to him would be an Enlgish lesson series and a dictionary....(though I am no spelling-master myself) .. One recent joke I received made a comment about having a President that could at least speak ONE language fluently.. That would not bother me if he made mistakes because he had a message, or projected leadership... but it's not the reality. He will go down in history as the worst presidential disaster ever, one that has degraded the image of America and Americans. The US is still the richest country on the planet, where people still come hoping to live the "American Dream." Yet, it is a country where hunger, poverty , homelessness and rampant polllution exist, and is being led by a person who is wasting billions and billions of dollars on a futile war, when those same funds could correct the problems we have at home.... |
July 28, 2006 I'ts been a long time since I made any sort of comment. The fact is that the news is either bad, or even worse. And it's a mixed bag these days. To start, today I read about Exxon's record 10 billion dollar profit for the last quarter.....which means that all the price increases in gasoline due to all the conflicts in the Mid-East(so they say), are the result of gouging as they say.....meaning....the cost of production has not changed, but the cost of selling has risen due to greed. On top of that, they are paying their recently retired president, a small sum of 350 million dollars! No human on earth is worth that much...... Bill Gates is an exception however. His foundation and charitble efforts far outpace what even the United Nations is capable of. Bush: I would love to say "no comment" which would mean, "not worth thinking about" but it is not the case. What is worth thinking about is the fact that a leader of such status has no place being where he is. The absence of a true leader at the helm of the United States is costing hundreds of billions of dollars in wasted money, and hundreds of thousands of deaths and injuries which are multiplying daily. The most recent and current conflict between Israel and the Hizbolla in Lebanon is a perfect reflection of the view that the "US will do nothing because they can do nothing" to stop it. Those who hold this view are those who support the Hizbolla, and who encouraged them to make that first incursion into Israel to kill and kidnap.. Everyone knows that if anyone does "one" against Israel, that the response will be "one hundred." Though I think that Israel, now, is going a bit too far in their response....I also believe strongly that they also know that the Bush administration has no respect anyway in worldly diplomatic circles, so they must create their own security zone.... If they wait for George Bush to something,(or try) that's like hoping snow will fall in Los Angeles in August. I can not believe that the unfortunate deaths of UN Peacekeeprs was intentional..... Israel is not a terrorist organisation..... The UN peacekeeper deaths are unfortunate... But at the same time the deaths of innocent people; men, women and children is the price paid bya country that allows, in the first place, such a terrorist organisation to operate within its territory. Iraq is getting worse with each day. Innocent people are dying by the thousands.....All of this is because of the stupid war that George Bush began... It is actually worse than Vietnam now.....not in the number of deaths...but in the absolute LOSS of respect that America once had in the world. I have lived outside the US for 29 years now. One thing I never understood was the political process. Not out of ignorance however, but from looking from the outside, and saying to myself, "Democrat, Republican? What is the difference? They are all politicians." Bush's control of the media does not allow Americans to see what is broadcast on even CNN in Europe.... Yes! The CNN broadcast in Europe is FAR more informative than what is shown in the US.... Americans do NOT know the reality of Iraq disaster, and have been lied to, deceived, mis-informed etc....over these years. Even recent scandals showing massive waste of "rebuilding" funds are more proof that this administration is highly incompetent. The amount of money spent in Iraq, had it been spent on rebuilding American infrastructure, supporting alternative fuels, the homeless.....would have produced a much happier and respected America in the world today. How can we claim to be able to "rebuild" another country, when we can't even take care of our own backyard? New Orleans is a perfect example. The challenges facing the next President are beyond measure... To clean up the mess G Bush has created is 10 times the challenge of the Marshall Plan...... and perhaps beyond repair. The President of the United States is like the President of any corporation.... He should know how to run the business, how to communicate to people, to inspire and to lead..... George Bush fails big time in all areas!!..... That he was the Governor of Texas means nothing. He never had a succesful business in his life.... As I have said in other comments, I am sure he is a nice guy...but more than ever it is obvious that he is NOT capable of being the President that the US, and the rest of the world needs.... A corporate President with a track record like GW would be offered early retirement....or just fired due to lack of performance... Plain and simple. Many people, it seems, do not like Hillary Clinton. But think twice. Bill Clinton was a very good President. He remains an extrmeeeeeeeeeely respected politician..... When he was President, there is no doubt that Hillary was involved in his decision making process. (except for Monica!)..... So to those who think Hillary should NOT be President, think about this: Bill Clinton back in the White House... There is more hope there, in that "team," than in anyone on the current political horizon. Unfortuantely, whoever becomes the next President, has a mess to clean up that is beyond comparison. And the FIRST priority is INTERNATIONAL RESPECT...... America is no longer the industrial power it once was....It has ignored energy problems for far too long....both in research and in enforcement. Bush has denied global warming....but the reality is, weather patterns are no longer "normal." To deny the fact that WE are ALL responsible is total ignorance manifest. The US is the biggest polluter in the world on a per-capita basis. The US pays farmers to NOT grow their crops, and millions in the world are hungry. Pollution "allowances" are bought and sold simililar to soy beans, corn and wheat. There is something seriously wrong with the "picture" of the "free" society that George Bush, as the leader of the United States, has projected. He should not be in that position, to represent what America really is. It is no wonder that his staff fears him speaking on his own without a scripted speech or response. The evil minds of the world are not lacking intelligence or logic, even if evil. We are being played with because we have a leader with no respect, and worse than that, NO vision. That is NOT what the US should represent in the world. Another question: If a President of a large and successful corporation is doing a good job, why should he or she be limited to 8 years in the position? Would Microsoft be what it is if Bill Gates was let go after his first 8 years? Or any other corporation? We are in a period of great change. There are people in the world who think nothing of killing, with fanatics who think committing suicide will bring them to heaven, and those who think that millions of deaths and mass desturction will lead to a better world. The US, in the eyes of the rest of the world, has lost its "top ten" status. Recently, there was an "Air Show" in England.... Aircraft, both civillain military were on display and being sold. I subscribe to an international newspaper where I saw a few 2- page ads by one company. Their catch phrase was " when seconds count, count on us." Why should such an industry be allowed to exist in the first place. From one perspective, they encourage the development of arms based on the fact that an "enemy will always exist. " The income of such military based industries, to my thinking, is a scandal. That same industiral power, research and develpoment, could be applied to eliminating polllution, creating alternitave energy sources, eliminating poverty etc etc etc.......In one respect, we are at a point of no return. But to be positive, we need to see light at the end of the tunnel. And unfortunately, I have HUGE fears for what the current President can do. He is in a tunnel....and he doens't know which way to turn.....and no matter which way he does, he can not see the light. |
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July 26, 2005- Bush complaints If Bush didn't make this mess in Iraq, the bombings in London NEVER would have happened. This is fact. 9/11 did NOT originate in Iraq. And every day, the carnage in Iraq continues. What surprises me the most is the fact that the US media must be under some sort of "hush" order... News in Europe is far more realistic. That no more terror attatcks have occured IN the US, does not mean that Bush is making any progress on terrorism. The threshold of tolerance by the American public for this will soon reach a limit. I feel sorry for the next President, who will have to clean up this ignorant tragedy, started by a man who would be better off fishing in Kennebunkport, Maine...... Record summer temperatures in the US, Europe....and Bush says "global warming is a problem" BUT he doesn't want to do anything about it..... He and Cheeny should both be impeached for "reckless governing." |
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April 11 - Bush at the Pope's Funeral With the proximity of all those world leaders, friends and "foes" alike, Mr Bush proved again he's still wearing "didplomatic blinders." Even the leaders of Isreal and Iran shook hands! If leaders can gather together in peace like that, why can't they take the steps so that all of their own people can live together peacefully too. All this talk about who's selling arms to who makes me think that it's not the "Arms race" that needs to be eliminated, it's the Arms Industry that needs to be replaced. |
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January 29 - Facts Irony: In the United States, voting/polling stations were set up in 5 places for Iraqis to vote. That's nice. I'm a US citizen, been reporting/paying my taxes/social security for all of my 27 years OUTSIDE the country. I had never voted before in the US. So when I tried to register, I was refused a ballot! Yet I'm one of 5-6 MILLION Americans living overseas, and there are NO voting stations for us.. Reality: Finally the press is starting to compare Iraq to Vietnam. Even Ted Kennedy made a similar remark. Soldiers are dying each day in Iraq. Even worse are the uncounted numbers of innocent Iraquis being killed by lunatics. Elections? We'll see. My feeling is that it's going to be a very violent day. International observers will remain very international, watching from another country(Jordan). But still, even if some offices are filled, what does that change on the street level? Little by little the American public is opening their eyes to the reality that Mr. Bush has no real vision for Iraq, and that not only are Americans dying, but a LOT of them are very far from home, for a purpose that is, umm that is..well...the war is for....ummmm....... what?
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December 31, 2004 - Some Grim Facts U.S. military suffered at least 348 deaths in Iraq
in the last four months of the year, MORE than in any other similar
period since the invasion in March 2003. Excuse me, but what's "over"? |
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December 21, 2004 Today's bombing of American soldiers on their own base, while eating a meal, is proof that George Bush does NOT know what's going on in Iraq nor how to deal with it. It's not a matter of no armor on military vehicles anymore. They can't even protect troops in their own "secure" base in a war where it was declared, "mission accomplished." I think the mission has barely been identified. The US is stuck in an ever-advancing quagmire, with long-term damage potentially much worse than the Vietnam war. Why did so many cabinet members resign? |
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September 14, 2004 I was watching a Japanese documentary about the Iraq war. tt showed President Bush announcing the war was over, and that the "mission was accomplished." WHAT??? Japan was hit by more typhoons this year than every before, with the exact cause being a warmer ocean. Florida too has been battered. George Bush says there's no such thing as global warming. WHAT?? |
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June 2, 2004 OIL SHMOIL... People are screaming about the rise in the price of oil... Somebody is profitting from this somewhere, and at the expense people everywhere. Is that legal? |
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April 8, 2004 What a mess! My heart goes out to Japan, where most people have no idea as to why Iraq was invaded in the first place, and who are watching a very serious hostage situation from afar. Recent nervous testimony by Condoleeza Rice also shows us that Mr Bushes's government really deserves their up-and-coming one-way-ticket OUT of Washington. Not only are Americans in America NOT better off than they were 4 years ago, but the world too is a much more dangerous place. This invasion has given birth to a multi-headed dragon that breathes only trouble. |
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March 2004 (edited-December) US Presidential Elections Very sorry about the outcome!
Tragedy in Spain 85 to 90% of the general public were against sending troops to Iraq. Yet now they are the victims of NOT Saddam Hussein, but of Bin laden's madmen. Pulling their troops out, as recently announced, is normal and correct. The unfortunate reality is that if the US had NOT invaded Iraq, the explosive and dealy March 11 NEVER would have even had a chance of happening. |
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September 6, 2003 I told you so... Not trying to be egotistical here, but after NOT adding anything to this comment page for a few months, I just re-read everything I've written so far and I think I've been pretty much right about everything. The US involvement in Iraq IS Vietnam #2. Not in the sense of an all out continuing war of course, but in the sense of it being non-sense We do not belong there. No country in the world is interested in joining the "coalition" (which is non-existant anyway) except for the UK. The US demands to get cooperation from the UN are self centered. The real $ cost is starting to go way, way beyond any previous projections. And where is the progress and results of this occupation? And though it is a worn out subject, where are those famous "ready-to-fire-within-15 minutues" weapons of mass destruction? Sorry George W, but you have proved that you are in the wrong place at the wrong time,trying to do doing a job that is way beyond your very limited capacity. I think you should do the American people a favor. Don't waste taxpayer money on trying to get re-elected. That way it would free up your energy and time for your remaining days in office, where you might actually accomplish something like getting us out of Iraq before the death toll rises even further (it will for sure) .Perhpas you could go back to school and study international relations, public speaking, you know, things that might help you find a new job. (but you're rich enough to not need one anyway) You have created a steadily corroding image of the US around the world.More people hate us than at anytime in history. That's what a President is supposed to do?
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July 17, 2003 Well...Is Iraq stating to become Vietnam? Will the slow and steady killing and wounding of American soldiers test the patience of the American public? Is a true solution in sight? And if so, WHO is seeing it? Though I do not regret the absence of Saddam, NOT knowing his fate is equally disturbing. Recent news states that the monthly costs in Iraq are far higher than predicted and that the possibility of sending even more American troops there has come up. George Bush goes to Africa to prove he's "international." Seems that everything he says is more related to the next election than to facing the true reality of current situations, not only in Iraq but on the domestic front as well. Tax cuts to please the rich and influential don't take homeless off the streets.They don't feed the hungry. They feed the media. |
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May 23, 2003 My biggest fear about Iraq is that it will turn into an Isreali/Palestinian type conflict. Strange how the US is already changing the people that they said "were the best" for running the show. |
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May 1, 2003 Now That Most Of The Shooting Has Stopped The next, and most important phase has begun. Because what happens in the next few months will really determine if the US comittment of troops to Iraq is going to be an easy-to-determine period, or a a tunnel with no light at the end. Unfortunatley, the worlds most entertaining Iraqi, the Information minister, has disappeared from view. |
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April 12, 2003 Media LOGIC As the situation descends into chaotic anarchy or anarchic chaos(take your pick), the media is equally chaotic, be it "embedded" reporters debating politics and military strategies with other reporters, or endless interviews with "experts" (mostly retired American military people, or British "security consultants"), you start to wonder, "isn't there any OTHER NEWS of interest? The major news networks don't realise how inconsistent reporting of non-confirmed information is confusing world opinion. At least they could stop calling the US/UK military collaboration a "coalition." The reference to the real coalition of Gulf war I is too strong. President Bush's comments about a "coalition of 40 countries" masks the reality that only 20% of those countries even have a military! All are basically being "paid" for their being memebers of the" coalition club." Quite different from 1991. More disgusting is all this talk of where the money will come from and go to for rebuilding Iraq, and WHO decides WHO gets the work; more proof that in order for the US and England to "save face" that they must absolutely involve members the United Nations. The fragility of the Mid-east is delicate. The friction of this war is volatile
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March 31, 2003 Iraqi LOGIC The Iraqi foreign minister said that the bombing (accidental or not) of a market was a "war crime." Yet the same regime will still pay families of Isreali (and now Iraqi) suicide bombers to do just the same thing. There is something very wrong with this picture.
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March 28, 2003 Domino Effect. Comparisons to the beginning of the US's participation in Vietnam war(after the French involvement) are now being made publicly about the current one in Iraq. The world-wide "state of peace" has diminished greatly in the past few years. It makes one think sometimes, would a REAL country leader allow this to happen? Mr Bush's non-existant foreign policy experience is not helping anything. But it's probably not him deciding anything either. This makes me think that Presidential elections need to be modified. People should know and be able to vote for the decision makers. If it's a Presidential cabinet that is going to run the country, the people should have the right to know who, and in advance. The domino effect of this war is infinitely multi-faceted and has already become a cancer in the history of the world. Imagine all the people
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March 24, 2003 THE WAR While I was visiting my father in the US during the week the war began. I discovered an overall news media that was disgusting...treating "the countdown to the war" as if it were the Olympics! (I wonder if they raised their prices for advertising??) Sometimes it seemed that the the President and all his men were presenting a giant video game, where instant"liberation"was reality, making it all look as easy as invading Panama. Then, every retired general and his "analyst" brother came out of nowhere to give interviews and opinions. Journalists were (and still are) interviewing other journalists with stupid questions, where conflicting information became(becomes) the rule. Even the famous Dan Rather, on the eve of the war, was already mumbling, mixing up words and apologizing for mistakes. Published polls indicate a high pe centage of "war support" for George Bush. (But where is the public's TRUE source of information?) I believe that as the true reality sets in, this will change drastically. Today, the US announced that they were unhappy with GPS jamming devices being used by the Iraqi military, apparently provided by Russian companies. Very strange, because in a press conference today, the US administration announced that they were aware of this MANY months ago. Why announce this now? Hmmm.......... think about it. President Putin was NOT in favor of this war. So are they trying to re-kindle a political conflict with the Soviets again? What a mess! Vietnam #2??? Though my attitude is obvious, I just hope this conflict can end sooner than the time it takes to read this. No conflict should be resolved by killing people. I said "should." Isn't it time to change the "rules of war?" Isn't it time to eliminate the war game in the first place? While In the US, many people asked me, " are you having problems because you are an American living in France?" My response was, "Not at all". In fact, it's great how so many people are laughing at certain (appearing in the media of course) US reactions; the most ignorant of which is a certain Florida congresswomans proposal to bring back Amercians buried in Normandy. What ignorance! The sad part is that there WILL be bodies returning from Iraq, and this is the year 2003...! Imagine all the people.....
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March 13, 2003 Anti-France sentiment in the US is really, really stupid. When September 11 shocked the world, headlines in France read, "We Are All Americans Now." If Saddam had been behind that tragic act, then no country would disagree with what's happening now(though it would have happened sooner). Saddam has defied the UN, NOT threatened the US with anything that anyone can prove. If Saddam was actually doing something against Americans, then France would be right there, for sure. The argument that the US sacrificed lives to free the French from the Germans in WWII is not relevant to today's situation. Maybe it's important to point out that George Bush did NOT win the popular vote making him President. It was the Electoral College voting system, which unfortunately WAS invented by the French. So if you want to blame the French for something, blame them for that! Freedom Fries? French Fries? What makes me laugh so hard about the movement in the US, to delete the word "French" from French fries, and change it to "Freedom Fries" is the fact that French Fries do NOT EXIST! What people call French Fries were actually invented in Belgium. So why not call them Belgian Fries?
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