50K Dead - Damn!

The death toll in both Turkey & Syria has reached 50 thousand. According to an article at Reuters, there were over 160 thousand buildings that were destroyed and 520,000 apartments. Some arrests, less than 200, have been made to date of people suspected in some way of being responsible for the structural collapses. (More at the source.) I think it will be a miracle if the death toll does not at least double with that many apartments involved.

 

If folks had heard trumpets before the quake, many would be preparing for the Apocalypse or swearing it was here already. As it is, the Apocalypse commencing or purely a destructive force of Nature, of course, it is terrible nonetheless. 

 

I do not do this often but as I did in my previous post on this quake, I urge folks to be charitable toward earthquake relief for this one.

All the best,

Glenn B

I Predict - Gloom and Doom

The way things have been going for the last few years, it should be obvious to anyone who looks back though the pages of history with an eye for comparison to today, that we in the world today are due for a major conflict between nations. I remember not too long ago a prominent US politician in essence said that small nations were not the ones we need to worry about, but large nations are the ones we need to fear such as how we feared the Soviet union. He is, in my humble opinion, dead wrong. If you look around the world today, you will note a militaristic strengthening in many of the world's small nations. In fact, many more of them are building up their military power than those that did so before the last two world wars. For example, prior to WWII, only three nations of the then son to be formed Axis Powers, were building up militarily. They were:

1) Germany, a nation devastated by WWI, by the Great Depression, and by foolish borrowing that placed them as the most heavily indebted nation in the world at that time. Yet they had a leader with vision, albeit twisted vision, of world conquest and domination. Yet he was a leader who brought them up to becoming a world power in only a few years despite sanctions imposed on them by other nations; and despite their small size they almost conquered the world.

2) Italy, a nation that was floundering in financial and social ruin. It had turned to Colonial Africa in the hopes of replenishing resources, but could not go it alone. Just another small nation, almost insignificant in the world picture, but that had a leader who got the trains running on time, and who motivated its people with visions of grandeur.

3) Japan - Another small, rather insignificant country who until just recently (as history goes) at that time had depended upon Samurai warriors for an army. They were small but had ambitions of expanding their world holdings. They were led by a fanatic whom the people believed was a god.

WWII began in 1939, and it rapidly progressed with victory after victory for the Axis Powers, these three nations and a few other small nations that joined them. Hitler and the Third Reich was steamrolling over Europe. One country after another had fallen. Poland, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Great Britain was on the brink of collapse. I have heard it hypothesized that had Hitler kept up the bombing raids over England for a few weeks more, they would have fallen. Had the Germans invaded England, it would have likely been over in days. Yes the Brits were tough, but they were failing miserably if slowly.

In the east, one Pacific island nation after another fell to Japan. The United States was brutally attacked at Pearl Harbor. China was under siege and millions were killed. Burma fell. Australia was threatened as was New Zealand.

The thing that amazes me most when I look back is how blind the world seemed to remain to the growing threat caused by the countries that would unite as the Axis Powers. Japan had rattled sabers for years before. Their emperor promised great expansion. They were building up a military force made from metal purchased from the USA and others. It was no secret that they were seeking to expand militarily; yet no one paid them any mind. Italy was likewise, but probably did not look to be as much of a threat, and anyway they seemed interested in Africa. Who cared about Africa back then, very few unless they had colonial holdings therein. Germany was the most boisterous of the three major Axis Powers. They not only rattled sabers, they but and air force. That was strictly forbidden under the Treaty Of Versailles. They did not stop at an air force, they also built and army and a navy. Besides that they built roads, roads that would lead to other European Nations and would act as highways for tanks, armored cavalry, and infantry. In addition Hitler boasted that the Third Reich would conquer the world, that the final solution would exterminate the mentally handicapped, the gypsies, the and the Jews among others. That Germany would conquer Russia.

None of this was really done in secret, especially in Germany. They openly defied the treaty of Versailles, openly spouted talk of war, and openly made preparation for it as the world watched in mute unconcern. The result was the bloodiest war the world had yet seen. Tens of millions died as a result. It is estimated that over 72,000,000 people lost their lives in WWII. Read that again - over SEVENTY TWO MILLION - all because a few small countries got together and tried to conquer the world.

So what does that have to do with today. Why do I predict doom and gloom? Well I believe we are only years away from, maybe even only months away from, WWIII. Why - well because the signs are there, and this time the smaller countries are preparing better than they did before both of the last two world wars. They are preparing in many ways. The first and most obvious is that they are gearing up militarily. Just look to Iran, Venezuela, North Korea (yes they have agreed to stop production of nuclear material, now that we believe they have the bomb already), Syria, and Russia (not such a small country but one that would surely become much stronger with an alliance of small countries). Look to also to Pakistan, and India. Look to Japan which is for the first time in over 60 years gearing up for war. Loo to to a really big country - Red China. They are building up one of the largest navies ever to exist. Why do they need a large navy except for an invasion fleet. Think about it. Now you can say, as did people like Neville Chamberlain before WWII that these buildups mean little to nothing; you could be right, but other things say not.

Look at the messages coming out of countries like Iran and North Korea and Venezuela and Russia. They are all spouting off against a perceived enemy, the United States of America. They are all countries that seem bent on expansion or possible world domination. Look too to the Islamo Fascists. it does not matter from which country they hail, there politics is there religion and they spout off conquest of the world. They also preach the destruction of Israel and of the USA. North Korea constantly harangues us as evil, and so too does Iran and Venezuela. The pot is more than stirred, it is at a boil and ready to overflow in violence.

At the same time, the USA is at one of the weakest points in the last 30 or so years. It has not been this weak militarily since carter, and not as oil depleted since Nixon. We are much as were the Soviets when they collapsed. The thing is though, despite what the Soviets said we wanted when they painted us as evil, we really did not want to conquer the Soviet Union. We wanted the world to be at peace. We wanted to spread democracy and freedom. We were ready for war if need be, but it did not come to that. These other nations today, many of the ones I have mentioned are hate mongers. They do not want to spread freedom, they want to expand and conquer, they want to rule more and more people, they want to in essence conquer the world, and the USA is the prime target.

All they need to accomplish are a few strategic strikes on US soil. A few well orchestrated attacks in the Gulf of Mexico and in Texas would wipe out many of our oil wells, and our oil refineries. A few more well planned attack in Alaska would destroy our other main source of domestic oil. We would be helpless. You look and say - hey that is impossible. Yeah right, just as France said that the Maginot Line was unbreakable. maybe it was, so the Germans went around it because of pompous blind fools in the french government, France fell quickly. How could we be attacked like that. Well for starters our military is strung thinly in Iraq and Afghanistan among other places. Our resources to build up our military are being depleted on a daily basis by terrorists, yet we probably fund those same terrorists by sending money for oil to Islamic countries - countries such as Saudi Arabia that is a known terrorist hot bed. Our economy is folding, we are in debt more than ever before, and the time is simply ripe for a few small countries to do their damnedest to do their worst to us. If they succeed, even with a few small non-military attacks carried out by terrorists, I suspect that other nations will quickly lend them support. What nations, well Russia and China to name two of them. These two countries, either singularly or together, already militarily support North Korea, Iran and Venezuela. You can bet Saudi Arabia and many other Arabic countries would also support them in such a cause, and so too would Islamo Fascists.

In addition to all of that, our current involvement in two wars is not doing a lot of good for us in any of this regard, that is unless we take quick and decisive action to win those wars; and then to claim the spoils of those wars. Why on earth Iraq is not paying us back for our expenditures over there is beyond me. They are oil rich and could easily pay us in that manner, yet we allow them to suck us dry. Same for Afghanistan, they must have something of value with which they could make reparations to us for our assistance in freeing their nation from the Taliban. We are, in effect, helping pave the way for the war machines of other nations to ride roughshod over us.

Of course a secondary target in all of this will be Israel, and the rest of the free nations of the world. Israel may well be attacked first; yet somehow I think it will be the USA to weather the first attacks of the next WW. I think these little piss ant nations have already caught us acting fat, dumb and happy, just look at oil prices; and that soon they will catch us with our mouths agape as the bombs start going off on our home soil. Israel will be attacked immediately after that, and will be nuked off the face of the earth if my suspicions hold true. All the more reason to suppor them with all we can, allies are a good thing of which one never wants to run short.

Yes the time is ripe for another world war, and this time we here in the USA are the primary target of much of the rest of the world. Sure we have allies, but which would stick with us. I suspect and hope that Australia, Canada, Japan, Great Britain and Italy would all be by our side. But what about France, what about Argentina, what about Mexico (heck they are already invading us). If a world war does break out, we are in for some bad times so it is about time we start acting like the possibility of a third world war really exists. Wiser words were never spoken than these: "They who long for peace must prepare for war".

Well that is it for me spouting off gloom and doom. I have gotten it off of my chest for now; but I am sure to remember it come November when I vote for president.

Hoping for peace
through superior firepower,
Glenn B

Blabbermouths Should Take a Look at a Different View Of The Legal System...

...that can be had if one looks to the legal systems of primarily Muslim countries such as Syria. Such a look can and should be quite enlightening as it applies to such things as our own rights and liberties, and even to how we view politics, and unity of purpose as a nation. See this article: Syria jails activist for D.C. meetings, at the Washington Times. The Syrian's brand of justice is fairly swift as compared to ours, and carries with it penalties much more heavy handed than our own. You have to admit that 12 years for talking to another government is pretty severe by our standards. Yet we have people in our country who constantly whine, and moan, about the unfair treatment of prisoners, the unduly long sentences that our justice system doles out to convicted felons, the deplorable conditions under which our prisoners are housed, and on, and on, and on.

Likewise, we also have people in this country who complain about everything else that they can complain about, which therefore is just about everything. It seems too that we have a lot of seemingly professional complainers whom we usually only hear when they are in fact complaining, and who complain incessantly. Among these, there are no shortage of those who devote themselves to never ending complaining about our government and how it functions. In this list I would include such people as: Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Mayor Bloomberg (of NYC), Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Murtha, Senator Kennedy, George Sorros, Senator Harry Reid, Cindy Sheehan. Yes these are primarily democrats or are otherwise very liberal. They continuously slam our government about one thing or another, and that is well and fine under our Constitution; I have no problem with them exercising freedom of speech. What I have a problem with is that they are so negative and anti-current administration over and over again and it causes disunity at a time we need to be unified; but that is just my opinion.

While they are slamming our government, while they are calling our government administration all the bad things they call them, while they protest the war in Iraq, and even in Afghanistan, while they try to slam the current administration at every turn, they had best remember they are Americans and can only do these things because we are all Americans under one Constitution. They need to remember that there are certain people in the world who would like to see our nation destroyed, and to see our people become of another belief system. These people, Bin-Laden, Chavez, Castro, Kim Jong-il and all of their followers would like to see us brought to our knees by whatever means possible. They realize that the mouthpieces of the ultra leftists are actually their allies in that they help to divide our country in a way by which it should not be divided. Yes we can have our differences, yes we can be opposed to policies of one side or another, yes we can speak out about it - but there too comes a time to stand united against a common enemy despite our differences - and this is what blabbermouths like Nancy Pelosi on her trips to places like Syria seem to be missing. Could you imagine the sentence Syria would have handed down to her had she been from Syria. Instead the Syrians cleverly use her foolish readiness to blab against our current administration, while not allowing such for their own citizens. Thereby they accomplish keeping us in a state of disunity, and will always gladly use people like Pelosi to their own advantage; and this seems to be beyond her intellectual grasp.

So instead of trying to bring down one side or another of your own government, would it not make much more sense toward self preservation if we instead tried to work with that other side to fight a common enemy - one that has the destruction of America and our way of life as its primary objective. It is not an impossible task, it has been done over and over again throughout history, and it can be done again, right now. Even the little guy, on either political side, can do something to make sure we stand as a unified nation against our enemies. One of the first things you can do is to write to your politicians and tell them to stop the bullshit in Congress and the Senate, and tell them that instead of trying to bring down Bush, why not try to bring down our enemies. If they don't like the war, so be it, but then if they want the war to end, what is their solution to those who would do us harm. When they can give us that, and show us that it will work better than the war, then I will be in their corner urging them on in a unified effort to stop our enemies. Until that time though, I stand against those who would keep on bitching, moaning, whining, and complaining that we should not be using terms like: The Global War on Terrorism; and I support our current administration when in fact we are fighting a real global war against terrorism, and our president is leading the charge against they who would destroy us and our allies.

All the best,
Glenn B