...who protested the protesters.
There was a big (thousands) demonstration by Lebanese a week or so ago demanding that the Syrians get out. Then there was an even bigger (tens of thousands) demonstration of Lebanese who wanted the Syrians to stay (mostly fans of the terrorist groups Syria shelters).
Well, now over a million Lebanese of the first persuasion have shown up to protest the prostesters who were protesting their protesters.
In other words, I think the majority of Lebanese want the Syrians out.
Bully for them who won't be bullied by the bullies!
Monday, March 14, 2005
These Colors Don't Run...
I saw a bumper sticker the other day. It was similar to the somewhat trite "These Colors Don't Run" bumper stickers.
Now I'm not a "My Country, Right or Wrong" kind of person. But there is a group of people out there that thinks that "My Country" is wrong no matter what it does, and they label anyone who disagrees with their position as a "My Country, Right or Wrong Flag Waver" in that, "You can't possibly have a good point if you don't agree with me" sort of way.
Still, I'm not a proud guy or a braggart. So the "These Colors Don't Run" sticker isn't my gig.
However, this new bumper sticker said ...
Whose colors do you want to run the world?
I'm pretty sure the answer would either be "nobody's" or "a mutal agreement of all the countries in the world".... which in the end boils down to the United Nations -- or No One.
Here's the bottom line of this train of thought... it is a fantasy to think that "No One" can "run the world" (which basically means "use force to make things as they think they ought to be")
This amounts to a law. Who will enforce the law? When somebody goes to break it (and break it someone will) -- who stops and/or punishes the lawbreaker, and how?
So we're back to the question... whose colors do you want to run... the world?
We're far from perfect, but name one country that would be more fair, more open to criticism from the inside.
If the world agrees that force is always bad, the world will be run by those who are willing to ignore that agreement... it could be governments, but it could also be, amd more likely be in this day and age - terrorist.
Oh, I know, if we didn't use force there wouldn't be any terrorists. Bull puckey! As long as there are haves and have-nots (and there always have been, there always will be) and as long as there are people on the planet who feel it is their job to enforce God's/Allah's/Yahweh's will to their standards, there will be people willing to wage war. If the rest of us are not willing to wage it back, we might as well hold our hands out for the shackles right now.
Now I'm not a "My Country, Right or Wrong" kind of person. But there is a group of people out there that thinks that "My Country" is wrong no matter what it does, and they label anyone who disagrees with their position as a "My Country, Right or Wrong Flag Waver" in that, "You can't possibly have a good point if you don't agree with me" sort of way.
Still, I'm not a proud guy or a braggart. So the "These Colors Don't Run" sticker isn't my gig.
However, this new bumper sticker said ...
These colors don't runAnd I got to thinking about that. I was thinking about where that catchy, simplistic lollipop-liberal phrase came from (not that I have an opinion or anything) -- and a question emerged from the swirling mists of my thoughts...
... the world.
Whose colors do you want to run the world?
I'm pretty sure the answer would either be "nobody's" or "a mutal agreement of all the countries in the world".... which in the end boils down to the United Nations -- or No One.
Here's the bottom line of this train of thought... it is a fantasy to think that "No One" can "run the world" (which basically means "use force to make things as they think they ought to be")
This amounts to a law. Who will enforce the law? When somebody goes to break it (and break it someone will) -- who stops and/or punishes the lawbreaker, and how?
So we're back to the question... whose colors do you want to run... the world?
We're far from perfect, but name one country that would be more fair, more open to criticism from the inside.
Hello, darkness, my old friend....
If the world agrees that force is always bad, the world will be run by those who are willing to ignore that agreement... it could be governments, but it could also be, amd more likely be in this day and age - terrorist.
Oh, I know, if we didn't use force there wouldn't be any terrorists. Bull puckey! As long as there are haves and have-nots (and there always have been, there always will be) and as long as there are people on the planet who feel it is their job to enforce God's/Allah's/Yahweh's will to their standards, there will be people willing to wage war. If the rest of us are not willing to wage it back, we might as well hold our hands out for the shackles right now.
Wednesday, March 09, 2005
What's Shakin' in the Middle East?
Syrians getting out of Lebanon. Elections in Iraq. Elections in Afghanistan. Softening of totalitarianism in Saudi Arabia. Israel & Palestinans moving towards each others with outstretched hands....
If all you heard over the past few years was "WMD" and "No Blood for Oil", go back and look at what the Bush Administration has been saying since the beginning of all this.
If all you heard over the past few years was "WMD" and "No Blood for Oil", go back and look at what the Bush Administration has been saying since the beginning of all this.
Friday, March 04, 2005
The Other Way....
Went to see Arlo Guthrie last night. Now, I'm a fan of Arlo's. I know, all you leftits out there are probably surprised, but I'm a big fan of music from that era in general - including a lot of the war protest music and drug songs. See, stereotypes don't fit.
Arlo's show was great.
He was clearly avoiding Bashing the President, I don't know if it was because he was aware that he was smack in the middle of a "Red State" or not - but he was on a college campus so he would've been safer.
At any rate, he told this story about how he had gone over to China in the mid '80's and these Chinese kids started singing "This Land is Your Land" (for those of you who don't know, his father Woody Guthrie wrote that song). And later on Arlo was wondering why kids in China would sing that song... you know, "From California to the New York Island" -- what does that have to do with China? And he got to thinking about it and eventually had the revelation that you didn't have to go the short way.
Very astute -- Classic Arlo. Did I ever mention I'm also a big Alan Watts fan? You Lefties might be pretty surprised by that, too. It would be classic Alan, too. And I imagine Arlo's a big Alan Watts fan, too.
Then he went on to say something about people who think they're right and just do things their way regardless.... and mumbled something about the President. The closest he came to a direct verbal slur.
He followed that up by talking about how little you have to do to make a positive impact in the world (using the story of Joseph and the coat of many colors as a vehicle) and said sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do and just see what happens.
And I sez to myself, "Arlo?" (funny, me callin' myslef 'Arlo')
"Arlo, just what do you think the President is doing?"
Let's see, we've had elections in Afghanistan and Iraq, there's rumblings in Saudi Arabia about loosening the reins and moving toward a freeer society. The Lebanese have gained the kahunas to tell the Syrians to get out, Israel's getting serious about pulling out of Gaza and the Palestineans and Israelis are actually talking constructively (ok a lot of that has to do with Arafat's demise, but... )
You think maybe, just maybe Bush is on to something about Freedom/Democracy in the Middle East? Could it be? Could it be that the idea of self-determination and freedom as a possibility in the minds of the populations of middle-eastern countries might just scare the dictators into reform? I say the more the population starts to believe it is a possibility, the faster governments will change under pressure -- or just simply get toppled in revolts.
Remember Reagan the terrible war monger who didn't have a brain of his own and was simply a puppet whose strings were being pulled by other powerful evil people (sound familiar? That's what the Left likes to say about Bush, too).
Cold war is over folks. When Reagan died, the same press that insulted and villified him was all full of praise and admiration.
Sometimes, you just have to wait and see if history proves you right.
Arlo's show was great.
He was clearly avoiding Bashing the President, I don't know if it was because he was aware that he was smack in the middle of a "Red State" or not - but he was on a college campus so he would've been safer.
At any rate, he told this story about how he had gone over to China in the mid '80's and these Chinese kids started singing "This Land is Your Land" (for those of you who don't know, his father Woody Guthrie wrote that song). And later on Arlo was wondering why kids in China would sing that song... you know, "From California to the New York Island" -- what does that have to do with China? And he got to thinking about it and eventually had the revelation that you didn't have to go the short way.
Very astute -- Classic Arlo. Did I ever mention I'm also a big Alan Watts fan? You Lefties might be pretty surprised by that, too. It would be classic Alan, too. And I imagine Arlo's a big Alan Watts fan, too.
Then he went on to say something about people who think they're right and just do things their way regardless.... and mumbled something about the President. The closest he came to a direct verbal slur.
He followed that up by talking about how little you have to do to make a positive impact in the world (using the story of Joseph and the coat of many colors as a vehicle) and said sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do and just see what happens.
And I sez to myself, "Arlo?" (funny, me callin' myslef 'Arlo')
"Arlo, just what do you think the President is doing?"
Let's see, we've had elections in Afghanistan and Iraq, there's rumblings in Saudi Arabia about loosening the reins and moving toward a freeer society. The Lebanese have gained the kahunas to tell the Syrians to get out, Israel's getting serious about pulling out of Gaza and the Palestineans and Israelis are actually talking constructively (ok a lot of that has to do with Arafat's demise, but... )
You think maybe, just maybe Bush is on to something about Freedom/Democracy in the Middle East? Could it be? Could it be that the idea of self-determination and freedom as a possibility in the minds of the populations of middle-eastern countries might just scare the dictators into reform? I say the more the population starts to believe it is a possibility, the faster governments will change under pressure -- or just simply get toppled in revolts.
Remember Reagan the terrible war monger who didn't have a brain of his own and was simply a puppet whose strings were being pulled by other powerful evil people (sound familiar? That's what the Left likes to say about Bush, too).
Cold war is over folks. When Reagan died, the same press that insulted and villified him was all full of praise and admiration.
Sometimes, you just have to wait and see if history proves you right.
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