Monday, August 22, 2005
Current Issue Casserole
When I was an undergrad at Florida A&M University I learned that you could take scraps of leftovers, add some Ramen Noodles™ and cheese and call it a casserole. I'm going to start doing that on Mondays now with current issues - stuff for which I don't have enough material to do a full post but which still deserves some attention. We'll see how it turns out.
GAZA WITHDRAWAL
This was an interesting move by Israeli Prime Minister Arik Sharon, and I'm not sure what the end-game is on this move, but one thing is certain - it will not achieve peace in the Middle East. One thing that should be abundantly clear to any objective reader of recent history is that there are two and only two options for peace in the Middle East: when there are no Jews between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea then there will be peace, or when there are no Arabs and/or Palestinians between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sean then there will be peace in the Middle East. The Arabs long ago (1948) vowed to drive the Jews into the Sea and to my knowledge they have never renounced that pledge - Egypt and Jordan notwithstanding. My point is simply this - Jews and Arabs will never peacefully coexist in Palestine. There will be strife until one side eliminates the other, everything else is merely rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
LABOR IN DEATH THROES
Growing up in Detroit, the last thing that I thought I would ever see is a union crossing another union's picket line. For those of you who didn't grow up in the unionized Industrial North, one union crossing another union's picket line is akin to a man raping his brother's wife. Yet that is exactly what Local 141 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers is doing to the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association with the Mechanics' strike against Northwest Airlines. In the Detroit where I grew up, that would have been a declaration of war, and not in a figurative sense. Today, the Mechanics are just bending over and taking it like a man. Can there be any wonder why Andy Stern et al. broke with the AFL-CIO? "The AFL-CIO is a structure that divides workers' strength by allowing each union to organize in any industry, then bargain on its own, even when workers share a common employer." Good riddance, and good luck Andy - you have my support if that means anything these days.
Again, for those of you who are not familiar with Labor but would like to be Labor-friendly, this means that you do not fly Northwest Airlines until the strike is concluded and the Mechanics are back on their jobs. Solidarity.
IRAQI CONSTITUTIONAL
Can someone explain to me why - if the Iraqis have established a sovereign government - that they need American permission to extend an American-set deadline for completion of their America-approved constitution? Is there anything that defies credulity any more? Can we state the obvious, at least once? We are crapping on the Iraqis for the purpose of militarily pressuring OPEC at its source and for the establishment of permanent ground bases from which we can launch tactical strikes against China and/or India in the future. We're going to be pounding Iraq's sphincter for the next three generations, and payback's going to be a Omarosa.
JUST SAY NO
The military is looking forsome useful idiots a few good men to fill the shoes of those who were blown out of their shoes via IED. If ever there was a time to pay heed to the words of a Reagan it would be now - folks need to Just Say No. I wouldn't have a problem if folks added some colorful metaphors as well. If they can't recruit people to enlist and go to Iraq to kill Iraqis and/or be killed by Iraqis based on the facts, then they should re-institute the draft. Poor folks are essentially enduring a draft as it is with jobs more scarce than virgins at a rave, so let the middle and upper class kids get their cherries popped too. Maybe it's just me, but volunteering to become cannon fodder in a meaningless war (how does this thing benefit America again?) is about as smart as using PowerBall for your retirement strategy.
Just say no.
GAZA WITHDRAWAL
This was an interesting move by Israeli Prime Minister Arik Sharon, and I'm not sure what the end-game is on this move, but one thing is certain - it will not achieve peace in the Middle East. One thing that should be abundantly clear to any objective reader of recent history is that there are two and only two options for peace in the Middle East: when there are no Jews between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea then there will be peace, or when there are no Arabs and/or Palestinians between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sean then there will be peace in the Middle East. The Arabs long ago (1948) vowed to drive the Jews into the Sea and to my knowledge they have never renounced that pledge - Egypt and Jordan notwithstanding. My point is simply this - Jews and Arabs will never peacefully coexist in Palestine. There will be strife until one side eliminates the other, everything else is merely rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic.
LABOR IN DEATH THROES
Growing up in Detroit, the last thing that I thought I would ever see is a union crossing another union's picket line. For those of you who didn't grow up in the unionized Industrial North, one union crossing another union's picket line is akin to a man raping his brother's wife. Yet that is exactly what Local 141 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers is doing to the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association with the Mechanics' strike against Northwest Airlines. In the Detroit where I grew up, that would have been a declaration of war, and not in a figurative sense. Today, the Mechanics are just bending over and taking it like a man. Can there be any wonder why Andy Stern et al. broke with the AFL-CIO? "The AFL-CIO is a structure that divides workers' strength by allowing each union to organize in any industry, then bargain on its own, even when workers share a common employer." Good riddance, and good luck Andy - you have my support if that means anything these days.Again, for those of you who are not familiar with Labor but would like to be Labor-friendly, this means that you do not fly Northwest Airlines until the strike is concluded and the Mechanics are back on their jobs. Solidarity.
IRAQI CONSTITUTIONAL
Can someone explain to me why - if the Iraqis have established a sovereign government - that they need American permission to extend an American-set deadline for completion of their America-approved constitution? Is there anything that defies credulity any more? Can we state the obvious, at least once? We are crapping on the Iraqis for the purpose of militarily pressuring OPEC at its source and for the establishment of permanent ground bases from which we can launch tactical strikes against China and/or India in the future. We're going to be pounding Iraq's sphincter for the next three generations, and payback's going to be a Omarosa.
JUST SAY NO
The military is looking for
Just say no.
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