The Best We Can Do?

Mitt Romney -  "The trees are just the right size in Michigan".

Rick Santorum - "The 2012 election is similar to the time between 1940 and 1941 when Americans didn’t act against Adolf Hitler".

Newt Gingrich - “The idea that a Congressman would be tainted by accepting money from private industry or private sources is essentially a socialist argument”. “You can’t trust anybody with power".

Ron Paul - "[It is the] destruction of civilization", on the end of apartheid in South Africa. "If you have ever been robbed by a black teen-aged male, you know how unbelievably fleet - footed they can be". "Order was only restored in L.A. when it came time for the blacks to pick up their welfare checks".

"One Useless Man is Called a Disgrace; Two are Called a Law Firm; Three or More Become a Congress", John Adams.

Where Medical Technology and Greed Meet

The Republican Party and some of the extremely wealthy in this country have declared full out war on the poor and middle class. They have attempted to gut the social net while protecting the wealthy - their tax breaks, the oil companies- their subsidies, the banks and Wall Street - their unbridled, unregulated greed.  With no end to their lust for ever more, they have been ever willing to destroy the lives of millions here in the US. Outside of this country they have been willing to take it even all the way to murder - hundreds of thousands have died and millions have had their lives ripped apart in their pursuit of wealth and power through war - these 'wars' serving at least in part to transfer wealth on a massive scale from the average American to them, while distracting and consolidating power along the way. They have been ever willing to destroy lives, even take life in their never-ending quest for more.

Now realize there is coming a day when scientists will unlock the secrets of aging and then think of their greed. The next great leap in medical care will center on learning to manipulate genetic machinery in each and every cell in our bodies. The cure for cancer, disease, deformity, and even aging, to soon follow. Yes, this will occur. But it will be expensive and if history teaches us anything those in power, those with the greatest greed will pull out all stops to keep it so and to control it. They will attempt to monopolize medical technology - guaranteeing extended life free of disease for themselves, while denying the masses, in their never ending pursuit of more - more money, more power, more control, better health and even more life. After-all not everyone can be given extended life will go their arguments. The wealthy being superior - deserve it - the poor do not.

They will no doubt think they will get away with parents having to watch their children die of disease for lack of money. They will no doubt believe at first that people will settle for watching the suffering and death of their loved ones while they, the wealthy, live on.  They will no doubt think it - and they will no doubt be amazed at the rage and wrath they will awaken in doing so.

It is in fact the only scenario where I can see the masses of this country rising up to violent revolt. Barring an entirely new paradigm in government and financial structure worldwide, this is likely to occur - twenty to thirty years from now. Greed, unbridled lethal greed, will stand in the way of the potential for immortality and in doing so will finally; finally have seen its day.

A Time Honored Tradition

Doctors white coats: 19th century costume 
perfectly designed to spread 21st century germs

Modern day scourge

1.0 The 24 hour news cycle
2.0 Right wing talk radio
3.0 Left wing talk radio
4.0 Carry on luggage
5.0 HR departments
6.0 'Smart' phones
7.0 TSA
8.0 Destination weddings
9.0 'Happy' meals
10.0 Corporate convenience
11.0 Blogs (Ancil Nance's addition to the list) 

Barely There

If you put all 6 billion people on earth in one place and then removed all the empty space in and between their atoms, what volume would they then occupy?

A cube slightly smaller than a lump of sugar.

Stupid is as stupid does

A car bomb killed a nuclear scientist in Tehran’s Wednesday morning rush hour this week.  The driver of the car, Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, a 32-year-old father of three, was at least the fifth scientist with nuclear connections to be killed since 2007; a sixth scientist, Fereydoon Abbasi, survived a 2010 attack.

“The United States had absolutely nothing to do with this,” said Tommy Vietor, a spokesman for the National Security Council. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton took it even further, “categorically” denying “any United States involvement in any kind of act of violence inside Iran.” I think two things about that:
1. They know who did do it and thus are complicit by saying nothing.
2. That the lady doth protest too much, methinks.

It appears Israel is behind much of this. I would  be very surprised if the US was not abetting them despite publicly denouncing the attacks.

Mind you this is not a Matt Damon drama filled action movie. Innocent human beings are being murdered. Men who have committed no crime. Men with families. And it's not ok.

Justified as an alternative to war, it is not - it is murder. It is terrorism. And it is unlikely to accomplish anything other than to slow Iran's effort while strengthening their resolve. Gary Sick, a specialist on Iran at Columbia University says “It’s important to turn around and ask how the U.S. would feel if our revenue was being cut off, our scientists were being killed and we were under cyber-attack. Would we give in, or would we double down? I think we’d fight back, and Iran will, too.”

Israel denies involvement but hints at justification if they WERE involved. One former Israeli official  offered this “In Arabic, there’s a proverb: If you are shooting, don’t complain about being shot,” he said. Right out of the mouths of Iran's leaders when they go to murder us and our allies in retaliation. 

Do I want Iran to gain nuclear weapons capability?
Of course not.
But there are ways of seeing that doesn't happen that are legal and humane and at least somewhat in the spirit of international law and basic decency. 
Does clandestine murder of people who have committed no crimes against humanity or for that matter any other crime make you swell with patriotic pride?
Doesn't me.

It is inhumane, it is illegal, and it is stupid.

Loves Abyss

Swaying bodies in the heat
Mind is focused and then it's free
Day and night is all the same
Drops of rain where the shadows lay 
 
Aching heart comes home again...
 
Once again your spirit's high
Not a cloud in the sky
 
The time will come when we're once more
Will feel our presence no more
 
Just swaying movements and 
the breeze
and
timeless ancient love abyss 

by Yuliya Phillips