Friday, June 28, 2013

Conscientious Objectors

During the War, 1% of all British draftees declared moral or political grounds for evading the draft and said they were Conscientious Objectors. Some were jailed, others excused, it was a case-by-case basis as we on this side of the pond like to characterize it. Some were given public service and the
" conchies" were glad to take it.
     In America, less than .01% of the citizenry declared CO status, all of the draftees went, the government granted zero dismissals. Options here were jail, public service, medical experimentation, such as typhus, hepatitis, sleep deprivation, and military support.
     Both Britain and the US had COs in combat, the Brits ambulance corps was made up of one third COs on D-Day. They called it "counter-violence." A lot of them volunteered for bomb disposal.
     Three American COs won the Medal Of Honor, our country's highest combat award, two of them died in the attempt.
     Just sayin.'
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Thursday, June 20, 2013

TRUST, Who do people trust, what they tell me. Quandry...

There has been a lot of restlessness in the culture lately. Everyone I talk to, interact with tell me essentially the same thing.
     People are staying home. They are not spending money, except on food, movies, gas, things around town. No one seems to be going to long distance vacations, Summertime trips are shorter, delayed, stay-at-homes are reading, using TV as entertainment, video shops are bustling, soda pop is flying off the shelves.
     Bank Lines are growing, US Mail trucks are delivering more mail. I asked one postal carrier how come, and she said the uptick is heavier. She thought the recent news of the government spying on everybody has driven people "back to the future" back to snail mail.
     " Big Brother can't check EVERY piece of mail," she told me.
     She has a point I thought. With the scandals shooting holes in the trust factor of the government, some people have been drawing out money from banks. As of today, stock market levels took a nose dive unseen in years.
     A general feeling of a lack of trust - in everyone, everywhere, in everything, seems to be coursing through the veins of America. Most I know believe very little in newsprint. Cable news is so ideologically divided, they seem hysterically driven in their reporting, in orbit, devoid of common sense let alone facts. It's difficult to trust some cable channels who deliver news with machettes in their hands.
     Dear friends and relatives thought the president's visit to China to complain of that nation's spying on us somewhat laughable since our nation is spying on us anyway. After all, what's so interesting about what we're doing that makes the average American citizen worthy of such scrutiny?
     Oh, I forget....we're armed to the teeth.
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Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Things People Tell Me: Michael Moore - where are you, now that we really ...

Things People Tell Me: Michael Moore - where are you, now that we really ...: Remember his e book DUDE - WHERE IS MY COUNTRY?" Then, there was the silly movie where he and a bunch of poor Americans rowed up to Gua...

Michael Moore - where are you, now that we really need you??

Remember his e book DUDE - WHERE IS MY COUNTRY?" Then, there was the silly movie where he and a bunch of poor Americans rowed up to Guantanamo and yelled out, " we only want the same Health Care the Al Queda Prisoners get (fully paid for by taxpayers)."
    Great stuff we saw when Bush was taking it on the chin as Prez, right?
    Well, now, it's just as bad, and a helluva lot worse since President Obama is in the left seat (as we in aviation like to say, pilot). No word from Millionaire stockholder in tech stocks Michael Moore, he of the ball cap, author of Roger and Me.
    One of those mentioned in 100 people screwing up America by Bernard Goldberg. Nothing of substance from him from the Obama flag team champs at MSNBC who, by the y by fail to score ANY audience ratings during the midnight hours. (No one is watching) Tra La.