Editorial comments on recent Florida news
011212 Chalk
Chalk one up for totalitarian government. Totalitarianism survives on creative interpretations of laws to circumvent constitutional protections. The Government is making much that the “chalker” made no resistance to going to jail for his non-crime. Smart kid, to question would have been termed resistance and probably have led to his severe beating and possibly death which the government would have called justified defense of freedoms. The City need to pass a new law to ban all chalk sales, imprison chalk smugglers along with children, teachers and artists who have ever polluted the environment with chalk dust. How’s that for an ‘ex post facto’ creative interpretation of environmental law. (Ref Orlando mayor’s counter to occupy movement actions. The “crime” was to chalk ‘justice for all’ on the sidewalk. After keeping the young man in jail for several days (18?) he was released without ever seeing a courtroom. Similar actions across the country by authorities seem to indicate a conspiracy by government leaders to silence increasing popular dissent.)
011712 FAMU
In the less than growing debate over hazing one point seem to escaped debate. Hazing has always been around and probably always will be but there has been a cultural change that accepts abuse. In the FAMU case a man died and not a case of child play that got out of hand. His death followed a long period of well-known serious injuries to other adults. The subsequent media focused is on band hazing but it is probable that there are other examples of hazing at the school. The administration signaled that hazing was acceptable by ignoring and covering up hazing. It continues to do so by hiring a PR firm to “improve its image” read that as diverting attention from and covering up administration complicity in murder. Instead of proactive classes in ethics, reforms or even psychological assessments the administration chose to spend its money on PR dis-information. The Band doesn’t need to be suspended instead the Administration should be permanently suspended. Otherwise the problem continues to grow as soon as public focus shifts. A fitting tribute to the victim would be real cultural reform by a Robert Champion moral code of conduct for the school. (Ref the hazing beating death of a young man.)
011912 Tax the internet
Florida merchants term Internet sales as unfair because most do not charge Florida sales tax. The merchants are correct; Internet sources are unfair but not because of no sales tax. Most people would much rather pay sixty-five cents in sales tax on a ten-dollar item rather than a ten-dollar shipping and handling charge and three day wait. The unfairness is that outsiders provide products and services scorned by local merchants. Customers are forced to spend half a day and gallons of gas going from mall to mall before giving up local searches for the simplest product. Customers discovered sales personnel are only marginally qualified to take payments, can provide no product information and are surly if not outright abusive. Customers who turn to the Internet, in a matter of minutes, can find the item they are looking for, information on use and comparison of products. They can order online even talk to a real person who for the most part is civil if not outright nice and knowledgeable of the product line. Legislation instead of imposing taxes on Internet sales should force local merchants and sales personnel to provide products and services customers need. In the era of the customer is always wrong the Internet is our only savior. (Ref a major legislative push by merchants and business oriented governor to suppress Internet sales.)
112012 Internet cafes
To state it clearly, I am opposed to eliminating Internet cafes. I don’t use them but multitudes do staying informed and in touch with friends. The shutdown justifications given by officials are bogus and not supported by any data. Ever since the so-called “Arab Spring” politicians have been petrified that electronic media may focus on them and expose their failures to govern in the democratic interest of the people. Totalitarian states have repeatedly attempted to shut down the Internet and failed. Now politicians are using spurious justifications in attempts to legislate a piecemeal Internet shutdown. Yes Internet commerce does cut into profits of friendly political contributors but more importantly it provides a voice to the powerless, who have no paid access to legislators. The governor’s latest thrust will only benefit his business friends and suppress dissent for only so long before it boils over into an American Spring.” The people need a voice even if the powerful don’t listen. Fight to protect the one few remaining freedoms (wide access to information in order to become the informed public that democratic freedoms require.)
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Never learn 120411
At the end of the Vietnam conflict a senior American officer taunted a senior NVA officer that the North had never won a battle during the war. The NVA officer responded that it was irrelevant because they won the war.
An American General recently berated the Afghans for not appreciating all the Americans were doing for the country. It was clear from his interview that despite ten years in Afghanistan the General still did not understand the culture or blunders his Army had made during its occupation. He pointed to the country’s army once it completed American training as a future success.
Wait a minute General haven’t you been training that Army for over ten year? Considering that the training program began with history’s greatest and most experienced warriors your training program seems to have a few problems. Afghans stood off the Persians, fought Alexander to a standstill, absorbed the Great Khan’s forces, captured much of India, and defeated the British three times. The British claim their third occupation attempt is really a victory, but they left despite their use of chemical weapons, aerial annihilation and concentration camps. The country became a Cold War battlefield when the Soviets attempted to prop up a friendly government and Afghan fighters forced a withdrawal. American supplied weapons brought local warlords to power and a bloody civil war ensued until the Taliban brought a degree of peace to the country.
Afghans have long memories and astute judgement of realities over propaganda. Comparing the Soviet and American occupations the Afghans see Soviet built roads, hospitals, schools and housing. Despite American crowing the Afghans see military roads leading to permanent American occupation forts, corruption and blatant attempts at destruction of their culture. America has dumped a great deal of money into the country attempting to establish a little America that the Afghans don’t want and can’t afford once foreign aid ends.
When the Americans invaded, fragile victory could have resulted in good government and lasting peace. Instead under U.S. Army’s flawed assumptions the country was burdened with puppets prohibited from negotiating a settlement. For the Army all “Rag Heads” were the enemy and with a beard they were evil. Now over ten years later the Army wants negotiations with the insurgents but have a missed opportunity that is remembered. Afghans remember indiscriminate bombing, imprisonments and cover-ups.
General, Americans are easy to deceive because they want to believe their own propaganda. Building your new propaganda radio station on Kandahar air base to preach American gospel is counter productive. The Afghans remember that Kandahar base was American built in the fifties as a cold war base, and became an invasion base fifty years later. The American administration wants its army out by 2012 but the military is already pushing the withdrawal years down the road. There are all those new American bases to use and besides it’s the only war it has left. General, keep wondering why the Afghans don’t love you.
An American General recently berated the Afghans for not appreciating all the Americans were doing for the country. It was clear from his interview that despite ten years in Afghanistan the General still did not understand the culture or blunders his Army had made during its occupation. He pointed to the country’s army once it completed American training as a future success.
Wait a minute General haven’t you been training that Army for over ten year? Considering that the training program began with history’s greatest and most experienced warriors your training program seems to have a few problems. Afghans stood off the Persians, fought Alexander to a standstill, absorbed the Great Khan’s forces, captured much of India, and defeated the British three times. The British claim their third occupation attempt is really a victory, but they left despite their use of chemical weapons, aerial annihilation and concentration camps. The country became a Cold War battlefield when the Soviets attempted to prop up a friendly government and Afghan fighters forced a withdrawal. American supplied weapons brought local warlords to power and a bloody civil war ensued until the Taliban brought a degree of peace to the country.
Afghans have long memories and astute judgement of realities over propaganda. Comparing the Soviet and American occupations the Afghans see Soviet built roads, hospitals, schools and housing. Despite American crowing the Afghans see military roads leading to permanent American occupation forts, corruption and blatant attempts at destruction of their culture. America has dumped a great deal of money into the country attempting to establish a little America that the Afghans don’t want and can’t afford once foreign aid ends.
When the Americans invaded, fragile victory could have resulted in good government and lasting peace. Instead under U.S. Army’s flawed assumptions the country was burdened with puppets prohibited from negotiating a settlement. For the Army all “Rag Heads” were the enemy and with a beard they were evil. Now over ten years later the Army wants negotiations with the insurgents but have a missed opportunity that is remembered. Afghans remember indiscriminate bombing, imprisonments and cover-ups.
General, Americans are easy to deceive because they want to believe their own propaganda. Building your new propaganda radio station on Kandahar air base to preach American gospel is counter productive. The Afghans remember that Kandahar base was American built in the fifties as a cold war base, and became an invasion base fifty years later. The American administration wants its army out by 2012 but the military is already pushing the withdrawal years down the road. There are all those new American bases to use and besides it’s the only war it has left. General, keep wondering why the Afghans don’t love you.
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