In case you missed it, Mo Farah is apparently new to running, or at least that's the word in America. The gaffee last week by a local news presenter perfectly illustrates the insular attitude so common in the states. One can forgive a farmer working under the regime of Kim Jong Un who may be unfamiliar with world events, but in a twenty-first century western nation, can there be any excuse for ignorance? It isn't difficult to find people who can describe in detail everything that happened last week on the latest reality show, but discovering someone who can find Iran on a map, who can tell you what is going on in Congress, or in this case, who can simply conduct a bit of research before the broadcast is rare, indeed. To be fair, many in America probably cannot name any three of thier own gold medalists, let alone those form outside the US.
By complacency or indifference, are Americans not willfully wasting the hard-won gift of the free press and if that is so, how far behind is the decline of quality American journalism?
"Novice" Runner Mo Farah's Interview.
Jaywalking segment with Jay Leno:
Chris Morrow, an Australian comic used to conduct similar man-on-the-street interviews on the satirical program CNNNN, tapped into the same vein of comedy gold.
In addition to mastering the bayonet and potato peeler, my military years required learning to speak acronymese. Some reading this may understand what is meant when I say that two PFCs from DIVARTY were TDY to the ROK, where they served with KATUSAs. Or, for those more nautically inclined, I could tell you about the two LDOs from the GW who had trouble with their POV coming back from PSD at the NAS across town. Acronyms might have their place and purpose, but should be designed in such away that they inspire respect and do not detract from the item, program, or organization they are meant to represent. I just can't be the only one sniggering when Colombia's FARC makes the news. As one who could never keep a straight face when the Sunday school teacher spoke of Balaam and his talking ass, these acronyms also struck me as amusing:
I'll probably never be asked to join the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, but I suppose I can start my own organization. Any one care to join my Twisted Writers And Thespians Society?
Just when you thought it was safe to back in the polling booth, yet
another scion of Bush (S.O.B, anyone?) has surfaced. I give you George
Prescott Bush, son of Jeb, nephew of Dubya, and grandson of Bush '41,
the man so statesman-like that he once barfed on the Japanese Prime
Minister. Look for the Republicans to shamelessly romance the Hispanic
voter with candidates like this latest product of the Bush Brand. We can
expect to hear more from GPB, obviously. The real question is if he has
the courage to establish his own clear vision and stand on his own
merit or will he, through self-interest, become a willing GOP lapdog?
Remember the Cold War? It was
in all the papers. Those were halcyon days when cheerful slogans like “Better dead
than red,” and “Kill a Commie for mommy” tugged at our heart strings. We knew the
Rooskies and fellow travelers were hell-bent on taking over the world and it
was our job as good ol’ God-fearing capitalists to destroy them all and make the
world safe for democracy. Then what the hell happened? I remember going out for coffee one Thursday in
1989 and when I got back to my desk, the Berlin wall was in ruins, regular
flights from New York to Moscow began leaving every day, and every kook
from Waziristan to Priest River, Idaho gained access to Soviet miltary
hardware. Suddenly, Iran and North Korea are nuclear contenders and space-program
hopefuls, Kalsnikov-wielding insurgents are running amok all over Asia and
North Africa, and a week in America just isn’t complete without a report of a
mass shooting.
Who knew that the years when
everyone was gearing up for nuclear winter were actually
the good old days? Oh, for the paranoia and simplicity of the missile envy era!
O.K, I'm guilty and the charge is complacency. All the links below were compiled last week when I started writing a little piece on the war in Mali. Work intervened and I put the post aside to finish later. After all, what difference does a few days make when writing about a conflict in a country most can't find on a globe, right? How wrong I was. When I switched off my computer, a dusty little nowhere was being looked after by an African Union Force whilst those in the west, it seemed, weighed their options. Experts said intervention before September was unlikely. Suddenly, it seems, French combat troops are on the ground, their jets are attacking targets while nearby, US drones are buzzing around menacingly, and UK transport planes laden with supplies will be touching down in Mali probably as I write this. How bad is the situation on the ground if events have escalated this quickly?
Three Israeli civilians have
died at the hands of a few Hamas gunman armed with Soviet-era surplus and
perhaps a few Iranian missiles of indeterminate quality.Over 100 Palestinians have died when highly
trained personnel piloting some of the world’s finest combat jets have directed
air to ground missiles at them with pin-point accuracy.The country these pilots represent is
currently protected by the Iron Dome Missile defense system, a high-tech
program with each battery costing tens of millions of dollars. Not that price
tag creates any kind of financial hardship for the Jerusalem government as the
Iron Dome is funded by the United States. Meanwhile, the Israeli Army is
massing on the border of Gaza; armed with tanks, self-propelled guns, and Seraph
(Apache) attack helicopters.
I am no lover of Hamas, but Israel’s attacks on
Gaza under the pretense of self-defense and the build-up on the border is a bit
like Schwarzenegger attacking a heart patient who gave him a nasty look. The
response has not been proportionate to the threat.News that the peace talks that include the UN
Secretary General are ongoing and that the US has now decided to have a hand in
them is encouraging. With any luck, we have seen the worst of the destruction
and a cease-fire can be brokered. However, we cannot expect a lasting peace unless
the Israeli government can come to terms with its deep-rooted fears and allow
statehood for Palestine. Until then, simply acknowledging the basic human rights
of the people of Gaza would be enough.
Obama's re-election is yesterday's news. The election with even greater and perhaps more far-reaching implications is the one in Beijing. The new leadership in China will preside over the era when China's economy will outstrip that of the US and it's emergence as a formidable military power will become a consideration in all foreign policy matters the West may face in the next generation. Some believe that the importance of the increase in China's influence and it's military potential amount are over-rated and they are but a hollow threat like the Soviets turned out to be. However, the wise man will realize that he era of the sleeping dragon is almost over.
