The information war

We really don't need to have this looming civil war. The information war just needs to end, so we finally know the truth. We've had disinformation in our country for over 170 years, and that needs to end. Yes, the New York Daily Tribune was publishing Marx and Engels already back in the 1850s. Wake up folks!

Martha's Vineyard, a geographic location

Martha's Vineyard? Yes, that's where Obama bought that $15 million home. Yes, the former United States president.

Public service can seemingly be a great catalyst for wealth and upward mobility, if one decides to serve for personal gain instead of its originally intended purpose. Basically, one just uses the leverage from the tax-funded offices via contacts, contracts, connections, favoritism, nepotistim, and other isms depending on whether they are an opportunity for that purpose, or.not. Is this ethical? I will let you decide that one.

Was 9/11 Preventable?

Outside they always said that [new safety measures] aren't necessary, that we haven't had a major domestic terrorist attack and, therefore, we don't need these levels of security. In the very last meeting I had as inspector general with the FAA on July 3, 1996, they said that the cost of Pan Am 103 was $3 billion and if we had to make airports completely safe at that time they guessed-and they probably absolutely guessed-that it would cost $10 billion. They figured we might have another Pan Am 103, but it still wasn't worth the cost of the heightened levels of security. In fact, they made a flippant comment. The security chief at that meeting said, "Look, if we made airports completely safe they'd just go bomb other targets like Amtrak." I was so stunned by that (www.newsweek.com).

The forgoing except is from an article for Newsweek by Suzanne Smalley on 9/27/01. This article was done around two weeks after September 11th, 2001, attacks, and was a bit difficult to find on the internet for some reason. It was an interview with former FAA inspector general, Mary Schiavo. The impression I got after reading was that the government, five years before the attacks, was more concerned about money than about lives. Read the full article at the link below and decide for yourself, it should be an eye-opening experience if anything, but don't forget to come back and finish reading this post.

"Scary Mary"

Of course, these are the same type of people, or at least the same personality types (SWAMP), who wanted us to believe they wanted to save lives during Covid 2019. I suppose the question about the government wanting to save lives is questionable sometimes.

We know about United Airlines Flight 93, and what some of the passengers on it did so bravely. When the government doesn't seem to take their job seriously, I suppose that people must do the job themselves. In the case of Flight 93, we know they ended up saving the government, instead of the other way around.

To simply conclude without taking more of everyone’s valuable time, was 9/11 preventable? YES!  But one can believe whatever one wants to believe.

 

 

Reference:

https://www.newsweek.com/scary-mary-tells-it-it-151877

On American resilience

We often hear that Americans are very resilient. The most catastrophic thing could perhaps happen to us, and we seem to shake it off, and move on soon after. That's seemingly true; however, I think there are other possible factors which create that appearance.

Americans, also, work very hard. We are always on the go. In a way, this fact justifies our economic prosperity. The thing is we seem to barely have time for much. Sometimes I think that podcasts and audio books are so popular these days because it's something we can do or cram while commuting to and from places of work or school. I am not saying we don't read, but we probably don't have much time. And reading is exceedingly important. I believe reading more really well written material helps us write better ourselves, plus it's a very much needed brain exercise, especially as one ages. A close friend says that a person who doesn't write well, probably can't think well either. Back to resilience, however.

I don't doubt we are really that much resilient. I believe we just don't leave much time in our day for much else. Sometimes we barely get enough sleep, and sleep deprivation isn't good for our health. Of course, pharmaceutical companies and those who work for them probably don't mind. I am just writing down my thoughts, but I think we may need to slow down a little bit. Perhaps we should, as they say, stop and smell the flowers, or at least look at them. Maybe we should try to attend church, mosque, or temple, at least once a week, if we don't have that practice. I am just tossing out ideas. You can go to the park or beach and meditate...whatever works for you. I am done here, but think about it. Blessings!

Lost cities

The Lost City! We now have two different movies titled The Lost City. One is by Andy Garcia released in 2005. The new one star's Sandra Bullock from 2022, and is a comedy. I don't think either is related, although the music for the new one is by Pinar Toprak, and sounds influenced by Cuban music, although Pinar is Turkish American. Of course, the first and older film may have seens which depict Pinar del Rio, which seems relevant, but really isn't. My suggestion, watch both. I personally loved Mr. Garcia's film a whole lot.

References:

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0343996/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13320622/

Peace and Wars

Peace and wars are both businesses. People who work for world peace will be out of a job, if we suddenly have world peace. People who manufacture weapons of war will also be out of business, if we stop using those weapons for war. The issue is these are both big businesses and we'd have lots of unemployed people without them.

Isms

The biggest problem in the United States doesn't end with an ism. They use those words ending with that suffix to distract, so you look the other way instead of at their huge problem which ends with "ION" and is called "corruption."

I'm not saying the isms don't exist. One of the biggest problems are nepotism and favoritism, which are a big part of that corruption. Drain the swamp!

On Bay of Pigs

If I would have been one of the soldiers going to Cuba for the Bay of Pigs invasion, and I was told beforehand that the air support will be cancelled, I probably wouldn't have gone considering that the invasion was in swampy horrible terrain instead of in the mountains. Of course, the soldiers weren't told beforehand. They were dropped off, and they found out after the fact.

Well, the Kennedy family seems to have experienced a lot of bad karma, although who knows why. It might be for many other reasons besides screwing a bunch of really brave guys.

On student debt cancellation

Did you know that college tuition has increased by 169% since 1980? The following excerpt is from an article by Forbes.

In 1980, the price to attend a four-year college full-time was $10,231 annually—including tuition, fees, room and board, and adjusted for inflation—according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By 2019-20, the total price increased to $28,775. That’s a 180% increase (www.forbes.com/).

People seem to freak out about an 8.5% inflation rate, and we are reminded about it on the news constantly, but for some reason we don’t hear about how expensive going to college has become. But why do people go to college, in the first place? I am sure that if one asked most college students, many might say they are investing in their future to have a good career…etc. A better career is indeed important, especially when one must make ends meet in this increasing inflation. Jason Furman, with relevance to student debt cancellation, recently said it is not "free money" and warned it will "hurt" almost everyone. It’s an opinion, but his statement doesn’t address the reason debt cancellation is being considered. Perhaps the question that needs to be asked is who has been hurt by the 169% increase in college tuition?

So, who has the 169% increase in college tuition hurt? I want to make clear that I consider myself to be a conservative. I know that in our world there is liberal propaganda, but we also have conservative propaganda, and I am sure this topic has been a victim of both types. If we want to view this topic responsively, we will have to see both sides, or all sides. Sure, one can say student debt cancelation hurts everyone, but raising tuition also hurts all, although mainly the poor. I don’t think this requires much explanation. A more educated society benefits all, which also doesn’t require much explanation.

I believe both colleges and government are complicit in blame for the increase in tuition. Sure, there is supply and demand, but when one knows the other will meet the challenge it becomes a whole other monster. We want a society in which all have opportunities, and not just opportunity for the rich. This doesn’t mean all will have the same outcome. Same outcome is communism. Speaking of communism, I have often heard talk about Cuba having free education because of communism, which is false. Cuba had free education way before communism, so maybe we need to figure that one out. We wouldn’t even be having this discussion if we had figured this out. Whether you favor capitalism or communism, greed is still a thing in both systems. The topic here, however, is should we cancel student debt?

On student debt cancelation, I'm in favor. Will it really hurt everyone? I highly doubt it…just the opposite. Our politicians seem to believe sending $40 billion to Ukraine, and constantly funneling money to other countries and giving to illegal aliens is the thing to do but helping Americans will somehow hurt everyone. Give me a break? A wall in the Southern border would have cost $25 billion and would have protected Americans for far less than many other expenses. They seem to want to protect everyone, except Americans. Student debt cancellation is more expensive, seemingly, but people having more money to spend helps the economy greatly. If anything, it increases consumer confidence, and that is always good, to say the least. I don't have all the solutions, but I think one can start by cancelling student debt for people making under $75 thousand annually, perhaps. To not drag this out too much, no way will student debt cancellation hurt almost everyone. A continued increase in college tuition will hurt all without a doubt.

 

Reference:

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/student-loans/college-tuition-inflation/#:~:text=Between%201980%20and%202020%2C%20the,there's%20more%20to%20the%20story.

Enjoy hot summers!

Try to enjoy summer even when it's too hot due to a heatwave. You never know what year you might not have a summer, such as in 1816 when Mount Tambora erupted.

Utopia?

Many want to live in a world of peace, love, utopian dreams, and where ignorance is bliss. Unfortunately, they are in the one with thugs, and corrupt politicians who use the leverage of tax funded offices to get wealthy while lying to them about the problems they'll resolve. The reality is that the only problems they are resolving are their own personal problems by making themselves rich and prosperous. Humans are corrupt; consequently, utopia is a fantasy.