tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20372724.post8891293707612427649..comments2023-09-01T09:38:54.262-04:00Comments on Dumb Looks Still Free: History is not inevitableA Jacksonianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07607888697879327120noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20372724.post-71854165251582057702007-06-29T07:33:00.000-04:002007-06-29T07:33:00.000-04:00Whiskey - My thanks!The modern Nation State does,...Whiskey - My thanks!<BR/><BR/>The modern Nation State does, indeed, have a role play in counter-terrorism work, but we have also seen the inability of the government to connect between the various INTs of the Intelligence Community, and such things as counter-narcotics, gray market goods smuggling, and even to find and crack down on the person-to-person financial networks like the Black Market Peso Exchange or even the hawalas from the Middle East. I went over that <A HREF="http://ajacksonian.blogspot.com/2007/05/follow-money-where.html" REL="nofollow">in this article</A>, and the actual ability of the US Government to get down to that level of tracking and enforcement is highly suspect. We do not give the Armed Forces that scope of power, either, for fear of the power that comes with it... yet the ability to go after these networks and take them down is a vital concern to the Nation State in the 21st century.<BR/><BR/>A large part of Nation State mobilization and awareness is actually calling crimes by their names, so that we can have good scope and purview upon them. When terrorism goes after US Commerce it is no longer *just* terrorism: <A HREF="http://ajacksonian.blogspot.com/2007/06/why-do-we-refuse-to-call-terrorism-for.html" REL="nofollow">it is Piracy</A>. Those commerce powers to enforce Treaties is well understood and addresses entire organizations and their supporters that act as Pirates. As these organizations are highly wide spread, dispersed and with few and capable individuals constantly recruiting, finding funding and starting operations, the ability of the Nation's currently scoped law enforcement, treasury, commerce, and military powers is not up to this job. To get them there is at least a decade of restructuring the Federal Government with no guarantee of success.<BR/><BR/>As an example, in taking down "The French Connection" was drug trafficking to the US stopped or even hindered? It was not, as it dispersed via multi-channels and addressed massive single operation movement of drugs and goods to become a multi-source, multi-operation affair that would and does continue to vex the US to this day. The same of gray market and black market goods arriving in the US. Multiple sting operations has put zero dent in this, as there is always a rich set of players to start up their own organizations. Terrorism has now passed into that state, also, with distributed adherents of terror concepts now being able to 'spin up' via the vested knowledge, background and multi-source suppliers of the Transnational Terrorism Internetwork.<BR/><BR/>What is needed is a tool to go after that entire network and start eroding it and harrying it and pulling it down piece by piece. The regular armed forces have their hands full with simply getting a couple of impoverished Nations up and running in a more or less orderly fashion. They also do not have the depth, breadth or scope of contacts available in the commercial world and are prohibited from using many such sources. The American People, however, are *not* so restricted as we are the source of businesses and we have thousands to tens of thousands of individuals involed in that as their daily lives. Here skill and knowledge of person-to-person networks trumps Nation State power due to Metcalf's Law of Networking. Private indivduals and companies must *utilize* their networks to do business and, thusly, have better scope and breadth of the actual problem than the government does. The National Government of the Nation State *still* has a part to play and a huge one... but it is not the fine tool to carve out the cancer while leaving the good tissue behind.<BR/><BR/>This is an attempt to engage people as individuals before the Flaming Terrible Swift Sword of the Republic is seen in its full might, bringing the cleansing flames with it. As a Citizen it is my duty to forestall that so that we may be held in respect by other Nations and that we may have a clear conscience for ourselves that all other avenues were exhausted. For if it comes to the Day of the Sword, it will strike first outwardly... then inwardly to start that process against those who tried to bring the Nation down by demeaning it. To be a Citizen I must fight against that Day.<BR/><BR/>And show a path so that We the People may trust ourselves to succeed, and have the naysayers come to the point of 'put up, or shut up'. I hope I can survive to see THAT day.A Jacksonianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07607888697879327120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20372724.post-79227733249802026112007-06-29T03:13:00.000-04:002007-06-29T03:13:00.000-04:00A Jacksonian --Excellent article as always. Love t...A Jacksonian --<BR/><BR/>Excellent article as always. Love the name, nice take on "A Square" I take it? From "Adventures in Flatland?"<BR/><BR/>However following the link to "Management of Savagery" and your argument for empowering individuals to use force against terrorists, I would counter-argue that we are not done with Nation States, and are seeing the beginnings of another Jacksonian Revolt.<BR/><BR/>The Senate Insiders and DC bigwigs including Bush thought they could as Lindsay Graham said "push back" on the American People and found out otherwise.<BR/><BR/>To solve the problem of Al Qaeda and other terror groups within the Ummah is conceptually very simple though terrifying. One however I think sadly we will get to (which is why I would prefer to stay in Iraq and Afghanistan, as long as possible, to forestall that).<BR/><BR/>I don't think we will get a "stab in the back" moment. And yes History is not inevitable. However, I do think that Bush, having thrown in his lot with the Dems, won't object to a surrender in Iraq and Afghanistan (Maxine Waters and the CBC demand it there as well saying "we've lost" and comparing it explicitly to Iraq). As a practical matter we can't hold Afghanistan if we run away from Iraq. Given a fragile air bridge as the only way to supply Afghanistan and it being surrounded by Iran and Pakistan on three sides.<BR/><BR/>In turn this white flag of surrender (about 3-4 K casualties to push us out of both countries, Iraq and Afghanistan) plus "hands of Iran" will put a giant "nuke me" sign on several US cities. Which WILL happen.<BR/><BR/>Now, what will the average joe, enraged, and seeing a direct and mortal threat to his life and his family's life think? He'll probably have friends and family that died in several dead US cities.<BR/><BR/>Well he'll think the most logical thing in the world. "This wouldn't happen if the Muslims were all dead." And do his best to make it so. Since we have the nukes to do it.<BR/><BR/>There is this great scene in Silverado. Linda Hunt tells Kevin Kline that the evil Sheriff (played by Brian Dennehy) can't threaten her if he's dead. Kline being a former gunfighter had simply put the possibility behind him since he didn't like killing. But Hunt reminded him and so he kills the Sheriff. <BR/><BR/>Average people are very likely to have that inner conversation. "They can't hurt us if they are dead."<BR/><BR/>I do not think an aroused populace will submit to the endless terror and destabilization that AQ or other groups propose. Since they are all Muslim the reaction of simply killing all Muslims which is technically achievable is sadly and horrifically inevitable once we lose cities.<BR/><BR/>In 1939 the War Office was horrified at the suggestion of bombing munitions factories in the Black Forest. Private property and all that. By 1942 Britain was sending waves of bombers on fire-bombing night raids after the Blitz.<BR/><BR/>Sadly in my opinion GWB's move to posture at the Wahabbist Mosque only makes this more inevitable. Like Lindsay Graham promising to "push back."Whiskeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01854764809682029464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20372724.post-72519691441531816752007-06-27T15:00:00.000-04:002007-06-27T15:00:00.000-04:00lesly - Thank you for dropping by!To me it is the ...lesly - Thank you for dropping by!<BR/><BR/>To me it is the Right, that lovely monobloc on the other side of the Left, that promotes this strange idea of transnational capitalism as a boon for mankind... rather than a boon for business. That is the Fonte link on the sidebar on the Transnational Left and Right.<BR/><BR/>Iraq, is a <A HREF="http://ajacksonian.blogspot.com/2007/01/building-mosaic-of-iraq.html" REL="nofollow">hefty mosaic at this point in time</A>, and trying to pin down anything while that mosaic is in flux is difficult. Trying to understand that mosaic view requires more than north-south views or even the Kurd/Arab view. The factors now playing themselves out in Iraq I looked at in my <A HREF="http://ajacksonian.blogspot.com/2006/07/peace-in-middle-east-checklist.html" REL="nofollow">Peace in the Middle East</A> article for extremely broad overview, and in my <A HREF="http://ajacksonian.blogspot.com/2006/07/fault-lines-shift-removing-status-quo.html" REL="nofollow">Faultlines of the Middle East</A> article, along with the <A HREF="http://ajacksonian.blogspot.com/2006/11/end-of-unreal-realists.html" REL="nofollow">Unreal 'Realists'</A> article and the ever chilling <A HREF="http://ajacksonian.blogspot.com/2006/11/it-is-dumb-looks-time-on-post-warism.html" REL="nofollow">Post-Warism</A> article for how the West has failed in a situation so similar to this for decades that our inability to name it and consider it bode ill for Western thought.<BR/><BR/>That mosaic article is telling, however, of something different happening in Iraq at this point in time than has had happened there for 4,000 years, which is in my <A HREF="http://ajacksonian.blogspot.com/2006/11/creating-army.html" REL="nofollow">Creating an Army</A> article. Going from absolute tyranny, with little living memory of *any* other system of government inside Iraq to where we are today, which is a highly transitory government set-up that has not shaken itself out yet, is one of the first glimmers of hope in Iraq for something better for at least 60 years and more like 1,500 years. To decry that it *is* transitory would be to put the US in 1783-87 into that exact same boat. A Nation *can* come out of this, but actually finding out if there is a Nation THERE is the test of the present.<BR/><BR/>The hopeful signs are in the Awakening Movement which has become, within bounds, a secular/technocratic government movement amongst the Sunni Arabs and is spreading from Anbar to surrounding provinces. If this sounds familiar, it is because it is the outlook the Kurds have had for some time, although from their own ethnic viewpoint, of course. This does not mean that it will succeed or that it can come to terms for long-term accord within Iraq, but to have ANY trendline upwards, no matter how frail, is a *start*... not an end.<BR/><BR/>Let us hope that America can find a way to renew democracy and be in the *middle* and not heading towards an *end*.<BR/><BR/>That is the way I see it... even with the complexities involved, there is motion there... deep motion in a part of the world that has never seen it before. Now we shall see if we have the heart to try to help it... and back up our fine words about all men being created equal with actual work to help another Nation step from the shadow of a tyrant. If we can't *try* then we are not worth our fine words and are damned for speaking them with a hollow tone.A Jacksonianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07607888697879327120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20372724.post-7523691291085094652007-06-27T13:48:00.000-04:002007-06-27T13:48:00.000-04:00A Jacksonian, great post. I would go further and s...A Jacksonian, great post. I would go further and say that the ruse is up. We know free trade isn't a catalyst for democratic ideals as trade liberals once believed, but neo-liberals continue promoting the myth for the interests of our economic elites.<BR/><BR/>Where we part company is this statement: "The trendlines for Iraq are good and headed upwards." Northern Iraq, perhaps, but lasting revolution must start from within, and Iraq's fate is a symptom of our own trendlines.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20372724.post-89667380670154008082007-06-27T07:34:00.000-04:002007-06-27T07:34:00.000-04:00Harrison - You have put together the best summati...Harrison - You have put together the best summation of this situation that I have read!<BR/><BR/>We are *exactly* at that point where the US is going to find out *if* there is a majority that wants to *have* a Nation. As a Nation we have clear guidance from the Founding Generation on what representative democracy *means* and why it is important to adhere to it so as to have a robust outlook of the Nation. Parties were a fine 18th and 19th century construct and served well all the way into the mass media era of the 1950's. The implications of the 1909-19 decisions for National Government was already restricting viewpoints and outlook and the supremacy of the mass-media era of 1955-2004 crystallized the stasis of the Cold War politics in the two parties. The flaws of that era of politics are now entirely the *basis* for the two parties.<BR/><BR/>The Cold War is over, and yet the arguments of it still drop like ice cubes from the mouths of the two parties. America has advanced, but her politics is mired in asinine questions of an era of stasis and divisiveness. And as that happened neither party saw reason or *want* to have inclusive democracy: they had their power elite and wanted that to continue forever onwards.<BR/><BR/>As I have said before and say again: put two dots on opposite sides of a piece of paper, connect them by a line, label one side 'Left' and the other 'Right', then cut out a large hole in the paper going through that line between them and shift the paper away from that hole. Between the Left and Right there is a mathematical 'center' that bears no relationship to the *real* Center. The argument of governing 'towards the center' is a lie as taking the middle of two ideologies no longer coincides with the center of the American People.<BR/><BR/>The American Revolution, like so many others, looks to be faltering and failing. It is but one Revolution and has lasted well and long. Now we can look to Madison, Hamilton, Jefferson, Washington, Lansing, 'Brutus', 'Federal Farmer' and many others and put forward: democracy *must* be representative of the majority of the People, not JUST the voters. I decry the state of affairs not as a conspiratorialist, but as a Free Man who does not like the way democracy is heading in my Nation. It does not take a conspiracy to get to this point, just willful blindness, vested interests and unwillingness to understand that to have a Nation one must support it as a Nation.<BR/><BR/>The trendlines for Iraq are good and headed upwards.<BR/><BR/>The trendlines for the US are bad and headed downwards.<BR/><BR/>Now the American Revolution truly gets tested. Do we mean what we say or don't we? If we don't, then we have set the example of what NOT to do. Let us hope the American People can learn from this... and change those trendlines back to democracy, and away from tryannical ideologues.A Jacksonianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07607888697879327120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20372724.post-49811119147851414952007-06-27T02:11:00.000-04:002007-06-27T02:11:00.000-04:00a jacksonian, I lament as well the state of affair...<B>a jacksonian</B>, I lament as well the state of affairs that the political system, electorate and the once time-honoured traditions of pluralist politics and demagoguery-free deliberation has degenerated into. <BR/><BR/>During the inter-war years, the sentiment of <I>dolchstosselegende</I>, or the "stab in the back" was easily exploited and amplified by the NSDAP - that Germany only lost the Great War in 1918 because the Weimar Republic acceded to that demand, thereby constituting a betrayal of the highest order: snatching "imminent" victory right under the noses of the Army. This myth of betrayal gradually became one of the more prominent cornerstones of the NSDAP programme as well as that of the Communists and Socialists.<BR/><BR/>In the years leading up to that momentous victory at the polls, both the Left and the Right constantly sought to undermine the Weimar Republic. They shared that common goal: to destabilise the government, render the political center powerless and ultimately precipitate the collapse of the Republic. Galvanising the masses behind that myth of betrayal (while conveniently papering over the disastrous miscalculations of the Generals themselves during the Great War), the Nazis were able to decisively grasp such a huge majority of the votes. <BR/><BR/>Yet in the post-war decades that ensued, when the extra-parliamentary tactics employed by the extreme Left and Right became indistinguishable, with both ends of the spectrum seeking to undermine the faith of the public in the governing center, the peoples of Western Europe responded by huddling towards the center, recognising and condemning the extreme parties for their regression into violence and eventual irrelevance. <BR/><BR/>It must have been eerily reminiscent of 1933 that Western Europeans saw in the mirror: the precedent set by the Nazis that shook the populations to the core - that ideological extremism and blind partisanship could only end up destroying the fragile vestiges of democracy and government.<BR/><BR/>So it seems prudent to suggest that the the US is seemingly beginning to learn this lesson: that the Left and the Right have descended into such blatant demagoguery, acrimonious disregard and the vicious cycle of partisanship, clientelism and witch-hunting; that both ends of the spectrum have betrayed the American people and served not the national interest but themselves and their vested objectives; that there is, tragically, no representative worth voting for at the elections.<BR/><BR/><B>a jacksonian</B>, you are right that this is not sheer laziness or inertia. Neither the Left nor the Right have descended into the type of extra-parliamentary behaviour that was typical of extreme left- and right-wing organisations in Western Europe in the '70s and '80s, but they seem to be tempting fate and toeing the line. The Right and definitely the Left have betrayed the people - perhaps this will be the galvanising force necessary to convince citizens to discredit these partisan hacks that roam the halls of Congress, and eventually carve out a center that is worth supporting and voting for.Harrisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17688001023588334672noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20372724.post-71127087290049938392007-06-26T21:10:00.000-04:002007-06-26T21:10:00.000-04:00"The future is not set. There is no fate but what ..."The future is not set. There is no fate but what we make for ourselves." - <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminator_2:_Judgment_Day" REL="nofollow">Sarah Connor remembering the words of Kyle Reese</A><BR/><BR/>And we only get ONE chance to do it right.<BR/><BR/>Welcome to the 21st century.A Jacksonianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07607888697879327120noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20372724.post-46015274154610054172007-06-26T20:26:00.000-04:002007-06-26T20:26:00.000-04:00I told a co-worker today that this is a brief mome...I told a co-worker today that this is a brief moment in the sun and a golden age when clean water flows from a tap, you flush your waste easily and the lights are on every night. Our tenure here has been so brief in the aspect of all that has past and it cannot last. Perhaps it would transition into the next genisis without too much destruction if our elected leader were truly noble and incorruptable but they're not and it wont. Gold of the future, coins? Scrip? Nope. Motorcycles, guns and ammo.Beto_Ochoahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15076511352920839840noreply@blogger.com