So there's yet another story running about how US intelligence ignored even more 9/11 clues. Here's the thing. There's one of two possibilities:
- The hijackers were incompetent.
If this is the case (and there are certainly things that suggest it), then they were simply patsy's in a larger game. Their attacks were “allowed” to happen for political reasons.
- The hijackers were competent.
If this is the case, they could not realistically be stopped. If executed with skill, terrorist and even guerilla attacks are virtually impossible for a large community to defend against. Nothing we do can change that.
To the people who have been going on with statements like “war may be wrong, but at least the Iraqi people will be better off afterwards,” let me recommend history. Look at all the nations the US has “helped rebuild” in the last fifty years. Not a pretty sight at all!
"The church must be reminded that it is not the master or the servant of the state, but rather the conscience of the state."
- Martin Luther King
As I've mentioned a few times lately, I'm very glad to see that on the whole, the church network is opposed to war. Not the crazy freak Christians that are in power — I think most would agree they do a piss-poor job honoring God with any of their actions. Anyway, what interested me about this story is how the churches came to this conclusion. Since the 4th century (in theory), they have asked the following questions to determine their support for a war:
- Is the cause just?
- Will the benefits outweigh the damage caused?
- Will the war be proportionate and discriminate? (That is, how much force is needed, and how much collateral damage will be done?)
- Is this the last resort? Have all peaceful alternatives been tried?
Now, I can't say that I believe the church has always met that mandate — not even close if you ask me — but I say those are good rules for all of us. Bush et al ought to be asking all of those questions before the blood really starts flowing. (And remember, WWJB — What Would Jesus Buy?)
"How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think."
- Hitler
I'm glad these stories about the “Total Awareness” project are making news in the US, but I sure hope the average American reads them. If you believe in your country, as I assume most people do, it must be so strange to read such things… It can't even seem real, especially when set across the ever present backdrop of pending apocalypse. Even if America somehow avoids nuclear apocalypse, it still faces a cultural apocalypse in twenty five years as it becomes a Muslim nation.
"Let them hate us so long as they fear us."
- Caligula
Speaking of nuclear, 110 kg of raw uranium (hello dirty bomb?) was seized from al-Qaeda operatives. But hold on. Let's read that story more closely. It actually says “suspected raw uranium”. What they don't tell you (rewind a little) is that first, they're not even sure it's uranium, and second, it's just natural uranium — not enriched at all. It's not dangerous, and there's nothing to suggest these terrorists have the facilities to enrich it. So do read all these “scare stories” with a grain of salt.
Of course, I think they're not there to illuminate a genuine risk. They're there to prepare the public for a nuke ignited in the US by US government forces in order to facilitate political change. But let's hope I'm just being paranoid.
"In every State, the government is nothing but a permanent conspiracy on the part of the minority against the majority, which it enslaves and fleeces."
- Michael Bakunin
And thank god the Canadian government had the balls to say “no” to the missile defence shield. The whole thing is a non-functional joke, and I think it's very sad that the American people are getting conned into paying for it.
What the hell does it mean when something trebles? I mean, yes, I know that it means “tripled“, but unless I'm missing something it's an odd archaic choice of words.
"[Chemical and biological weapons] are used for many peaceful purposes, such as routine studies against disease, the creation of vaccines and the study of defensive measures against a biological attack. Detecting violations is nearly impossible. Proving a violation is impossible."
- US government
...in its objection to an international Biological Weapons Convention
Charlie Reese has some things to say about that, but I'll propose an idea as well: treat defence research as “open source”. That is, publish the results of bio-defence ideas in publicly available scientific journals, and form an international coalition which has the sole purpose of developing publicly accessible low-tech low-cost ways to eliminate these weapons. I'm sure we can do it.
Or we could go back on our words and actions, claim that even though both the inspectors and our past statements disagree, that we have no doubt that Iraq has weapons, and use “we didn't find any” as proof that they're hidden. That's like me telling someone that's straightedge that they're clearly on drugs because I don't see any drugs on them so they must have already taken them. It's stupid logic. What does it matter anyway, Rumsfield only plays the scare game so he can play the lie game and roll out the covert troops.
"Resistance to tyranny is service to God."
- James Madison
Anyway, we all know that if Iraq had nukes or other heavy weapons, we wouldn't even consider an invasion. That's why first North Korea is ignored, and now Iran as well is playing the nuke game.
But still, I'd hate to be a scientist in Iraq… Since they can't find weapons, what the US is proposing instead is to seize Iraq's scientists. They've said that if Iraq doesn't hand over its scientists (which will be transported out of the country to “debriefing camps”), it's more “proof”.
On the Kissinger (aka the Butcher of Cambodia) front (who's been put in charge of the “independent” 9/11 investigation), they've said that he is immune from conflict-of-interest investigations (he has many “global business clients” such as ExxonMobil, Arco, and so on, some of which have definite interest in the 9/11 events and aftermath).
"Washington is not America. It has become an alien city-state that rules America, and much of the rest of the world, in the way that Rome ruled the Roman Empire."
- Richard Maybury
As you probably know, Canada is decriminalising pot. The US has said that if Canada does this, they will retaliate by clamping down on the border to stop “drug tourism” and if it continues would consider “a boycott of Canadian products”. So basically, the US is willing to buy oil from dictators who abuse their people, but would cut off contact with a country that is “too liberal”. So I guess freedom is good, but only in small doses.
ObBodMod
Anyway, my digital camera is broken, so I'm going to scan some old pix:
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| I'm getting a vertical lowbret done (freaky no-eyebrows!); but can you tell what tools are being used? |
Action painting in highschool. No, it's not a vegan painting (look in the background). |
Getting anti-eyebrows done using a pair of custom titanium surface bars (made by me). |
Yes, they were a giant pain-in-the-ass. I don't personally recommend edge-piercings like this. |
