I am amused at the current brouhaha in the news about the hideous things the C.I.A. (can’t identify anything) did, after 9/11. They water boarded, deprived sleep for 180 hours, stuck drills into heads, and lot of really hideous things, which I wholly condemn. Even though I voted for him, for probably the first time, I agree with John McCain, who said that after he had been a prisoner in the "Hanoi Hilton" for seven years, he knows what torture is, and mostly prisoners will give any answer, just to get relief from the pain. I am not going to get into 9/11 here, except to say that it had nothing to do with the Arabs, even though they like to take credit for it. There are dozens of books and DVD’s about that subject, which if you wish to be informed, you will investigate them. Google 9/11, and they will appear for you. Even the very idea of Arabs who had great difficulty flying a Piper after months of flying school, could fly a huge jet into a building is absurd. At the Pentagon, where were the engines, fuselage, wings and tail outside the Pentagon?
Republicans say that the C.I.A.’s stuff is exaggerated and out of context, but they don’t deny that it happened. They counter that the Obama drones kill thousands of innocents, whereas the C.I.A.’s torture only gives pain to one person. That’s an argument I have to agree with, as would any thinking person. Remember the one time popular song, "Let’s Call The Whole Thing Off?" It had lots of verses, but one is typical: "You like potato, and I like potahto, you like tomato, and I like tomahto. Tomato, tomahto, potato, pothato, let’s call the whole thing off." I say, "C.I.A. likes torture, Obama likes drones, and I like neither, so let’s call the whole thing off." Here we go again with my neutrality subject. Has there been any terrorist threats or attacks in any neutral nation? Have there been any bombings of subways as in Britain, or other acts of violence IN ANY NATION WHICH HAS NOT PARTICIPATED IN IRAQ, or AFGHANISTAN? Has Switzerland had terrorist attacks or threats? Has Sweden, Norway, or Portugal? They have Minded Their Own Business (MYOB), and their ’defense’ budget is microscopic, if it even exists at all, because they chose to mind their own business. As I finish this, in Sidney Australia, a Muslim terrorist is barricaded in a cafe, holding 30 prisoners. The Aussies indeed do and did have troops in both Iraq and Afghanistan.
Do you realize how much of our depreciating dollars have been spent in Iraq and Afghanistan, with the only result being virtually nothing, other than a trillion dollars spent, thousands of troops killed, plus hundreds of thousands of innocents killed and virtual total destruction of dwellings, museums, infrastructure, etc? If our national debt is high, thanks to irresponsible Congress and Presidents, the military expenses for trying to be the policeman of the world, is huge, and our success is zero, other than making Muslims hate us and try to destroy us. We’re being threatened and targeted, not because we are a democracy, and sort of prosperous, if you discard out debts and bureaucracy, but because we invaded their nations. If we brought every troop and vehicle home tomorrow and said "We’re sorry, we’re out of here, and good luck," threats to us would cease to exist.
Send returning troops to the Mexican border, and instruct them to stop all crossings. All, because if they were legal, they wouldn’t be crossing the border. Stop the trains and unload them from all the kids, adults, and others who are crossing with a free ride. Speaking of Mexico, I admit that my knowledge of it was sparse, but not so much any longer. I have just finished a book titled, "Mexico-Path To A Failed State?" by Professor Michael Lauderdale. He starts starts at the beginning, with the founding of Mexico, and goes through every period as if by magic, explaining how they developed, fought, died, and how they feel down to this time. Mexico has race problems, and not between blacks and whites. It has sections rife with poverty. The details of Lauderdale’s exegesis is amazing. He goes into the cartels, border factories, and even the Alamo. Wonderful book! If you want to inform yourself about our southern neighbor, you will love this book!
Gone With The Wind
’Gone With The Wind?" Yes, because on this date, December 15th, 1939, in Atlanta Georgia, David O Selznick’s masterwork, the glory of his life, "Gone With The Wind," Premiered at the Loews Grand Theatre, (destroyed by fire in 1978) in Atlanta. It was probably the most lavish premier in film history. Schools were out, the mayor declared a three day holiday, and all government offices were closed. A million came to Atlanta to witness the event. 300,000 lined the streets from the airport to downtown. Clark Gable arrived in his own private plane, boldly lettered, "Clark Gable – Rhett Butler." Thousands dressed in Civil War outfits, and there was dancing in the street for three days. Margaret Mitchell, the author was there, as was Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, and all the stars, who stayed at the Georgian Terrace Hotel. Spotlights swept the sky, and there were balls by the dozens, with Civil War vets being welcomed by one and all. Vivian Leigh, who portrayed Scarlett O’Hara, was in her first film, followed by dozens in years following. This happed 75 years ago, and Atlanta still fondly remembers that date, when "Gone With The Wind," had a most lavish premier. That film has been watched by more viewers than any other movie in history. (Every time I watch it I am always disgusted by the total mis-casting of Leslie Howard as Scarlett’s would be lover. That British accent has no place in a film about the South).