Inspiration is a funny thing for me. A lot of times ideas will pop into my mind, usually in the form of a sentence. Lately I am constantly preoccupied with why I suck at life, so the topic usually addresses that. Usually it's about relationships, my psychoticness, my psychoticness within relationships, or my relationships resulting in some form of psychoticness for either myself or the other individual. This is boring. You don't want to read that. So then I have to think...what else do I have the ability to write about (you know, the whole write what you know crap) and I remember the little fact that my life is consumed by all things political. Past, present, future...doesn't matter. I entertain myself with politics and study it until I want to vomit. Okay, so maybe it doesn't make me physically ill but because all things run in circles, it might contribute to my degree of psychoticness.
Anyway, this whole War on Terror/War in Iraq/Military fighting/dying everywhere business has got everyone all hot and bothered. When I say everyone I mean pacifists, cowards, unsmart people, sissies, weaklings and liberals. Note that by including those monikers in one category I am in no way implying that for example a liberal is the equivalent of an unsmart person or a sissy. Now trust me when I say I'm the kind of person that constantly wants to know the answer. I'll ask why to the annoying degree that a two year old might inquire why you're wearing brown shoes. A lot of times the answer to why can reveal a lot of information about the problem and if you're lucky, maybe a solution. Sometimes the effort is fruitless but that's okay.
I've spent a lot of time reading books that outline the beginnings of the conflict in the Middle East and as you can probably guess there are millions and each one gives a different reason why the fundamentalists are so entrenched within the region and why the conflict has escalated to the current degree. One has got to believe that in the midst of all of the accusations, half truths, and possible facts there is some notion of credibility. Perhaps the most significant literature I've encountered regarding this has been found in Peters Time Immemorial, a book I've mentioned many times before and spent a lot of time searching and scouring. It cites the initial conflict as the distribution of ancient Palestinian lands and disapproval of the Jewish faith. These arguments are engaging and perhaps important I think that more recent times and policy decisions, though ultimately deriving from the events Peters describes, have much more of an impact on the problem we face today.
Because the analysis beyond this point is worthy of a dozen posts I think I'll stop right here so as not to bore you more than I already have.
5 comments:
(www.halostation.com)
"Usually it's about relationships, my psychoticness, my psychoticness within relationships, or my relationships resulting in some form of psychoticness for either myself or the other individual."
Yeah, me too. I hope we all think about such. I doubt we do, just us few. I regret relationships and interactions often; I write it off as my cognitive ability of deep, possibly unnecessary analization, though it does help the writer/thinker with his/her craft. And when you live in Tennessee, you must often deal with the seemingly more primitive style of humanity on a more often basis. My parents and sister drive me insane sometimes. I hate seeing myself pulled in on all fronts. But it doesnt get me down (too much).
I'm a history/political science major at Tennessee Tech.
"I remember the little fact that my life is consumed by all things political. Past, present, future...doesn't matter. I entertain myself with politics and study it until I want to vomit."
Me too. Just checked out "history of the Grand Old Party." Nice book, though written in a simple faction. It does nicely cover corners I'm not familiar with--ala GOP before Nixon, minus Lincoln Repubs (as far as party platform goes).
"I've spent a lot of time reading books that outline the beginnings of the conflict in the Middle East and as you can probably guess there are millions and each one gives a different reason why the fundamentalists are so entrenched within the region and why the conflict has escalated to the current degree."
Read: "Inside the Mirage" "Charlie Wilson's War" "Jerusalem: one city, three faiths"
Ive studied the Middle East alot and have come to the conclusion that Richard Nixon is the main reason behind most of the problems we have had with Saudi Arabia, a facist, "immoral" (in our sense the same way as Iraq) country that we depend greatly on, who seems to support us at times but then in their own country put on another anti american face. Alot of that reasoning can be found in "Inside the Mirage." We built their bureacracy for them...with Americans. Their monarchy is corrupt, and the people know it. We have kissed their asses for along time, and I resent many of our decisions for it. Also, if your familiar with Iraq and Iran, you will know that we have funded both of these regimes in the past--Iran Shah in pre-1979, and Iraq in the eighties to fund the IRaq-Iran war. One Middle East Ambassador of ours (cant remember her formal position or her name at the time, but i can look it up) told saddam during the buildup of the IRaq-Kuwait situation (pre invasion, 1989) that the situation was a middle eastern one, and for them to work it out themselves. Saddam saw this as a green light. Couple that with the main problem, Saudi Arabia, and our funding of the Afghan war with the Soviets that we just pulled out of and did not rebuild, and you can see that we have our hands dirty in the buildup of the sum of problems over there, and I can see how middle easterners can view us as at fault. We are largely at fault and we do not admit to our mistakes. The failure to do so makes us immoral in the eyes of others (and myself). Our leaders hold such apologies aside in the name of global politics. Happens throughout history, though.
"Anyway, this whole War on Terror/War in Iraq/Military fighting/dying everywhere business has got everyone all hot and bothered. When I say everyone I mean pacifists, cowards, unsmart people, sissies, weaklings and liberals."
Truly sad to hear from a Hemmingway fan. War is always dirty. See: http://www.halostation.com/n3ws/archives/00000316.htm
For my complete reaction.
I can see the reasoning behind invading Iraq, and do not necessarily disagree. But the planning was a failure and Bush flip flopped his stance in the UN---in other words, he dropped the ball in the clutch. But thats for another debate.
"It cites the initial conflict as the distribution of ancient Palestinian lands and disapproval of the Jewish faith. These arguments are engaging and perhaps important I think that more recent times and policy decisions, though ultimately deriving from the events Peters describes, have much more of an impact on the problem we face today."
Forget the initial conflict. Focus on Zionism. Ariel (spelling) Sharon must be stopped. If Bush would admit to the massacres that Sharon has OPENLY committed and tell the world that he must be ousted from the leadership as he did about Arafat, progress could be made. Sharon did some god awful nasty things in the Eighties. Again, another debate.
But I am optimistic and hope for the best.
P.S. Beautiful pics. Want to see one of mine?
CORRECTION: actually, your right
"Anyway, this whole War on Terror/War in Iraq/Military fighting/dying everywhere business has got everyone all hot and bothered. When I say everyone I mean pacifists, cowards, unsmart people, sissies, weaklings and liberals."
But I catergorize them as the Shallow Uninformed.
Looking through your archives. What I meant by the "Hemmingway fan" thing was that obviously, war is hell---and yes, its as bad as he describes. Found this:
"Looking for someone to finally say no and to refuse the bullshit and finding only men wanting to be leashed and commanded."
Maybe its the groove one makes.
"Trying to let go of dreams and accept my own designed destiny."
I fight with it alot, but I finally came to a conclusion that the more one dreams the better, but don't take that at face value: you have to dream the dreams that are most satisfying and make you feel best inside. I feel they help fulfill destiny, if one manages themselves.
And watches out for ALL unnecessary grooves.
Thanks for your reading suggestions, I appreciate a new perspective. Funny that you mention Richard Nixon as the stimulus of our problems. I like Nixon for the most part but I do agree that some of his foreign policy was determined by how we as a country could domestically profit. My next post is actually about the Pahlavi "dynasty" of Iran and how I think it was the turning point of the modern conflict in the Middle East, but more on that later. For as long as history can tell, the Middle East has been stomped on by imperialism, colonialism, greed, and so many other nasty things and while some of these things may be a result of U.S. policy or action it doesn't necessitate nor justify the attempted destruction of the United States or Western World.
Many people find my political identity troubling. By instinct I'm a Libertarian but for practicalities sake I'm a Republican. It's a sad fact of the matter; though I promise somewhere deep down I have a heart...I just don't think the government should.
I wouldn't ever argue that war is bliss but I do see it as necessary in various cases, most especially when "the other side" clearly refuses to cooperate in a more intelligent and humanistic way. I know the horrors of war quite intimately as my family has long been a part of U.S. history.
As for the compliment, thank you and please share your picture, I enjoy putting a face to someone's words.
In regards to the other comment, I rather like the description of "shallow and uniformed".
My archives are down so I took a quick pic--first post at:
www.halostation.com
With all the illegal ease dropping (not only on watergate--he spied on war protestors too), silence, executive priveledges, admitted hatred toward certain ethnicities and communist witchunting against democrats in the fifties---then flip flopping and working with the Russians and Chinese in the (brilliant and successful) detente, there is not much that I can say I admire about Richard Nixon.
"it doesn't necessitate nor justify the attempted destruction of the United States or Western World."
Of course not. Doesn't mean there is only one way/perspective to tackle the problem.
"I wouldn't ever argue that war is bliss but I do see it as necessary in various cases"
Of course.
I am a conservative democrat, conservative in that I believe strongly in free enterprise in all areas except the regulation of food, water, energy, the environment, and transportation. I am a democrat in the spirit that I was born democrat, putting faith in the checks and balances of the two party system, and I will not change affiliations though I admit there are very few Democrats I admire today--in fact, I can't think of any. Bill Clinton largely failed us on the global stage. The government should never fund abortion. Marriage, which has its roots tied in religion, should never be embraced in governmental codes. If we cannot be an isolationist country of 50 democracies, then I subscribe to Carter's World Order politics.
I think the manner that Iraq was dealt with by the Administration was a huge moral failure (Bush: "Saddam, abide." Saddam abides. Bush: "Inspectors, I will go with what you say." Inspectors say no need for invasion. Bush: "Saddam, do this." Saddam obeys. Bush: "your all crazy. Get out or we attack"--Bush could have handled the situation much better). I understand the failures of the structure of the UN (really it reminds me of the Articles of the Confederation). I think Bush will make good strides in the structure of the international community, but the Middle East situation will not improve until our relationship with Israel, past and present, is properly confronted. Unlike his father, who was stern with Israel, I don't see this Bush making this confrontation.
I pretty much agree with all Republican issues on things, besides Bush's immigration policy, border control policy, and Iraq invasion-handling. Tort reform is needed in health care, im sure, but that field still needs some real socialized reform of some sort, starting with how we fund med schools. In fact health care and education are the two major issues for the future of this country, along with Homeland Security, of course.
Yours,
Josh Kinniard
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