US military intervention in Syria (AKA stupid idea #809723-76)

I’m going to go on the record now and say that this “Syria thing” is a bad idea. Despite my sometimes contrary view to US policy, I love my country. And for us to get involved, in the way were looking at getting involved, is a real bad idea. 

Now first let’s clarify, the United States isn’t the only nation whose government thinks that military intervention is a good idea. France, Germany and the UK also feel that a military strike and appropriately severe punishment of the Syrian government’s actions are warranted. However, because we have the vastly larger military resources, everybody wants us to lead it. And while it is true that we have those resources, we don’t necessarily have the money, unless we want to bank on the contracts for rebuilding Syria later bolstering our economy (hello KBR and DynCorp). However, cost is hardly the only reason we shouldn’t be involved in a military fashion. 

#1: This has been going on for two and half years…for two and a half years, innocent civilians have been caught in the crossfire, targeted from government helicopters, shot, blown up and reportedly tortured. Two and a half years of killing, two and a half years of people around the Middle East saying that if the west didn’t get involved, we were complicit and for two and a half years we ignored it. Suddenly, dubious video surfaces showing what appear to be casualties of chemical warfare, and now it’s a crime against humanity? What was it before-a day at Disneyland? All war is ugly, all war is a crime against humanity, all war causes generations of loss to the men and women and children involved and to the nations fighting. All war causes soldiers to “get dead”, families to be shattered, and children to lose parents. And lately, if not as far back as the beginning of warfare, all war causes some opportunistic organizations to get rich. I don't see the huge difference between conventional war and the use of chemical weapons, chemicals are painful and horrible to watch...but so are explosions. Maybe wars should be fought in the most brutal way possible, scores of dead should line the streets, prisoners ought not to be taken, and anybody in the kill zone should be killed. Buildings reduced to gravel, infrastructure destroyed, the smoke seen from thousands of miles away. I'm talking "scorched earth". Armies deployed until the fighting is over. Maybe if we as humans fought this way, the people so anxious to go to war might not be so damn excited about it next time.

#2: The Governments of some western nations want to initiate military action, but in recent polls the citizens of both the UK and the US are showing no desire to do any such thing . Some polls show support for military intervention at only 9-25%. The governments of all western nations, regardless of their specific system of government are in place to represent the will of the people. 25% is clearly not the will of the people.

#3: Who did what exactly? And do we have any proof of it? Bashar Al-Assad looks like a mad scientist or evil genius from a cartoon…but is he? Was he really stupid enough to use chemical weapons on his own people? Knowing that the world was watching, knowing that the use of such weapons would be crossing lines and therefore almost surely provoke a response? Or was it a set-up? Was it staged? And if so, who staged it? Point being that unless that information is secret (and it may well be), we don't have the answers.

#4: The rebel/opposition groups are splintered a minimum of three ways. At least one of those groups has serious ties to Al-Qaeda and doesn’tlike the US, the west, or Israel and wants to install a strict Islamist state in Syria. Not a secular government, not a democratic government, but rather a fundamentalist/extremist government…are we sure we want to help them to that end?

#5: What’s the plan? What exactly are we going to strike? Civilians still live in Damascus. Reporters are still reporting from Damascus, what are we going to hit? What’s the strategic plan here…we have said before that we have no intentions of installing a new regime, that job lies with the Syrian people, so what’s the plan, fight the war for the guys who want stuff to change, turn the tide in their favor and then watch as they massacre the Government side? Does anybody think that Assad will just leave, and the opposition groups will unite and hold elections next year? That those who supported the Government won’t be slaughtered en-masse?  Has anybody looked at Iraq lately? How’s that going?

So what should we do? Continue ignoring the death?

I propose that instead of a strike, we take a three pronged approach. First of all, deal with casualties. The ICRC is overwhelmed. We have the resources to bolster them medically, logistically and administratively. We have the resources to evacuate and treat the most injured. And we have four warships of the coast with air support that are prepared to blow anybody who thinks about stopping us with a hostile act, all the way back to the stone-age...maybe even prehistory. Second, It's time to help out Turkey and Lebanon with Refugees, entire families have been displaced, lives have been destroyed, all belongings have been lost. We can spread out the rest of those refugees between intervention countries. Nobody with serious criminal history, nobody with political ties or military ties to either side. Just the families stuck in a refugee camp where they've been for the past 2 years. And I know, especially after Boston, nobody in the states is all that happy with the whole idea of a refugee, so lets be real about it, take off our politically correct suit for a minute and just tell them how it is. (i.e.: "The goal in the US is at least partial assimilation, you have to learn the language, you have to contribute and we don't care where you came from but you have to follow the laws or face immediate deportation") Between Middle Eastern states, Asian states, European states, African states, and North and South American states (all of which have voiced concern and condemnation), there is plenty of room. 5 year refugee status would allow the area to stabilize, all the idiots to kill themselves off, and not further create a 5 year gap in the lives of refugees in the camps. Thirdly, its time to shame Russia, China and Iran (who has slightly changed its tone in the last 24 hours) . They've done more than just stand by, they've blocked everything at the UN, even peacekeepers. Launching missiles is a pretty drastic step, so before its done, I think President Obama, PM David Cameron, and President Hollande (to name a few) ought to stand on a stage, even three different stages and just plain as day say "Hey President Putin and president XI Jinping, this blood is on your hands, your ally has committed atrocities, and its 100% attributable to you, your donations and your political support". Its time, they've blocked the UN at every turn, its time to hold them publicly accountable for the blood on their hands.

I think that if we take a serious look, we'd find that a preponderance of the evidence shows a lack of US understanding when it comes to Middle East affairs. We don't know the culture, we don't know the tribes, the language has many dialects, and the religion is as complex as anything we've ever dealt with. I believe it foolhardy at best, to enter a region like that, at our level of understanding with a gun, yet having no will to use it to the bitter end. Small attacks will anger both sides, regime change will cause further instability, and both sides are friends of terrorist organizations. We have no place in this conflict, except in a humanitarian sense. Mark my words, an attack is a mistake and will lead to the further loss of American lives. I truly hope that the president seeks congressional approval, and that congress sends him packing.

So you've read what amounts to my opinion, or maybe you just skimmed it. As always, know that it's just my opinion, and "opinions are like..."well you know how that saying goes. 

 If you want to help, both of these organizations could always use it.

International Committee of the Red Cross

International Rescue Committee

"You Cowardly Americans"

The title is in reference to a comment I read today on a "Salon" article, I don't usually delve this deep into politics here, I have other outlets for that, but I think the significance of the comment bears repeating.

The last time I remember things going right in my country was 2007, I was well employed, well paid, well financed and was buying like crazy. I owned a house and 3 large vehicles, I had everything I needed and more. I had almost everything I wanted. When all hell started breaking loose with the housing bubble, financial scandals and the like, things just rapidly began to...to suck. Mistakes that many of us made suddenly came to light, myself fully included in that. Many of us who considered ourselves "Conservatives" or "Republicans" took an honest look in the mirror and hung our heads in shame. We knew what we'd done, we'd borrowed on margin, overspent, bet on luck and our luck had run out. Sure there was a scandal or two out there, but if we hadn't been stupid with our money, nothing would have ever touched us...at least that's what we told ourselves. Part of the "Conservative" self image comes with a little thing we like to call "personal responsibility", and instead of practicing it, we'd partied our stupid asses off like drunken frat boys on a Vegas vacation. Pools, hot-tubs, oversize houses, golf club memberships, iPod's, iPhones, iPad's, student loans, cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles...you name it, we had it. Our kids didn't work, and we didn't worry about it...there was always money on "the card". I've recently begun to look at that a little differently...the personal responsibility is still there, but it's just that, personal. Personally, I should have had the foresight and the wherewithal to take a look around me and realize just how many people had their hands in my wallet while smiling to my face. But as long as the money didn't run out, I didn't worry about it. Nowadays however, I worry enough for both of us.

I ended up running away screaming from the Republicans (fat old elephants), but stopped short of running into the open arms of the Democrats (braying asses), I looked in the Libertarian (might as well be an anarchist) window for a minute, but that window is something akin to a smoky stained glass design of a hundred splinters. I finally settled on "independent" whatever the hell that means. I think I'm half humanist, half democratic socialist, half I don't know what (Yes, I'm aware that makes me an improper fraction :-) ). So now that my rose colored glasses have been knocked from my face and have shattered on the ground lets take a look at the 2000's with clearer eyesight. Stop me if you've heard this one:

• Enron Scandal
• Arthur Anderson
• WorldCom (Now Verizon!) Collapse and Scandal
• Iraq War (revealed in 2012-13 to be based on complete falsehoods and deliberately doctored information)
• Abu Garib Scandal
• Blackwater
• Halliburton
• Countrywide Scandal (The real beginning of the housing bust) (Oh and you know who had a 0% Countywide loan? Retired US Senator and one time Presidential hopeful Chris Dodd!)
• WAMU collapse and "Golden Parachute" discussion starter!
• Taylor Bean and Whittaker Collapse and raid by the FBI (Who up until last week was negatively affecting my credit report)
• Bernie Madoff
• Bailouts
• Lehman Brothers
• BP Gulf Horizon
• Illegal Home Foreclosures, yes Illegal and inappropriate even, some actually based on race and race alone!
• Benghazi
• Cairo 
• IRS wrongfully targeting conservative groups for extra scrutiny
• NSA potentially illegal surveillance
• And today, the thing that started me thinking... 6 Bank of America employees give depositions that they were paid to foreclose on homes, given bonuses to lie to customers, and illegally and inappropriately deny loan modifications link. 

Hmm...who did I forget...Oh yeah, THESE GUYS!

• John Edwards
• Mark Sanford
• Rod Blagojevich
• Elliott Spitzer
• Gary Condit
• Scooter Libby
• Mark Foley
• Jack Abramoff
• Tom Delay
• Bernie Kerik
• Randy Cunningham

All of these events and all of these people have done something either inappropriate or illegal either to you or in your name...in my name...in the name of Freedom and the United States of America! Very few of them are in prison, very few are poor, none are homeless. Here's my problem with that. I actually like my Country, I kinda served her once or twice and I don't think I should have to stand for this crap. However, we never really noticed stuff as long as we had money to burn, and now it seems a little too late to put the proverbial cat back in the bag. Now when you complain, the Usurpers of the system tell you that they're the Americans, and that you, well your just a discontent, a troublemaker, a commie, unpatriotic,  liberal idiot, hippie dreamer, tree hugging slack jawed faggot. The people who stole money from you, took bribes, employed illegal aliens, threw your neighbors out of their homes, passed laws they couldn't follow themselves, killed civilians, illegally monitored you in the name of "National Security" lied to you, lied again, and then lied about the lie. They're calling themselves the real Americans, and unfortunately, were all too damn stupid to notice.

So to that I say 'Merica! Fuck Yeah!

The comment that I paraphrased in the title comes from a commenter on the "Salon" piece about BofA. He states something to the effect that he finds it ironic that the US calls the French cowards, and yet the rest of the world looks at us that way. He ties it in to the demands for "heads to roll, guillotine style" in the BofA scandal. He doesn't tie it in to the wars we fight or the things we do, but rather what gets done to us and in our name, the things we allow. He goes on to say that our Government hasn't said "let them eat cake", but has instead put on a grin and said "yes, yes, you can have it all!" and then turned around, laughing all the way back to their McMansion's while they rob us blind (and I imagine us standing their like a pitiful version of a 21st century Oliver Twist played by Justin Bieber)....then he throws in some "stupid American's" and some LOL's and I suddenly find my hands trembling, and I'm practically blind with rage...but not at the author of the comment.

I don't have any political activist friends, probably a good thing, I don't much care for burn out hipsters or people in "cooky" red hats. My friends are doctors, paramedics, nurses, firefighters, cops, accountants, soldiers, sailors, business owners, professors and the like. They aren't going to like this, not one bit. It's going to feel hostile to them, its going to feel like an attack on their way of life and its not. Rather, its a criticism of the tolerance that we've built up to being screwed over. We fight amongst ourselves for the scraps from the table and look to each other as the problem, maybe were just too stupid to look up. Whatever the cause, try and remember, the more scandals break, the more stupid comments Jeb Bush makes, and the more Sarah Palin comes in and out of the spotlight, the more racial and sexual tension they can stir up, the less anybody focuses on the problem at hand. Were being robbed, spied on, thrown out and laughed at...and were fighting for the privilege, fighting for the idea that right around the corner is our magic ticket to the top. I call "Bullshit" 

I hope the NSA enjoyed reading this, I'll be home on the 3rd of July guys, flying through Detroit and desiring nothing more than a cold beer in my own back yard. I'm not crazy, I'm not a terrorist, I haven't been "radicalized", this isn't a "manifesto", I pay my taxes, live my life, do my job. I've served, my friends and family have served and some of them didn't come home. I have all the right in the world to question the crap being pulled to "keep me safe" and wonder why there are men getting rich driving companies into the ground, why my elected officials abuse perks, take bribes, and why the majority of the people stealing on a million dollar scale are doing less prison time than a kid who robs the 7-11.

*I support a coalition of action against #NSA surveillance. Join me – ask US Congress to stop the NSA's alleged actions: stopwatching.us
* The web is meant to be open and free. Join me in asking US Congress to stop #NSA surveillance: stopwatching.us

The "Do's" and "Don'ts" of Saudi

Saudi Gazette has today run an opinion piece about the "Big Do's and Don'ts in Saudi Arabia".

http://www.saudigazette.com.sa/index.cfm?method=home.regcon&contentid=20130305155527

On my first read of this piece, I thought that the author, a Saudi Academic had done a pretty good job of covering the basic aspects of Saudi Culture and some of the better ways to approach topics you had questions about. However, as I thought about it, and gave it a second look, I realized that pretty much his opinion of the do's and "don'ts" was  a little bit skewed. It seems that in the authors eyes, the "do's" are to visit and work in Saudi Arabia with an open mind, and to ask questions about select topics i.e. Islam from the perspective of one who wants to learn rather than one who wants to judge. The Don'ts however, were a much larger section: Don't ask about multiple wives, women driving, Israel, etc...

On my third read of the piece, I realized that this was basically a piece that said "Welcome to Saudi Arabia, if you want to convert welcome, otherwise stay out of the kitchen for the time that your here."

Here's my problem...this guy is way out of touch with his own populace. Forget the fact that he basically just gave a nationalist speech in the 21st century, forget the fact that he seems to be one of the people that harbors the opinion that expats such as myself are here not because of our expertise but strictly because the Kingdom was kind enough to hire us...forget all of that. This "Saudi Academic" lumps his entire Kingdom's population into one group. He ignores the most basic differences such as Gender, Religious sect, Tribe, Wealth and Social Status and whats worse he completely ignores the fact that some Saudi's might feel differently than other Saudi's. Apparently in this man's mind, despite being educated in Major Saudi Universities, the UK, the United States, Germany, Japan, etc. Despite reading books, watching television, and watching world news. Despite the millennial generation being the first one in Saudi History that HAS to work, and despite a growing class of impoverished Saudi's...Apparently despite all of that, Saudi Arabians have emerged with a single collectivist brain and uniform thoughts. Therefore this man can write an "Us vs. Them" article lumping all Saudi's into one group and the rest of the world into another.

A gross ignorance to or misunderstanding of ones own changing culture is dangerous. If any threat to Saudi Arabia exists, this is where it will come from. It will not come from outside, Iran will not start a war, The US and our "Rock n' Roll" and "Loose Women" won't bring you down. Failing to understand the situation facing the millennial generation, and failing to see how they are changing and take steps to understand their concerns, to listen to their voices...that will be where your problem begins. Or maybe "began" is a better way to describe it.

Breaking News: US Embassy attack

US Embassy in Ankara, Turkey attacked in a suspected suicide bombing.  Two are reported dead, with one serious injury....no claim of responsibility yet. Although apparently the bomber was a member of a "leftist domestic group" in Turkey. 

This makes three US diplomatic facilities attacked in less than 6 months.  This isn't going to go well, and new Secretary of State John Kerry has his hands full on week 1...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-21293598

http://news.sky.com/story/1046168/turkey-americans-warned-after-embassy-attack

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/01/world/europe/turkey-embassy-explosion/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

You just can't put Saudi's in a box...

First of all this topic deserves an ongoing blog of its own and I might just do that.  Second of all, of course you can't!  They're too big and even if you get 'em to fit they can't breathe unless you poke a lot of holes!**  

Seriously though, it seems every time I figure something out about the world, or people in the world, someone comes along and proves me wrong.  This happens constantly here!  For whatever reason, my brain is always trying to establish a baseline for things, including cultures I guess.  It wants to be able to say that "the mean is this and with the exception of a few outliers, the rule holds true".  Except that it doesn't.  Almost never does it work out to be a "safe" and  "general" description. 

To prove that to me today, a writer in Arab News, who I generally don't like, in fact that I generally really don't like wrote an op-ed piece that I like.  Not only do I like it, but I agree wholeheartedly with what she has to say.  Sabria S. Jawhar writes this piece http://www.arabnews.com/don%E2%80%99t-get-too-excited-about-jeddah%E2%80%99s-new-aquarium and while it brings Jeddah's new aquarium to the attention of people who didn't know about it (such as myself!) it more directly pokes at the Haia for their ultra-conservatist views on morality and the ways in which they must enforce their world view.  This is the type of behavior that gets bloggers arrested, expats kicked out, and my comments on the online article erased.   And yet, she wrote it, published it and it made the final cut of a state or VERY close to state owned newspaper.

So, back to the box...barring the article disappearing tomorrow and the author suddenly getting fired for incompetence...these things happened.  An author saw a possible problem in Saudi society that she wanted to address.  She then wrote about it and submitted it, her editor let it run, the printer printed it and the distributor distributed it. 

You just can't put Saudi's in a box, no matter how much that joke makes me giggle sometimes, it's true.  Stereotyping and categorizing human beings with free will is impossible. 

**Note to my newer ESL readers, that second part is a joke, it's sarcasm based on a "play on words" and concepts. 

**Also, this was first brought to my attention from another bloggers post, http://www.nzpounamu.com/2013/01/dont-get-too-excited-about-jeddahs-new.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+KiwiLivingInSaudiWhatToDo+%28Kiwi+Living+in+Saudi%3A+What+to+do%3F%29  She can be found at the link listed and writes a great blog from a totally different city, generation, gender, background and angle than I do.  Check her out! 

Wadjda goes to the movies, but not here...

The 2012 Film Wadja premiers tonight at the Dubai International Film Festival.  The film is the story of a young Saudi girl who wants to ride a bicycle.  This of course isn't really "allowed" here in Saudi and as the story progresses it confronts some of the issues with women, freedom and society here in the Kingdom.  The film was shot in Saudi Arabia, and admittedly is not a harsh judge of the Kingdom.  Despite that though, a movie shot here in the Kingdom, about the Kingdom will not be shown in the Kingdom because cinemas are still banned here even in the 21st century.  I think what drives me nuts about that is that not only is it backwards, but all the same things are watched on TV and downloaded unedited. 

If nothing else imagine the potential revenue source cinemas would be, while at the same time reducing pirating and employing local workers.  The Kingdom could even show only the movies it felt appropriate.  But nope.  No movies...

Here is a link to the IMDB page on the film and a much better write up than I could give you. 

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2258858/

I flew 10,000 miles to eat at McDonalds...

People bash fast food but I won't do any such thing.  I try and stay away from it, but it has its time and place.  Sure it's disgusting; saturated fat, stuffed with preservatives and additives, grease and ingredients that were last fresh sometime around the mid twentieth century.  It's also DELICIOUS!  Food isn't an issue when you get to Saudi, pretty much everything is available, and the local fare is familiar to the American pallet.  However, every now and then you want a fast taste of American home, and considering that Saudi's love American fast food...why not head over to Mickey D's!  What shocked me most the first time was the cleanliness of the restaurant, then despite the slight language barrier the friendliness of the cashier and the staff.  Quickly followed by the king of my pleasant surprises when I bit into my beautifully assembled, perfect temperature, better than I'd ever had "Quarter Pounder with Cheese".  That's right the 'ol "Royale with Cheese" of Pulp Fiction fame, the same burger I've been ordering since I was a kid and you guys killed the old McDLT.  I had to come to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to taste it the way it was meant to be, to eat it in a clean restaurant with friendly service.  To really enjoy it!  Over the next few months, I gained a few pounds discovering that it wasn't just McDonalds that was better, but Subway, Taco Bell, and Hardee's too!

This is why, I can't in any way shape or form support an American walkout of fast food workers.  I know you're not all teenagers working after school, but $15 an hour?  Really?  For crappy food and crappy service?  WTF guys...Maybe's its completely different on the East Coast, but in 2012 in the Midwest and the south, it hadn't changed one bit.  The cashier mumbles, the drive thru girls is high as a kite, the order is always wrong, the "manager" is sleeping off a hangover, and two of your shift workers didn't show up due to their incarceration last night.  Therefore, the floors are dirty, everything rushed, and the situation is generally just crap.  Long before I realized I was getting older and ought to start watching what I put into my body, I stopped eating fast food.  I did this because going to the place was disgusting, and everybody working had either taken a ride on my ambulance or was a probation client of my wife's. 

So instead of walking out and throwing a tantrum try this, take a little pride in what you do, whatever it may be.  Take a little pride in yourself.  Work hard and thank your lucky stars, God, The Aliens or the Great Spaghetti Monster that you were born in the USA.  That your version of "starvation" comes with an iPhone and cigarettes. 

Bangladesh is Burning

Just in time for US shoppers to hit up all the stores for Black Friday, "the high cost of low prices"* once again reared it's ugly head.  Factory Fires in Bangladesh have again given attention to the fact that you're only able to buy a $5 T-shit in Wal-Mart because someone else, somewhere else suffers.  These $5 shirts and similar low priced clothing are also available here in the KSA.

I don't have a whole lot to say on the issue, but I did think I would forward this link to a petition on Change.org.  Read it for yourself before you sign it, but it for the most part simply asks the major buyers to push for a worker involved fire safety plan, and the transparency to monitor such a program.  Every year, hundreds of workers die in clothing and textile factories in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Taiwan and elsewhere.  I'm not going to suggest that all of the workers should be paid US style wages, as such a thing is just obnoxious hippy dreaming, however fire safety and fire escapes are basic human rights that should be afforded to all. 

Here's the link to the petition:

http://www.change.org/petitions/walmart-h-m-gap-join-fire-safety-program-fix-death-trap-factories

*"The High Cost of low Prices" is the Subtitle to a 2005 Documentary.  I doubt that they'd mind me using it in this case, but I have to admit...I didn't ask.  Here's a link to the Film's website:  http://www.walmartmovie.com/

**UPDATE**  Three managers have been arrested for refusing to allow workers to leave their stations when the Fire Alarm bells rang.

I'd also like to re-write an above sentence, since I fly solo without an editor (obviously!) I think that's allowed.  so:  "Every year hundreds of workers are burned alive in what can best be described as the inferno's of hell, many are overcome with smoke before the fire reaches them, but some suffer the much worse fate of having their skin roasted from their bones by temperatures upwards of 900 degree's Fahrenheit"   I thought that was a little more fitting, a little truer.  I spent a combined total of 9 years as a firefighter.  I think I have some knowledge on the subject. 

Blowing off a little steam

OK, the American political commentary is getting out of hand.  No, wait, its real F-ing far out of hand.  Its so insanely out of hand that I don't want to argue any more.  I want to cry, I want to hide under my covers like I did when I was 5.  I want to do what some people do and have a good long cry.  I want to get the girlfriends together, give each other manicures, watch Eat-Love-Pray and chow down on some Freakin Cookie Dough!!! WAIT...WTF DID I JUST SAY????  Oh well, F-it...THAT'S how frustrated I am, I'm having out of my mind experiences!

Lets get a few things about me straight upfront:

Age: 35

Education: Incomplete MBA, Undergrad Focus: Business and History

3 years Technical school prior to college (8 years in a classroom after high school)

Service:  Country: USMC Infantry Local: City Councilman, Foster Parent, Soccer Coach

Demographic:  Employed, 6 Figure salary, Homeowner, Whit-ish, Heterosexual, Divorced (Because she had to find herself)

Exposure to the world:  20 US States,  10 Countries, 4 Continents

Political Views:  Damn near a Libertarian on some things, Damn near a Humanist on others, but a registered Republican who has voted Democrat in the last 2 National Elections

Years unemployed since birth: 13 Years unemployed since coming of working age: 0

Years working 2 Jobs: 11 Days on Unemployment: 0

Weaknesses/Temptations:  Beer, Summer Dresses and the girls who know how to wear them, animals, New Orleans, Boudin, Tattoo's, BBQ's, motorcycles, good books, Rock and Roll, boats, The Blue's, beer, Jeans and the girls who know how to wear them, coy, snarky smiles and the girls who know how to wear them, girls not wearing anything who know how to wear it, beer...OK that's enough, sorry hopefully you now see that I'm a man with at least average intelligence, complete with dreams, hopes, ambitions and faults (notice the repetitive themes...) who for the most part has tried to do his civic duty for his entire life thus far.  

The American economy is in a shambles.  Our infrastructure isn't that far behind, and our current path is the very definition of "unsustainable".  OK, this I know.  I also know that the process didn't start during the term of the last president, it started a long time ago.  This isn't what I want to talk about.  Guys and Gals far smarter than me with entire lives dedicated to Economics and running models have beaten this dead horse until you could literally pour the poor bastard into a glue bottle.  I want to talk about the hypocrisy of the average American, of my friends and family.  Of any poor soul unfortunate enough to stumble upon this blog.  

Something has to change, we all know this.  But the cry from the rooftops for "secession" (Traitors) and the cry for the "end to welfare" are getting really stupid.   So I want to take a look at all the government bennies and government protections you and your family have taken advantage of over the years that you or your family have conveniently forgotten about.  Lets start with the boring stuff.

Student Loans:  If you've taken 1 penny of students loans, you've taken government money.  You didn't really think you deserved a federally guaranteed sum of money at 3%-8% interest and 30 years to pay it off did you?  You didn't really think that a BA in Psychology was going to get you anything anyway did you?  You didn't really think that "all nighters" over at the "I eta Pi" house was the best use of GOVERNMENT MONEY did you? You should have paid it out of your own pocket, joined the military or should have had to seek funding on the free market.  At 18, if you could have found any funds the interest rate would probably have been around 29%.  You're Welcome :)

"Scholarship" programs:   Scholarships, true scholarships are given by either schools or private industry (who probably take federal money) because of the outstanding academic performance of a student and the potential for that student to somehow advance their goal upon graduation.  Getting 2 years of college paid for (such as Missouri A+) by getting a 3.0 and doing 40 hours of tutoring with some hot chick is just not-quite-a-"scholarship".  So if you or your kid took one of these, guess what?  You're a TAKER!!!  You're Welcome :)

Tax Deductions:  You think Romney sheltered money?  Of course he did!  That's the system!  You do it too!  You write off mileage, home improvements,  children you chose to have, houses you chose to buy, clothes you need to go to work.  You hide every penny possible from the government and then blame us going broke on "the takers"!

Social services for needy families:  We all have a few of the less than stellar family members don't we?  We all have a few that made some poor choices or found themselves in unfortunate situations don't we?  Maybe it was us...How many of us moved them into our houses (I did once).  How many of us cashed out our savings to help them get on their feet?  (I have family who did).  Bottom line: Women's shelters, Children's shelters, Guardian Ad Litem's, sheltered workshops, programs for the developmentally delayed (hey I NEVER told you it was a good idea to have IVF at 40!).  If you or anyone that you don't want to see starve and die on the street has used these programs...You're a taker!!!  You're Welcome :)

Home Loans:  Did you have 25% cash down?  Did you serve in the Military and as such have VA eligibility?  NO?  Did you buy a house with less than 1% of the purchase price in the bank?  I bet you did...!  TAKER!!!!  You're Welcome :)

Morality:  OK this isn't financial, but its a subject near and dear to my heart that people have been screaming about, and some of you out there are the biggest morality hypocrites in the Universe and again as I said above, I do have my faults.  But, "Gay Marriage"?...you think it destroys the sanctity of marriage huh?  I think straight married people have managed to do that all by themselves.  Homosexuality is a sin, but Lesbian porn isn't? C'mon, don't lie...don't make me call you out on this one... Then we have coveting and lusting over your neighbors, co-workers, movie stars and sports hero's...that isn't just a little sinful in your eyes?  Seeing two men kiss in public revolts you, makes you say things like "faggot", makes some of you get up and leave, makes some of you complain and demand that it be stopped, but a man slapping his wife at an airport...where did your sense of morality go now tough guy?  Gay Marriage destroys the sanctity of marriage, but getting married 3, 4, 5 times that doesn't do any damage.  Having 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, affairs...sometimes 2 at a time.  That doesn't hurt it at all.  Abandoning your family to "follow your dreams" and oops finding a boyfriend 2 years older than your own kids...no damage to the sanctity of marriage there!  It's OK, I'm sure he's a great "conversationalist" :) That last one isn't actually about what some of you think it is...It's actually about a guy I met on vacation.  Poor bastard is so depressed that all he does is get drunk and cry, babbling on and on about the 25 year old dude on top of his 50 y/o soon to be ex-wife of 30 years.

You scream at the top of your lungs about Saudi Arabia and Sharia law, but some of you just want a Christian version of Sharia Law.  Sticks and all!  Some of you look in the mirror, see an ugly picture and assume that their is something wrong with the mirror, some of you just never look in mirrors I guess.  

Doing what I did, where I did it, with the connections I had...I know a lot of your secrets.  I know what Doctors beat and stalked their wives.  Cops and Firefighters and Lawyers too.  I know whose wife tried to commit suicide over the affair her husband had.  I know what business owners took plea bargains so they didn't have to register as sex offenders after didling their "promiscuous" niece.  I know which women had affairs and with who and whose wives caught them.  I know why the principal at the "school I won't mention" decided to "change careers"  We've ALL had a hand in destroying the sanctity of marriage and weakening the American family unless we've doing everything we can to hold ours together.  There is no need to blame this on a group, unless we decide to blame it on "US".  I also know who stole money (you know who you are too! ;).  I know who lied on resumes, forged their credentials, exaggerated their experience.  Don't worry, I'm not telling-yet.  All I ask is that during this insanely negative time in American history you take a look inside, see some of your own faults and work on those.  If we all did that a little more, there would be a lot less wrong with the country.  

I think Arab News hates me...

I wrote this post a long time ago, before vacation even...decided not to post it, I was going through a tough time at work, and just after I wrote it, they DID in fact publish a couple of my comments under my name "G Jeff".  However, after reading the paper for the last couple weeks, I think I'm going to publish this anyway and amend the title to I think Arab News hates U.S.  get the pun?  Yeah I hoped so. 

I read Arab News daily.  It covers the Kingdom the "Near East" and the World in English, and does a decent job of showing me some things from a more "Eastern" point of view.  I actually cut out many of their articles and post them in a scrapbook that I'm making for my grandchildren to have one day.  I've been told by more than one Saudi citizen that it's a "shit" newspaper.  That its articles are only those approved by the Kingdom and its nothing more than just "what they want you to think".  I disagree.  The articles are often criticizing of the Status Quo and are not always the most positive side of Saudi society. 

Comments to Arab News however are not always so "balanced".  Many "contributors" take a very extreme viewpoint of the world and post comments such as The West will fall!, Islam will rise!, Stupid Persians, Arabs are better than you.  Fillipino women try and steal Saudi husbands!  Kick out all expats!  They steal from hard working Saudi!  I post comments under the name "G jeff", except that you won't see any, because they are never approved...Really?  A commenter blatantly displays the most vile of racist behavior and their comment is posted, but you won't post mine?

Recently, a few articles have popped up demonizing America and or the West for its seemingly anti-Islamic stance.  I understand this, I have blogged about it myself.  I agree it is a conundrum worth discussing especially considering some of the great people who are very much Muslim that I've met here.  The fact that currently in the West, Islam is equated with Terror in many cases, is unfortunate.  However, when you write a piece about America, you should expect, allow and encourage comments from those of us with intimate knowledge.  This doesn't happen.  I've seen a few obvious Western comments, some are defensive of the west, but more seem to be "apologetic".  Maybe this is my problem, maybe I need to be an "American Apologist" to get a comment published.  Maybe I need to say "oh yes, you are right, we are so bad"!  Well, sorry to disappoint, but its not going to happen.  The "West" as people like to say is actually a myriad of countries, with many different demographics and belief's. America herself contains 50 different States with many different political parties, viewpoints, customs, and cultures.  I'm not going to apologize for them or her; it's not my place and not my prerogative to do so. 

So Arab News, keep writing the good articles, they are insightful and beneficial.  But you may want to revise your comment policy (again).  You continue to have extreme view, poorly written, horribly punctuated comments and yet seem to disallow well written comments that offer a viewpoint other than yours.  That policy implies a bias in your thinking or your "agenda" whatever it may be.

New Stuff:  

Speaking of your agenda...I'd like to point out a few things from the last couple of days papers:

1st of all, the day after you published a cartoon showing the brain of Bashar Assad being injected with poison from the hand of an Israeli, you published an article that contained King Abdullah's comments that all religion should be respected and protected under the law.  HINT:  Israelis are Jews, and Judaism is a religion...and you're being offensive to the point of stupidity about it.

2nd:  You commonly publish articles detailing a persons conversion from Christianity to Islam.   Sometimes, these are well written by well educated folks, other times not so much.  Friday you did exactly this and let me sum up...a woman who since the age of 15 didn't go to church, drank, slept around, did drugs, tried to take her life a whopping 15 times without success, painted her face black, became "emo" or "goth" and was fascinated with death, lived with her 2 kids and seven other people, and met men through her Pakistani Muslim boss...this is not a good story.  Calling this woman a Christian is like calling me Muslim just because I live here.  As far as I'm concerned YOU CAN HAVE HER!  She implies that all American and therefore Christian (which is false) men are rapists, abusive, unfaithful, alcoholics, while also implying that all Muslim men are devout, don't drink, pray 5 times a day and treat women and babies with the utmost respect.  Both of these implications are out and out LIES.  Both cultures and both religions have plenty of both types.  More importantly though, why do you feel the need to print such a thing?  Shouldn't this be a religious issue?  A private story of triumph for her and her friends and fellow mosque goers?  What if the New York Times published articles about people who convert from Islam to Christianity?  Oh wait, those people have to go into hiding...The NYT couldn't publish a story like that or those people would risk being murdered...never mind. 

3rd:  You just plain misrepresent things.  Your stories all week about the Kingdom "re-issuing" Visa's to Filipino maids completely twists the truth which is that the Government of the Philippines refused to allow any more of their people to go to Saudi for Domestic work due to the abuse they suffered physically, emotionally, and sexually. However the way you report it, it looks like things were the other way around and that the dirty little Asians were stealing from the poor hard working Saudi sponsors, and now the government has decided to allow them back in...nice try, but no.

I'm tired, you don't need anymore examples, you get the point.  The truth is, that the US along with all her "Western counterparts" have many issues, but even as much as you say our news is spun, we at least get a few more viewpoints.  I'm surprised the "Arab News" newspaper I bought today will lay flat...that thing should be spinning like a top! 

4 Americans murdered in terrorist attacks...

Was the title too much?  It seems that everybody including my own Government wants to blame all this on a movie..."No it had nothing to do with Al-Qaeda calling for their followers to avenge the death of their second in command"..."No, it had nothing to do with the September 11th anniversary,"  "Oh that was just a plain black flag, it wasn't the one that Al-Qaeda likes to fly... "

According to the Associated Press and Al Jazeera, late Tuesday Sept. 11th 2012, The US consulate in Libya and The US embassy in Cairo were attacked by mobs of extremists numbering as high as 3000.  "Protestors" aka Criminals and or Terrorists...were reportedly well armed in Libya, although they seem to have had no weapons in Egypt.  Reports are that all of this started because the big bad US made a film that mocked or ridiculed the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).  Except that the US made no such film, an Israeli living in America made the film together with an Egyptian Christian who is an anti-Islam fanatic who also happens to live in America...Bullshit.  Yes folks, I know I'm not allowed to use that word here, but I CALL BULLSHIT! No way all of this was a coincidence, and everybody participating in the attack was too stupid, or too illiterate to notice the date, and its significance while they were Murdering an American Ambassador, Foreign Service Officer and two Marines all while posing for pictures!

First of all, It's a MOVIE...if you don't like it, don't watch it.  You have absolutely no right to tell other countries what kind of art or crap they can produce.  The world likes to say that America tells other countries what to do...how about this great example?!  "We in Libya and Egypt don't like this movie, so if you try and show it around the world we'll murder people...because were so peaceful and enlightened."  In the pictures captured by the AP, one protestor holds a sign that they claim reads "I would sacrifice my soul for the prophet Mohammed"  Excuse me if I'm wrong, but isn't that a little contradictory?  Your soul?  Your life maybe, but your soul?  If you're doing something holy in the name of God and his messenger, shouldn't that protect your soul?

These attacks happened on American soil...American law says that if there is a death during the commission of a felony, the crime for all participants becomes first degree murder, punishable by death.  So as far as I'm concerned this was either a terrorist attack, an act of war or a crime.  One in which 3000 people who posed for pictures and spray painted walls, burned down buildings, desecrated the flag, raised their own flag of Jihad in its place  and thereby claimed the territory, need to be punished.  They need to be tried for murder.  All of them.  And just to be on the safe side, no more money, no more aid, NO MORE VISAS!  5 year ban on all student and work Visas!

Can you tell I'm just a little miffed?

I'm going to post a few links here to the news articles.  I'm also going to post a few pics that came from the Associated Press, I do not own them.  I will not however post the link to the video on you tube for the spoof that they claim started all this crap.  Nor will I post the pictures of U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens dead body being stripped and hoisted through the crowd.
I would also like you to take note that when I used the Prophet's name, I added Peace Be Upon Him.  Because, while I'm not a Muslim, and Mohammed (PBUH) isn't my Prophet, I actually have some respect for the belief's and rights of others, unlike the inbred monkeys who committed these crimes in the name of peace and love.  

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2012/09/20129112108737726.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-19562692

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57511043/libya-assault-on-u.s-consulate-in-benghazi-leaves-4-dead-including-u.s-ambassador-j-christopher-stevens/

This is the guy that the AP claims is holding that sign...Check out the "plain" black flag.

"I don't always murder innocent people, but when I do, I like to dress somewhere between Menudo and Michael Jackson with capri skinny jeans Yay Murder!"

"Hey this Red, White and Blue cloth thingy...it wasn't important to you was it?"  Again, check out the "plain black flag"

Hmm...9/11 post or not?

Everybody else is doing it, should I?  Do I have some special perspective that nobody else has?  Do I have some additional right because I was working in a hospital that day?  Do I have even more right because I was already a firefighter or because I was an Infantry Marine who up until that day, thought we were doomed to another decade of boredom (at least as Infantry Marines define boredom).  Do I have some extra, super special perspective because I'm sitting in Saudi Arabia, the country where the majority of the worlds funding for terrorism continues to come from, Or because I'm teaching EMS and paramedics here?  Or because there was a recent round up of a couple of Al Qaeda cells in the Kingdom?  Truth be told...yeah, unfortunately I do have a different perspective, maybe even a slightly special one.

Here I sit in the center of the Islamic world on the anniversary of the day a couple of terrorist assholes flew planes into the twin towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in the name of Islam and Jihad on America/The west.  And the weird part is, I don't have any ill will towards my hosts.  No I didn't convert, and no I'm not a sympathizer or American apologist...in fact I have zero love or respect for either.   And sure, I have plenty of ill will towards my idiot bosses, especially this week.  The guys who brought me here with lies, and have a racial superiority complex on par with Hitler's, but that doesn't and they don't really reflect on the Kingdom, or the Saudi's themselves, most importantly though it doesn't reflect on Islam, at least not as far as I can tell.  Islam from the Qur'an is peace...the only time it gets violent is in the hands of men. 

I guess what makes my view a little different is that sitting here, I can get a better look at over there.   Having just been on vacation at home, I can tell you without a doubt that I had a great time and miss my country and my home so very much.  But this new vision of mine, comes with a little bit of a price.  I appreciated the little things so much while I was home, that it just kills me when people don't.  11 years ago, we all appreciated the little things, even if it was only for a day or two, maybe a week.  Have we forgotten so soon?  While I was home I saw a lot of examples of people who think freedom is a word that soldiers fight for, that Presidents administer or take away, and that terrorists hate.  What they seem to fail to understand is that they themselves are freedom. By choosing how to live their lives, they exercise their freedom every day.  They choose who to love, and what to do for work, they choose to go to college or not, who to marry, who to divorce, to join the Military or not, where and how to live.  We have free presidential elections every four years like clockwork, we have an abundance of food and safe and warm places to stay.  We have electricity 24 hours a day.  We travel between cities and states and regions freely.  We have the ability to succeed or fail, we have the ability to seek that which makes us happy.  We are free.  Do you appreciate it?

Today as you remember the brave souls who died this day 11 years ago, and all the days after in the line of duty,  take some time to remember that "freedom isn't free" isn't a slogan, it isn't a marketing ploy, its the truth.  Freedom isn't doled out by your brother the cop, or your neighbor the veteran or by the President.  Freedom is your God Given, constitutionally protected right, and it comes with responsibilities.  It isn't free, in fact it isn't even cheap.  Its precious, and as such, it's cost can sometimes be ultimate. Terrorists attack buildings, they destroy structures, they do not however have the power to erode our freedoms.  Only we do that.  And we don't erode our freedoms by voting for the wrong candidate, we erode them by not voting.  We erode our freedoms every time we think its the responsibility of someone else to protect them.  We erode them when we forget that "out of many we are one", and start thinking about our individual well being, "how much can I get" etc...We erode them when we say "poor me, poor me, look how much I've given" rather than looking at how much we have.  If being in Saudi has taught me only one thing, its that I have plenty.  More than my fair share.  I hope that today, the average American stops looking at their neighbors house, and starts smiling back at theirs.  If you really want to send a message to the terrorist pricks of the world, smile today, appreciate all that you have, help a neighbor, take pride in what you are and just look up at that beautiful blue, cloud filled sky and appreciate it.  Drive two cities over, wave and smile at someone you don't know.  Fire up the grill and throw some pork steaks on that sucker, grab a beer from the cooler, worship at the church, mosque or temple of your choice...or don't.  You live in a country of deep green, and sparkling blue, blazing gold and reds and pinks that light up the sky at dusk like fire from heaven.  You live in the land of the free, someday I will again too. 

May the fallen rest easy, knowing they are not forgotten, knowing they died not in vain, knowing that they are loved by a grateful nation.  May they rest easy with their brothers and sisters, knowing we remember them and their sacrifices, knowing that their are no gaps in the line, knowing that men and women with strong arms, proud and brave, stood up to fill the vacated spaces.  May they rest easy knowing that although they can never be replaced, the job they did is still done without fail today.  May God bless them and their families, keep them and hold them close.  -Me 9/11/2012

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."

King James Bible, John 15:13

Oh yeah, its also my 10 month anniversary yesterday...