James Clark Blog

Casual observers will agree that obesity is epidemic in America.  It is a frightening problem and alarmingly, seems to be prevalent with our youth.  Visit an ice cream parlor and note obese parents followed by extremely fat toddlers.  Why? I suggest the French may have an answer to what ails America.  The French don’t snack. They will tear off the end of a fresh baguette and eat it as they leave the boulangerie. That’s about all you see consumed on the street. In the USA, you see pizza, hot dogs, nachos, tacos, heroes, potato chips, sandwiches, half-gallon buckets of soft drinks (diet, of course), and heaven knows what else being consumed on the hoof.  The key, I think, is that French portions are fairly modest. Plus the French consume red wine, more than ten times more wine than Americans. Voila! Paradox explained.

To justify the unwarranted invasion of a sovereign nation and the killing of millions of people (including over 50,000 young U.S. servicemen) Robert McNamara and the generals in the Pentagon convinced LBJ of the “domino theory.” This absurd notion was premised on a belief that if America didn’t invade and fight Communism in Vietnam, other Asian countries, such as Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, etc., would fall to communism “like dominos.”  The Defense Department brass believed that the American people were so gullible that we’d fall for, and support, an ill-fated invasion and occupation of another country so long as we were spoon-fed with a slick marketing campaign.  We did, until we awakened and took to the streets.  In doing so we stopped an unjust war and toppled LBJ.  One can argue that if Americans had not turned to violent demonstrations to stop the needless slaughter in Vietnam, we’d still be there “preventing the dominos from falling.”

Now, we’re doing it again in Iraq and Afghanistan. Once again we need a slogan to believe in:  The one I’m hearing that is being advanced by Robert Gates and his generals is “if we don’t fight them over there, we’ll have to fight them here.”  Yeah right. Once again, the ads are on the way. Get ready, America, we’re being suckered again. The defense contractors and their lobbyists are laughing at the stupid taxpayers who are paying the way.

The answer:  United States of America & Somalia. That’s correct.  A global children’s rights treaty ratified by every U.N. member except the U.S. & Somalia provides that children have basic rights to education, health care and protection from abuse.  What an outrage that the U.S. Government will not recognize basic rights for children!

Finally, America is apparently reconsidering. President Obama is reviving efforts to have the U.S. sign onto the children’s rights treaty.  It’s about time. We should be ashamed to be aligned with a country (Somalia) that has not had a functioning government in two decades in not recognizing basic rights for children. Could this be the result of lobbying efforts by industries who employ 8-9 year olds to work 12 hour shifts in dirty factories?

As if we didn’t need more reasons to withdraw from this God-forsaken country, here’s another one:  Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal has issued a new order saying U.S. & NATO forces can attack “insurgents” hiding in Afghan houses only if the Allied forces are in imminent danger.  His spokesman, Rear Adm. Greg Smith, adds: “If there is a compound they’re (U.S. & NATO soldiers) taking fire from and they can remove themselves from the area …. that’s the option they should take.”  I keep asking the basic question: WHY IN GOD’S NAME ARE WE THERE? President Obama will deploy 70,000 U.S. soldiers to Afghanistan by September. WHY? Five hundred years from now that country will still be in Biblical days development. I ask again: WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH IN AFGHANISTAN OTHER THAN SHORING UP THE DEFENSE CONTRACTORS WHO ARE ALIGNED WITH THE PENTAGON?

We are seeing the first stages of my prediction of a massive war in the Middle East. Iran’s re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sets the stage. Although he lacks the power to direct high-level policies, which are dictated solely by the ruling clerics (primarily Ayatollah Ali Khamenei), he can influence Iran’s sinking economy and the continued development of its nuclear program. I predict that Ahmadinejad (who I will always believe was center-stage in the infamous photo of the Iran hostage taking in 1979) will see his opportunity for martyrdom by planning a devastating nuclear strike of Tel Aviv, thereby planning to kill  millions of Jews. However, the war won’t result from Mahmoud’s launching of a nuclear weapon; it will occur when Israel, led by the right wing Benjamin “Bibi” Netanyayhu takes mililtary action to destroy the launch sites, some of which are mobile, thus spreading war throughout the Persian countryside.  The USA will naturally side with Israel and the Middle East will burst into flames.  Get ready for $5.00 per gallon petrol in America. This is going to be a horrific conflict that will involve many nations. (for a fascinating series of photos of the protests to the rigged election of Iran’s crackpot president, click on http://www.flickr.com/photos/fhashemi/sets/72157619758530748/show/

When you view these photos, bear in mind that Iran’s president has dismissed the melee as “what one might expect after a soccer game.” Yeah right.

Here’s how the money laundering and tax fraud works: The Middle Eastern countries, primarily Saudi Arabia, have a unique internal protection policy. To prevent the bombing of mosques and important centers, and attacks on the crown princes and their families, the Saudis (and others to a lesser extent) simply funnel vast sums of money to the radicals. (To make direct payments would leave a clear money trail establishing the proof that the Kingdom is actually promoting terrorism). So, the “benevolent” Islamist societies/associations are formed in other countries, primarily in America (because our laws safeguard the wire transfers), with a corporate (non-profit, non-taxable, of course) mission of promoting peace and helping poor Middle Eastern Nationals. In reality, the money is laundered and funneled directly back to terrorist organizations, like Hamas and Hezbollah (the “Party of God”) whose members attack Israeli Nationals and Americans wherever they are.

About the time I think our inept young president can’t possibly do worse, he comes through. This time he has announced that his Supreme Court replacement for Associate Justice David Souter will be someone who will have “preconceived ideas” and who will decide cases “based on emotions, feelings or those preconceived ideas.”   This from a former professor of constitutional law at the University of Chicago!  (Any first year law student will tell  you that a judge must discard preconceived ideas and decide cases based on the facts and the applicable law, leaving emotions and feelings out of it.)

As expected, this inane announcement has given the G.O.P. a huge warehouse of fodder to blast the young “in over his head” president.  Sure enough, the President has nominated Sonia Sotomayor, a federal appeals court judge of Puerto Rican origin.  Expect her to be confirmed by the Judiciary Committee and the U.S. Senate.

On the one hand I feel sorry for President Obama. He seemingly doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing and has evidently surrounded himself with a group of clueless dolts. But he asked for this office and I expect him to perform. I’m not holding my breath;  more idiotic decisions and positions are forthcoming. I am simply appalled.  Politics do not enter into my disappointment; only watching an unqualified person stumble through the most important office on the planet. It’s very sad having to watch.

Here is the “reform” Obama promised us that we are receiving:  1. About face on CIA torture photos. 2. Retention of military tribunals.  3. Justice Dept.  invoking “states secrets privilege” to get lawsuit on torture and rendition dismissed. 4. Vast increase in the “surge” in Afghanistan. 5. Withdrawal from Iraq more slowly.  6. Extended secret incursions over the Afghan border into Pakistan. 7.  Pansy diplomacy with Muslim nations.   8. Continuation of the Patriot Act. 9.  Electronic wiretaps. 10. e-mail intercepts. 11. Gitmo.   Boy, he promised “reform” and we’re getting it. I guess he doesn’t pay attention to polls showing Geo. W. Bush with a 20% overall approval rating and Dick Cheney 18%.  How can we square what this guy said while running for the Oval Office (and what he still says even today) with what he is doing?  The Republicans are overjoyed!  This guy is W light! Somewhere, probably in the S.M.U. gym in Dallas, Geo. W. Bush is smiling.

Word from Afghanistan is local tribal leaders are upset about foreign aid from America that is going to war department contractors, who then take a lion’s share of the money, then dribble a little out to local areas.  The Afghan tribal guys are threatening that if good old Uncle Sam doesn’t start giving the tons of cash directly to the local councils (for them to steal) “we’ll have to depend on the Taliban.”  America, as usual, always relents to these types of extortion threats.  Speaking as a party of one, I’m sick of it. Can you imagine what would happen if the Lone Grove, Oklahoma City Council “demanded” money from the U.S. government under threats?

When will we learn? Do we just have a crew of educated dolts running our government? Why not tell the Afghan thugs to “f___  yourselves and the burros you rode in on?”  We are powerless! Obama is running the same type of ill-fated campaign as W! We get no relief! Is there no end to extortion from these thugs who run a government not much advanced since Biblical days? Where’s the outrage?

Everyone should recall that the U.S. supported radical Muslims in the war against the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, and with the war over, found that it had armed and supplied a force that is inimical to it. With our new invasion of that backward country, we now are confronted with that force, and those arms.

There seemingly is no end to this. As I’ve said before, we’ll be in Afghanistan until the American people take to the streets to end it, just like Viet Nam.  I hold out little hope that our new president will do so.