Quick Followup: Speaking of "Geopolitics"

Just wanted to present something of a quick followup to the Post about the pending hostilities in the Strait of Hormuz. A Story in Russia Today about the concept of Geopolitics:

Story from Russia Today about Iranian TV shut down by the U.K.

We really don't need Situation Comedy Television Shows around the World. Our World Leaders give us plenty of comic relief in their actions every single day.

For those unfamiliar with it, Russia Today is something of the counterpoint to Fox News and Sky News, in that it is clearly hostile to the Western Mainstream Script of Life in the World that is presented by most popular Western Media Outlets. If Newscorp's Media Empire is built on slanting everything to the "Political and Corporate Right," Russia Today is built on slanting everything towards Russian Interests. There is a bit of old Soviet Style Socialism thrown in, but mostly it represents something of an Outsider view of Business and Politics that is unique to a Russian Perspective.

What is funny about the story is the obvious Geopolitical Rationale for the removal of the Iranian Television Station's License to Operate. Britain was the World Power primarily responsible for drawing the Political Borders in the Middle East over the Century. In many respects, it was British Imperial Interests that helped create many of the tensions in the Middle East by virtue of having set parties against each other in an effort to control them.

Middle East History Timeline

Britain, along with the United States, would love nothing better than to have unfettered access to vast Iranian Oil Reserves. They are now getting Geopolitical in response to any party sympathizing in any minor way with the plight of the Iranian People. I guess that Britain felt that the Station represented a threat to their control of resources. Thanks for doing this right on cue, guys!

Jeffrey

A Very Un-Funny Comedy of Errors

Recently, the war of words between Iran and the Israeli-United States Alliance has moved closer towards actual Military engagement. Iran began "War Games" towards the end of 2011 which lasted into the beginning of 2012 in response to sanctions imposed upon them by the "World Community." The sanctions reportedly came in response to reports released by the United States that Iran was close to developing a functional Nuclear Weapon. These reports were attributed to sources loyal to the United States and Israeli Intelligence Communities, and were based in part on a November 2011 Report released by the International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.) on the subject.

BBC Story on I.A.E.A. Report

Exeunt Sanity here.

Reuters News Service Story from January 6th of 2012 on the Iranian "War Games"

Enter the Fools.

Nevermind that the information provided in the Report released in November of 2011 by the International Atomic Energy Agency contains many points of opinion that actually reverse assessments they made in earlier reports. What is most troubling is that there is actually no new physical evidence to support these new interpretations. However, the Love for the new I.A.E.A Report is not actually universal:

Bloomberg Editorial by former I.A.E.A. Official casting doubt on the November Report

The errors, suspicious attributions, and unreliable information of the past is now the certainty of the present. Apparently enough so that the United States is willing to issue threats of the use of force against the Iranian Government if it does not desist in "developing Nuclear Weapons."

Enter the Madman here.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, has not really helped matters either. In response to the ridiculous announcement of parallel joint United States/Israeli Military Exercises, he, and the Cleric Stooges that rule Iran, have made clear threats of military action against the United States/Israeli Forces. The sanctions against Iran, which are mainly political and economic at this point, have arguably hurt the Iranian peoples, but they are not yet coupled with any threat of invasion - at least not at this stage of the debacle.

Associated Press Story on the Israeli-United States Missile Exercise via Google

Enter the Clusterfuck here.

CNN Story on the Stance of U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta

Well, apparently the mutual threats and innuendo being launched about by all parties involved has not been enough to keep everyone satisfied. The mere loose threats of armed conflict could not keep all the characters excited and happy enough, so the parties moved to make the Strait of Hormuz into a Trigger Point. Iran, not wishing to appear weak and sissified, suggested that the increasing of sanctions against them might result in a Blockade of the ever delicious Strait of Hormuz, which is something of a choke-point for all vessels carrying OIL out of the Middle East Region. The United States, also wishing to appear virile, suggested that such an action WOULD result in a military response.

World Atlas Information on the Strait of Hormuz

Enter My Half-Assed Opinion.

An INSANELY BRIEF History of World Oil Production

Now granted, this is all playing out as part of a long-standing play that began roughly around the time that Oil was found in the Middle East. The Early 20th Century actually marked the rise of interest in Middle Eastern Oil, and the British Controlled the Region Politically and Economically for a long long time. When Oil Consumption Gluttons like the United States entered the picture, things really got FUN.

Geopolitics is an ugly beast. While most people in the United States, and the Western World in general believe that ideologies are a big part of Geopolitics, they actually aren't. Mostly, Geopolitical issues and disputes distill down to two major components: Money and Control of Resources. When you look honestly at the concept, not much else really matters to most World Leaders. If they have lots of Money, and they and/or their Citizens feel like they control lots of Resources, they are usually pretty popular with all the people who could oppose them. It's when those other parties start wanting some of that Money and Power, or they appear to lose control of lots of resources that things usually get really Geopolitical.

Oil is a resource that brings Leaders lots of Money and Power, when they are in control of lots of it. Most of the Saudi Arabian Royal Family would be little more than unknown nomads in a Hot Region if Saudi Arabia did not have HUGE RESERVES of Oil to sell to an Oil Hungry World. They also have lots of uninterrupted sunshine to produce Solar Power, but THAT is actually another Post entirely.

Now, without assigning proportioned blame to the parties in this impending Doomsday Conflict, let it suffice to say that all parties are looking for one or more of those two important components of Geopolitics in this situation. The Iranians want more favorable pricing for their Oil, and they want to use less of it to power their archaic Power Grid.

A Brief Story from a few years ago which characterizes Iran's Power Shortage

Iran is a country which wishes to Modernize. A large majority of its population is under 40 years of age. This part of the population actually likes having access to things like the Internet, iPods, iPads, and other Western Techno-Toys. While the Islamic led Government of Iran is not entirely happy about that, they profit financially from it, and are willing to tolerate it - as long as it does not threaten their hold on Power. The Problem is that Iran's Power Production is not modern. It does not match their Energy Needs at all, and they end up using a larger portion of their Fossil Fuel Reserves (Oil) for producing Energy than they would like. Thus, they want to move towards using Nuclear Power, which uses no Oil at all, leaving their own Greedy Bastard Leaders to get Rich off Oil Sales, just like their Western Counterparts.

A Time.com Photo Essay on the Shah of Iran

The United States has been salivating over Iranian Oil Reserves for decades. Ever since our Stooge, the Shah of Iran, was removed during the Iranian Islamic Revolution, we have just not been happy. We lost access to all that Oil when he was deposed, and the Iranians have been hesitant to deal with us because we have been doing things like supporting Iraq when Iran and Iraq were at war. Even before, they were a little miffed at us for putting the Shah in power in the first place.

Now Israel has been less than happy with Iran since Iran's Leaders appear to have issues with Israel continuing to Exist. Setting aside the whole tenure of the Arab-Israeli Dispute since the creation of Israel by the League of Nations, let us be content to say that not everyone is happy that Israel has power in the Middle East. Mahmoud Achmedinejad has been an outspoken critic and antagonist of Israel ever since his rise to power in Iran in 2005. Between Achmedinejad and Israel's Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu, there is no love lost, nor enough actual sanity to even keep a Burger Stand running sanely. "Bibi" Netanyahu, as some affectionately call him, is a rabid Pit Bull of a Human Being, who would likely, if he were allowed, nuke every Human Being and Animal on Earth who had ever expressed an ill thought about Israel.

Bringing all these parties together, with a Hair Trigger conditional in the potential Blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, is not the greatest feat of diplomacy or even sanity, that has ever been accomplished. You might expect that World Leaders that command vast Militaries, and with large populations at risk by their decisions, would be extremely cautious in approaching such a situation. Those expectations would be a great overestimation of the both the Wisdom and/or Sanity of the Leaders involved.

None of the Governments involved here have shown great diplomatic savvy, or military restraint over the past decades. The United States entered the Iraq War based on erroneous information about "Weapons of Mass Destruction" being produced and/or hoarded by our former operative, Saddam Hussein. We invaded Iraq based on that erroneous information, and spent more than a Decade there "Establishing Democracy." After our departure in late 2011, we can see that our efforts were truly as bad as the poorly made Crap we often buy now from our Economic Masters, China. A tenuous cease fire that we enforced appears to have fallen apart as soon as the bulk of our Forces left. We DID leave thousands of "Military Contractors" there however, to make certain that the Peace is Sustainable in the Oil Fields, where most of those Contractors now abide.

One of a number of charges of Corruption against "Bibi" Netanyahu

Oddly enough, Israel seems to be having its own issues, with the country being squeezed by a number of members of the European Union to make concessions to the Palestinians, (who many in Israel say never had a homeland), in exchange for Peace. Polls inside Israel suggest that the Majority of Israeli Citizens may believe that some "Land for Peace" should be tried, but "Bibi" Netanyahu [who is also under investigation along with a number of other Likud Party Members of the Knesset for Corruption] believes that such a deal would destroy the sovereignty of Israel. It kind of, sort of appears that this new Joint Exercise with the United States against Iran would bolster the Netanyahu hold on power, and quiet his critics - at least for a while. Who would dare move further with investigations of Corruption while Israel is dealing with the Iranian Demons who want to destroy them? Can a Goy get a witness here?

So, what might be an actual sane course of action here? Well, maybe for starters, all parties could DIAL BACK THEIR FUCKING RHETORIC? With the questionable nature of the evidence that the United States has about the supposed Iranian Nuclear Program, maybe we should first be INSISTING that a new group of neutral inspectors be gathered together for the I.A.E.A. to do a new round of inspections of Iranian Nuclear Facilities. Many of us would be a lot more comfortable with calling out Iran if there were current and conclusive data from Inspectors on the Ground that Iran was engaging in building Big Bombs. And, if Iran refuses to allow such Inspectors into Iran, we would have a lot clearer reason to be focusing our attention on their activities than the obvious Election Year Bullshit that is driving that right now. If it proves out that Iran is making Big Boom Boom, we would then have all the reason necessary to invade their country, and claim their Oil for our Corporate Masters. [A little SNAP I have thrown in just to remind you WHO is writing this Post]

Next, let's not include Israel in our Military Activities. Given the level of hostility between Israel and Iran, is it really sane to bring these two face to face in a 20 mile wide transportation Choke Point with Missiles in play? We would normally call this kind of strategy FUCKING INSANE, if we were inclined to be honest in response to the actions of our Leaders. Are there no other Allies that could accompany the United States in the Region as we monitor whether or not Iran makes good in its threat to Block the Strait of Hormuz? Since the French have had a relationship with the Iranians in the past, could we not ask THEM to send forces to monitor the situation perhaps?

Lastly, do we really need to be telling the rest of the World at all who can and cannot make Big Boom Boom BY FORCE? There was a point when we actually negotiated with Nations over armaments and aggressions. Now, we have Preemptive War, and Gunboat Diplomacy to take care of our Geopolitical issues and disputes. In the past, when a Nation had attacked lots of innocent neighbors we made War. Now, we make War long before that, and then manipulate the facts afterwards to support our actions.

So, my unsolicited advice to the Directors of this Un-Funny Comedy of Errors is to stop the fireworks, and let the wise men in to evaluate the situation before we make any further moves. It just might be that we can avoid another War, and thousands upon thousands of dead innocents that go along with War, if we take more selective and careful steps that are both measured, and sane. Peace and Compassion to you.

Jeffrey

Urging Readers of this Blog to "Spread the Illness"

One of the reasons I actually started producing this Blog was to offer people a place to go to find relief from the oppressive way that they are presented information everyday. My college training was in Creative Writing, so I thought I might use that training to offer to make a present of Humor and Honesty to those tired of specious News Outlets, and getting information from Bathroom Walls.

During the last year, however, as I interacted with People in person and on the Internet, I found that my reasons for Posting on the Blog were evolving. [Hope that offends those with extreme Religious Beliefs] My Posts were becoming a place for me to Vent my Frustrations with ideas and issues that appeared to be either ignored, or misrepresented.

Contrary to what most people believe about Western Nations, our Media is heavily controlled and censored by our respective Governments. In the West, however, it is just as likely to be censored for Economic Reasons as it would be for Political Reasons in Non-Western Nations. Having worked as an Intelligence Specialist inside the National Security Agency, I have seen much of the types of Propaganda and Censorship that exists around the World. While most people may have an extreme Hollywood Cinematic notion of what Censorship would look like, it is actually most often quite subtle. It occurs most often as directed Market-Based Propaganda.

Propaganda is designed to bypass our faculties of reason, and therefore should be understood as a form of Censorship. In the West, we are sold Products, Services, and Ideas in a manner that appeals to the basest of Human Desires: those which exist on the Primal Level. Sex, Fear, Greed, Laziness, Bigotry, and all other manner of Primal Drives are exploited to get us to think the way the Controlling Forces want us to, here in the West.

As to Who and What those Controlling Forces are, that is a long and separate Post. My purpose in making Posts in this Blog now also includes providing informed Resistance to those Controlling Forces. I believe that if I can get you to think in a slightly different way than you have been socialized to think, there is a slim chance that you will be less susceptible to the Propaganda and Censorship that you are subject to every day.

So, what is the point of this Post? I am asking for your help to spread my particular type of illness around. Dissatisfaction with suffering is contagious. I want to infect readers with a desire to resist the instinct to accept lies and deceptions. I don't want readers to think like ME. [Goodness Forbid! THAT would be insane!] I just want them to THINK instead of blindly accepting whatever ideas they are presented with. So, PLEASE tell everyone you know about this Blog. Encourage them to read it.

For my part, I promise to regularly challenge them with unpopular ideas, and theories that will make some of them downright ANGRY. In this way, they will be nudged to turn on the Neurons. There is little so jolting as having your beliefs challenged by an Asshole. Thus, I have found my Role in the World. Peace and Compassion to you.

Jeffrey

Off Today

There is not going to be any insulting or off-color Post today. Today is my Wife's Birthday, and I am taking some time off to spend seeing to her, as she has chosen to be ill today. You can tune in tomorrow for another dose of my insane vitriol tomorrow. I hope you can stand the wait! Peace.

Jeffrey

Occupy WHAT Street?

I am embarking on what will likely be one of my least popular [as if anyone reads this Blog anyways], and most actively hated Blog Posts. I am about to strongly criticize the Occupy Wall Street "Movement." I have already made small forets into this dark World in Posts that I have made on Facebook. The response to those Posts was anything but positive, so I realized that I had to write a deeper criticism of OWS on my Blog!

Are the Occupy Wall Street participants just warmed over "Hippies"? In many ways, they actually are. While many in the United States romantically recall Protests and Sit-Ins from the Decade of the 1960s, some of us look back on that time as a time of lots of noise with few results. Aside from the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and President Lydon Johnson's "Great Society Programs," little good came from that Era. There was the escalation of a War, and the Election of one of the worst American Presidents in History, but somehow many find that to be a cause for waxing sentimental.

Ku Klux Klan Lynchings in the United States

Interesting Essay on Sixties Violence

Interesting Essay on the "Summer of Love" from 1967

Did the Protests of that Decade actually contribute, in a tangible way, to improvements in the quality of life for Poor and/or Suffering? While there is no way to know for certain, I would suggest that the Election of Richard Nixon SHOULD be a rude wake-up for those who long for a return to those days. If the Hippies, and their Protests were a call to reach the Hearts and Minds of the Nation, they failed. Nixon won the Election, and the Nation has been moving further and further towards the Political Right ever since.

A lot has happened since the Sixties. We started a number of new Wars [I would also mention finishing them, but that would not be entirely accurate], quietly turned the clock back to the racist practices that existed prior to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and bought into the Anti-Taxation rhetoric - IN A MAJOR WAY. Many of the Two-Fisted Corporate CEO's of the 21st Century were the Hippies of years past. The late Chinese Slave Labor employing Steve Jobs is an excellent example of what many Hippies evolved into. Many of the OWS iPad/iPhone toting "Occupiers" were deeply saddened by the death of this Techie Icon. Some of us might have found it more fitting for him to have taken a "Header" from one of the oppressive factories in China where iPads, iPods, and other Apple Products are made. So much for that famous Hippie Altruism.

How does the Hippie Movement of the Sixties compare to the Occupy Wall Street Movement of the 21st Century? For the most part, they compare well. For starters, while many former Hippies credit themselves with "Ending the Vietnam War," there are some more relevant facts that might impact that idea.

Excellent Slate.com Article on the Reasons for ending the Vietnam War

If you read the Article carefully, you will see that while President Nixon took note of the Protests at home, there were numerous other reasons for the departure from Vietnam. Most of them centered around Geopolitics and Domestic Economics, with Public Disapproval arguably only marginally in the mix. The War was bankrupting the Country Politically and Financially. The Protests were more a symptom that an actual motivator. But, many persist in their beliefs that THEY turned Nixon around. That would be the same Nixon who bugged the Democrats at the Watergate Hotel, in violation of a number of Laws.

In the intervening years, the Nation saw the rise of Religious and Right-Wing extremism. Jimmy Carter, whom many of us believe was one of the greatest Presidents that the United States has ever seen, was given only one term as President. Many of the same Hippies who had Protested in the Sixties became the "Reagan Democrats" of the 1980s. Reagan deregulated everything he could, which spurred a Mergers and Acquisitions orgy that has actually been going on nonstop since that point. But, at least the Hippie Soccer/Hockey Moms could afford Volvos and Minivans now because they were paying fewer Capital Gains Taxes. Reagan snuck up Taxes on the average person, while lowering them for the Richest of Americans and Corporations, however. In the end, the Hippies morphed into Yuppies, who morphed into Greedy Rat-Bastard Corporate Types, who . . . well . . . control the World.

Fast forward to September 2011, and the start of the OWS "Occupations" of locations in New York City. While it took a lot [actually years worth] of effort in the Sixties to get the Media to actually pay attention to the Protests, in relative terms, OWS got Global attention in a short matter of weeks. The "Occupations" spread to cities across the United States, and ultimately around the Globe.

Huffington Post Article on the Occupy Wall Street Global Impact

Jump a brief few months later, to January of 2012 [the last year of existence for Mankind, if you believe the hype related to the end of the Mayan Calendar]. Four months into the Occupy Wall Street "Movement," and there are still no major lists of "Demands" for tangible changes that have come from the OWS "Occupiers." Here is an example of what is passing for actual Demands:

List of "Non-Demand" Demands

If these Demands are not met, they will maybe possibly conceivably tentatively produce more . . . if they all agree on that concept. In the meantime, they form Drum Circles, have Meetings, and urinate in local Businesses. So, while OWS people appear to be more than willing to quit their Jobs and "Occupy" different locations, they apparently ARE NOT all that anxious to volunteer to work for direct relief organizations. Even the OWS ability to keep people interested in their Organization appears to be lackluster as well.

About OWS Organization "Skills"

Most of the numerous organizations that have worked to provide Food, Housing, Medical Services, Help with Mortgage Payments, and so on, have not noted any visible increase in the number of Human, Financial, and/or Political Resources flowing in to their organizations as a result of the OWS "Occupations." While not publicly criticizing OWS supporters' apathy, many of the Senior Members of prominent relief and assistance organizations have been strongly urging OWS supporters to jump in and get involved in direct action through their respective organizations. There has actually been a slight increase in donations by Billionaires in the last couple of years, but the overall rate of cooperation with relief organizations has decreased, in spite of the OWS Media coverage. I doubt  that OWS is all that anxious to say that they appeal most to Billionaires, either.

Occupy Wall Street: 2011 Year Revolt

Read that page very carefully. It actually does not announce any truly tangible accomplishments on it anywhere. Unless your notion of "accomplishment" includes getting people to sleep in tents, have never-ending meetings, and play the drums on discarded plastic containers, there is little to get excited about on that page. Oh, and don't forget Texting. The OWS "Occupiers" did a lot of Texting, Tweeting, and Facebook Posts. They DID shut down a few Seaports on the West Coast for a period of time - although that was more accurately credited to Labor Unions rather an OWS - which actually may have caused some Governmental and/or Corporate Leaders a moment or two of consternation. Aside from that, there was nothing that would really give the Corporations reason to fret in the long term. Well, at least the OWS Art Work is "Cool."

West Coast Ports Shutdown in The Guardian UK

If OWS is so inconsequential, then why were they shut down? For the same reason you do not want crowds to linger after the Riots whenever the Los Angeles Lakers win a National Basketball Association Championship: Crowds are a problem for Businesses in the area. No Business wants a bunch of out of work people hanging around outside their Business while they attempt to sell us crap that we don't need. If they are also using the toilets without buying anything, and littering up the streets, then are more nuisance than threat. Sadly, that is what many of the Wall Street Leaders have publicly identified Occupy Wall Street to be, a "nuisance."

Series of OWS Videos on The Colbert Report

"Do you, Jeffrey the Zen Chimp see the OWS 'Occupiers' as 'Bad Guys'?" Not really. I see them more as unthinking and foolish than actually "Bad." While they are drawing attention and resources away from the organizations actually DOING THINGS to directly change our circumstances for the better, other organizations are suffering the loss. The Dollars given to OWS have actually accomplished little or nothing. Groups like Habitats For Humanity actually build Homes for those in need, and Food Banks actually collect Food that Feeds people. And, as far as I know, neither group sponsors any regular "Drum Circles."

For those wishing to create "Positive Change" in the World, I could [and might in the future] produce a list of really wonderful organizations that are providing direct services to those in need. For those of you who really want to ADVOCATE, there are groups that are far more effective and organized than OWS out there that you might support with your time and money. For those of you motivated to do this, PLEASE contact me via email or comment, and I will give you information on such groups specifically relevant to your wish to "Change."

In the meantime, and please do not take this the wrong way [this will likely piss some readers off], but I am honestly sick of seeing the "Occupy" moniker everywhere. Unless they are ready to start a "War on Poverty" [instead of the War on the Impoverished that we currently have now], I am not interested in that Movement all that much. At the point where they start DOING THINGS that create clear and tangible change, I will take an interest in them. As long as they remain without true organization, or clear goals, or functional methodologies, I really find them no more interesting than warm water evaporating on Venice Beach, and even less useful. If you disagree, let me know with hateful comments. Peace and Compassion to you.

Jeffrey

New Post coming Tuesday

Because of numerous obligations, I was forced to take a few days off from creating Posts for this Life-Changing Blog. I will return to Posts as of Tuesday, January 16th, 2012. You can begin getting Sexually Excited now.

Jeffrey