war
McCain and Nuclear Disarmament
This week John McCain gave a speech on nuclear disarmament.
"Russia and the United States are no longer mortal enemies," McCain said in a speech that was interrupted at least four times by hecklers opposed to the Iraq war. "As our two countries possess the overwhelming majority of the world's nuclear weapons, we have a special responsibility to reduce their number. I believe we should reduce our nuclear forces to the lowest level we judge necessary, and we should be prepared to enter into a new arms control agreement with Russia reflecting the nuclear reductions I will seek."
This is one of the biggest issues that nobody talks about. Humanity collectively holds a gun to its own head year after year and yet we do nothing. We just get used to it, even though the longer we go on like this, the more countries acquire nuclear weapons... the more dangerous it gets. And our luck will run out eventually.
Masters of War
I’ve been singing the song “Masters of War” a lot lately. Every time I practice, I play it. I’d guess I’ve worked through it, either listening or playing, at least 500 times since September. The verses are burned into my consciousness. Every word is still relevant; the military industrial complex is every bit as powerful now as it was when Dylan wrote about it in 1963 at the ripe old age of 22. 22! And he created what's gone down as one of the most succinct, eloquent protest songs of all time, certainly one of the landmark antiwar pieces.
But for all its brilliance, what futility he must have felt. A guitar and a voice vs. the military-industrial complex. These people didn't hear a word he said. They were tucked away, safe and sheltered. That their trade was a curse on the whole world was not their problem, and mere criticism could not and did not move them. If Bob Dylan was president, maybe they’d mind, but he wasn’t even a speck. But he did have two things: the moral high ground, and the First Amendment. That’s all anybody has, really. If right is on your side, you can be vocal about it and hopefully others will hear and join. Accusation, for all its pitfalls, is a necessary step toward justice.
Iran
There's a well written analytical article about Iran in Time Magazine today explaining why war is now out of the question.
Friday Open Thread
YAY FOR THE NEW THEME!!!! Thank you Grant.
I found a couple of cool news items for today's thread,
First there is a new type of Anti-Retroviral (ARV) coming out this week. It's neither a protease inhibitor, nor a nucleoside analogue, it's totally different. Very exciting.
And Ron Paul is again proving to be a very cool Republican... actually, those three words shouldn't be together, he's a Libertarian. He just dismissed any chance of war under his administration.
Open thread
Peace and love,
Joe!
The Week in Revue
Greetings, fellow 70-percenters (I'm referring to shrub's approval rating, not grades or anything like that...). It's Friday, and that means it's time to look back on the week and see if there's anything worth mentioning.
New iPods and another iPod (RED). I don't know about anyone else, but anything Apple makes me really happy.
Stale houseguests
Withdrawing the 150,000 U.S. troops occupying Iraq means removing 150,000 things for the insurgents to shoot at. That’s 150,000 fewer targets for roadside bombs, RPGs, small arms, mortars, etc.
How would you feel if there were Hummers all over the road, everywhere you drove, and every time you were close to one, there’s a chance you could get shot, either by the people in the Hummer or people shooting at the Hummer? How would you feel about the people in the Hummers? Would you want to be driving next to one? Would you want one to drive by your house?
You’d want them the HELL out of your country. Unless you feared the people shooting at the Hummers more than the people driving the Hummers.
But they don’t. Don’t take my word for it ---- ask the Iraqis.
agree or disagree?
The proposition that large numbers of nuclear weapons can be retained in perpetuity and never used - accidentally or by decision - defies credibility. The only complete defense is the elimination of nuclear weapons and assurance that they will never be produced again.
-Canberra Commission, 1996
Conscious Listening: Bob Dylan - Masters of War
He released this song in 1963, which would have made him about 22. I bolded my favorite verses.
Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks