Smoke, Mirrors and Reality…

Opinions and stories on events as they happen in the News!

Archive for March, 2008

UN Environment Program

Mar 16

Posted by Ben in Debunking pseudo-science | No Comments

Contrast the AP article UN: World’s Glaciers Melting Faster to the World Climate Report blog entry Snow and Ice Surprises and Antarctica Snowfall Increase.

History shows that climate changes. There is huge variability in climate. Millions of years of life on earth demonstrate how resilient life is to climate change, despite bouts of global warming and global cooling (note the ice ages that have occurred in the past). Life survives and thrives by adapting to its environment. In contrast to other living species, human life thrives by adapting its environment to our survival. Climate change fear-mongers are resistant to adaptation, so perhaps they do have the most to fear, because they do not embrace the very mechanism that facilitates their survival.

Tags:

al Qaeda operative Rahim now in custody

Mar 15

Posted by Ben in terrorism | 1 Comment

In this American Forces Press Service briefing, we learn from the Department of Defense that Muhammad Rahim, a high value al Qaeda operative close to Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan has been transferred from CIA custody to Guantanamo Bay.

Tags: , , ,

why we should not vitrify Iran (yet)

Mar 14

Posted by Ben in foreign policy | No Comments

This Cato Institute article was posted today. The highlights are summarized below:

  • 71 percent of (Iranian) respondents favored working with Washington to help resolve the Iraq war, while a mere 21 percent opposed such cooperation.
  • 61 percent endorsed “full, unconditional negotiations” between the United States and the Iranian government on an array of issues. Only 28 percent rejected such diplomacy.
  • President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and other hardliners in Tehran who favor continuing the cold war with Washington have meager public support for their position.

On the other hand, there are some lowlights:

  • A majority of Iranians (51 percent) embrace the goal of developing nuclear weapons. Only 39 percent oppose that objective.

The recommendation is to offer carrots as well as sticks – and for the carrots to not short change Iran to the point of insult, which would only drive Iranian public support to get behind their radical leaders.

Tags: , ,

Who is Ahmadinejad?

Mar 14

Posted by Ben in foreign policy | No Comments

In this interview on Hannity and Colmes, Hannity asks Colonel David Roeder (a former Iranian hostage):

I want to ask you specifically here. This is not the first time you have dealt with Ahmadinejad. You were one of the hostages. You were held against your will for a long period of time, but you believe Ahmadinejad, the president of Iran, was one of your interrogators back then.

Colonel Roeder responds:

Not the interrogator, but present at several of my interrogations. I was one of the six that identified him when he was announced as the president of Iran.

I don’t think that most people know that Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, was involved in the 1979 hostage crisis.

Tags: ,

asymmetrical combat

Mar 12

Posted by Ben in foreign policy | No Comments

[Originally posted on 14 Jun 2004]

When did we start considering civilians to be non-combatants? In World War 2, cities throughout Europe were devastated with strategic intent. Innocent bystanders were not immune from the life or death struggle that dominated everyone. Germany surrendered unconditionally, because its nation and its people faced annihilation. Japan surrendered unconditionally, because annihilation was already upon them. The people were accountable for their nation’s deeds, and they acted accordingly.

What happens when we offer immunity from attack to civilians? Military power can be rendered combat ineffective. By disguising combat forces as civilians, they gain an advantage. If attacked, they claim brutality, and they accuse the military of war crimes. Meanwhile, they can conduct their offensive operations, and return to the safety of civilian life. More importantly, because civilians are immune from the consequences of financing, harboring, and otherwise supporting a campaign of terrorism, there is no reason to ever surrender to the opposition. There is no possibility of military defeat, so long as the people are willing to endure prolonged economic hardship to achieve a strategic political victory.

Terrorism takes this to an extreme. Suicide bombers die as martyrs with the peace of mind that comes from knowing that their loved ones will be compensated by the terrorist establishment, and they will be immune from retribution. There is no accountability, because we allow terrorists to get away with having nothing to lose, except for their lives, which they don’t value.

In ancient times, leaders prosecuted a policy of capital punishment for the worst criminals. Knowing that family loyalties would lead to the criminal’s closest loved ones seeking to avenge the execution, a policy was implemented to also execute three generations of direct family related to the criminal.

To combat terrorism effectively, the consequences of violent action must be dealt with harshly, not only by exterminating the terrorists, but also by punishing the loved ones on whose behalf the terrorists are acting. Civilian immunity from combat breeds cultures, which will continue sponsoring asymmetrical combat, without any reason to surrender, because there is no possibility of defeat. The people who sponsor terrorism must be required to be accountable for their loyalties. Only then will they surrender.

In summary, the policy statements to effectively counter terrorism are as follows. Kill the terrorists. Kill their families. Kill their friends. Do not stop, until they surrender. Live by the sword, die by the sword. He who shall survive will have the biggest baddest sword and the will to wield it. In a world of terror, the most terrifying shall prevail.

Tags: , ,