The Nail of a Newt and the Tongue of a Frog

One of my favorite childhood television shows was “The Munsters”. I loved “Grandpa” the most. If a family crisis was looming he would retire to the basement to mix up some ancient brew in his black pot, casting a spell to set the situation aright. The nail of a newt or the tongue of a frog usually worked. But once he included “the tear of a woman” for extra measure. He became a hero in my eyes that day because “Grandpa” understood “me”. As per script, many of his well-intentioned plans eventually bombed, showing the greater lesson. When we get ourselves into a mess it is always best for us to scrape off our own shoe and move on. We are meant to self-govern our lives and the government, should play a supportive role.

Lately, in looking at the Barack Obama campaign, he is using the nail of a newt and the tongue of a frog political strategy. Sure, I understand. He is the underdog against Hillary Almighty. So it is necessary that he cobble together significant power blocs to remain in the game.

He told labor leaders and union workers he would be right out there with them on the picket line. Practically told the pro-choice group that he would hold their hand if they had an abortion. Now, waxing eloquent from the pulpit of a New Orleans church he has proclaimed that Katrina victims got the shaft. In the Obama universe of eternal hope, emotions run high and solutions are a distant echo. He supports a better future for the city. I believe we all support the same goal. But if the overall leadership in New Orleans is of the caliber of Mayor Ray Nagin, who knows?

The pitfall of playing to special interests is how greater needs of the nation can be ignored. I am the little voter out there with one little vote and one small voice. Overturning abortion is not my biggest issue. Although I am staunchly pro-life, shuttling abortion in entirety is not the ping on my radar. I support incremental progress at the state level. When communities embrace change the law is window dressing. Protection of labor jobs that pay someone fifteen dollars an hour to turn a screw is a concern of the few. My heart is more drawn to the issue of minimum wage. It is still too low. As far as the union workers, I do not believe in job entitlement. I do believe in earning your keep and being so productive that the company cannot afford to lose you. Many Katrina victims have gotten a good shake in the end. What I saw in Dallas, confirms my perception. In 3/4 of the world, the victims of such devastation would have escaped with the clothes on their backs and not much else. Many governments have negligible resources and infrastructure to deal with massive scale weather devastation. And there are those who will drink from the national udder for the next twenty years if we let them. At some point in time, there must be a cut-off. And let me sound like a cyclop with a bad attitude, but I am suffering from compassion fatigue on this one issue.

I want presidential hopefuls and stagnant Congressional leadership to address the concerns affecting the majority of Americans. What about our screwed up public schools? The burden of educating children of illegal aliens is killing our school culture.

Will all U.S. Senators and Congressmen take the challenge and place their own children into schools such as the one my child attends? Pull them out of the private schools where all children speak English, as do the parents. Put them into a public school in inner city Dallas, for a start. In one year, they will sing in harmony on an immigration policy. Our nation is becoming one big pot of illegal workers who refuse to learn English, toting along children who sustain a high drop out rate from school in spite of billions of dollars poured into ESL and bilingual education. Look at the statistics for yourself. You will be shocked. Meantime, teachers instruct to capture the low performing student, not stimulate the high achiever. Damn my own kid to a poor quality public education only if you are willing to damn your own children along with them!

And the huge looming problem of an aging population with concurrent high cost of health maintenance? There are other broad issues of tremendous importance facing the majority of our populace. I mention only two by way of example.

Mr. Barack Obama has potential. I am not convinced he has the maturity for the job at the current time. In actuality, no one is standing out from the pack yet. It is too soon. But I hope that all presidential contenders can move beyond the spell-casting stage of mesmerizing the smaller power bloc audiences and roll up their sleeves to show they can accomplish the real work of governing.

Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Senator Craig: Doing the Hokey Pokey

Covering the story of Senator Craig is about about like purchasing a ready-made suit off the rack from an outlet mall. If you go to the Smoking Gun web site you can read the entire record of complaint against Senator Craig.

We have all seen absurd behavior in public restrooms. But to consider having a sexual encounter in a bathroom stall is just....it is just.... disgusting. I have always said that if I am going to plan a soul-selling rendevouz, it will be at the Mansion on Turtle Creek with the best bottle of wine. That man, is going to find a big hole in his wallet by dawn's early light.

Apparently, Senator Craig tried to dance the "Hokey Pokey" with an undercover police officer in the adjacent bathroom stall, flaunted his rank as a Senator and then tried to cover his tracks by not hiring a lawyer. He now does the usual: gives an "I didn't do it" speech hiding behind the skirt of his wife. I just hate it when men pull that stunt. Hey, if I found my husband had been soliciting sex with a stranger in a public bathroom stall he wouldn't need me at his side to save his reputation. He would need a paramedic.

When I was a fairly new nurse I worked in a hospital on Harry Hines Boulevard in Dallas. It was in an area known to be a corridor for prostitution. Directly across the street from the hospital there was a bar for the undertrodden men who could not afford a "Cabaret" or "Gentleman's Club" in greater Dallas. It was, simply called, "Gino's Topless Bar." The place was a dump but the parking lot was always packed.

Leaving work late at night I would pull out of the hospital parking lot onto the street, flipping on my interior light to look for a piece of gum. I noted that men were honking at me, waving and also following me. Asking a male nurse why this was happening he immediately started laughing. Police were cracking down on the Harry Hines streetwalkers. So the enterprising ladies-of-the-night had taken to their cars and would turn on their interior lights to show they were available. I changed my behavior, and the honking and wild waving ceased to be a problem.

So if you ask me if Senator Craig is either incredibly naive or guilty of solicitation of sex, I lean toward the latter, based on what the police officer observed and placed in his report. Unless you are outdoors at the local family picnic, don't put the left foot in and the left foot out, in a public bathroom stall. Don't run your fingers under the stall and don't engage what are known as signal behaviors for members of the community who engage adventure sex with total strangers.

Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Tsar Minderbinder I Presume

We must have missed the appointment, but it has become abundantly clear that the real Iraq War Tsar is Milo Minderbinder. In his 1960 absurdist masterpiece, Catch-22, Joseph Heller has Minderbinder arrange for the Army Air Corps to bomb a U.S. base because M&M Enterprises owes the Luftwaffe a favor.
In the real world, the U.S. government, not content with providing insurgents with guns, is also paying them to shoot those guns at our troops. People who try to save the U.S. lives by blowing whistles on people illegally selling arms, or trying to save the taxpayer a few bucks by reporting misappropriations of funds or stealing, get locked up and tortured then fired. Believe it or not, such behavior is actually illegal under 31 USC §3730(h).
The way it works is that, because U.S. troops are incapable of protecting Iraqi contractors, the contractors have to take part of the money the U.S. is paying them to pay protection money to the insurgents in Anbar Province. The U.S. is also paying the insurgents directly by giving them jobs. As a result, we are paying far more than the work is worth. According to Hannah Allam, with the McClatchy chain, the U. S. paid an Iraqi contractor $120,000 for a $20,000 job so the contractor could pay off the local insurgents.
It just doesn’t pay to rock the boat. That is what Donald Vance and Nathan Ertel discovered when they told the FBI about illegal arms sales in Iraq. In a suit filed in Chicago, they allege that they were illegally imprisoned and subjected to mental and physical interrogation techniques usually reserved for terrorists and enemy combatants. The Navy admits detaining the men, but refused to say more because of the suit. Vance and Ertel provided voluminous documentary evidence showing that U.S. military personnel were selling guns mines and rocket launchers to insurgents. The military responded by locking Ertol up for a month and Vance up for three months. Upon release, they decided to forget about the U.S. government and bring their case through a civilian lawyer.
Then there is the case of Julie McBride, a Halliburton employee. She complained to her employer that the U.S. was being overcharged because the number of troops using the Halliburton-provided recreational facilities were being double and triple counted. She also said the company took supplies that were supposed to go to a Super Bowl party for the troops, and used them for a Super Bowl party for Halliburton employees.
Halliburton did what you would expect. The company locked up Ms. McBride so she couldn’t speak to military personnel and then flew her out of the country and fired her.
Finally, there is the celebrated Custer Battles case in which the company was ordered to pay the U.S. $3 million. That case was overturned by Judge T.S. Ellis III on the grounds that the people bringing the suit had failed to prove that the Coalition Provisional Authority was part of the U.S. government. Apparently, the widely reported fact that Jay Garner reported directly to Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, and the fact that Rumsfeld fired him and installed L. Paul Bremer who decided to close down the CPA, is no proof that it was a part of the U.S. government. In the words of Mr. Bumble, “if the law believe that, the law is a ass.”

Tom Gordon

Tsg0008@sbcglobal.net

Iraq: What Next?

That which we do not recognize in the beginning, will define our end.

It is sobering to consider that once the foot is in motion, the mold can already be set. Wise counsel is advisable for bigger decisions in life. This is especially true when taking a nation to war.

The tripartite enemies of nation building in Iraq were in existence prior to our arrival. Guideposts were there, but our policymakers suffered from the distinct myopia of viewing the Middle East through a Western paradigm of thought. So let’s take a look at what were and still remain as hurdles in Iraq.

Geography: Considering the Neighborhood

Strategically speaking, the topography of Iraq was well-suited for the engagement of military forces. Moving equipment and manpower across the plains was an easier task than insertion of forces into mountainous regions, such as Afghanistan. But it is the geography surrounding Iraq which has made the job more difficult. Did we adequately profile the “neighborhood” prior to entering Iraq? Looking toward the more recent history of Iran, it was the Safavid Dynasty which moved the Shi’a into political significance again beginning in the 17th century. Political tension had been in existence since the Umayyad Dynasty but it was during this particular dynasty that the Shi’a regained regional political dominance. The Ottoman Sultanate to the west, although in the beginning stages of stagnation, provided counterbalance. It did put the two empires on a collision course for the control of Iraq. Read my lips. Nothing has changed. The last significant family-based rulership in Iran, the Pahlavi Dynasty, attempted to modernize Iran in reaction to the influences of Europe. But the toppling of the Peacock throne in 1979 placed hardline Shi'a clerics in firm control. Nearly thirty years later Iran is arising from the ashes of their revolution and subsequent war with Iraq. They are modernizing their military and seeking nuclear capabilities.

Iraq remains a vital and strategic piece of real estate in the eyes of Shi’a Islamists in Iran. Iran claims a 90 percent Shi’a population, with the majority being “Twelvers”. They hold to a belief that the rightful chain of command for authority moved from Prophet Muhammad, to his son-in-law, Ali (the fourth Caliph of Islam) to the next eleven direct bloodline male descendants who held the reins of power. Shi’a also make up the majority in Bahrain and Lebanon. Iraq its self retains a demographic majority of Shi’a Muslims. One of the initial shifts in population when the borders into Iraq became porous was the move of Iranian Shi’a to the Iraqi city of Karbala, a holy site. Did we adequately consider the role of Iran in a post-Saddam power vacuum? Lady-in-waiting, clever enough to bed down with the kings.

Syria is also a neighbor sizing up the scene. They remain a vital land bridge for weapons trafficking and a financial corridor in the region. Lebanon comes into play with Iran in a role as overlord, with Hezbollah functioning as a detached Iranian Republican Guard. The political situation in Lebanon had somewhat stabilized over recent years, albeit maintaining a pro-Syrian government. But the precarious stability went to hell in a hand basket with the assassination of opposition leader, Rafik Harari. This event in February 2005 did force the Syrian government into compliance of the Taif Accord, with the subsequent withdrawal of the Syrian military presence from Lebanese soil over the next few months. But Lebanon cannot be classified as politically stable. Iran will continue to use Syria and Lebanon to gain foothold into Iraq. Geopolitical instability is the name of the shell game, with Iran seeking to control all of the shells. The House of Saud sees their Sunni influence threatened. Jordan is the buffer. Israel has a stake in the ground, which the U.S.A. somewhat controls through the tension on the political leash. But should Israel ever feel their backs to the wall.... a unilateral move off the leash will be a true shock and awe, guys.

Ideology: Getting along? Hell, no!

Let me be blunt. There is not enough blood of the slaughtered camel to reconcile the differences between the Sunni and Shi’a factions, blowing each other up in Iraq. A couple years ago, speaking to a diplomat from Pakistan, an enclave of Sunni scholars had just met in the Hashemite Kingdom to draft a declaration of reconciliation with their Shi’a brethren. Apparently, the goodwill did not last long.

A retired American military officer made an interesting statement regarding Iraq and deposing Saddam Hussein. He said that in some form or fashion, as detestable as it may seem, dictators do at times function to bring stability to the populace. Although Saddam Hussein was undoubtedly a bastard, he was good at what he did. He kept the Sunni political dominance strong. Means of political dissent were brutally squashed. This provided a hedge against the aspirations of Iran.

With the Shia now in political dominance in Iraq it appears there is a compromise of government process aided by memory of harsh mistreatment under Ba’athist party leadership. Revenge is best served cold. And corruption is seen at the highest levels, as exampled by Operation Parabellum. We did not understand the dynamics of the previous Sunni dominance in the region. We dismantled a political fence. The Shi’a counterbalance in the region is not only growing, but will most likely dominate the politics of the next decade. It is "their turn" now.

History: What the Western mind does not grasp

Looking at the historical equation, the people of Iraq are well-suited to outlast our political hopes for the region. The kindness of our troops is not the issue. The population outlasted the Mongols. They waited out the British. Tenacity is the armor of the Muslim. We do not grasp that the Middle Eastern mind does not function with “instant gain” as a valuable commodity. Their valuable commodity is seeking to retain basic Islamic identity. We do not understand the intensity of the grafting process into the psyche in their view of what constitutes sectarian community. While in the West our policymakers may take a spanning look back at the last one hundred years, the policymakers of the East see it differently. Suck in your breath. Their statecraft has a beginning point in 610 A.D.

The geography, the ideology and the history are the issues not properly addressed at the beginning. Things are not always as simple as they seem. A viable solution will be mired within this complex equation.

Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Saturday Blog

Are you reading anything this week? I just received a gift of two lovely books:

The Syringa Tree by Pamela Gien
The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany

I am finishing up a book by a Western author, so the book by Al Aswany will get the next look. The back cover states it is "modern arabic writing" and the book is published by The American University in Cairo Press. Here is the ISBN:977 424 862 7
And if you are overseas, Dar-el-Kutub No: 7952/04

Time to move back into Iraq. The White House is installing a new cadre of diplomats with broader experience. The National Intelligence Estimate gives a bleak assessment. It is time to look at the tripartite enemies of nation building in Iraq. The scaffolding of thought will lie within the confines of this statement:

That which we do not recognize in the beginning, will define our end.

Yes, hindsight it always 20/20. I do not claim wisdom. But I do claim a perch in the world of dialogue with Muslim scholars prior to our entrance into Iraq. It is from such perch, and that of my own reading, which the Monday blog will be written.

What would you consider the tripartite enemies of a successful and sovereign Iraq? What were the hurdles prior to entering Iraq which were not given sufficient consideration? Did we weigh the tripartite enemies of nation building in the region? I believe my opinion will surprise you. See you back on the blog!

Tammy Swofford

Buying Human Flesh

The next time you pick up a tray of hamburger from the local grocer consider the following: Pound per pound, you can buy human flesh on the market in America for less than the price of processed bovine animals.

Years ago I remember thinking “How barbaric!” when being told of Sudanese women being sold in the local slave market for the equivalent of fifty U.S. dollars. But what is the word to describe what is happening in the DFW metroplex area? According to the Dallas Morning News, code enforcement officials in Fort Worth are securing a special unit of foot soldiers to recognize the signs of human enslavement. Estimates are that 50,000 individuals exist within this underground economy in the continental U.S.A.

What is in your wallet? If it contains a mere ninety dollars, it is possible to enter the auction of human flesh in Fort Worth, Texas. This trend is being driven by both geography and a bustling "entertainment industry" in our area, portraying a microcosm of what is happening globally. But why is it happening in America? And why in our own backyard?

Apparently, it is a crime of opportunity. At age seventeen I cast out into the world, ninety-six pounds and good common sense. But the overshadowing umbrella of a strong father and a loving family, served me well as I spread my wings and began to fly. Many children lack that net. Runaways, lack a net. Immigrants hoping to make better lives for themselves can find themselves trapped in the world of human trafficking. It is an environment even less friendly than that of indentured servitude, such as suffered by some of our original colonists. In the world of human trafficking two dynamics come into play to keep the "slave" working. Personal identity is stripped through systematic physical abuse and legal identity is stripped when all documentation of legal status is taken by the crime syndicate managing the market. Sadly, many women and young girls enter this subterranean world to satisfy sexual appetite for human flesh. Rape, for a bargain price. Sure, the man is paying. But is the woman really, really willing?

Please consider the following two links as a starting point of education. And what should we call it when humans are trafficked in America?



For a reader-friendly link, click here.


For the 2007 Trafficking in Persons Report, click here.

Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Free Speech: For a Healthy Society

Free speech is not synonymous with truth. But free speech, is the corridor upon which truth travels and can be accessed. We need to revisit this topic again for our newer readers. To read this blog and understand the diversity of opinion, free speech must be ardently embraced as the process through which a valuable product, truth, can be acquired.

In a sense, free speech is also comparable to the prism through which light travels, producing the visible colors which can then be discerned by the physical eye. The “eye of the mind” also moves through a prismic process to arrive at firm conclusions regarding belief and personal conviction. On the highest level, thinking beings use an evaluative mix of facts and opinions to consider what is truth. Different shards of information come together in our minds, to define the color of the picture our brain is formulating. If you choose to content yourself with political cartoons (Doonesbury, for example) as opposed to masters of wordcraft and thought, so be it. But at least try viewing a few different colors as they move through the prism: left wing, centrist, right wing and independent, religious or atheist, political or apolitical, all offer considerations for the human mind.

You must peer across our desks, and beyond our distinct personalities to understand how Tom Gordon and I have managed to “share the blog” for such a long length of time. We undoubtedly claim different political affiliations, religious beliefs and socioeconomic backgrounds. But the common bond is that we both wear our free speech like a comfortable pair of jeans. I rarely agree with Tom, and he actively opposes me.

Case in point, is the blog Mr. Gordon wrote on the Padilla case this week. In his original draft he stated that Mr. Padilla was tortured in a Navy brig. That caused me to pick up the phone, and also shoot an e mail to him. It is not his fanny in the fire for his remarks, but rather my own. I retain a commission as a Naval officer. He took a dagger to my heart on a personal level. We hammered out an agreement that his opinion could remain, if he would define torture. His definition, was sensory deprivation. Our own policymakers have grappled with their beliefs as to what is allowable extrinsic pressure in the interrogation room to gain actionable intelligence. See how the process of free speech is working here? Give and take, all the way.

We post our blog in the evening to catch the growing trans-Atlantic traffic. When I opened the Dallas Morning News the following morning after Mr. Gordon posted his blog on Padilla, their editorial section also covered the murkiness surrounding his trial. But DMN editors aligned their remarks on Padilla using the phrase “harsh interrogation methods” as opposed to the more volatile word “torture”. It was a safer use of wordcraft. But if for some individuals cake is gateau and for others a “Twinky” is a cake.... see what I mean?

This blog will remain a free speech zone. As such, strong opinion will be expressed and we hope that difficult topics will continue to be tackled at this site. We love it when you agree with us. You are not despised, if you disagree. But if you are uncomfortable, there is not much which can be done from my own vantage point. Because free speech is all about healthy society. As I have said before, this remains a free speech zone. Enter all who dare! And we look forward to hearing from you in the comments section and also in our e mail boxes. It remains a joy, to engage this freedom which has been extended as a gift, from the founders of our nation. smile

Tammy Swofford

tammyswofford@yahoo.com

They Got Padilla: You're Next

Star Chamber Proceeding. “Any judicial or quasi-judicial action, trial or hearing which so grossly violates standards of "due process" that a party appearing in the proceedings (hearing or trial) is denied a fair hearing. The term comes from a large room with a ceiling decorated with stars in which secret hearings of the privy council and judges met to determine punishment for disobedience of the proclamations of King Henry VIII of Great Britain (1509-1547). The high-handed, unfair, predetermined judgments, which sent the accused to the Tower of London or to the chopping block, made "star chamber" synonymous with unfairness and illegality from the bench. In modern American history the best example of star chamber proceedings was the conduct of the House Un-American Activities Committee (1938-1975), which used its subpoena power to intimidate citizens by asking them unconstitutional questions about their political beliefs and associations, and then charging them with contempt of Congress for refusing to answer. Another example was the conduct of criminal proceedings against black defendants in some southern states from 1876 until the late 1960s.”
Law.com Dictionary

That definition fits the Padilla trial perfectly. American citizen, Jose Padilla, was arrested at O’Hare airport, Chicago, on a material witness warrant on May 8, 2002. He was detained in a federal jail in New York. He was not charged, but the Department of Justice announced that he was planning to set off a “dirty” bomb somewhere in this country. Since a dirty bomb requires the ability to get hold of weapons grade, or at least concentrated, nuclear material, that claim did not pass the giggle test. The Department of Justice dismissed it as “Loose talk,” which means that an American citizen was arrested and held incommunicado with no charges filed based on rumor and gossip.

Then, the Justice Department floated the idea that Padilla was planning to blow up apartment buildings by releasing natural gas in them and setting the stuff off. Again, Padilla’s mental acuity argued against his ability to do that.

Apparently, the Justice Department ran out of things to accuse their star prisoner of and the President decided to name him an “enemy combatant,” the administration said, meaning he could be held forever without seeing a lawyer or having charges brought. They shipped Padilla to a Navy brig in South Carolina, where the man was tortured in the hopes of some sort of confession. Court records show that he was subjected to total sensory deprivation, a technique designed to unhinge the mind. Neat solution except for Title 18, section 4001(a) of the U.S. Code which says, “No citizen shall be imprisoned or otherwise detained by the United States except pursuant to an Act of Congress.”

Knowing that if this mess ever came before the Supreme Court, it would be eviscerated, the administration finally agreed to a civil trial and went about shopping for a friendly venue. It chose southern Florida, possibly because that is where Noriega was convicted.

By the time Padilla and his two co-defendants came to trial, the government was reduced to charging them with conspiracy to murder, maim and kidnap in a foreign country. The countries? Bosnia and Chechnya and the time was a long time before 9/11. So long ago that, one would think actual victims would exist. None was presented. In the final analysis, Padilla and co. were convicted primarily because the prosecutor took a leaf from the president’s play book and tied Padilla to al Qaeda by mentioning al Qaeda almost 200 times during the trial and showing a seven minute clip of Osama bin Laden, which made no mention of Padilla or his two co-defendants.
Padilla was not convicted for what he has done. He is being sent away for the rest of his life for what he might do. Pre-emptive “justice.” Just like Iraq.
As it stands, the President of the United States can declare anyone an enemy combatant and lock him or her away for ever. There is nothing to save you from being the next Padilla.

Tom Gordon
Tsg0008@sbcglobal.net

Iraq: "Damned if you do, Damned if you don't"

When a woman doesn’t have the cash flow to remodel her living room she will do the next best thing: rearrange the furniture. And when a house needs to be readied for market and public viewing, we all know the drill. At least update the carpet and the kitchen.

Iraq is undergoing a bit of furniture rearranging and remodeling to update the “look” for an increasingly worried public. On the heels of the news that over 250 Iraqi souls have died in truck bombings this week, President Ahmadinejad’s assurances to President Karzai that his nation is not arming the Taliban and the State Department contemplation of designating the IRGC as a terrorist entity, General David Petraeus is expected to deliver a nicely updated look. The possible pull-back of American troops from several hot spots such as al-Anbar province and turnover of security to Iraqi nationals, is to be part of the "good news" package delivery in his September status report to Congress.

I always say that truth is like a coin. It is etched on both sides. Flip it in the air and when it comes down, the coin retains the same monetary value. Each side is a composite of the whole. The truth of Iraq, is we are dealing with an "Ugly-Houses-Dot-Com" scenario. Oh sure, we can vacate the house and divest ourselves of the whole thing. Turn our backs and walk away. But while the house looks like a political tear down, it is the geographic real estate which is valuable. We have to worry that the new real estate developer on the international block does not have a name like "Ahmadinejad".

In the shadows of failed strategic goals for a stable and democratic Iraq it is imperative that we examine the truth. This is a damned if you do, damned if you don't scenario now. And in a current geopolitical climate where a policy worthy of the wisdom of Solomon is acutely needed, we may be left with a "cut the baby in half" option.

General Petraeus and the troops under his command will continue to serve until a firm drawdown is placed on the table. But let's not be fooled by mere rearrangement of the living space.

Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Bush Strikes Back: Who Suffers?

The Decider has decided to punish Congress for not passing the administration’s immigration bill by cracking down on voters who hire illegal aliens.
Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) has already felt the pain. According to farmers, at least 70% of farm workers are illegal immigrants. Feinstein and the farmers claim they will be unable to harvest their crops if they can’t exploit illegal workers. U.S. Chamber of Commerce vice president, Randel K. Johnson, called the administration’s plan, “one more kick in the pants” for the meat-packing, construction and healthcare industries.
The owners of the farms and companies cannot do anything to Bush, but they can sure hurt congressional incumbents.
The administration announced plans to check Social Security numbers and give employers three months to resolve any problems between the numbers the employees submit and the Social Security database, or be subject to fines and possible felony prosecution.
Unfortunately, this is a Bush administration initiative, and thus, ipso facto, it is flawed, in at least three ways. First the Social Security database has a 4.1% error rate, which translates to more than 17 million names. Second, employers who get rich by shortcutting health and safety regulations, and by exploiting illegals, will merely fire anyone whose name pops up without bothering to get the facts. And third, there is no redress for legal workers who were wrongfully dismissed.
Of course the United States has always thrived by exploiting those who can’t stand up for themselves. Our railroads were built by Chinese, many of whom were paid off by Messers Colt, Winchester and Remington. Our treatment of Mexican braceros was so bad that the Mexican government forbid its citizens to come here and work for us. But, for the most part, exploited labor was at the margin. The majority of the manual labor in this country was done by the yeomanry. Apparently, that is no longer true and we are all the poorer for that.
Lost in all this is the disgusting fact that this country cannot get along without exploiting the less fortunate. We would rather risk our lives buying cheap, slave-labor produced goods from overseas, or food grown here under unsafe conditions by serfs who can’t complain about being poisoned or maimed, much less about low wages. If a farmer, meat packer, builder, or nursing home operator is willing to cut corners by hiring illegals, one ought to ask what other corners is he cutting? Fake drugs? Substandard building materials? Unsanitary meat processing conditions? Improperly applied chemicals? How about a little e. coli in your spinach or your hamburger?

Tom Gordon
tsg0008@sbcglobal.net

Bye Bye Rovey?

Karl Rove’s work here is done. The Norwegian Cossack now says he wants to return to the bosom of his family in Ingram, Texas. On its face, it seems reasonable. It is hard to see what Rove could do to top his accomplishments.
Karl Rove took a lump of the most unpromising political clay imaginable and sculpted three election masterpieces. By the time GWB and KR met, Bush had been elected president of the Yale DEKE house, a position having more to do with liver than leadership. He had also failed to make it through the primaries for a shot as Congressman from Midland.
Bush’s path to the governor’s mansion seemed blocked by a capable and witty woman who knew more about how the Great State worked than almost anybody in the state with the possible exception of Bob Bullock, another Democrat. Rove created a campaign of which only a Roy Cohen or similar moral degenerate could be proud. It was a pure defend that which has not been attacked and attack the person, not the positions, campaign. All that was missing was some reference to Ann Richards being as pink as her underwear, a la Richard Nixon versus Helen Gahagen Douglas.
In 2000 Rove took his creation on the road in search of the presidency. By and large, Rove hid his candidate’s ignorance of domestic and international issues by hiding the candidate. Bush rarely appeared in anything but a tightly scripted setting. When he spoke, he stayed on message. In the meantime, terrible things happened to the other Republicans vying for the nomination. John McCain, who beat Bush in New Hampshire, hit a whisper campaign of bigotry in South Carolina and never recovered.
The secret to Karl Rove’s success was to find a man who would say anything he was told to say, and nothing else, and to work dirty tricks behind the scenes, including bullying reporters.
Can Rove find another malleable national candidate? Does he want to? I think he has been there, done that. On the other hand, there is one piece of unfinished business. Rove did not succeed in creating a one party Congress. Most people realize that a one party Congress would be a disaster for our system of government which is based on a market place of ideas. Rove doesn’t care about government. Only about winning. Could it be that he has his eye on running multiple congressional campaigns?

Tom Gordon

The Rewards of Military Service

Disdain. That is the sentiment I felt reading the story of Richard David McClalahan in The Dallas Morning News. Sadly, there is an illicit profit to be made embellishing military accomplishments. Wearing an unearned ribbon is extremely odious in the eyes of those who have put in the work to earn such acknowledgements.

My own career now resides withing the pleasant woodlands of the IRR. (Individual Ready Reserve) My husband's current health status will not allow me to return to an active drill status. But I stand proud knowing that my record speaks for its self. My submission packet in October of 1993 for acceptance into the ranks of the nurse corps did not include a sign-on bonus. The recruiter did buy me a hamburger at the chow hall while showing me around NAS Dallas. Approximately six months later I received a direct commission into the Navy Reserve and raised my hand and pledged my allegiance with Old Glory in the background. I will honor the oath until I am put to rest.

From Guam to Puerto Rico, Washington, D.C. to California, from Wisconsin to Africa I have served my nation. And the reward for my service? Moving into Africa as part of the Advance Party on a humanitarian mission; serving as commandant of a field exercise; attending to heat exhausted Marines in a live fire exercise; sleeping in a tent with ice on the ground in cold weather training. The memories are wonderful and varied. But the ultimate reward has been in the distinct thrill of camraderie that comes from serving with hundreds of Americans with diverse beliefs while residing under the umbrella of our greater belief: The United States of America is the greatest nation upon the face of the earth. We want to preserve these, our freedoms, for future generations of Americans.

There exists a "cottage industry" of retired military officers who move along a speaking circuit earning between $10,000-$50,0000 dollars per speech. They have earned their chest full of ribbons and bring a panoramic vista of military life and experience to their audiences wherever they go. While earning what the market will bear, their words will trickle down to benefit the lowliest of military privates who are just moving into our ranks. Their words remind the audiences of the honor of service. And at this time when war is most difficult, our troops and their families need to be honored.

But for our pseudo 'Hero' Richard McClanahan? He reminds us that liars, cheats and scoundrels also manage to make it into our ranks. The military needs to do a better job of tracking such nefarious liars. Mr. Clanahan is about to get his "Brig Ribbon". It is the one he deserves and has honestly earned.


LCDR Tammy Swofford, USNR, NC

Secretary of Defense: Major Tanveer Hussain Syed

It did not take long for the second shoe to drop, after the comments by presidential contenders Barack Obama and Tom-the-Bomb Tancredo said their little piece about bombing selected targets, should they become our next Commander in Chief.

Parliamentary Secretary of Defense of Pakistan, Major Tanveer Hussain Syed (ret) bared his political teeth in the National Assembly on August 7th. And what he had to say, exposed the political fault line which exists in Pakistan. The essay by Mitt Romney in Foreign Affairs spoke of our government’s conflicted and divided camps with regards to our role in Iraq. Would it be a good thing to also consider that the government of Pakistan is facing the same divided camps? But their battle lies in how the various parties view the aid package which is provided by our nation as they assist us with the War on Terror. For some, we are a friend. For others, a foe. For the Secretary of Defense, it appears we are now in the column as an arch enemy.

Major Tanveer Syed (ret) was born in Punjab province in 1949, received his degree from Punjab University and went on to an Army career, retiring with his current rank. He is now the Pakistani Secretary of Defense. The man is willing to be a political firebrand and does not mind taking the heat. It is not the first time he has used his mouth to blow torch the opponent. Back in September of 2006 he accused the U.S. of shutting down flights from Pakistan for reasons other than national security. He brought accusation that the move was made for both commercial and geopolitical gain. He supports Hasan Nasrallah and Hezbollah, believing that Pakistan should model their tactics.

And now, he has pronounced a need for Jihad against the United States and India, an opening of corridors of travel for militants to retake Kashmir and the welcome mat for the Taliban in Pakistan. Believing there to be a conspiracy in place to liquidate Muslims seems part of the package with Major Hussain.

Tuesday marks the 60th anniversary of the statehood of Pakistan. This nation is seated at a historic crossroads which will determine the course of their political process during the 21st century. Does the world shudder? Think of what happens if a politically unstable nuclear Pakistan within a nice safe firing range of a politically stable India chooses to stir it up with their neighbor in the future. The estimate is in the millions of deaths should either side examine a nuclear option.

Major Hussain supports a realignment of Pakistan with Iran, Russia and China. And the world to which America awakens tomorrow, may surprise us.

(additional related link)

Tammy Swofford

Foreign Affairs Essay: Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney shoots out of the cannon with recognition that in a post 9/11 environment our foreign policy is conflicted and divided. But he conveniently does not state the more obvious reason for the divisions. Americans are not used to "losing" wars. The rapid movement of our troops from the borders of Kuwait to the streets of Baghdad were heady days for Americans. We left barely a footprint in the sand. But now, the bigger footprint has appeared. Our alliances which allowed for entrance into Iraq have been strained and our foreign policy has been muddied. He speaks of the battle between "realists" and "neoconservatives". And he swings the pendulum back to the middle, stating that both sides must find common ground based on common values. Thus far, it does not seem that there is a common ground because of the lack of a defining victory in either of our current theaters of operation. Washington, has a problem.

Moving into the third paragraph, Mr. Romney gives us a bit too full of a plate of thought to masticate, for an article this length. He moves from Iraq to the Taliban, from nuclear weapons to genocidal threats against Israel and Darfur. President Hugo Chavez is a political threat noted in the same sentence with AIDS and potential new pandemics. We move to China and then are moved to comparison between the uncertainty of today and the "far from certain" outcome which affected our previous generations before the D-Day landing. Too wordy and too much stuff we already know, but it appears he is still setting his stage.

Taking note of the national mood, Mr. Romney acknowledges that Americans want U.S. troops to return home. He speaks of the loss of troop strength during the Clinton administration and supports the addition of 100,000 new members into the military ranks. While noting that the Navy has lost eighty ships, as a military officer it is good for me to remind us of what has been a bright spot in the gain column of Naval fleet assets which is our new combat ships, of the Littoral class. Mr. Romney supports a minimum four percent GDP for national defense coupled with decreased waste and more judicious oversight of funds. These are worthy and necessary goals.

On the energy front Mr. Romney supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. I personally also support such initiative. Back in the 1990's China leap-frogged ahead of Japan into second place behind the U.S.A. as a net importer of fossil fuels. The market is extremely competitive and drilling in the ANWR and increasing offshore drilling for a season will give us more wiggle room and leverage in the world market as it decreases our dependence on foreign acquisition of oil.

In the section of the essay "Rethinking and Reenergizing Civilian Capabilities" there was a bit of disappointment on a personal level. Mr. Romney speaks of establishing clear authority and chain of command on regional levels to maximize intra-agency cooperation between non-military resources. He speaks of the need to bring resources to areas such as Lebanon which will be supportive of infrastructure. But his thoughts have an underpinning in the bureacratic machinery already in place, and no specific mention of NGO's. I support investment in NGO's as means to bring the greatest good, quickly and "on the ground". They need a part-o-the-pot.

We do need strengthened alliances. The demographic crisis unfolding in the Middle East is very real. There is a generation of youth coming into adulthood who will not find sustainable employment. For an eye opener read the Human Development Report for the Arab states. I recommend either the first or second report. (2002, 2003) I found corruptability in the scholarship process of the 2004 report and the deliberate insertion of politicized statements bothered me.

Mr. Romney states that one of his first acts as president will be to call for a summit of nations to address critical issues. Such a move is necessary. My hope is that any new administration will negotiate on greater level all of the international players on the field. If necessary, introduce a tiered concept of summits. Engage a multi-level strategy which selectively matches the nations and needs to the goals of the summit so as to decrease infighting which castrates strategic achievement. We have clearly seen how "the world's biggest summit" has consistently performed poorly with too many diplomats and too many agendas on the table. Our next administration must begin to strengthen American diplomacy efforts because of the clear deficits of the U.N. to bring any real action to bear, as exampled in lack of resolution of both the Israel/Palestinian and Darfur situations.

Overall, the essay made for easy reading. But it seemed a bit deficient in fleshing out Mr. Romney's domestic and international goals. A skeleton on the page of thought.

Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Bomb-plomacy and our Presidential Hopefuls

The North West Frontier Province (NWFP) is the smallest of the four provinces in Pakistan. Although this region hosts the military academy from which President Pervez Musharraf graduated, it remains (along with FATA) beyond the reach of government jurisdiction.

The human stewpot of the NWFP is mainly made of indigenous Pashtuns, a sprinkling of Afghan refugees (three million) and a dash of Hindu. It shares portions of the border with Afghanistan. Hardier souls make the 55 kilometer trek through the Khyber Pass to Afghanistan proper on a regular basis. As such, the pack mule may sustain more value than the bride should either fall ill. smile

It is believed that along a fifteen mile border corridor, a contingency of both Al-Qaedah and Taliban top leadership dwell in political symbiosis. The terrain and the cultural underpinnings have provided for their safety. It is only the untrained Western eye which would discount the Pushtuns as uncomplicated survivalists. This view is a vast and erroneous oversimplification of reality.

These people live by complex organizational rules that far surpass that which is modeled in Western society. Rules of societal engagement have passed through the hands of the patriarchs with oral tradition since the seed of their civilization. The NWFP is a pulsing organic time capsule where forces of modernization have not changed the way things have been done; neither how they will continue to play out in the near future. The threads of cultural tapestry are tightly woven. Tribal allegiances are fierce, with the smaller clan and family alliances a package deal, when it comes to loyalties. Commerce is not at the bank. It is transacted in the streets. Bazaars co-mingle bundles of tea with bundles of hashish. Kite sales are brisk when the Taliban is not looking. Aromatic spices fill the air. Weapons markets exist and many times permission for a foreigner to travel in this region is denied unless accompanied by an armed escort. This is how the NWFP and FATA function from day to day.

Although these areas have fallen off the map of government jursidiction, they still remain within the boundaries of the sovereignty of Pakistan. National sovereignty not only covers the land mass, but also air space and a portion of the adjacent waterways not designated as common international waters. As such, when Mr. Obama stated the possibility of unilateral bombings of designated targets in Pakistan while "playing to the electorate" recently there is a presumption that the strikes would be surgical, supported by treaty and agreement of the nation of Pakistan? I trust he is smart enough to understand such things, and possibly did not clarify his words properly.

But Mr. Tancredo? He was completely off the mark stating that the threat of bombing Makkah or Madinah (Mecca or Medina) could be used as a deterrent. His words were rash and not in accordance with international law.

A few years ago I viewed night vision footage of a bombing raid in Afghanistan after 9/11. There was distinct dialogue which identified the mosque in the area, confirmed again the location of the mosque, and then designated it as a non-target. All of this, part of normal message traffic in the cockpit. It was more fascinating to listen to the dialogue and see rules of engagement played out properly, than what quickly followed, on the ground.

Hospitals, orphanages, schools, historical archeological sites, museums and yes, religious holy sites are to be spared the decimation of bombing as much as possible. And I agree with the State Department on this one. Our presidential hopefuls need to use a lip zipper. At least occasionally. Their finger does not yet control the trigger. But their careless words, can trigger other things.


Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Blog by Dr. Jeff Cunningham

I am moving. I hate moving. I had rather be hit in the crotch with a rubber hammer than to pack everything I own and move. Big trailer, bad back, bad attitude, closing costs, new house utility deposits and countless other things I can think of make this a terrible exercise. I despise moving. However, I despise small town education systems much more.

Our daughter is a child who has Pervasive Developmental Disorder, one of the Autistic spectrum disorders. Unfortunately, she is not alone. One in every 150 children born today is affected by one or more of the ASD’s. Thus, she is given relatively mild drugs that help enormously. The point of the matter here is that she is a second grade child who has been the victim of a school system that is out of control. She was beaten by a teacher who claimed to “love” her. Yep, she loved her so much that there were black and blue marks all over her bottom from the paddling she got. That led to her in-patient treatment for 2 months. Six weeks after she was released from in-patient, she was assaulted again by a teacher’s aide. She was shaken, thrown to the floor, picked up, shaken again and then dragged into the hall. Another parent witnessed it. Nobody believed anything had happened.

I decided I absolutely could not take my child into this school system again. I am not alone. Another parent I know, who happened to be a superintendent at another school system, is retiring early and becoming an educational consultant after having filed a federal lawsuit against the schools here. His daughter is profoundly retarded and will never be unable to ever function on her own. However, the law states that we have to give an education to every child with NO child left behind. The local schools here think that means everywhere except our town. The law clearly states that children are not to be locked into closed rooms without facilities or an exit. Our daughter was locked into a room until she urinated on herself. I witnessed this with my own eyes, but the schools deny it happened. They have broken every law on the books that regards special needs students, but after a federal suit they still do not catch it. They have meetings that are required by law to determine the needs of a student, then ignore the suggestions of the meetings (called ARD). The Individualized Education Plan is worthless when the student goes to school. So, I am moving.

I made a determination to find the best place for my daughter, and that was in the Austin area. The most liberal Democrat area in Texas is Travis County and its immediate surrounding area. I know it is kind of weird, but I found myself doing what was in the best interest of my little girl instead of myself. I feel that this situation has little to do with education itself but rather the fact that our governor and his minions such as Tom Craddick, the soon-to-be-former Speaker of the House, have determined that Republican power is more important that constitutional protections afforded the helpless. The less money spent to educate children, the better. No new taxes, no effort to require businesses to pull their own weight, no income taxes, no new sales taxes, we oppose anything that will bring in new revenue. However, our budget has gone from $17.5 billion per year in 1987 to over $75 billion per year in the upcoming biennium. Thank goodness we have conservatives to protect us. Otherwise we might actually have a budget that is out of control.

I have come to a conclusion. After having been a Republican since I was in high school (1972), I am no longer able to consider myself a member of the party. I am not leaving the Republican Party, the Republican Party left me. The memories I have of Ronald Reagan would not allow me to look at the status of the Republican Party today and say “Yep, this is what RR would really have wanted his legacy to look like.” The stupidity of the Bush administration threatening a veto over the funding of the SCHIP bill (because too many “wealthy” individuals would drop their health insurance in favor of a government program) is beyond insanity. It smacks of Bushanity. Yes, I used a coined phrase: Bushanity. If something is stupid and insane, this administration and it's trickled down idiots like Rick Perry will adopt it and run with it. They do so under the guise of “conservatism”, all the while running the federal deficit to untold trillions and the state budget through the roof. Bushanity is yelling “we want government out of your life”, and then taking a payoff from a drug company to require HPV vaccines for all children under an executive order. Never mind that Rick the Stick did not have authority to issue that order, this is Bushanity we are discussing. Common sense and law do not apply when we enter into Bushanity.

This is my Independence Day. I am no longer a Republican and will never vote in a Republican primary again. I have had it. Es todo, no mas. The country and this state have been lied to, deceived, rebuked and treated like idiot sheep long enough. I have participated in that. I will never again vote Republican for ANY person. Unfortunately, I cannot vote for a Democrat.


My daughter depends on me to do the right thing. Sometimes doing the right thing is doing nothing. Yes, I will go into the voting booth in November of 2008. But I will not vote for someone who is rife with Bushanity. Unfortunately, I will be likely voting for no one on that sad day. Perhaps there will be an independent to enter the fray. Naahhh. That would be a wasted vote, and would make me seem too much like a Bushanatist, don’t you think?



Dr. Jeff Cunningham, D.C.
Sulphur Springs, Texas

227 House Villains Vote to Screw Constituents

Congress has jacked around with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (1978) eight times since 9/11. Every time the Administration has come back, waving the specter of its previous incompetence, saying it can’t do any better unless it is unfettered from basic Constitutional obligations. Congressmen, afraid of being Swift-boated by administration goons at election time, caved, again and again.

According to House Intelligence Committee chairman, Silvestre Reyes (D-TX), the version the President just signed goes so far that the government can wiretap without warrants just as long as the conversation involves “a person abroad.”

Thus, a call from Aunt Matilda in Adelaide saying she is coming for a visit is clearly tappable. A call to a friend asking if he or she has seen “The Queen” also involves a person abroad and may be tappable as well. Those are trivial examples.

Reyes also said the law could be construed as permitting any search inside the U.S. as long as the government claimed it concerned Al Qaeda. Given the outlandish claims the government has made about Al Qaeda, this should strike terror into the heart of every American.
It is truly amazing that the same constitutional lions that raised a mighty roar when federal agents executed a search warrant on the congressional office of Representative William Jefferson, are quite content to leave their constituents open to much worse.

Compare FISA with: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” That is the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and, as far as I am concerned as close to Black Letter Law as it is possible to come. Madison and company didn’t come up with this idea on their own. British jurisprudence had pretty well defined the limits of government prying in a series of cases starting with the 1603 Semayne decision which said that a man’s home was his castle, a castle the man could protect from unlawful entrants. One hundred years later, in 1705, Entick v Carrington, the British Court ruled that the government had to have a reason to think that a search would uncover unlawful material, i.e. the government had to have probable cause before a warrant could be issued. The Court went on to say that the warrant had to say precisely what was being sought and that an inventory had to be made of all removed material.
Now, between Patriot Act and FISA, Americans are more exposed to unwarranted government intrusion than anyone in the developed world.

The good news is this isn’t the first time such a thing has happened. It is, however, the first time in which there are no legal giants to say, “No, this thing shall not stand.” Consider the words of Harlan Fiske Stone when a weak president, an overreaching Machiavelli and a frightened population came together to assault the Constitution.

“It appears by the public admissions of the attorney general and otherwise that he has proceeded on the theory that aliens are not entitled to the constitutional guarantee of due process of law (and) aliens have been deprived of such constitutional guarantees. It also appears that the agents of the Department of Justice in violation of the express provisions of statute have arrested aliens for deportation cases without warrants…It is inevitable that any system which confers upon administrative officers power to restrain the liberty of individuals, without safeguards substantially like those which exist in criminal cases, and without adequate authority for judicial review of the actions of such administrative officers will result in abuse of power and intolerable injustice and cruelty to individuals.”

Abuse of power by unaccountable subordinates without legal safeguards leading to human misery—that was exactly what had happened here.
Harlan Fiske Stone-- testimony to the Sterling Committee 1922.


Tom Gordon
Tsg0008@sbcglobal.net

Foreign Affairs Essay: Barack Obama

In spite of Barack Obama’s political misstep this past week, reading his essay in Foreign Affairs was an enjoyable endeavor. Well… let me expose my secret life. Anything reads better with a cup of coffee and a piece of chocolate. smile So let’s take a look at his thoughts as expressed on the page of "Foreign Affairs".

He starts out strong with both his essay title and opening thoughts tying in threads from the past with historical heroes whom he considered to have visionary leadership. FDR, Harry Truman and JFK make the grade. And it is from such psychological mooring he begins the attempt to look presidential.

Very quickly he moves to the issue of terrorism. He states that such people (terrorists) are responding to alienation or perceived injustice. That one stuck in my craw a bit. It is the usual apologist schtick used by the moral equivalency crowd. I tire of the oversimplification of the greater truth: There really are people out there who would love to kill you, sight unseen. Ideology, not alienation, created 9/11. We should never forget that basic truth. Documents of record set in place long before 9/11 establish the fact. There exist vile and twisted idealogues who would celebrate your death with a Seekh kebab and then have a perfectly good night's sleep on top of it. Hateful people, hate people.

Another odd insertion into this arena of thought, is a sudden digression to global warming. Moving from terrorists, to rogue states and weak states, the last sentence in this paragraph is a complete misfire from the topic sentence. He put on his “Al Gore” suit and that is o.k. but grammatically it is out of cadence. His copy editor should have caught that one. It is glaring in my own eyes. It made no sense to add it right at the end.

Throughout the article he somewhat moves from a globalist point of view to one who supports the sovereignty of our Republic. For the time-line in which we exist both are necessary yet not incompatible. Mr. Obama is cognizant of this dynamic. Too bad we can't get our policymakers on the same page when crafting 21st century political doctrine. My basic belief is that the current administration has misjudged the times. They have engaged a policy of diplomatic isolationism with some nations. This avenue of influence may have served us well during the Cold War but is ill-advised for the current global political climate. It is a little late in the game for them to change course and it will take new leadership to move us in the right direction in the global political marketplace. We all understand the basic distaste of dealing with rogue states and regimes. But just as with an unruly child, it is always better to keep a close watch then to let out the leash and hope problems will resolve themselves without active intervention. Isolationism creates a distinct political deadspace which the adversary merely uses to advantage while we imagine we are putting the screws on them. They are still on the game board. They are just not "gaming" with us.

I applaud Mr. Obama for stating that we need a revitalized diplomacy. We should be supportive of diplomacy that is tactically intelligent, seeks solid negotiation goals, and strengthens weakened alliances. Mr. Obama uses the words “sustained”, “direct” and “aggressive” when speaking of diplomacy. Those words are apt discriptions of the proactive nature of diplomacy as opposed to words such as "flat" or "lifeless".

He also supports a revitalized military and most of us are on the same page regarding that particular issue. One thing which is more controversial is his belief that all combat brigades can be pulled from Iraq by March 31, 2008. That is only eight months away, folks. Can we also pull out all the cooks and supply clerks like PFC Jessica Lynch? And can we bring home our National Guard units? I am not smart enough to sort it out. Maybe you are? So he gets a free pass on that thought, because my opinion doesn't count.

We do indeed need a revitalized intelligence sector, and with that I heartily agree. Our national security suffered great harm under the Carter administration. HumInt was vastly degraded and the neglect in the following years allowed for attacks on our sovereign domain. First in Kenya and Tanzania with the attacks on our embassies, then our floating military asset the USS Cole, and finally our cities and landmarks. We need more intelligence operatives on the ground and updated statutes that allow them to play on a level field with their adversary with regards to technology use. We also need increased funding for international intel collection nets.

Barack Obama also speaks of exporting opportunity. We do need to increase our “seed stock” in weaker regional areas which are most vulnerable to extremism. A good place to start is by supporting secular educational systems which teach math and the sciences, literature and the arts. The education of children in third world nations should be a priority. If we abdicate this responsibility, it will continue to fall into the hands of the ignorant.

Mr. Obama includes in his vision domestically accountable public institutions and that is always an admirable goal. The one deficit which I see in his essay is that there is not sufficient clarity regarding his vision for domestic policy and how to better meet the needs of the overburdened middle class. But overall, this is a well-executed attempt at looking presidential and putting forth his ideas to the public. If you have not read the article yet, please consider doing so. Our nation requires educated voters in the upcoming elections.

Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Entering the Political Fray

Things are heating up a bit and the Presidential candidates are actually giving us a few things to chat about these days. What with the "bomb-plomacy" instead of diplomacy, we certainly need to strap on our backpacks and travel to a different part of the globe next week. The Pakistani government is still chaffing over the (disputed) comment from the U.S. government that we would bomb them back to the Stone Age if they didn't assist us after 9/11. So it seems like there is a bit of rashness all around. The screeches in certain political quarters this week deserve a place on the blog . I somewhat doubt that Pakistan is in the mood for a shelling and shellacking of their collective hindquarters. Probably be better to just take back our 750 million in aid? Tsk tsk, these things cause such a damn headache for my small brain. But I am smart enough to diagram the following: Dr. Khan may be under house arrest, but his legacy lives on in an underground silo where a nuclear device has his initials scratched on it somewhere.

This readership is not of the spoon-fed variety, so my guess is many of you have already picked up the current copy of Foreign Affairs. If you have not made it that far, please click on the link and read the essays by two of our presidential hopefuls. As they all keep talking, we will keep delivering our hard-hitting analysis. And then it is up to you. Read with your filter intact and make up your own mind.

Everyone have a nice week-end.

Tammy Swofford

Building Construction and Innovation in Blast Impact Mitigation

We have progressed far beyond the days of the “Three Little Pigs” construction model when it comes to building design to minimize blast impact. Since 9/11 various mitigation measures have been at the forefront in the minds of some of the researchers in the military and also civilian sector.

Explosive devices are a favorite against stationary targets such as buildings for any number of reasons. The chemicals and components can be fairly easily acquired and explosive events are quick to execute once the plan is set in motion. The event can produce body bags on the sidewalk and clog the healthcare infrastructure for days. Political message are maximized by the media in the aftermath of fiery and explosive deaths. And it can be a win/win situation for the individuals involved if they manage to remain in the free zone. The dead can't speak for themselves. But the blast masters convey through the corpses and carnage their violent message which pits them against the civilized world. It is political ventriloquism at its best.

A blast explosion sequence involves rapid exothermic chemical reactions. The solid or liquid explosive converts to high pressure, intensely hot gas which expands at a rapid velocity to create a massive shockwave. At the point of detonation approximately 1/3 of the chemical energy is released with the remaining 2/3 functioning as an “afterburn”. The smaller the space, the greater the damage from the afterburn.

Essentially, the goal of the chemist bomb maker is to achieve a peak incident pressure of greater than 100 psi to create major damage to the structure. That car on the curb in front of your local bank? If it contains a properly constructed explosive device you may never leave the bank and your money will perish with you. If it is constructed in as meticulous manner as the one detonated by Timothy McVeigh, you will suffer glass laceration damage ten blocks from the site of detonation.

When the Oklahoma City bombing occurred in 1995 our government learned a lot from that experience. Not only did the Alfred P. Murrah building collapse but eight other adjacent buildings with unreinforced masonry also collapsed. Most of the deaths in the Oklahoma City bombing were from people being buried under debris. While the security design of a building has basic concern for the structural exterior envelope, cascading events which can occur from hazards within the building must also be considered such as size of columns, where to station walls with weight-bearing loads, oxygen cannisters on site, such as in hospitals etc.

Blast impact can also cause horrific life-altering injuries with exploding eardrums, collapsed lungs and perforated colons. I took care of a vet once who was too close to a grenade when it went off in Vietnam. He stated that to this day, his teeth ached. My guess is his sinus cavities also took quite a hit. Any area of the human body which is an air-filled cavity is especially at risk.

Beyond intelligent design of our new buildings the other most cost effective measure is perimeter defense. As an explosion is released the pressures rapidly decay seeking equilibrium with the ambient environment. So stand-off distance by increasing the perimeter around important targets are the order of the day. Perimeter defense must also consider the manner in which anti-ram barriers are erected. They must sustain assault from both vehicular mass and a fifty mile per hour velocity. Just remember your basic college physics here. smile As such, the bollards (Scottish word usage for our word "barricades") at the Glasgow airport terminal saved many lives in June.

Another bit of very interesting research involves the use of polymers to decrease blast impact. This military research makes for interesting reading. You will find the link here. It is easy to read and has some accompanying graphs and pictures.

Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Reckless Endangerment: The South Korean Christians

On July 19th a hostage crisis began along the Kabul Kandahar highway. Twenty-three South Korean Christians traveling by bus were kidnapped by Taliban militants. Two of the men have now been executed. Five men remain. But it is for the sixteen women in the bundle of captivity for which we must retain the most fear.

Dare we consider the truth? What some would imagine Christian bravery, others such as myself consider a foolhardy plan. And the actions of the South Koreans in Afghanistan has spilled out onto the international political stage with consequences for their own government. In giving that cup of water in Jesus name, we must always consider whether we are really willing to give a few cups of our own blood too when traveling into dangerous and politically unstable nations of the world.

Afghanistan remains an unstable hot spot for missionaries and foreign tourists. This link shows the travel advisory of our own government against civilians traveling in Afghanistan. In regions where men are at war, captive foreign civilians are mere pawns elevating the captors to rooks and knights onto the chessboard of manipulation.

It is reckless abandonment to intentionally bring women into a hot zone of the world in the name of missionary zeal. I have the great honor of knowing several physicians who went to the Sudan three years ago to evaluate the medical needs in the IDP camps. They were unaccompanied by women. They understood the dangers. They explicitly announced that no women would be considered to partner in such venture. But the following year I joined some of these same doctors on a trip providing humanitarian and medical relief along the steppes of Mongolia. It was considered a safe enough venture to include the fairer sex. Other than retching into a bag continuously on the flight from Mongolia back to China and imagining that I would suffer death by dysentery the next day, I returned to Dallas in safe physical condition. (See archives from 8/8/05 and 8/12/05)

So what has happened to these women? Men with weapons hosting female captives are not drawn to the allure of a seated dinner with amicable chit-chat. Women in captivity suffer rape. Women in captivity suffer gang rape. Two of the men have already been killed. Why would anyone imagine a better deal for the women?

We should pray for the Korean Christians. Our prayers need to extend to the women. But the good Lord also gave us a brain for a reason. The book of Proverbs states that a wise man sees evil and takes refuge. There may remain no place of refuge for those in captivity beyond their faith in God.


Tammy Swofford
tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Medical System Heal Thyself

Although Tammy probably did not mean to lead thoughts in this direction, and although I am not an advocate, it seems to me the Frankenmed situation is a mighty argument for complete government control of medicine. It is not the only argument.

On Sunday, Dateline ran a piece on the counterfeit drug business. You can get them from your Rexall, Walgreen, Wal-Mart, or CVS and possibly even hospital pharmacies, wherever sick people go to get their legitimate prescriptions filled.

How it works is your Russian mobsters, Chinese triads, Colombian cocaine traffickers, Mexican mafia, Hell’s Angels, etc., put together something that looks just like Tylenol, Lipitor, Viagra, Interferon, Procrit you name it, and packages the stuff to look just like the real thing. They may, or may not have to phony up shipping documents to get the stuff into the hands of wholesalers who have come into being because we are desperate for cheaper medical care. The wholesalers buy surplus stock at reduced prices and sell it to pharmacies. As a result thousands, if not millions, of doses of counterfeit medications have contributed to the continued illnesses and deaths of thousands of patients worldwide.

On top of this, we have the efforts of “legitimate” pharmacies to hold down operating expenses by rushing their latest concoctions to market without costly medical trials.
The prototype of this practice was a German company named Grünenthal. In 1954, while looking for an antibiotic, the folks at Grünenthal strung together four elements found in the human body (carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen). The stuff had no antibiotic properties, but even massive doses didn’t seem to hurt rats.

The German chemists noticed that it did have a sedative effect, so they marketed it as a perfectly safe sedative, anti-inflammatory medication to treat morning sickness. They marketed the stuff under the name Thalidomide. Between 1957 and 1962, it was sold in almost 50 countries under at least 40 names, including Distaval, Talimol, Nibrol, Sedimide, Quietoplex, Contergan, Neurosedyn, and Softenon. As a result, approximately 10,000 children were born with severe malformities, including phocomelia, an absence of long bones which made flippers out of hands and feet. In addition there were severe internal abnormalities that resulted in some 4,000 mothers burying their children before they were one year old.
In all, some 10,000 Thalidomide babies were born worldwide.

How did such a terrible thing happen? Quite easily. For instance, Distillers Inc., the U.K. company the made the stuff under license and distributed it throughout the British Empire, decided that it did not have to do any testing because Grünenthal already had. Of course, all Grünenthal had done was to test the stuff on rats and rabbits.

Fortunately for the U.S. Frances Kelsy of the US FDA didn’t buy that argument and required further testing. Only 20 Thalidomide babies were born in the U.S.; all part of the study.
We have learned nothing from the Thalidomide scandal. Since then, the system has inflicted pain medications that produce heart attacks and diabetes medicine that does the same on a public whose trust can only be described as Panglossian.
The current system is broken and something must be done.

Tom Gordon
Tsg0008@sbcglobal.net