BS: Happy July 4th

Subject: RE: BS: Happy July 4th
From: Ebbie
Date: 01 Jul 05 - 04:01 PM

Just hope that what happens post strike bears no resemblance to what happened in Oregon when the officials tried to blow up a pungently-dead beached whale. *G*

Subject: RE: BS: Happy July 4th
From: Donuel
Date: 01 Jul 05 - 04:00 PM

I was telling a deaf friend yesterday about deep impact on the 4th.
I could see in her eyes she didn't believe a word I was saying.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy July 4th
From: Alba
Date: 01 Jul 05 - 01:43 PM

Well NASA have something planned for the 4th of July, Deep Impact

!!!!

Jude

Subject: RE: BS: Happy July 4th
From: PoppaGator
Date: 01 Jul 05 - 01:26 PM

Although it's not expressed explicitly in the brief passage quoted above, MacArthur's remarks seem to refer to nuclear warfare and its corollary, "mutual assured destruction."

For all of human history until the development of the atomic bomb, the nation-state was the most powerful institution participating in human history, and conflicts between nations tended to be won by whoever possessed the most advanced weapons technology. The guys with bows and arrows beat the ones throwing spears, later the inventors of the crossbow beat those still using the longbow, etc. etc. etc.

With the appearance of weapons so terrible that they could destroy their owners as well their owners' enemies, conventional warfare has now become obsolete, and nation-states no longer enjoy their longstanding preeminence.

"Information war" ~ including both terrorism and non-violent resistance ~ has already begun to replace warfare as we have always known it, just as multinational corporations are rapidly replacing political organizations (nations) as the leading actors ~ the most potent forces ~ on the historical stage.

I believe that the world's current state of extreme confusion is largely due to the fact that most "world leaders" (i.e., heads of state) are blind to the fact that this historical paradigm shift has already occured.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy July 4th
From: Ebbie
Date: 01 Jul 05 - 01:06 PM

We had an odd thing happen at last year's parade in Juneau.

1) A man wearing a George Bush mask and with an anti-war sign fore and aft pranced and minced before the crowd. He placed himself just before the 'Veterans for Peace' delegation. He got both applause and boos.

2) It was reported in the paper that the Parade Board's dictum was that controversial things of that nature would no longer be allowed, on the basis of not being 'respectful', that political messages were not appropriate.

3) Letters to the Editor ensued, both pro and con. The pros made the point that the parade extolled American freedom. The cons said they were offended by the "inappropriateness" of the caricature. The pros responded with What about the walking and waving candidates for office? What if you don't like them or their message?

4) The Board capitulated.

5) The theme of this year's parade will be 'Freedom of Speech'.

All is well.

Subject: RE: BS: Happy July 4th
From: Wesley S
Date: 01 Jul 05 - 12:55 PM

Thanks for sharing Frank. Interesting words made more interesting considering that it was MacArthur that wrote them.

Subject: BS: Happy July 4th
From: Frankham
Date: 01 Jul 05 - 12:50 PM

Happy July 4th. This was given to me by Pete Seeger.
Here is true patriotism and something else to contemplate for the Fourth of July regarding patriotism.

""But this very triumph of scientific annihilation--this very success of invention--has destroyed the possibility of war being a medium of practical settlement of international differences. The enormous destruction to both sides of closely matched opponents makes it impossible for the winner to translate it into anything but his own disaster............. No longer does is possess the chance of the winner of a duel--it contains rather the germs of double suicide. Science has clearly outmoded it as a feasible arbiter. The great question is--does this mean that war can now be outlawed from the world? If so, it would mark the greatest advance in civilization since the Sermon on The Mount."
...........................for the speech "War is no longer a medium of practical settlement of international differences" given in 1955 at an address at a civic banquet sponsored by the Los Angeles County Council of the American Legion, January 26, 1955
........By General Douglas MacArthur.

Dutifully submitted by a patriot, Frank Hamilton