Ukraine War: Putin Is Not Being Very Smart

OK, now look: Western democracies (EU, NATO, US) are stupidly easy to manipulate. The Iranian Mullahs have US foreign policy dancing upon the tips of their fingers. Communist China regularly has profits of $billions, not to mention a foreign currency reserve that other nations can only fantasize about, and she can even finance a new blue-water navy.

Russia can easily be a regional hegemon and world power that Stalin could only dream of. I shall now reveal the secret, so listen up.

First, you have to get rid of Vlad The Impaler. He reminds me of an impetuous adolescent that chucks his microwave burrito across the room, upends the table, stomps around the kitchen, and screams at the top of his lungs, all because he is not getting his way.

Second, be a friend to the West. Give back the Crimea and Eastern Ukraine. Do a mea culpa: publish a full and honest report of exactly what you have done to Ukraine with your military (a tear or two, real or not, would be a help). Say that you are sorry. Join the EU. Export Osetra caviar and vodka to the West (the good stuff, not that sewer swill that can found in any American supermarket). Sell obsolete SU27s/MiG25s and T62/72 tanks that you would have tossed onto the scrap heap anyway to former Warsaw Pact countries at firesale prices. I promise you: dump trucks will back up in your driveway and deposit enormous piles of gold that you could only have dreamt of before.

There, that wasn't so hard, was it? (crickets). Hello? (crickets).

The Anniversary of The Holocaust

This month marks the 70^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. I try to give credit where credit is due whenever possible. Thusly with this.

I was listening to the John Batchelor Show on Monday, 1/26/15 with Malcolm Honlein and Thaddeus McCotter about this. TM made one of the most important statements I have yet heard, and I paraphrase.

Every political leader should be required to visit the camp and related museum in Poland. It will remind them of the dangers and evil of power. The fact that the villains were Nazis and the innocent victims Jewish is rather beside the point. This tragedy, regardless of the identity of those involved, is a stain upon the soul of the human race. Period. Full stop. ICYW, I am neither Jew, Muslim, nor Christian, which makes this even more stomach-churning, because it seems to be so senseless.

I agree: never forget, or this tragedy shall be repeated.

Why Are So Many People Antisemitic?

First, I know: this is a rhetorical question. Second, yes, this is the famous third rail of politics (this is not the only one, of course).

Witness:

• earlier this month, the NY City Council was planning a trip to Israel. They met with fierce opposition
• the President has tilted US foreign policy towards Arab countries, and abandoned Israel, one of our staunchest allies in a very difficult part of the world
• the United Nations regularly passes resolutions critical of Israel, but never terrorist that randomly shoot missiles at her

One would hope that the human race is advancing beyond such prejudice, but this clearly will have to wait for another day.

Please Stop Eating Shark Fin Soup

I was watching YouTube videos on street food in various countries. There was one detailing Gordon Ramsay (famous TV chef and owner of several restaurants) discovering sharkfin soup. I think it fair to say he was not very happy about sharks being hunted into extinction, and I agree.

I have worked, off and on, in professional kitchens. I graduated from culinary school. I was taught that when you put something on the menu, you must make sure that the ingredients you call for are sustainable and do not put pressure on wild populations of whatever. Wild caught sharks clearly do not qualify under this requirement.

Some responsible countries have prohibited this reprehensible practice of harvesting sea creatures until they disappear forever. Of course, others (cough, cough, chinese) regularly ignore these laws because they genuinely do not care: their only reality is dollar (renimbi) signs in their eyes. 

This is just one more example of the disappointing behavior of humans.

Fast Food Nation/Schlosser is a Big Fat Lie

I was clicking around Youtube about food, and ran across this rather adolescent political

diatribe. No, I did not buy this book, as I refuse to support such political drivel. However, I watched a full hour of the author expounding his beliefs.

Contrary to what the author states, it is unarguably his intention to inhibit us from buying our meals at such fast food places. McDonalds is definitely the largest of these, so it is not surprising that he chooses this target rather, than, say, Wendys, Jack In The Box, Der Wienerschnitzel, Taco Bell, KFC, or Carls.

Most of the arguments I heard related to politics and economic equality, and NOT about the safety or nutrition of the food served. He pulls the old trick of railing against the sodium and sugar of same. Stuff and nonsense. Granola, health bars, and protein drinks have the same problem. He also uses the old technique of reciting a chemical additive with more syllables than the SF 49ers have Pro-bowlers. I herewith state my bonafides: I have a BS degree in chemistry from UC Berkeley. The chemical additives are not what you should be worried over. If you wish to be paranoid, then concentrate on the sugar and salt content of your food (and not just fast food).

He sticks his foot in the cowpie when he states that the “right wing of the Republican party” is responsible for the contamination of the ground beef supplies. He further slips into the dung when he claims that “Republicans” are responsible for the lack of worker safeguards.

In summary this excuse for a book is nothing more than your standard, Democrat/Liberal diatribe. I suggest you put it to good use: put it through the paper shredder, and mix in to your compost (you do have one, don't you?) bin. 

It is lunch time, and I am hungry. I shall have a Big Mac and diet Coke (no fries, please).

J'accuse: Mr Obama, You Are Antisemitic

Now, look. I am Buddhist and Samurai. I respect all religious viewpoints, regardless of what I personally think of them. However, as long as you are honest about. It is not honorable to lie about it, as you have apparently stated about your antipathy about Jews.

Hatred towards Jews is a time-honored tradition, as you are no doubt aware. As proof of your antisemitism, I submit:

1. refusal to send a representative to the march in France supporting the innocent victims
2. supporting the Muslim Brotherhood over Al-sisi
3. deliberately allowing Iran to gain nuclear weapons
4. allowing CAIR free and unfettered access to the West Wing
5. refusal to destroy ISIL (or whatever they are calling themselves these days)
6. refusal to support the Yazidi or the Kurds
7. giving the cold shoulder to Israel, one of our most reliable allies

In your own autobiography, you admitted that you were raised as a Muslim. Eating dog-curry is rather typical of that culture. You stated that the call to Muslim evening worship is the most beautiful sound you have ever heard. I shall grant you the dignity of your beliefs.

But please: do not lie to us about your hatred of Judaism.

Paris Bombing: Islam is NOT a Religion of “Peace”

I hope that, by now, you are now convinced of this truth. There are many related words: Islam, Muslim, Takfiri, Jihad, Qu'ran. NONE of these words, even if one is charitable, translate as “peace”. I honor the memory of Tony Snow, but even he made this mistake during one of his editorials on Fox News Sunday a few years ago.

In particular, note that Muslims worldwide are not standing up in indignation shouting: “this is a perversion of the teaching of Mohammed”.

You can bet your last dollar that, if a Western/Judeo/Christian religious sect committed such a crime against humanity, there would be loud and unanimous condemnation of same. Not so with believers of the Qu'ran.

Moses (Jew): do not kill (Exodus 20:12)
New Testament (Christian): anyone who hates his brother is a murderer (1 John 3:15)
Hindu: those who harm living beings also harm Vishnu (Vishnu Purana)
Buddhist: refrain from killing living creatures (Ten Precepts)
Mohammed (Islam): smite your enemy (Qu'ran 8:12)

ICYW, I am Buddhist. While the slaughter of innocents is reprehensible, I am more indignant over those who deny that this is so.

Have a nice day.