Hi y'all - if you are not prepared to discuss your articles, I'm not either.
On Dec 23, 10:34 am, Morpheal <[email protected]> wrote: > STRANGLING ONE’S CUSTOMERS DOES NOT MAKE GOOD ALLIES: > > The end of GECF is definitely a positive note. It is long past time > for a more credible and less political organization of gas exporters, > with a more open. In the long term a sense of responsibility needs to > evolve in energy pricing that considers real costs of production and > sets prices based on those costs, ending natural resources being used > as an aggressive political weapon. Allies are won by means of a true > spirit of responsible community not by arm twisting and strangling to > death, in the manipulation of pipeline valves. We might hope that Mr. > Putin, the Russian Federation, and others, have learned that > strangling one’s customers does not make for good allies in anything, > and that improved alliances, for mutual cooperation and progressive > purpose are more necessary for all sides in any bargain, than ever > before. We might hope for real progress, rather than arm twisting, and > valve twisting, manipulation, which is ultimately extremely counter > productive when it comes to all issues of human progress, in > solidarity as a world community with common goals and ideals. > Nevertheless, we can see how the traditional, more conservative, > American viewpoint, would favor Mr. Putin using strong arm tactics on > gas and oil valves to create and increase conditions of distrust, and > even enmity, blocking solidarity and cooperation. That divide and > conquer is very Americanist, and Mr. Putin would then be merely a pawn > in the traditional American game of American superpower politics. If > Mr. Putin is sufficiently the fool to continue with his valve twisting > strangling of his customers and potential friends, he surely will end > up wearing an American dunce cap on his head, as his most significant > reward for the sake of history. > > TINKERING WITH INFECTION RISKS TOTAL DEFEAT: > > The BBC said today: “Sir Richard Branson, who is vice-president of the > Patients Association, has accused politicians of "tinkering" with > infection control in hospitals.” > > What will hospitals do to fight infection when eventually confronted > with bioterrorism or biological warfare ? We live in the biotechnical > age where probability of that type of aggression increases every day. > If we cannot learn to defeat MRSA we cannot fight deliberate bio > attack. We must learn to defeat MRSA, treating it as a preparatory > defense drill, learning from the experience, how to fight more > dangerous foes. It will mean changed protocols and considerable > redesigning and re-engineering. > > We must recognize that the nuclear age ended around the turn of the > millenium. Those who are too backward looking and conservative still > dwell in the massive power of the nuclear explosion as their fixation > and obsession. In fact that threat is so diminished since as of the > culmination of the Cold War that it is very small in comparison to the > rapidly growing threat of biowar. The world has chosen to make > biotechnologies for genetic manipulation readily available to any, and > biotechnologies can, in theory, be utilized in any basement, in any > nation, anywhere in the world, to potentially produce new weapons of > mass destruction. There are no means for detecting the manufacture or > the “launch” of such weapons against their targets. There are limited, > if any, defenses, in almost all parts of the world, to detect an > attack, and the technologies for doing so, even though they do exist > in principle, have not been adequately developed and deployed to make > any real difference as the delivery systems of such invisible weapons > cross national borders. A basic knowledge of the spread of infectious > diseases, and of the inadequacies of our most advanced data bases and > early warning systems, should invoke a feeling of terror in anyone who > is even marginally knowledgeable. A feeling of terror far greater than > the terror of the mutually assured destruction, MAD, that was seen as > a real possibility between the USSR and the USA in the playing out of > Cold War mentalities. Biowar is not limited to superpowers. It can be > utilized by any organized group, any nation, any extremist > organization. > > ENDING BLOOD AS THE CURRENCY TO PAY FOR PROGRESS: > > The BBC reports: “Lansana Conte, president of Guinea since 1984, died > last night. The army says it has taken control of the country, its > spokesman declaring that Guinea is in a state of ‘deep despair’, and > that the institutions of the Republic are incapable of resolving the > crises which confront the country.” > > If the world community, is to end the belief, which gained prominence > in the 20th century, that blood spilling violent revolution is > necessary for progressive change in any oppressed nation, then we must > take action to liberate nations such as Guinea. Pressure must be > applied to bring about positive changes, facilitating human freedoms > and vital economic improvement. Otherwise the world community risks a > return to that false paradigm of bloodshed and civil chaos as being > definitive of progress. > > When nations such as Guinea are abandoned to resolve their own > difficulties, and abandoned to oppression under the gun, it leaves > them with no option but to prove and reaffirm eventual violent and > bloody uprising. People will not be forever chained, and oppressed, is > a fact that history has repeatedly affirmed. We know that fact. Then > why do we keep insisting, by means of our inadequate actions as a > world community, that the price of any progress in human lives, in > terms of establishing basic human freedoms and economic means for > maintaining and improving human lives, must always be paid using blood > as the currency ? That must change. That paradigm must necessarily be > abandoned, in favor of more appropriate political means and > international political attention and intervention. > > Robert Morpheal > > This article maybe be copied, reproduced, distributed in any form, by > any means, anywhere by anyone and in fact anyone is encouraged to do > so. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
