Updating
I want apologize for my absence of late. For the past two weeks I have been in lovely, scenic Hattiesburg, MS at Camp Shelby. Camp Shelby, as near as I can tell, is the primary National Guard facility for deploying Nat'l Guard troops to Iraq and Afghanistan. Anyway, the Guard unit to which I am assigned -- the 231st MI Company -- returned from Iraq in June and I went to Shelby in order to unload my unit's shipping containers and prepare the unit's equipment for return to the Louisville, KY area. And glamorous work it is (ahem).
In the meantime, I am ready to return to the blogosphere. And there is no dearth of issues to comment on, so I shall dig in.
The Pope
Can you say "much ado about nothing?" Muslim extremists have only justified the Pope's words by reacting violently. They are doing the Muslim faith absolutely no good. You know, there used to be a time when Muslims and Christians and Jews could live together rather peacefully. But now, the moderate elements of Islam have sat idly by while the extremists have taken over as the public face of Islam. The peace-loving majority of Muslims must step up and oppose their violent brothers and reclaim the reputation of Islam and the Prophet Mohammed.
Thailand
By now, you may have heard of the breaking news from Thailand. Some are reporting it as a coup d'etat, whereas others are reporting it as a coup attempt. Right now, Fox News is reporting that the Thai military has seized control of the media and the Prime Minister's offices and is declaring support for a return to monarchy. Now, while I am against the widespread corruption that seems to have spread through the Thai government, I am aghast that the military has risen against the government and have left the people of Thailand without a voice in their nation.
When it comes to political philosophy, am I first and foremost a proponent of Democracy. I feel that power, in its most basic form, is derived from the consent of the people. But in Thailand, senior members of the military have usurped the people's position and have toppled a government that was democratically elected. Whatever claims of corruption there may be, these have to be resolved through Thailand's judiciary not by the arbitrary exercise of military force.
Aliens!
Finally (for now), NASA has delayed the scheduled Wednesday-morning landing of the space shuttle Atlantis. Part of the reason is the spotting of a mysterious object orbiting the earth near the International Space Station. It's aliens, I'm tellin' ya! They're comin' to suck out our brains! Quickly, find yourself some aluminum foil and make little hats -- it's the only way to protect your brains!
In the meantime, I am ready to return to the blogosphere. And there is no dearth of issues to comment on, so I shall dig in.
The Pope
Can you say "much ado about nothing?" Muslim extremists have only justified the Pope's words by reacting violently. They are doing the Muslim faith absolutely no good. You know, there used to be a time when Muslims and Christians and Jews could live together rather peacefully. But now, the moderate elements of Islam have sat idly by while the extremists have taken over as the public face of Islam. The peace-loving majority of Muslims must step up and oppose their violent brothers and reclaim the reputation of Islam and the Prophet Mohammed.
Thailand
By now, you may have heard of the breaking news from Thailand. Some are reporting it as a coup d'etat, whereas others are reporting it as a coup attempt. Right now, Fox News is reporting that the Thai military has seized control of the media and the Prime Minister's offices and is declaring support for a return to monarchy. Now, while I am against the widespread corruption that seems to have spread through the Thai government, I am aghast that the military has risen against the government and have left the people of Thailand without a voice in their nation.
When it comes to political philosophy, am I first and foremost a proponent of Democracy. I feel that power, in its most basic form, is derived from the consent of the people. But in Thailand, senior members of the military have usurped the people's position and have toppled a government that was democratically elected. Whatever claims of corruption there may be, these have to be resolved through Thailand's judiciary not by the arbitrary exercise of military force.
Aliens!
Finally (for now), NASA has delayed the scheduled Wednesday-morning landing of the space shuttle Atlantis. Part of the reason is the spotting of a mysterious object orbiting the earth near the International Space Station. It's aliens, I'm tellin' ya! They're comin' to suck out our brains! Quickly, find yourself some aluminum foil and make little hats -- it's the only way to protect your brains!
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