Category Archives: Politics and Foreign Affairs

Afghanistan Moves from Opium to Lithium?

By Brian Brawdy | Published: June 13, 2010

This has to fall into the category of “game changer” for the United States, Afghanistan, the Taliban and the very war itself. Seems U.S. geologists recently found vast reservoirs of natural minerals buried beneath the war torn country. According to the New York Times article, over $1 trillion of mineral deposits, including lithium, lay scattered beneath the rugged Afghan terrain.

You gotta wonder what will this do to the ongoing U.S. strategy both in country and throughout the entire region.

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Also posted in Breaking News & Commentary, Foreign Affairs, Nature and Wildlife | Tagged Afghanistan, Geology, Islam, Islamism, Lithium, Taliban, The New York Times, The New York Times Co, United States, War in Afghanistan, War/Conflict | Leave a comment

Memorial Day: For Those That Stand and Guard the Bridge

By Brian Brawdy | Published: May 31, 2010

Watching my local Memorial Day parade this morning with color guards, bands and firetrucks passing the crowds of flag-waving families and friends gathered on both sides of Main Street, the name Horatius was front and center in my mind. So, in honor of those military members that have given their lives defending our country, and for those currently doing so, I thought I might paraphrase the poem Horatius by Thomas Babbington Macaulay.

Confronted by a hostile advancing army, the leaders of Rome met. They needed to destroy their only bridge into the city before the enemy could cross it and sack Rome itself. They were nearly out of time…

“They held a council standing,

Before the River-Gate;

Short time was there, ye well may guess,

For musing or debate.

Out spake the Consul roundly:

“The bridge must straight go down;

For, since Janiculum is lost,

Nought else can save the town.”

The poem continues..

“Just then a scout came flying,

All wild with haste and fear:

“To arms! to arms! Sir Consul:

Lars Porsena is here.”

On the low hills to westward

The Consul fixed his eye,

And saw the swarthy storm of dust

Rise fast along the sky.”

The verse continues as the attackers draw closer….

“But the Consul’s brow was sad,

And the Consul’s speech was low,

And darkly looked he at the wall,

And darkly at the foe.

“Their van will be upon us

Before the bridge goes down;

And if they once may win the bridge,

What hope to save the town?”

“Then out spake brave Horatius,

The Captain of the Gate:

“To every man upon this earth

Death cometh soon or late.

And how can man die better

Than facing fearful odds,

For the ashes of his fathers,

And the temples of his gods…”

Horatius continues…

““Haul down the bridge, Sir Consul,

With all the speed ye may;

I, with two more to help me,

Will hold the foe in play.

In yon strait path a thousand

May well be stopped by three.

Now who will stand on either hand,

And keep the bridge with me?”

“Then out spake Spurius Lartius;

A Ramnian proud was he:

“Lo, I will stand at thy right hand,

And keep the bridge with thee.”

And out spake strong Herminius;

Of Titian blood was he:

“I will abide on thy left side,

And keep the bridge with thee.””

The inspiring poem goes on with Horatius, Lartius and Herminius holding off the attackers until the bridge comes crashing down; their robust bravery saved the city of Rome and the day.

Be it this story or the story of the bravery of 300 Spartans, it’s hard to miss the same unshakable courage, fortitude, guts and grit of our fighting men and women today. Regardless of your opinion in politics, the various wars currently under way and the deployment of the U.S. Military around the world, what we cannot debate or escape is the human boldness, unshakable nerve and daring heroism of our Army, Marines, Air Force, Navy, Coast Guard, Reserves and Guard Members serving to hold the bridge and the gate.

This Memorial Day, even if just for a second, remember the bravery and honor that has come before you!

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Also posted in Breaking News & Commentary, Buried Logic, Survival and Emergency Preparedness | Tagged Air Force, Army, balls, bravery, Consul, courage, grit, guard, Horatius, Human Interest, Memorial Day, Roman mythology, Rome, Thomas Babington Macaulay 1st Baron Macaulay, U.S. Military, War/Conflict | Leave a comment

More Voices Calling for the Prosecution of the Pope

By Brian Brawdy | Published: April 11, 2010

I’ve suggested for some time that the Pope may be on the ropes for knowingly permitting predatory priests to remain on the prowl. Is it possible he may soon be on the stand as well, could he and his co-conspirators face a trial? Can the Pope be charged with Perjury?

Two powerful pieces sat on my desktop this morning.

In “Bearing False Witness: The Pope Commits Perjury” at News Junkie Post Liam Fox writes brilliantly, “The evidence continues to mount and the mantle of blame begins to cloak the entire hierarchy of the Church.” This is a post you do not want to miss.

That we even have to read terms like “pedophile priests” and “Pope commits Perjury” is sad enough. That these crimes, perpetrated by pervert priests against defenseless children, was covered up at all, is in itself, a Crime Against Humanity.

In a post on The Raw Story, “UN Judge Calls for Prosecution of Pope Benedict” author Stephen C. Webster builds on a story on the GuardianUK, by quoting Geoffrey Robertson, a United Nations Jurist and human rights lawyer. The Pope should “Feel the full weight of international law.”

Think of it for just a moment. Cardinal Ratzinger and his cronies not only tried to hush the cries of the victims, in many instances the team of co-conspirators left the demented, criminal priests in place, in position to molest again and again. This is only partly about a coverup; the aiding and abetting makes this case cruelly disgusting.

In this situation, it will not be enough to cut the head off the snake; it seems that the disease goes farther down the serpent.

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Also posted in Breaking News & Commentary, Crime and Punishment, Religion | Tagged author, Benedict, Catholic sex abuse cases, Commits Perjury, Crimes, Geoffrey Robertson, Germany, Heads of state, human rights lawyer, Judge, Law/Crime, Liam Fox, Pedophilia, Perjury, Pope, Pope Benedict XVI, Prowl, Ratzinger, Religion/Belief, Rope, Stephen C. Webster, United Nations | 1 Comment

Somali Pirates Pick Fight with the United States Navy?

By Brian Brawdy | Published: April 10, 2010

I’m sorry. I just don’t get it. Imagine yourself, if you can, a Somali pirate out on the open waters marauding, looking for your next victim to pillage. All of a sudden, you see a ship off in the distance and decide, “looks like a good day for a raid.” As you get closer, you must see the U.S. flag and yet you still fire on a United States Navy ship? These are some of the bravest buccaneers around or the most pea-brained pirates ever.

According to an article in the Huffington Post, a Somali boat, filled with brainless bandits opened fire on the USS Ashland, mounting the third such attack in two weeks. One would think, that after President Obama gave the order to kill the pirates that took U.S. Maersk Alamba Captain Richard Phillips hostage last year, they would wake up just a bit.

The captains on these outlaw skiffs must be the greatest motivational speakers ever. Move over Zig Ziglar and Tony Robbins. Can you imagine giving, better yet, following the order to “open fire” on a U.S. Navy warship? For a new definition of lunatic looters, I nominate the latest round of Somali simpletons.

As for our side, I’m all over pirate diplomacy backed with a bit of gunpowder!

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Also posted in Breaking News & Commentary, Crime and Punishment, Foreign Affairs, Low Lifes Making Headlines | Tagged A. P. Moller-Maersk Group, Africa, Asia, Buccaneer, Captain, Crime, Criminal law, Gulf of Aden, Huffington Post, Human Interest, International law, Law, Maersk Alabama hijacking, Obama, Piracy, Piracy in Somalia, Pirates, President, Privateers, Richard Phillips, Ship, Shipping, Somali language, Somali people, The Huffington Post, Tony Robbins, Transport in Somalia, United States, United States Navy, USS Ashland, Watercraft, Zig Ziglar | Leave a comment

Qatari Diplomat’s Quick Cigarette Fix Costs US Big Bucks

By Brian Brawdy | Published: April 8, 2010

Hold on a second. This just in to the “you’ve got to be kidding me” file. After sneaking into the bathroom for a couple of quick drags, a Qatari diplomat is questioned about the smell of smoke and then jokes about setting his shoes on fire. Apparently, Mohammed Al-Madadi, a 27 year old official at the Qatari embassy in Washington, DC has a personal level of self control to match his stupendously comedic wit.

Fearful of a “security incident” in the making, the U.S. Military scrambles two F-16s, the FBI jumps into action and emergency personnel on the ground in Denver deploy to greet the United Airlines flight upon landing. According to an article on the Daily Caller, “Qatari diplomat’s midair scare cost taxpayers thousands.” What’s the chance we’ll ever see that tab being picked up by either the Marlboro Mohammad or the Qatari government itself?

Yesterday I highlighted a story where officials in Illinois are handing out bills for drivers involved in a crash, a so called “crash tax.” So we pay the costs of a law enforcement officer responding to the scene of an accident, but “NO charge” for creating an inflight, international terrorism scare that causes military jets to respond?

If you’re keeping score…Foreign diplomats with immunity..1, US citizen taxpayers…0

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Also posted in Breaking News & Commentary, Crime and Punishment, Survival and Emergency Preparedness | Tagged Denver, diplomat, Disaster/Accident, F-16s, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Humor, Illinois, Joke, law enforcement officer, Man-Made Disaster, Marlboro Mohammed, Mohammed Al-Madadi, official, Qatar, Qatari embassy in Washington, Qatari government, U.S. Military, UAL Corporation, United States, Washington | 1 Comment

Pope on the Ropes Over Sexual Assault Cases

By Brian Brawdy | Published: April 4, 2010

It’s been a hell of a week for the “Holy Father.” Labeling Satan as the cause, crying “the Devil made me do it” is a bit of a stretch, even for guys running around in gold crowns and flowing robes. the last thing I intended for this Easter morning was a follow-up on my recent posts about a Pope on the ropes. Honest.

On a holiday so beautifully rooted in cleansing, pardon and rebirth, I surely didn’t expect to read Vatican lines of an “unfailing” Pope and the “vile defamation operation” that currently surrounds the church. Are you kidding me? Is there a better time to atone than on Easter Sunday? Or, if you’re the Vatican, you can go on the attack and use the holy sermon for a spin session? I expect Beck to Spin me, I expect Olbermann to do the same, I’m accustomed to spin from the DNC and the GOP but I wasn’t quite ready for Papal Spin on Easter.

So, Rome decides to follow “petty gossip” with “unfailing” and “vile.” Something is unfailingly vile, that’s for sure.

Instead of concerning itself with repairing the damage and restoring its credibility, how about some transparency? How about declassifying the Popes equivalent of “Top Secret” better known as the “Pontifical Secret” and finally coming clean. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger surely knows the truth and it’s about time his alter-ego Pope Benedict XVI should start to tell it.

For those of you “disgusted” with the “vicious attacks” and “Innuendo against the Holy Father” I can only offer you a thought. This Easter Sunday, this Resurrection Sunday, please know that no one is more disgusted with the long standing and systematic coverup of the vicious attacks by pedophile priests against their parishioners than God Almighty himself.

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Also posted in Religion | Tagged beck, Benedict, Christian theology, Christianity, Easter, Easter Sunday, Europe, Geography, God Almighty, Heads of state, Holy week, Joseph Ratzinger, olbermann, Papal Spin, Political geography, politics, Pope, Pope Benedict XVI, Ratzinger, Religion, Religion/Belief, Resurrection Sunday, Rome, Ropes course, Social psychology, Vatican City, Vile | 4 Comments

Hey Pope — This Resurrection Sunday, How About Resigning?

By Brian Brawdy | Published: April 3, 2010

It’s been one hell of a Holy week for Pope Benedict and the Vatican. Their Friday could not have been all that good either. They blamed Satan for the current state of affairs, criticized the New York Times for its “attack mode” journalism, compared the ongoing investigation to the Holocaust and anti-Semitisim and the Pope himself suggested that we not “be intimidated by the petty gossip of dominant opinion.”

Oh well, it’s just the Pontiff and his “petty gossip.”

I am not a biblical scholar. That said, I’m fairly certain that Easter celebrates Jesus standing up for the sins of the world and ultimately surrendering his life. In modern parlance, as innocent as he was he took a bullet for us.

This Easter, the Pope should stand up for the sins of the Catholic Church and surrender his pointed hat, his flowing robes and his golden staff. Save the prayers and promises of destroying “the plague of pedophilia.” Celebrating this Resurrection Sunday, how about resigning?

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Also posted in Breaking News & Commentary, Crime and Punishment, Religion | Tagged Antisemitism, Benedict, Catholic Church, Christianity, Easter, Holy week, politics, Pope, Pope Benedict XVI, Religion, Religion/Belief, The New York Times, The New York Times Co | 2 Comments

Why We Should Give Up the Pope for Lent

By Brian Brawdy | Published: April 2, 2010

Update: In a follow up story on the Daily Beast, records uncovered show that the Pope, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, failed to prosecute the Arizona Priest Father Michael Teta. According to the report, the church later used the description of “satanic” to describe the pedophile priest.

Do you find it fascinating that so many claim interest in the sanctity of life and “protecting the unborn” yet they turn aside when it comes to standing for the unprotected once they are born? Is there a better definition of hypocrisy than being “pro-life” then actively, secretively protecting pedophiles in the Catholic Church? Protesting against abortion physicians then timidly ignoring abusive priests, I can’t get it to fit in my mind. You either defend those who can’t defend themselves or you don’t. There is no grey area. If you are going to champion human life, champion human life.

You decide. Sanctity or Sacrilege? You can’t have both.

I have suggested repeatedly that we use RICO statutes to prosecute any vatican officials responsible for covering-up sexual attacks against children. Today, great article in the Daily Beast refuting the Vatican’s claim of “Immunity for the Pope” because he is a “Head of State” and therefore an untouchable. Are you kidding me? Our focus has turn from pedophile priests to political protections?

Instead of immunity for the Pope, how about incarceration for the guilty? No Pontiff is above the law.

The world has enough plaster saints.

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Also posted in Breaking News & Commentary, Media, Religion | Tagged abortion, above the law, Cardinal Ratzinger, Catholic, Catholic Church, Catholic sex abuse cases, champion, Daliy beast, Europe, Father Michael Teta, Father Teta, Germany, Head, Head of State, Heads of state, Joseph Ratzinger, pedophile priest, pedophiles, Pedophilia, pontiff, Pope, Pope Benedict XVI, priest, Ratzinger, Religion/Belief, sacrilege, sanctify, sanctity of life, Social Issues, vatican, Vatican City | 2 Comments

Health Care “Sleeper” to Spoil the Pelosi Push

By Brian Brawdy | Published: March 21, 2010

Today is the day. After months of debate and deal cutting, wrangling and arm twisting, political promises and payoffs, the vote is finally here. As the Sunday morning TV news shows begin, Democratic leaders in the House of Representatives say they have the 216, Republicans say they don’t. As party leaders and political pundits on both sides spin us, they’re hunting for the “sleeper” to ruin the day. Steny Hoyer does not know. John Boehner does not know.

You can count on it; they don’t have a hard count.

Stay tuned. With all the wheeling and dealing taking place right up to the vote, watch for a “Sleeper” to spoil the Pelosi Push.

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Also posted in Breaking News & Commentary, Media | Tagged 216, Debate, Health care, health care debate, House of Representatives, John Boehner, Law/Crime, pelosi push, politics, Sleeper, Steny Hoyer | 1 Comment

The Problem with Politics IS Politics

By Brian Brawdy | Published: March 9, 2010

On a recent Larry King appearance, former Governor Jesse Ventura highlighted what is arguably one of the fastest growing beliefs of the American electorate today. Look at any poll highlighting the favorability ratings of legislative bodies at both federal and state levels. Stated simply both parties, and their established egomaniacs, are a large portion of the problem. It seems that bickering and power struggles rule the day. Both the GOP and the Democratic party are too busy pointing the fingers at each other to realize that it’s the reflection in the mirror before them that should hold their disdain and ridicule.

That said, there doesn’t seem to be an easy path to unseating these entrenched forces. Perhaps the best way to begin is through term limits and the line-item veto. Though many believe it’s impossible to break the choke hold of our current two party system, perhaps limiting the ability for generational power-grabs would be a good start.

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