From Twitter
At a Railway station in Bombay July 20th 2015 (unknown photographer)
Who needs a train?
July 21, 2015Every captive is not a hero – Trump may have a point
July 21, 2015Trump is being castigated from all sides for questioning John McCain being described as a “war hero”.
“He’s not a war hero. He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
A “hero” or a “war hero” is just a label created by the media and public perceptions. The mere fact of capture and captivity cannot be a qualification for the label – but it very often is. It is a label often used and exploited by those released from a perceived “unjust” captivity.
(In Sweden for example, two rather irresponsible journalists who accompanied rebels from Somalia, illegally across the border into Ethiopia, Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson, were captured and prosecuted for terrorist activities, and sentenced to 11 years in prison in Ethiopia. But after much outrage and diplomatic activity and ransom payments, they were released after about 18 months in captivity. Being journalists they were feted and made into heroes by the Swedish media – essentially for breaking the law in Ethiopia and for being incompetent. They have exploited their notoriety and their reputation as “heroes” extremely well since then. I note that another black Swedish journalist, Dawit Isaak has been in prison in Eritrea since 2001 but his plight has not engaged the interest of the Swedish media or the public or the government in the same way. A prisoner left behind.)
In McCain’s case, the basic facts seem to be:
- McCain was captured and badly tortured.
- He spent over 5 years in captivity.
- He did receive preferential treatment in captivity because of who his father was.
- He did make a “confession” about his war crimes which was widely disseminated by his captors.
- He did suffer permanent physical disabilities as a result of poor medical treatment and his torture.
- He was one of 591 prisoners released. Many prisoners died during captivity. About 600 other prisoners were alive at the time but were never released.
- For some reason, McCain is not supportive of the relatives of the missing prisoners in their efforts to get information about them.
He certainly showed great endurance and fortitude. He certainly suffered greatly. But does that make him a “war hero”?
In October 1967, McCain was flying over North Vietnam when his A-4E Skyhawk was shot down by a missile over Hanoi. McCain fractured both arms and a leg ejecting from the aircraft and nearly drowned when he parachuted into Trúc Bạch Lake. Some North Vietnamese pulled him ashore and he was then transported to Hanoi’s main Hỏa Lò Prison, nicknamed the “Hanoi Hilton”. He received very basic medical treatment and suffered severe torture and solitary confinement. His father was appointed commander of all U.S. forces Vietnam in 1968 and he was offered early release for propaganda purposes. He declined, in accordance with the Military Code of Conduct for POW’s and his beatings continued. In late 1968 he made a “confession” about his war crimes and this was used extensively by the N. Vietnamese. From 1969 prisoner conditions improved somewhat. He was among a total of 591 POW’s released in March 1973 after over 5 years in captivity. Many prisoners had died in captivity.
But there were many – supposedly hundreds – of other prisoners who were not released at the time. And now the story becomes very murky. Apparently the other prisoners were being retained to ensure that the Vietnamese received war reparations agreed to in the peace agreement. But these reparations were never payed since the agreement was rejected by Congress and these other prisoners were never released. The US Military always denied that there was any evidence of any prisoners left behind. Eighteen years later, in 1991, John McCain became a key member, with John Kerry as Chairman, of the Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs.
But apparently McCain was disinclined to pursue the fate of the prisoners left behind.
John McCain and the POW Cover-Up
……. The Pentagon had been withholding significant information from POW families for years. What’s more, the Pentagon’s POW/MIA operation had been publicly shamed by internal whistleblowers and POW families for holding back documents as part of a policy of “debunking” POW intelligence even when the information was obviously credible.
The pressure from the families and Vietnam veterans finally forced the creation, in late 1991, of a Senate Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs. The chairman was John Kerry. McCain, as a former POW, was its most pivotal member. In the end, the committee became part of the debunking machine.
One of the sharpest critics of the Pentagon’s performance was an insider, Air Force Lt. Gen. Eugene Tighe, who headed the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) during the 1970s. He openly challenged the Pentagon’s position that no live prisoners existed, saying that the evidence proved otherwise. McCain was a bitter opponent of Tighe, who was eventually pushed into retirement.
Included in the evidence that McCain and his government allies suppressed or sought to discredit is a transcript of a senior North Vietnamese general’s briefing of the Hanoi politburo, discovered in Soviet archives by an American scholar in 1993. The briefing took place only four months before the 1973 peace accords. The general, Tran Van Quang, told the politburo members that Hanoi was holding 1,205 American prisoners but would keep many of them at war’s end as leverage to ensure getting war reparations from Washington.
Throughout the Paris negotiations, the North Vietnamese tied the prisoner issue tightly to the issue of reparations. They were adamant in refusing to deal with them separately. Finally, in a Feb. 2, 1973 formal letter to Hanoi’s premier, Pham Van Dong, Nixon pledged $3.25 billion in “postwar reconstruction” aid “without any political conditions.” But he also attached to the letter a codicil that said the aid would be implemented by each party “in accordance with its own constitutional provisions.” That meant Congress would have to approve the appropriation, and Nixon and Kissinger knew well that Congress was in no mood to do so. The North Vietnamese, whether or not they immediately understood the double-talk in the letter, remained skeptical about the reparations promise being honored—and it never was. Hanoi thus appears to have held back prisoners—just as it had done when the French were defeated at Dien Bien Phu in 1954 and withdrew their forces from Vietnam. In that case, France paid ransoms for prisoners and brought them home. ………..
Donald Trump may be a clown.
But he has a point.
Gold price at 5 year low – grounds for optimism?
July 20, 2015I grew up in the post-war period when gold price was fixed at $35/ounce. That came to an end in 1971 when the US Dollar was decoupled from the gold price. Gold price has little to do with supply and demand and is more a measure of existing financial turbulence or fears about coming turbulence.
gold price 1900 – 2000
The gold price dropped to just under $1100/ounce yesterday. But does it actually function as a forward indicator of what is to come? Many analysts see it as a trailing indicator reflecting the movement of money into a “safe haven” or out of “safety” into areas of perceived , future growth. Rising gold prices then reflect – after the event – turbulent times. Growth, of course, lags investment. Therefore, it is thought, that falling gold prices is a forward indicator of coming growth and an indicator at least of bullish sentiment if not necessarily of a bull market.
Gold price 2010 – July 2015 graphic Bloomberg
Certainly the soaring gold price after the financial crisis reached its peak of $1883/ounce in September 2011 and stayed at very high levels through 2012. The current decline started in January 2013 and has been followed by rising markets for the last 2+ years. But while a weak growth (sans inflation) is beginning to show up globally (strong in the US, weak in Asia and treading water in Europe), a real growth spurt ought to bring gold price down to less than $1000/ounce.
So the current level and falling trend shows at least that in spite of the Greek problems and the Eurozone weakness, expectations of growth are still strong. Historically, before and during the “good days” of the 1990s, gold prices were at or lower than $400/ounce. The 2008 financial meltdown itself took prices from 800 to 1800.
Gold price 1980 – july 2015
So I’m looking for a global growth level corresponding to gold prices back to around $900/ounce. But, unfortunately, I suspect that the gold price will not function as a forward indicator but will only reflect what has already happened. So, if it drops to less than $1000, my retirement funds will be reasonably safe.
But if it rises, I’ll have to have scrambled long before it does.
Send in the clowns. Maybe they’ll win.
July 19, 2015Stephen Sondheim’s song “Send in the clowns” is a reference to the theatre where “if the show is not going well, send in the clowns” applied. It seems this applies to politics as well.
In the US we have a clown on the right making large noisy waves and Donald Trump is actually leading in the polls for the Republican presidential nomination.
In the UK we have a clown from the lunatic left fringe of the Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn, also in the lead for the leadership of the Labour party.
The chances of either actually winning are low, though the Labour Party leadership contest must be decided soon. There may not be enough time for the Labour Party to come to its senses and they may wake up to find they have elected a Marxist leader without really intending to. For the Republicans there is much more time available for Trump to implode. But they are both clowns being sent in since their respective shows are going so badly. In the US the Republicans are not just fragmented, they have no clear vision of where they want to go and the many candidates are struggling to find a few key issues which resonate across the country. Trump has shaken things up by focusing not on immigration broadly, but on the undoubtedly disproportionately high level of criminality among illegal Latino (i.e Mexican) immigrants. He has challenged political correctness and decorum by asking why someone who gets captured (and even if they show great fortitude in surviving a brutal imprisonment) becomes a “war hero”. He is not being very nice at all but it is not difficult to see the point he makes. that just having the ability to be captured is not the stuff of heroes. Trump the clown is having a field day as the Republicans scramble and search for what they are.
Jeremy Corbyn was not taken seriously when the Labour party leadership contest began. He was having a tough time getting enough nominations to be included. Many felt that a “token” candidate from the loony left would help to show their party’s “broad appeal” and he was included on the ballot because they were running scared of the SNP which had wiped them out in Scotland with a more left-wing manifesto than Labour had. So he just got on to the ballot. But then the Trade Union “Unite” endorsed him. Maybe they were being Machiavellian and though that by first promoting a guaranteed loser, they would ensure that their real candidate Andy Burnham would get elected. But in that case their ploy has backfired and they could get stuck with having the clown as the winner. Corbyn is a traditional, hard-left socialist. The maximisation of public spending is his solution to most economic issues. He automatically supports whoever is perceived to be the “underdog” and has had questionable links with extreme (and sometimes terrorist) organisations from the IRA and the Tamil Tigers to Hamas and other questionable Islamist groups. He is one of those clowns who is utterly convinced of his own gravitas. But now there are signs of panic within the Labour Party that Corbyn could see to complete demise of the party. Even the Conservatives are feeling just a little concerned that the meltdown of the Labour Party, which will inevitably occur with Corbyn, may not be such a good thing. Having a vacuum in opposition only leads to the devil you don’t know.
……….
Don’t you love farce?
My fault I fear.
I thought that you’d want what I want.
Sorry, my dear.
But where are the clowns?
Quick, send in the clowns.
Don’t bother, they’re here.
Isn’t it rich?
Isn’t it queer,
Losing my timing this late
In my career?
And where are the clowns?
There ought to be clowns.
Well, maybe next year.
Send in the clowns.
Maybe they’ll win.
A Deputy PM who isn’t (if you are in Sweden and the deputy is a “green”)
July 19, 2015The Swedish Social Democrats were forced to bring the Environmental Party into government to cobble together a majority in parliament with external support from the Left Party (rebranded communists). The leader of the Greens, Åsa Romson, was given the title of “Deputy Prime Minister” but it has now been revealed that in the agreement between the Social Democrats and the Greens, the position was entirely titular. Fortunately the Social Democrats were sane enough and responsible enough not to allow the possibility of a Green Deputy PM actually stepping in to replace the PM when he was abroad or ill. That would be more frightening than nuclear weapons with a rogue state.
This agreement came to light this week when the PM, Stefan Löfven, was taken ill – just for a few hours – on his return from a trip abroad. Though he has not named any particular person to fill his empty shoes, it is usually the Foreign Minister, Margot Wallström, also a Social Democrat, who steps in.
Opposition parties have been quick to take pot-shots. “Unconstitutional”, said some of them, “to have a deputy who wasn’t”.
All good fun, but there is a serious point. The Greens are not seen, even by their partners in government, as being responsible enough to be allowed to take the reins. And that is the reality. The 6 Green Party Ministers in this government have, in my perception, amply demonstrated their inexperience which borders on the incompetent. They are a destructive force, primarily concerned with stopping actions from others, but have few constructive ideas of their own. They raise barriers when others want to “do” but “do” very little themselves.
Dagens Nyheter: The Green Party spokesperson Åsa Romson’s is Deputy Prime Minister – but will still not act as replacement for Stefan Löfven (S). Instead, it is Margot Wallström, who has that role in government.
According to information provided to DN the Social Democrat leaders did not want to give Romson the responsibility to lead the country in a crisis.
“Stefan Löfven has not appointed a deputy. Since no specific proxy has been appointed the role is taken by the longest serving Minister” says Hans Dahlgren (S), State Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office.
In the red-green government, Foreign Minister, Margot Wallström is the longest serving minister. Therefore she has, whenever available, led most of the cabinet meetings that have taken place since last autumn whenever Stefan Löfven has been abroad or absent for other reasons.
…….. when the Social Democrats and the Green Party negotiated for government posts last autumn, the parties agreed that Åsa Romsons title as Deputy Prime Minister was merely titular.
“We made no demands about getting an operational deputy post when we negotiated to enter government. It was more important for us to have clear responsibilities and cooperation in government”, says Åsa Romson.
The issue came to a head on Thursday when Stefan Löfven after a trip to Ethiopia suffered acute nausea and was taken by ambulance from the airport to the Karolinska University Hospital. But it took more than a day for the Prime Minister to answer DN’s questions on the matter.
The Green Party is based on agitation when in opposition. In government they flop about like fish on dry land.
Bewildered kangaroo
July 18, 2015
17 July 2015
A kangaroo on the Colmar Estate vineyard in Orange, New South Wales, Australia during the winter storm – image AP
Snow in Hawaii in July – another omen of the coming ice age?
July 18, 2015Mauna Kea gets snow in winter but not in July – when Hawaii is supposed to be sweltering.
The omens are gathering. The false prophets of global warming will tell us that cold weather is perfectly consistent with a warming Earth.We ignore these divine omens of a coming ice age at our peril.
While most of Hawaii experiences sweltering conditions this July, part of the Big Island might seem like winter after Mauna Kea got some snow overnight.
Officials have closed the road to the summit of Mauna Kea Friday after snow fell and caused icy road conditions. A ranger reported mixed rain and snow, fog and 1.5 inches of frozen snow on the summit.
IMAGE TAKEN ON MAUNA KEA – JULY 17, 2015 Hawaii News Now
Image: Mauna Kea Weather Center 17 July 2015
With another ice age on its way, thank goodness for fossil fuels.
GE close to getting EC approval for Alstom acquisition
July 18, 2015After a closed door meeting on 2nd July with the EC to explore the EC’s concerns over its acquisition of Alstom’s power and grid business, GE was given till 16th July to make a written submission of any modifications to the deal. The EC decision is expected by the 3rd week of August.
GE has now made its written submissions and they should now be clearly focused on the EC’s concerns. My guess is that GE would have addressed two areas:
- So as not to block potential – and qualified – competitors from entering the HDGT market, GE may have offered to make “open source” that technology and IP from Alstom which they do not use themselves. This could, for example, be done by making specified patents and associated test and operational results “freely” available though, perhaps, subject to some nominal royalties. These concessions may satisfy the EC’s concern that the number of OEM’s for HDGT’s would decrease such that there would be an unhealthy concentration of market share.
- So as to ensure that pricing for the servicing and for spare parts for Alstom’s fleet of engines would not be unduly or unfairly increased, GE could have offered to limit some margins on this business. They could, for example, hold or index prices for spare parts to 3rd party service providers in – say – Europe for machines installed prior to – say – the year 2000. I suspect that GE would have found a creative way to ensure that their business plan revenue from the service business was maintained with concessions to the EC only on margins rather than on revenue. This should bridge much of the gap, since the EC is primarily looking to avoid monopoly or predatory pricing and unjustifiable margins.
I expect that EC approval for the deal is now very close. Perhaps one more iteration will do the trick. Of course I am only speculating and I personally would like to see the deal go through.
Hitler has long inspired the British Royals
July 18, 2015The Saxe-Coburg and Gothas may have changed their names to Windsor, and the current British Royals are certainly not the Tudors, but they do have a hankering for the “good old days” when forelocks were properly tugged and dissenting heads could be “offed”. That Edward and Wallis were fairly committed supporters of the Nazi cause has been well documented. But The Sun has now acquired some home movies where Edward is shown teaching his nieces and his mother the Nazi salute in 1933. Of course in 1933 most of the Royal Houses of Europe supported Hitler as the scourge of the communists and the potential saviour of Royalty. Mind you, as recently as 2005, the Nazi sympathies of the Windsors were on display with Harry Windsor.
The Editor of The Sun would be high on their list of people to be sent to The Tower.
(I find it a little amusing when present members of ruling Royal families extol the virtues of monarchic democracies).
1933 – (The Sun- 2015)
Royals Hitler 1933 The Sun
1937
23 October 1937 Edward and Wallis with Hitler – Wikipedia
2005 – (The Sun – 2005)
Harry Swastika 2005 The Sun
Mass murderer Breivik being pandered to by Oslo University
July 17, 2015There is something wrong with the state of justice in Norway when “rules” are used as an excuse to overrule common sense and pander to the desires of Anders Behring Breivik.
Anders Behring Breivik soon after his trial in Oslo 2012 – image SvD
Anders Behring Breivik, sentenced for mass murder, has been admitted into the graduate program in political science at the University of Oslo.
The mass murderer will be studying at a distance from his cell, never staying on campus, nor having any contact with other students or staff. All contact between Breivik and the university will be through a contact in the prison. Breivik will not participate in the seminars.“We as an institution must follow the rules. We can not allow a single person to change this”, says Rector Ole Petter Ottersen.
Rules cannot be an end in themselves. They are tools devised for some purpose. It has been my experience that “rules” are always used as an excuse when actions are known to be wrong but where the actor has not the imagination or skill or competence to find the route to correct behaviour.
That the Rector uses “rules” to justify his actions in pandering to the wishes of someone who killed 77 innocent people and injured 24 is unconscionable. It is the lazy way to justify doing wrong. It is the excuse used at the Nuremberg trials. An insufficient exercise of mind. Was it the purpose of the “rules” to provide aid and comfort to a mass murderer?
The k2p blog 