"Oh, how I loved thee, Google,
Let me count the ways . . . "
I started my third real job in May 1970. Stock Clerk again, but instead of Woolworth's, this was for the State of NJ Bureau of Data Processing. The days of the 80-column punched cards. The days of the 256k magnetic core IBM mainframe computer. I worked hard for nine years, mostly as a Computer Operator, running that 256k mainframe, then a 512k mainframe, then larger and larger until I knew JES2 and Job Control Language (JCL), by heart. And taught others.
And in early 1979 I confessed to management something I should never have done at work -- search thru the director's desk papers for news of promotions or layoffs. I was verbally fired immediately, but after much begging, was transferred to Resource Development, a planning and procurement set-up unit, run by Chris Reid. A hard taskmaster. And I'm always grateful.
Best thing that ever happened to me except for meeting Janet in high school, and running across the Baha'i Faith. All three major milestones. So in '79 I was in a grey padded chair in a cubicle looking at a computer screen for hours, and typing with two fingers. Not any computer most of us would know today. Lotus and Visicalc instead of MS-Excel, WordPerfect instead of MS-Word. No MS-Office. E-mail? Unknown to us stringent IBMer's until PROFS in the early 80's; but no major use to the '90s.
Jan and I had bought a Commodore 64 for kids games like The Hobbit and Barbie in the early '80s. Later I produced a 2-page area Seeker Newsletter on it. So I'm no expert, but familiar enough with computing, PCs, browsers, applications, e-mail systems et al.
Eventually, after Compuserve and AOL elsewhere, came Microsoft's Internet Explorer in '95. The Google search hit in the late '90s, followed by release of Gmail in 2004. I had always used AOL, but the spam was ridiculous, until our friend Abbey sent me a Gmail invite circa 2007 (or 8?). Its spam filter was far superior to AOL's, so I switched permanently. By 2009 when I retired and started RR Energy & IT Consulting I had 3 Gmail accounts/email addresses. In 2012 when I started ABLiA Media Co LLC for publishing my book(s), it was the fourth.
Three of these Gmail accounts I use every day, the earliest one maybe once a week. But, I have over 200 email subscriptions to IT, energy, writing, publishing and many, many more subscription sites. I receive 150 emails a day from all four. Many are important, many informative and I either print or archive those, and 40% of others can be deleted 'cause I have since dissolved my RR Energy company.
Be that as it may, these four accounts are my lifeblood to the Internet; to hundreds of friends, acquaintences, colleagues and family.
But Google has now abolished three of these important accounts. No matter how hard I try, Google, with this new "One Account" BS, will ONLY let me get to the same account address!
My Mission: Find easy access to my legitimate Gmail addresses! Like it used to be!! more soon.
By Rodney Richards, copyright 2014. Email to 1950ablia@gmail -- will get a delayed response.
Subscribe for free by clicking on the right, and/or check out my recent memoir Episodes at
http://www.amazon.com/episodes-rodney-richards/dp/0615914705
Like you, I've had many ups and downs, and quite a few sideways experiences. I firmly believe everyone should write theirs and share them, whether just for themselves or their kids. Here are some from my memoirs, observations and thoughts.
Tuesday, January 28, 2014
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Time to Change Doctor and Hospital Bills
Past due for my eye check-up.
Had a normal experience at the Eye doctor's office today. First, it's an Eye Group in Hamilton, i.e a corporation I'm sure. A profit-making venture which all businesses need to be. I am loyal to those I like, such as Dairy Queen, Villa Mannino's, Longhorn, Chili's and AMC. I like them so I want to give them my business (not exclusively but regularly); I really want them to stay in business until I'm incapacitated. Then I want to use their online deliveries (someday in the future I'm sure). If I was really smart and market-savvy, I would only put my investment money in companies like these, and Pepsi, Kohl's, Home Depot etc.
Back to this Eye Group. It's always busy with average people like me, so that says something about their services. They're efficient. I adore that. They move quickly which I like, but which also means they aren't that personable. No "Good morning, how you doing?" or introductions. I asked both the technician, Ben, his name, and the doctor's (Dr. L), and the business clerk's (I forget). I complimented the last on her efficiency and got a warm thank you, so I also said "Happy New Year!" upon leaving, which she returned. So there's hope.The doc reminded me he saw me 2 and a half years earlier. Nice guy.
But I asked the questions I was concerned with since he hadn't volunteered the info yet: "What's glaucoma? When's it strike?" "What about cataracts at my age?' "Last time I told you they're beginning; everyone gets them in old age. By 90 we all need surgery, many earlier. At 60 like you? Maybe 3% of the population." Whew! Not bad.
Other good news after putting my chin on three complicated eye exam machines made by Zeiss, operated by silent Ben except for instructions. Afterwards the doc says, "Your eyes have changed very little. Still 20-25. You could go longer with your same glasses." Cool. I like glasses. Always have, since the '70s in my twenties.
Jan said, "Rod, why are you slowing down so much? This is busy Route 31." "Oh, in this rain and road shadows I thought I saw a dog." "Ah, no dogs. You need glasses." And so it started.
But for the last decade my glasses have flexible, form-fitting, rubber-coated temple-ends, meaning they fit close without hurting -- never have to push them up. I highly recommend them, but they're harder to get now.
Nick at DBP Optical will come thru as he has in the past -- I hope. Janet and daughter Kate are itchin' to get me in modern frames - you know, the thinner ones. Not like mine now which cover my entire face and always have. I like that there's no gap around the edges when I look out or down. (Bifocals now, of course.)
So 30-minutes ago I got home and looked at the Eye Group's bill. $480 for three different exams. I was surprised and happy they actually printed the charges on my receipt. You may recall my past blog experience at Hamilton RWJ Hospital for an emergency room visit and six stiches. A $50 copay but no itemized bill because "your insurance will cover it." I went back 2 months later to hospital billing and found over $2,000 in charges -- but they weren't sure if that was the final total.
My firm belief and simple fairness and transparency dictates everything should get get an itemized receipt. And they conjecture and blab about high healthcare costs?
At the Eye Group I only paid 10 bucks copay. How in the world insurance companies make huge profits off of payin' these bills based on a few hundred I send them every year . . . ? But what about when the cataract surgery hits for $1,000's? Well I guess it balances out . . . .
Thank God I'm lucky enough to have any insurance in my retirement years, right?
I sure hope all Americans get insurance coverage at a reasonable price. We all need it; even when we expect good eye care. Or any care.
Now . . . think about hospitalization bills for a moment.
By Rodney Richards copyright 2013. Subscribe free with comments or contact me at 1950ablia@gmail.com
Had a normal experience at the Eye doctor's office today. First, it's an Eye Group in Hamilton, i.e a corporation I'm sure. A profit-making venture which all businesses need to be. I am loyal to those I like, such as Dairy Queen, Villa Mannino's, Longhorn, Chili's and AMC. I like them so I want to give them my business (not exclusively but regularly); I really want them to stay in business until I'm incapacitated. Then I want to use their online deliveries (someday in the future I'm sure). If I was really smart and market-savvy, I would only put my investment money in companies like these, and Pepsi, Kohl's, Home Depot etc.
Back to this Eye Group. It's always busy with average people like me, so that says something about their services. They're efficient. I adore that. They move quickly which I like, but which also means they aren't that personable. No "Good morning, how you doing?" or introductions. I asked both the technician, Ben, his name, and the doctor's (Dr. L), and the business clerk's (I forget). I complimented the last on her efficiency and got a warm thank you, so I also said "Happy New Year!" upon leaving, which she returned. So there's hope.The doc reminded me he saw me 2 and a half years earlier. Nice guy.
But I asked the questions I was concerned with since he hadn't volunteered the info yet: "What's glaucoma? When's it strike?" "What about cataracts at my age?' "Last time I told you they're beginning; everyone gets them in old age. By 90 we all need surgery, many earlier. At 60 like you? Maybe 3% of the population." Whew! Not bad.
Other good news after putting my chin on three complicated eye exam machines made by Zeiss, operated by silent Ben except for instructions. Afterwards the doc says, "Your eyes have changed very little. Still 20-25. You could go longer with your same glasses." Cool. I like glasses. Always have, since the '70s in my twenties.
Jan said, "Rod, why are you slowing down so much? This is busy Route 31." "Oh, in this rain and road shadows I thought I saw a dog." "Ah, no dogs. You need glasses." And so it started.
But for the last decade my glasses have flexible, form-fitting, rubber-coated temple-ends, meaning they fit close without hurting -- never have to push them up. I highly recommend them, but they're harder to get now.
Nick at DBP Optical will come thru as he has in the past -- I hope. Janet and daughter Kate are itchin' to get me in modern frames - you know, the thinner ones. Not like mine now which cover my entire face and always have. I like that there's no gap around the edges when I look out or down. (Bifocals now, of course.)
So 30-minutes ago I got home and looked at the Eye Group's bill. $480 for three different exams. I was surprised and happy they actually printed the charges on my receipt. You may recall my past blog experience at Hamilton RWJ Hospital for an emergency room visit and six stiches. A $50 copay but no itemized bill because "your insurance will cover it." I went back 2 months later to hospital billing and found over $2,000 in charges -- but they weren't sure if that was the final total.
My firm belief and simple fairness and transparency dictates everything should get get an itemized receipt. And they conjecture and blab about high healthcare costs?
At the Eye Group I only paid 10 bucks copay. How in the world insurance companies make huge profits off of payin' these bills based on a few hundred I send them every year . . . ? But what about when the cataract surgery hits for $1,000's? Well I guess it balances out . . . .
Thank God I'm lucky enough to have any insurance in my retirement years, right?
I sure hope all Americans get insurance coverage at a reasonable price. We all need it; even when we expect good eye care. Or any care.
Now . . . think about hospitalization bills for a moment.
By Rodney Richards copyright 2013. Subscribe free with comments or contact me at 1950ablia@gmail.com
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
Time to Oust all Dictators (2)
[Continuation, part 2. Blog on changing/deleting dictators]
I am only one person, I don't have the right to judge others; however, based on conduct and actions, I can judge whether individuals (and organizations), are socially acceptable or not -- civilized in this Century of Light (Author: Universal House of Justice), who pinpoint "the ruin that the human race has brought upon itself." In my opinion, even if I keep it to myself, how do I judge right from wrong? How do I judge another human being?
But in this case President Assad has been judged by the world's civil communities. The world in the past has demonized Hitler and to an extent the German people, Emporor Hirohito and the Japanese (hence the hubbub right now about visiting a sacred shrine), and many others in the last 75 years, like Saddam Hussein and his army. So in a civil society how do we get rid of dictators? Easy.
1. Gather a military coalition as was done in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2. Issue a sanctioned U.N.fatwa, and 3. Depose, capture and imprison, or kill an inhuman being. Would that everything were so black and white. But remember how many lies (sometimes), arm-twisting, deal-making, and vote-getting all those actions finally took? Besides obtaining some modicum of public support? Time is still passing on such atrocities, during which innocent men, women and child citizens were and are murdered. "Collateral damage."
No, there's a time for pleading and a time for action, immediately, so rebuilding a truly democratic Syrian nation can begin. In part one I showed how Assad's crimes were proven. Universally condemned. Yet now we dally and delay trying to get rid of Syria's chemical weapons. I say that's not nearly enough. This is NOT the same as issuing a fatwa against an innocent-til-proven-guilty evil person. The Syrian government's crimes against humanity led by President Assad is proven. Torturing, maiming, killing or displacing millions (UNHCR reports over 1 million children and 1 million other refugees). Assad is not like the long suffering, incognito author Joseph Anton who received a fatwa sentence of death.
But why do we need multiples and multiples of murders to act against such inhuman "leaders," these mostly male megalomanical demigods? Weren't invasions and genocide in the '40s enough? Or in Rwanda? It's obvious that just like some demigods in the U.S. congress now, or these dictators, they refuse to cede real power to the people, or put the people's interests above their own like Nelson Mandela emblemized. '65 years later the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide is still deeply flawed. Still extant, it calls for nations to voluntarily agree to its principles instead of being mandatory for all. Unfortunately, even the self-righteous don't want to cede any authority or sovereignty to someone or to a justly constituted organization who can put an end to these infinite cruelties.
Not until the Commonwealth of Nations cedes some of their soverignty to the International Criminal Court and to the Peacekeepers, will dictators and their miseries end.
By Rodney Richards copyright 2013
Leave a comment by subscribing to this blog for free, or email me at 1950ablia@gmail.com
I am only one person, I don't have the right to judge others; however, based on conduct and actions, I can judge whether individuals (and organizations), are socially acceptable or not -- civilized in this Century of Light (Author: Universal House of Justice), who pinpoint "the ruin that the human race has brought upon itself." In my opinion, even if I keep it to myself, how do I judge right from wrong? How do I judge another human being?
But in this case President Assad has been judged by the world's civil communities. The world in the past has demonized Hitler and to an extent the German people, Emporor Hirohito and the Japanese (hence the hubbub right now about visiting a sacred shrine), and many others in the last 75 years, like Saddam Hussein and his army. So in a civil society how do we get rid of dictators? Easy.
1. Gather a military coalition as was done in Iraq and Afghanistan, 2. Issue a sanctioned U.N.fatwa, and 3. Depose, capture and imprison, or kill an inhuman being. Would that everything were so black and white. But remember how many lies (sometimes), arm-twisting, deal-making, and vote-getting all those actions finally took? Besides obtaining some modicum of public support? Time is still passing on such atrocities, during which innocent men, women and child citizens were and are murdered. "Collateral damage."
No, there's a time for pleading and a time for action, immediately, so rebuilding a truly democratic Syrian nation can begin. In part one I showed how Assad's crimes were proven. Universally condemned. Yet now we dally and delay trying to get rid of Syria's chemical weapons. I say that's not nearly enough. This is NOT the same as issuing a fatwa against an innocent-til-proven-guilty evil person. The Syrian government's crimes against humanity led by President Assad is proven. Torturing, maiming, killing or displacing millions (UNHCR reports over 1 million children and 1 million other refugees). Assad is not like the long suffering, incognito author Joseph Anton who received a fatwa sentence of death.
But why do we need multiples and multiples of murders to act against such inhuman "leaders," these mostly male megalomanical demigods? Weren't invasions and genocide in the '40s enough? Or in Rwanda? It's obvious that just like some demigods in the U.S. congress now, or these dictators, they refuse to cede real power to the people, or put the people's interests above their own like Nelson Mandela emblemized. '65 years later the U.N. Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide is still deeply flawed. Still extant, it calls for nations to voluntarily agree to its principles instead of being mandatory for all. Unfortunately, even the self-righteous don't want to cede any authority or sovereignty to someone or to a justly constituted organization who can put an end to these infinite cruelties.
Not until the Commonwealth of Nations cedes some of their soverignty to the International Criminal Court and to the Peacekeepers, will dictators and their miseries end.
By Rodney Richards copyright 2013
Leave a comment by subscribing to this blog for free, or email me at 1950ablia@gmail.com
Monday, December 23, 2013
Time to Change Trash Collectors
No, not the hardworkin' youth and men who stop by my house and all the others on my block on Wednesdays and Fridays. They work with precision, hardly any trash spilt on the asphalt. Lifting those yellow and green cans and luggin' newspaper bundles up and in, as well as those black, grey, brown, and green buckets filled to the brim with full garbage bags and debris. I certainly wish them a fattened paycheck and better benes for their critical services, services that some communities make residents pay for directly out-a-pocket. Ah, I love payin' property taxes for such good service, never failing.
Except the time early one Saturday mornin' seeing a Company man directing the garbage truck to speed backwards down the middle of the street, to save time and travel picking up missed cans. To suddenly watch as the massive truck smashes the driver's side rear-end of my red Civic, as it tries to pass - goin' backwards. How the youthful driver begged us not to call the Hamilton Police, but we did, and the Company's regional manager was also called and drove up, to record the event. How the driver received a ticket for careless drivin' and we all went to municipal court. How we met with the youth and the prosecutor privately, and he again asked for leniency, and the prosecutor said, "this will end his career." And so we dropped the charge, our testimony, and the driver left with a warning, not points. Even tho I thought it wrong to do so in the moment yet Jan had convinced me.
How do we learn lessons from our mistakes and be much more careful? But Jan convinced me it was an "accident," not this poor boy's fault, yet people cause accidents too.
And I had to dun the Company's insurance carrier weekly to pay for the damage -- which they finally did.
Or the homely lookin' necessary guys in green pants and coats on the Trenton downtown streets every weekday, with long-handled bin and petite broom, sweeping up the detritus left by uncaring pedestrians or tossed from vehicles, or dropped by children -- and ignored until these homely men pick it all up. Pick up to keep our city streets clean, beautiful. I've been to cities with pristine sidewalks and streets, London outskirts, Stockholm, Zurich, Rome - not so much. And how hard we try to keep our highways clean here, with orange-suited men of all colors and sizes, with extra long dark, thick plastic bags that hold cans, and Doritos bags, McDonald's plastic cups and food wrappers, gum wrappers, and road debris. We all see them in the medians and sides of our highways. Thank goodness for them also.
Not a bad idea chargin' businesses a surtax because of their mass trash bits, even tho not their fault they're strewn everywhere. No the customer's fault, too many, who'd rather pay the trash tax when they pay at the counter, rather than not litter.
So I was at Wawa on QB and Youngs Road Sunday, buying Salem 100s. I had parked by Nino's, possibly Hamilton's best bakery where I was concerned, to ostensibly buy a hand-sized, delicious, melt-n-your-mouth fresh, Nut Ring, at Janet's rare request. As I exited I unwrapped the pack out front, threw the wrappings into a large red trash can, lit up, and walked past the other stores back to Nino's enjoyin' my smoke. My "Stupid!" cigarette.
I find a bench along the way and sit while I finish. A thought occurs, That was a very unusual trash can. Interesting me enough to walk back and scrutinize it's red-metal shape. 5 ft long, 3 ft wide and 3+ ft tall, wide enough for two clear plastic bagged, square plastic buckets inside. One large rectangular opening for trash, circles cut in the top and side for recycle next to it. Handles on doors to open and empty bags. "Why does this strike me so?"
I enter a Note in my Iphone "Recycle", type in color, dimensions, symbols on outside, thoughts. Shouldn't all stores, city streets have such receptacles? Hard to miss, efficient? Instead of just this one for Wawa, shouldn't there be at least 3-4 along this long shop-filled sidewalk to replace the 'Only trash' buckets placed along it's length? How could people miss them? It's so hard to catch and find litterers. I wonder how many are ever caught and fined the $25 -- to $100. Couldn't there be laws dictating use by all fast food and fast coffee/cigarettes stores mandating use of these stand-outs? That would surely be a boon to trash collection and recycling.
Competition still works in the manufacture sale and maintenance of these red babies. Other competitive companies contracting with stores, gov't and strip malls for their placement and emptying. Perhaps even a credit for pounds of recycling collected in their bag(s) against the rental contract for these red giants?
There'll forever be a market for a better mousetrap, plan or program, won't there?
And Jan and I really enjoyed our Nut Rings.
By Rodney Richards copyright 2013. Subscribe for free and leave a comment or contact me at 1950ablia@gmail.com.
Except the time early one Saturday mornin' seeing a Company man directing the garbage truck to speed backwards down the middle of the street, to save time and travel picking up missed cans. To suddenly watch as the massive truck smashes the driver's side rear-end of my red Civic, as it tries to pass - goin' backwards. How the youthful driver begged us not to call the Hamilton Police, but we did, and the Company's regional manager was also called and drove up, to record the event. How the driver received a ticket for careless drivin' and we all went to municipal court. How we met with the youth and the prosecutor privately, and he again asked for leniency, and the prosecutor said, "this will end his career." And so we dropped the charge, our testimony, and the driver left with a warning, not points. Even tho I thought it wrong to do so in the moment yet Jan had convinced me.
How do we learn lessons from our mistakes and be much more careful? But Jan convinced me it was an "accident," not this poor boy's fault, yet people cause accidents too.
And I had to dun the Company's insurance carrier weekly to pay for the damage -- which they finally did.
Or the homely lookin' necessary guys in green pants and coats on the Trenton downtown streets every weekday, with long-handled bin and petite broom, sweeping up the detritus left by uncaring pedestrians or tossed from vehicles, or dropped by children -- and ignored until these homely men pick it all up. Pick up to keep our city streets clean, beautiful. I've been to cities with pristine sidewalks and streets, London outskirts, Stockholm, Zurich, Rome - not so much. And how hard we try to keep our highways clean here, with orange-suited men of all colors and sizes, with extra long dark, thick plastic bags that hold cans, and Doritos bags, McDonald's plastic cups and food wrappers, gum wrappers, and road debris. We all see them in the medians and sides of our highways. Thank goodness for them also.
Not a bad idea chargin' businesses a surtax because of their mass trash bits, even tho not their fault they're strewn everywhere. No the customer's fault, too many, who'd rather pay the trash tax when they pay at the counter, rather than not litter.
So I was at Wawa on QB and Youngs Road Sunday, buying Salem 100s. I had parked by Nino's, possibly Hamilton's best bakery where I was concerned, to ostensibly buy a hand-sized, delicious, melt-n-your-mouth fresh, Nut Ring, at Janet's rare request. As I exited I unwrapped the pack out front, threw the wrappings into a large red trash can, lit up, and walked past the other stores back to Nino's enjoyin' my smoke. My "Stupid!" cigarette.
I find a bench along the way and sit while I finish. A thought occurs, That was a very unusual trash can. Interesting me enough to walk back and scrutinize it's red-metal shape. 5 ft long, 3 ft wide and 3+ ft tall, wide enough for two clear plastic bagged, square plastic buckets inside. One large rectangular opening for trash, circles cut in the top and side for recycle next to it. Handles on doors to open and empty bags. "Why does this strike me so?"
I enter a Note in my Iphone "Recycle", type in color, dimensions, symbols on outside, thoughts. Shouldn't all stores, city streets have such receptacles? Hard to miss, efficient? Instead of just this one for Wawa, shouldn't there be at least 3-4 along this long shop-filled sidewalk to replace the 'Only trash' buckets placed along it's length? How could people miss them? It's so hard to catch and find litterers. I wonder how many are ever caught and fined the $25 -- to $100. Couldn't there be laws dictating use by all fast food and fast coffee/cigarettes stores mandating use of these stand-outs? That would surely be a boon to trash collection and recycling.
Competition still works in the manufacture sale and maintenance of these red babies. Other competitive companies contracting with stores, gov't and strip malls for their placement and emptying. Perhaps even a credit for pounds of recycling collected in their bag(s) against the rental contract for these red giants?
There'll forever be a market for a better mousetrap, plan or program, won't there?
And Jan and I really enjoyed our Nut Rings.
By Rodney Richards copyright 2013. Subscribe for free and leave a comment or contact me at 1950ablia@gmail.com.
Friday, December 20, 2013
Time to Change from Dictators
#1 I'm not expert in anything; today's blog based on hearing/reading traditional news outlets, Time and the Week.
#2 Nation building has ended. No more invasions to conquer lands - disputes hopefully settled by the International Court of Justice (estab. 1945 with growing member states subject to its dictums), also enforced by U.N. Peacekeepers (euphemism for advisors and enforcers and rightly so).
A new model of war has emerged: coalitions, i.e. collective security. Adumbrated by Baha'i leader Baha'u'llah in mid-1800s. Examples are: the Gulf War, '90-'91; Kosovo in '99 with air support from NATO; Iraq War starting in 2003, now a civil war; and Afghanistan since 2001, ongoing. (Source: Wikipedia)
How to End a Dictator (1) - like Bashar Assad
President of Syria (figurehead since '94); opposed by Peoples Council of Syria in 2000 and 2007 elections, but ran unopposed. Proof of dictatorship from reports: "Human Rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have detailed how Bashar's government and secret police routinely tortured, imprisoned, and killed political opponents, and those who speak out against the government. Since 2006 it expanded the use of travel bans against dissidents. In that regard, Syria is the worst offender among Arab states." "He ordered a mass crackdown and military sieges on pro-rebel protesters amid recent civil war." (Source: Wikipedia 12/20/13)
Logical steps so far taken towards removal:
1. Background proof of cruel dictatorship has been gathered. Signs: Unopposed, unchallenged or unverified elections. Atrocities against Syrian people (or others). Proof is history and facts gathered over time in every case. Easily proven in modern times with cellphone pics, recordings, reporters, watch groups, internal document expose's etc.
2. Deciding. "Who's responsible or champion enough to remove him?" Leave up to anti-gov't protestors or rebels, international condemnation and embargos? (See 5/18/2011 U.S. sanctions) Step a. Provide indirect military support towards ouster like advisors and arming rebels? (Not seen publicly yet?) b. Full civil war? Declared one by Red Cross on 7/15/12. c. Let it play out? Or? Next step.
3. Direct military intervention. a. Frought with problems and the largest (to me), is collateral damage (murder of civilians by coalition forces). Torture and murder accusations now hurled against Syrian rebel groups. Meaning: How on earth can we support that? b. International recognition toward stability is building (17 countries now), of the Syrian National Council (SNC); therefore justifying and legitimizing physical, material and military support. No one's done this yet, that I've heard of. Have you heard differently?
That's where we are now. Part (2) coming - A Different Path.
By Rodney Richards, copyright 2013. Subscribe to this blog for updates, or comment to me at 1950ablia@gmail.com. I will try to respond.
#2 Nation building has ended. No more invasions to conquer lands - disputes hopefully settled by the International Court of Justice (estab. 1945 with growing member states subject to its dictums), also enforced by U.N. Peacekeepers (euphemism for advisors and enforcers and rightly so).
A new model of war has emerged: coalitions, i.e. collective security. Adumbrated by Baha'i leader Baha'u'llah in mid-1800s. Examples are: the Gulf War, '90-'91; Kosovo in '99 with air support from NATO; Iraq War starting in 2003, now a civil war; and Afghanistan since 2001, ongoing. (Source: Wikipedia)
How to End a Dictator (1) - like Bashar Assad
President of Syria (figurehead since '94); opposed by Peoples Council of Syria in 2000 and 2007 elections, but ran unopposed. Proof of dictatorship from reports: "Human Rights groups, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, have detailed how Bashar's government and secret police routinely tortured, imprisoned, and killed political opponents, and those who speak out against the government. Since 2006 it expanded the use of travel bans against dissidents. In that regard, Syria is the worst offender among Arab states." "He ordered a mass crackdown and military sieges on pro-rebel protesters amid recent civil war." (Source: Wikipedia 12/20/13)
Logical steps so far taken towards removal:
1. Background proof of cruel dictatorship has been gathered. Signs: Unopposed, unchallenged or unverified elections. Atrocities against Syrian people (or others). Proof is history and facts gathered over time in every case. Easily proven in modern times with cellphone pics, recordings, reporters, watch groups, internal document expose's etc.
2. Deciding. "Who's responsible or champion enough to remove him?" Leave up to anti-gov't protestors or rebels, international condemnation and embargos? (See 5/18/2011 U.S. sanctions) Step a. Provide indirect military support towards ouster like advisors and arming rebels? (Not seen publicly yet?) b. Full civil war? Declared one by Red Cross on 7/15/12. c. Let it play out? Or? Next step.
3. Direct military intervention. a. Frought with problems and the largest (to me), is collateral damage (murder of civilians by coalition forces). Torture and murder accusations now hurled against Syrian rebel groups. Meaning: How on earth can we support that? b. International recognition toward stability is building (17 countries now), of the Syrian National Council (SNC); therefore justifying and legitimizing physical, material and military support. No one's done this yet, that I've heard of. Have you heard differently?
That's where we are now. Part (2) coming - A Different Path.
By Rodney Richards, copyright 2013. Subscribe to this blog for updates, or comment to me at 1950ablia@gmail.com. I will try to respond.
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