Wednesday, March 30, 2016



ALEXANDER THE GREAT… A QUOTE THAT STOPPED ME IN MY TRACKS! 

“I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep. I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion”!
When I read this quote today, I simply had to stop to think just how applicable this profound statement was; a statement made by a man who changed half the world and only lived to be 32 years old.
Lions led by sheep?
Who would that be in today’s world?
What analogy would the enemies of the US make?
Ask the Tsar who he might equate that statement to?
Ask the Little Fat boy in North Korea?
As………………..the Dragon!


P.S… My shortest post everJ

Monday, March 28, 2016


BRUSSELS AND THE TELETUBBIES!
AN ANALYSIS OF WHY PASSIVIST JUST DON’T UNDERSTAND THE PROBLEM.


I’m going to try something I used to do in an “official capacity”, but never just for my own enjoyment.
As I was perusing the morning news, I came upon two stories that struck me as  so flawed, I had to stop to think about the perspective the author of both stories were trying place in front of the readers. Yes, I even review the stories published by CNN, although, I must admit, at times it’s all I can do to finish whatever they have posted for the world to read. 
So, here is what I’m going to do? Well,  I use to do this with just about everything I had to review when it came to the Middle East.  By the way, this is going to be rather lengthy, so if you don’t have the time to think about what  you are about to read, then I would encourage you not to start the process and then try and finish at some other time. It’s the type of product that just doesn’t lend itself to such an approach. Train of thought is the key to final analysis.
Ok, below are both articles I have copied from the CNN news website. The original articles are in black and my comments are in red. As you read the actual story, you will see where I’ve commented on why the approach is flawed and how the progressive, passive mindset always looks to find blame away from the hard to solve issues.  Passive, Progressive thinking is simply not equipped, designed to deal with aggressive, brutal and most often, totally committed movements or leaders of such movements.  Notice I didn’t mention Islamic Fundamentalism as my theory of passive vs aggressive movements applies beyond the current issue of Radical Islamic groups.
With that, let me get started!  

 Brussels (CNN)Since the Paris terror attacks last November, Belgians have struggled with the fact that jihadists born and raised in their country were among those who carried out the carnage.
Now that carnage has struck at home with Tuesday's attacks in Brussels.
And after the carnage, the inevitable finger-pointing: fragmented law enforcement in this divided nation, as well as a lack of coordination between the 28 European Union members in fighting terrorism. And the breakdown runs deeper here -- Belgium has long struggled to govern itself. Right out of the box, the author starts to paint the picture of, ‘this event happened because of some other reason other than fanatical Islamic members’!
The news website Politico's Tim King stirred widespread debate in December by declaring Belgium a "failed state.'' Among the examples, it cited a failure to coordinate between the French-speaking Walloon police and their Dutch-speaking Flemish counterparts. So, what happened to the liberal ideology of “Diversity”… aren’t  we all just supposed to be marbles in one big bag?  Why can’t the Dutch speaking and French speaking sections of the Belgium society be a good thing? Now, suddenly, it’s one of the major reasons the Terrorist are able to execute inside of Belgium?
That breakdown is blamed in part for how long it took to catch serial child murderer Marc Dutroux in the 1990s. Reforms since then have sought to improve that communication, but language differences remain an issue. Really, an event from over 20 years ago is an example of something that took place in 2016? Again, the issue of redirecting the blame!
Belgium has struggled at times even to form a government, as long as two years most recently -- longer than Iraq took -- while some leaders in the Flemish north threaten to break away and form their own country.
The more affluent north, comprising about 60% of the population, became more powerful after the post-industrial decline of the coal and steel-producing Walloon south. The Flemish complain about supporting the less-affluent south. So, here we go. Here is the heart of the Progressive, Liberal doctrine…..Social Inequality!!!! That is the reason the Terrorist attack! When you can’t define the problem and you know you don’t have the correct answer, then divert and reshape the event into something you can defend and that also supports your philosophy. So, Belgium is a likely target for terrorist acts because of its social inequality?
One could liken the division to the drive by Quebec, where French-speaking separatists have so far failed to win votes there to break away from Canada. Some here suggest there should be a referendum.
Difficult to govern
Belgium is a relatively young country, younger than the United States, formed in 1830 after ending Dutch rule. Wedged between France, Holland, Germany and Luxembourg, Belgium has remained difficult to govern, with layers of administration and parallel structures serving the three official language groups -- Flemish (a version of Dutch), Walloon (a version of French) and German.
The Brussels-Capital Region is inside Flanders but has separate, bilingual status. It also has 19 communes, each with their own police force, speaking either Flemish or Walloon. Difficult to explain for a region of 1.4 million people, and also an obvious impediment to coordinated anti-terror operations. But doesn’t this sound like liberal utopia? It’s the land of everyone gets to have everything the way they want it. Belgium and the Teletubbies!
One stark example of Belgian parochialism: it wasn't until 1998 that Belgium centralized its passport production, until then the responsibility of more than 500 town halls. That had made it easier to forge passports by stealing blank ones from local government buildings.
Brussels International Airport is an ongoing example of the clash between the north and south. Located just inside Flanders, its planes take off and often land over Francophone areas of Brussels and Wallonia, sparking bitter protests by the residents and leaders there.
Politics itself can complicate concerted action. Interior minister Jan Jambon has said he wants to clean up Molenbeek, the Brussels district where terror suspect Salam Abdelsalam was captured. But cooperation from the Brussels region and its French-speaking community is difficult, as Jambon is a member of the Flemish nationalist party N-VA.
Belgium 'more stable'
A recent article by New Europe, titled "Belgium is not a failed state," argued that things aren't so bad for Belgian residents after all. Belgium ranks 14th in the Global Peace Index's State of Peace rankings, ahead of France, Germany, Spain and the UK. Belgium is in the "more stable" category of the Fragile States Index. And in World Bank's so-called "Gini index," which measures inequality, Belgium ranks ahead of France, Germany, the UK and the United States.  So, where did the author go here? Belgium is a heaven for peace loving people and social inequality is not that bad? So, why did the terrorist strike the very place they were hiding in? Yep. The theory is so weak, the author can’t side with his own viewpoint.
The World Justice Project, which measures rule of law and judicial effectiveness, ranked Belgium ahead of France and the U.S.

Whether Belgium can act in a more united fashion to tackle the terror threat remains to be seen.
Some leaders argue the answer is in closer cooperation on a European level. That includes a better exchange of intelligence information between the 28 EU countries, and measures like the Passenger Name Records, or PNR Directive, that the European Parliament is to vote on this spring, which would oblige airlines to hand EU countries their passengers' data in order to help the authorities to fight terrorism and serious crime.  Now, here is the ugly truth on this comment about the intelligence apparatus of Europe. It’s not the actual men and women of the anti-terrorism mission that are the problem. They do talk! They do share, even when their liberal, progressive political leaders don’t want them to! Yes. Most liberal political leaders are more than willing to look the other way when some subject matter expert walks up to them and states, “I know you don’t want to hear this, but we have a problem”! I’ve seen it time and time again and that won’t change. Just think of the movie, “Jaws”…..” there is no Shark here….everyone back to water”! 
Also before the Parliament is a European Commission proposal for a common border police and coast guard, not only to tackle the migrant crisis but also to counter terrorist activity. That is to be voted on by June. It’s too late to try and invent some technique that will save the concept of a “Unified Europe”. The events of the past several months have already put into motion the swinging of the political pendulum. The progressive, look the other way mindset of Europe has opened them up for internal crisis. Those who never agreed to the One size fits all, federalization of Europe are going to come to power and some of them will be almost as dangerous as the PASSIVIST that brought this problem to Europe’s door.
In the meantime, Belgium is Europe's latest anti-terror battlefield, and ill-equipped to fight on its own.  Notice the author never gives any example of how to prevent such attacks; unless you account for the timeless argument of any Progressive….you know… Social Inequality.
Formerly with CNN, Chris Burns is a Franco-American journalist and media consultant with 25 years' reporting experience in Europe, the U.S., Africa, Central Asia and the Middle East. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer. (But posted  and supported by CNN)

A tale of two Brussels
How terror shaped the capital of Europe before the attacks — and after
Story by Nick Thompson, CNN
Photographs by Jerome Sessini/Magnum Photos for CNN
Updated 6:55 AM ET, Sat March 26, 2016

Brussels, Belgium (CNN)Every time Haroun Zamouri leaves his house, there's a chance he will be searched. It's getting to him, and when he's finished with university, he's gone.
Inga Skaara moved to Brussels recently from the West Bank because she was fed up with the violence. But it feels like the bloodshed followed her here.
Alicia Gabam was expecting this to happen, she just didn't know when. Now she is wondering if it will happen again.
It was Brussels' darkest hour -- three explosions heralding the arrival of pure, unbridled terror in the heart of Europe.
The fear of a homegrown attack had been building for months, accumulating in the collective psyche of the Belgian capital like gray clouds in the sky. And when the storm finally hit on Tuesday, 31 people lost their lives, killed in suicide attacks on an airport and a rush-hour subway train by a group of young men who grew up here.
The deadliest terrorist attack in Belgian history has turned the spotlight on a city at odds with itself. Brussels is at war in peacetime, the beauty of its medieval cobblestone streets marred by the ugly presence of green military trucks on seemingly every corner. Yep… wonder what the author’s opinion is of the “military”?
The mood is one of defiance, mixed with the fear that another attack could happen at any minute.
And while everyone in this shell-shocked city is grieving and searching for answers, not everyone is asking the same question.
In the glimmering glass high-rises of the European Quarter, the country's leaders are asking themselves how security forces that blanketed the city for months still let the bombers slip through the cracks.  Again, the liberal political leadership of Europe can’t stand to look in the mirror as they try to “figure out why this happened”! It must be the fault of the very people who give their lives day and night to keep the social elitist political leaders safe and in power!
In the tranquil district of Anderlecht, parents are wondering how to explain the horrific events of the past few months to their young children -- and whether their children are safe at school. Are the parents worried or are the political leaders worried about what the parents might say to their children and who they may blame. “Son, this is why we can’t have these day dreamers in power. They simply try to wish the hard parts of this world away or blame it on someone other than them”. That is the kind of explanation they are truly worried about.
And in the worn-out working class neighborhood of Molenbeek, mothers don't know if their children will come home at all -- and are asking how long they will have to continue to pay for the sins of a few. Worn-out? Worn-out from what? Worn-out from progressive attitudes towards keeping people dependent on the political leaders who worry about votes not safety?  “Working Class”….. again the indirect reference to social inequality.
If the Berlaymont is one of the most recognizable buildings in the city, the most notorious is a gray and redbrick three-story building in Molenbeek.
It was here that Salah Abdeslam, Europe's most wanted man, was captured by Belgian authorities in mid-March after four months on the run, hiding in an apartment not 500 meters from the house where he grew up. So, did the Law Enforcement community have a plan to go door to door in the whole area? Was it denied? Was the dreaded “profiling” disapproved by the same political leadership that supports the same liberal mindset of people like the author of this article? What was leadership willing to do before the event happened? What information where they briefed on, and what did they decide to do with the information? Where is the news story on the failure of political leadership in Europe?
In the four months since the Paris attacks, this immigrant neighborhood -- just a 20-minute drive west of European Union headquarters -- has become synonymous with jihadism. But the community here tells a different story, one of hard-working people who feel angry and disconnected from a society that doesn't seem to want them.  Whose fault is that other than current leadership?
At the Bienvenue Café, football banners hang from faded pink walls. Old men sip coffee and play cards as the latest news bulletins emanate from a corner TV.
The apartment building where Paris attack suspect Salah Abdeslam was arrested in mid-March.
A man named Said is eating lunch at the next table over. Like many others in the neighborhood, he declined to give his last name. "The people here are as nice as anywhere," he says. "It's a community -- we know each other and help each other out."
He says men like Abdeslam are giving Molenbeek a bad name. "These explosions are not in our culture. Terrorism is not in our culture, and they're making our culture look very bad." Was it at this point, the author asked, “so what are you doing to change what is taking place in your community….your culture”?  Funny; I didn’t see that part in this story.
The weary expression in Said's voice betrays the general exhaustion of the people in Molenbeek. They are tired of the media, tired of having to apologize and tired of living in fear in their own community. Then do something about it!
Molenbeek may be the most heavily patrolled neighborhood in Europe. Soldiers and military vehicles are parked on nearly every corner. Anti-terror raids at all times of the day here are a fact of life now. Children play cricket in the streets, but their parents are sometimes too scared to leave their homes.
At the Thursday market, men argue over the price of apples as women peruse the stalls, dragging their shopping carts behind them. It could be a scene from any city.
This woman's 21-year-old daughter, Nohaila, was spit on at a vigil for the victims.
Halima Abdelkader is a mother of four who has lived in Molenbeek most of her life. She says people are close here, that everyone knows everyone -- including the families of the neighborhood's most notorious men.
"I've known Salah Abdeslam since he was a little boy. I've known his family for decades," she says. "We started our families at the same time, and they're certainly not radical people." So, it’s the old, “He was a good kid. Something must have happened”!
But Abdelkader has seen a shift recently. Molenbeek is trying to maintain its unity, she says, but the space is growing between different communities in Brussels.  And here is the “Something”……yep….. The nucleus of all that is wrong in the world from the eyes of the liberal doctrine……………..Social Inequality.
"In the '80s, Molenbeek was like Marrakech. Now it's like Kabul. It's like a war here," she says. "People in other parts of the city don't see the reality of the situation -- but here we're living in it. Make it better? What have you done to make your life better? What have you done to change what you don’t like about the community you live in? Again, absolutely no mention of self-responsibility!  
"When I cross the road I am afraid. It's my country and I'm scared to go out.
"We're also suffering from these attacks. One woman in our neighborhood went to work and never came back." And that is exactly what the Terrorist want.  They want people to hate the one’s not responsible and thus drive their youth into the camp of the “resistance”. So, if the parents know this, where is  their fight to change what is taking place?
The regular Thursday market in Molenbeek's Place Communale.
Kamal, 35, owns a butcher shop not far from the market. His 7-year-old son Bilal is too young to understand most of what's transpired here in the past four months, and Kamal seems grateful for that. "I don't speak to him about the situation here, and I don't let him watch the news on TV. He's too young. He has other occupations." But, does he talk to him about the evil movement amongst his own religion….his own people… Does he influence his Son before the others do? Again….what are they doing to fight the movement on their own front door?
As the years go by, Kamal says, he feels more and more like a stranger in his own country.
"The situation here has gotten bad over the past four months. All Belgian people see Molenbeek as a problem. We are Belgian, but many see us as strangers."
It's the same old narrative, says Khadija Zamouri, a member of Parliament who was born in Molenbeek. "It's putting everything together in one pot and saying, 'It's the fault of the Muslims,' and they expect us to apologize for that. And for me, I don't want to apologize for something I'm not part of." Here is one problem. Nobody is looking for an apology! What they want is to see you take action. Do something to counter the radial side of your religion! People will stand with them, but they need to see effort!
Zamouri says people forget that the Muslim community also has been traumatized by the bombings. And although the country is united in grief, she says, the social integration of Belgium's minority communities has fallen short. Ah yes… a favorite buzz word…. “Minority” and all the subliminal messages that come with it! Why, this is taking place because we are treated as “minorities”! And then the issue of social integration! Who’s job is it to socially integrate? Is the government supposed to walk into your neighborhood and say, ok, we are relocating a few Germans and a couple of Asians into this area”?  When a culture has a closed viewpoint towards itself, then those people decide, on their own, to move next door to each other, shop with each other, then who created this “Social integration” issue. Can someone show me a Belgium law that states all Muslim must live in the same area?
Ahsan grew up in Molenbeek. He says he knew the attacks would bring more trouble to his neighborhood.
"It touches our lives," she says. "My daughter is in the third grade, and one of her classmate's aunts is missing. She was on the metro on Tuesday, and that hits really, really close to us."
Zamouri's sons also know what it is to feel like strangers in their own hometown. How do you feel like a stranger in your own town, when the point of the story just a paragraph ago was all about “Social integration” or the lack there of?  A stranger in the hometown, you built? If you don’t like seeing liquor stores, bars, and women in short dresses walking down the street, then live amongst those who think like you. Oh ya…that’s what they did. So, tell me, who created these “Social Integration” issues? If you isolate yourself with those that think like you, then you made the choice!
"My two boys look very Arab, and Haroun, the younger of the two, always gets stopped by the police, even before the (Paris) attacks. Whenever he goes out, it's one or two times a week he is checked," she says. The implied message here is the wrong doings of the law enforcement community and not the actions of the Terrorist. Again, the thought process of the liberal mindset. If you can’t explain something you are unwilling to confront, then go back to the baseline story that fits your purpose.
"He even has a chain on his trousers so he can get his pass out to show to police. And that's getting to him. He's now studying at university and he says, 'When I'm finished with my studies, I'm gone.' And his older brother is already saving money so he can afford to leave the country.
"That's really disturbing," she says. "If even my children -- who have had everything, who are not in need -- are looking for a way to get out of here, what about children who have no chances, no parents behind them to guide them?"  This Youngman wants to leave because he is treated differently, but has he honestly asked himself why? What level of conformity is he willing to live with?
A woman rides a train on Line 1 the morning after the attacks.
'She can feel the fear around us'
On a normal day, the courtyards surrounding the Berlaymont building would be filled with diplomats and professionals, rushing back and forth between lunch and the glistening towers that represent the center of European democracy.
But Thursday the European Quarter was mostly empty. Schuman, the train station that serves the "heart of Europe," as a nearby sign says, was closed to the public -- although the escalator was still running. And this is exactly the results the Terrorist are looking for and the ability to create this environment is nearly unavoidable. Terrorism at its core value is based on fear!
Jonathan Williams works nearby but lives in Anderlecht, just south of Molenbeek. Like thousands of parents across the country, he is struggling to find ways to explain the attacks to his daughter.
"She's still young, but she can feel the fear around us," he says. "Her teachers try to find the right words to explain what's happening without traumatizing her. But still, you can feel fear.
"So we try to put some words on it without being too dramatic -- we don't want to worry her. We try to explain the probability to her. ... There are many metros. For a child you have to generalize so they don't get worried." Again, are they taking the actions they need to that will show their children what needs to change? Are they speaking to the violence of the very people who are trying to hijack organized religion? If the answer is no, then hit the repeat button and move on.
The grounds of the Berlaymont — headquarters of the European Commission — were almost empty on Thursday.
What worries Williams is the world's inability to stop these kinds of attacks from happening.
"New York, Paris, Brussels -- it's saddest for the children, the world that they're going to grow up into. And it seems so difficult to find a solution to this problem. These people don't care about living, and you can't control everything. What a defeatist attitude. The next stage of such an outlook is, “Compromise”! Passive people see too many things as simply too hard to deal with, so they compromise and adapt to a lesser world! The aggressor on the other hand, they see success in their actions and that leads to new, even more stringent demands.
"My partner and I were saying yesterday that we'd like to move to an island and grow tomatoes," he says, laughing. "But we have to live with it, with love. It can bring out the good side of people when this happens."  Yep.. There it is.. Let’s just move away and sing songs together! So if sheep decide the best tactic for avoiding a pack of Wolves is to move to the next field, does that mean the Wolves won’t follow? “The good side of people”. Another fallacy of the PASSIVIST mentality. All people have a “good side”. No… It’s not true! There is good and evil in this world. Always has been. Those that turn so evil that they can bomb children on an Easter egg hunt are evil! There is no “good side” to them. That answer must makes it easier for the PASSIVIST to cope with what they can’t seem to come to terms with.  
'Now it's too late'
Five minutes down the road, the entrance to Maelbeek station, where 20 people died Tuesday, is still closed. A small group of people lay flowers on the ground outside, some too upset to speak.
Joelle Scott was in her office around the corner when the bomb went off. The mother of three looks visibly shaken as she recalls the helplessness she felt.
Army trucks are now a frequent sight in most areas of central Brussels. 3rd time the author had to mention “Army Trucks”!
"We were locked in our building," she says. "All day we heard the sirens of the police, and the ambulances taking people away. We couldn't do anything besides watch out the window and see and hear these people who died on the streets. Could you have run outside and tried to help? Some did! Can you stand up in a time of crisis for the country you live in? Could you say to your children, “Stay here…..I’m going to see if I can help and then sit and tell them why you chose to do this. Teach them?
"On Sunday my daughter was at the airport, heading to Stockholm for a school trip," she says. "Every day she takes the train through Maelbeek. Even though I knew she was in Stockholm, I kept thinking she was in the metro. If she hadn't been in Stockholm, it could've been her."
Scott, 53, lives out by the airport, but even there she doesn't feel safe anymore. She starts to cry as she continues.
"In the past four months things have changed," she says. "I am afraid. I am afraid to leave my house. I am afraid to walk my dogs. When I go outside I'm looking everywhere -- maybe (terrorists) are over here, or over there.
"I think I want to say to my family and my friends every day that I love them, you know? Because maybe this is the last day you'll be able to say that to them.
"I don't think it's finished. They're everywhere in every land," she says. "The politicians didn't do enough before -- and now it's too late." Well, at least she got the blame line correct, at least part of it. The political leadership of a liberal Europe didn’t do enough! How about the people in the communities where these killers hide out? What did they do?  Fear…all radical actions are based on building or reacting to fear. To live in fear is a choice.
Aldona lives in Ixelles. She's worried about paying her bills after the school where she works was closed for the week.
'Something heavy in the atmosphere'
It's only another a 20-minute drive from Molenbeek to Ixelles in the east, but the two districts seem worlds apart.  Yep. Back the common core theme, “Social Inequality”.
Regal brick townhouses line the ponds that run through the affluent residential part of this area. Parents pick up their kids from music school, and well-heeled couples drink coffee in the nearby café.
The blaring of police sirens, ever-present elsewhere in the capital, doesn't seem to reach here. But the fear does.
For Lisa Croonenberghs, a pensioner who has lived her entire life in Brussels, the biggest change has been the military on the streets. The 4th mention of the evil military. It may be the new norm in the so-called "croissant pauvre" -- the crescent of poor neighborhoods to the west, including Molenbeek -- but it's a jarring sight in a prosperous neighborhood like this.
The tunnel to a metro line is closed at Gare de l'Ouest the morning after the attacks.
"You (might) feel more secure in Molenbeek," she says with a laugh. "It's possible that the security there is better than it is here."  Leverage the part of the story that fits your needs. That is what any liberal author would do! Change the issue from something your doctrine is not equipped to deal with to something that helps you reach what you think the answer is, social inequality / injustice!
Aldona, a 26-year-old model who lives in the area, has grown accustomed to seeing soldiers patrolling the streets. But she says some of the security measures are excessive -- and she's worried about paying her bills after officials closed the school where she freelances for the week.
"It's been a big shock to me -- I'm a very sensitive person," she says. "I'm hurt by people's suffering, but I'm also hurt personally because of my finances. I was really counting on that money. For some people it's nothing when they lose some money, but for some other people it's important.
"It's insane. They let the terrorists win doubly -- some people get killed, and others get poor."  “They”? Who is “They”? She implies the government of her country is at fault.  How can she say the measures taken are already “excessive”, yet state “they” are at fault for letting the terrorism happen, for costing her money?  This just goes to prove the passive mindset’s inability to deal with aggressive behavior. So, what should “they” have done to prevent the attacks? Did the author think to ask that question? Of course not. That is not the purpose of the story. The purpose of the story is to show how unfair it all is!
Inga Skaara moved to Ixelles recently from Bethlehem because of violence in the West Bank. But it's as if she cannot escape the bloodshed.
"I came here because I wanted to leave a similar situation," she says. "Not because I was terrified of my daily life, but it wasn't easy. I have a little boy, and with him it was really stressful.
"I came here to get away from that and now I'm thinking, where am I going to go now?" How about you make a stand? How about you get involved and change the environment these killers hide in? Stand up! It’s not as easy as printing a silly sign and walking around a College Campus, but where is her will to make a change?
Lisa Croonenberghs, right, worries that her grandchildren's school in Ixelles could be attacked.
Her partner, Pablo Avendano, says life has become less spontaneous since the Paris attacks.
"In the past four months, life has shrunk," he says. "Less movies, concerts, going to the park ... we don't do that as much. There's something heavy in the atmosphere that started in November when the (terrorism) alert level went up." Again, exactly one of the goals the Terrorist are looking to achieve.
The street less crowded
Moumen Hamdouch works for the European Commission and heard the bomb rip through Maelbeek station. A colleague's husband was on the platform when the train exploded, but survived.
"People don't have confidence that the state can keep them secure," he says. "If I have to choose between walking down two streets, I will always take the one that's less crowded, and I won't be in the commercial and pedestrian areas where there are tons of people." It’s the state’s failure to secure the people, but in the same breath the issue switches to ‘don’t suppress me and don’t let me see your warriors in the public’.
Hamdouch, a French expat who has lived in Ixelles for a decade, thinks the government needs to do a better job of unifying troubled communities. The “government” should? How about the actions of those that live in the community? What do they do to improve the environment they live in? Notice the author never attempts to look at the issue from the perspective of induvial responsibility. Individual responsibility…….a concept foreign to Liberal thinkers.
Well-wishers scrawl messages on a wall at the Place de la Bourse on the day after the attacks.
"When I turned up in this country I always thought that, compared to France, Belgium had much better integrated its minorities," he says. "I still think it's true, but the security services and the police have made a mess of it and not done their jobs for years. At this point it’s easy to see the author has the turn the tables on the Terrorist event. It’s the government’s fault! It’s not the actions of the killers that the Arthur dives into, but the failure of an unjust, over authoritarian government with its ugly military trucks and its oppressive actions!  I have to admit, it’s usually at this point I stop reading trash like this, but this time, I kept going, knowing all the time my goal was to show the flaw of the liberal logic.  
"Some of these authorities in communities like Molenbeek have turned a blind eye to what is happening. They have no clue who's living in their own city, so if you have no clue about who rents what, the basics aren't there in terms of intelligence gathering." So, imagine, just imagine a government announcement that anyone who is not of Belgium bloodlines must register when they move into an area!!!!!!  The same people who were interviewed for this story and the same people who write articles like this one would be marching up and down the street demanding an end to such an “oppressive government”! Amazing!
Hamdouch, like almost everyone else in Brussels, has been rattled by the attacks. But he's determined not to give in to fear.
The evening of the bombings, he saw people filling the city's restaurants and bars, appearing to carry on as normally as possible.
"That's what I've done. It was a friend of mine's birthday and he wanted to cancel his party -- but I told him no, don't cancel."
He relishes the reaction of the people of this city who are "giving the finger to these guys and continuing to live."  Giving them and the government they are complaining about the finger.  Guess what?  The “guys” as this author refers to, don’t care about the sheep and their middle fingers! They are steadily plotting the next attack. The attacks that will get the passive, Liberals / Teletubbies / even more upset with their government. For you see, the Teletubbies know they alone cannot stand up to the Wolves, so in their frustration and they attack the one thing they have been raised to blame for all social injustices……the “government”!


Friday, March 25, 2016



MOQTADA AL-SADR….. AN UPDATE!


Two weeks ago, I wrote about the reemergence of al-Sadr in Iraq and the question of, “why now”?
Well, it’s Friday and we all know big speeches come on Friday! So, what has Sadr been up to in the past two weeks and what was the message today? 
Same theme, increased threats. That is how I would shape Sadr’s update. Pressure with threats of crowds has now taken the next step. Crowds that he now threatens to turn into dangerous protest that is the real change. Two weeks ago, it was the good old fashion “sit in”, but now, it’s the, ‘there will be trouble’, button he is pushing.
Now, when I last spoke of Sadr, my opinion was he was feeling threatened. His perception of he was being left out of the Shia movements, more specifically the fighting units of Shia the Persians had placed into action against I.S.  I still believe that is his core issue, but I am also more and more convinced he sees his window of opportunity reopened with the changing events in Syria. 
The classic power vacuum! Did the Russian’s create one with the perception, yes, perception, they pulled out of Syria? Did this move by the Tsar set the Persians off balance so much that Sadr believed the timing was right to get back into the Iraqi leadership game? Yes, his words and called for gatherings started just prior to the Russian withdrawal, but he has moved from words to action and I’m not sure he felt the timing was right until he perceived an opportunity with the Iranians.
As a reminder, Sadr is no longer the Persian puppet he once was. I’m one of the folks who never, truly believed he was in the first place. An advantage taker? An opportunist who used the Persians to move his vision of Iraq forward? That’s the mold I have always thought he fit.
So, the update is simple.
Sadr is taking his plan to the next phase and that phase calls for disruptive, angry crowds!
His message?
Iran no longer gets to call the shots in Iraq!
You don’t believe it?
Let’s keep watching as see who ends up being correct.


http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2016/03/25/Iraq-s-Sadr-threatens-unrest-if-reforms-blocked.html

Tuesday, March 22, 2016



THE ATTACK ON BRUSSELS AND THE CRISIS AT THE GATES OF THE MODERN WORLD  
Staffan de Mistura………you are a self-centered, complete idiot! So this moron looks at the attacks in Brussels, looks at what he is tasked with and decides to leverage this tragedy against showing someone he is making progress in his job.  If we could solve Syria, we could prevent attacks in Europe? Good Lord!  Just remember, tax payer money goes towards paying the salaries of these UN parasites. Ok enough about this sad example of a human.
Is there anything about the attack in Brussels that makes this event stand out from the dozens of others in all parts of the world? The same talking heads rush to the camera and make a few more dollars talking about how it most likely happened and even going as far as giving their “expert” advice on who did it.  
Political leaders stand in front of the camera and pledge their support to the victims and the country they live in and then run off to the next photo op!
Common people   light candles, toss flowers on the sidewalk and hug each other and then go back to whatever they were doing the hour before the event took place. Those in other countries ether turn the news off because they are sick of hearing about such attacks over and over again, or they sit and listen to the talking heads for the hundredth time in the past few years! Same story…same paycheck.
Those dedicated to stopping these events reflect on what they are not allowed to do to stop these events from happening and grow even more disgruntled with their leadership.
And the enemy………….what do they do?
A few minutes of basking in the light of the media coverage and then back to work. Back to the process of planning the next slaughter of unsuspecting future victims.
So, what is my point? What am I driving towards?
Are these events just part of our environment now?
Are they accepted patterns of our lives?
After all, acts like these have been going on for a very long time.
What makes them so disturbing, other than the images that come within seconds thanks to social media and YouTube; events that are covered so quickly, authorities have no chance of shaping the event.
Let’s ask the question from a different perspective.
Are events like these far more dramatic than when they happened in the 60s and 70s because the world is so interconnected, so fragile, the trauma is magnified to levels that create gridlock?
Short version: Is the world so socially sensitive that reoccurring trauma is feared beyond rational levels?
Is this an incentive way of saying, civilized societies are emotionally weak?
In some sad fashion, the answer is most likely……….yes!
Are we becoming human Sheep, terrified at the howl of the Wolf!
Is there any hope of finding a way out of this endless cycle of violence?
How do we finally come to terms with a segment of society that is bent on the destruction of modern, Western based civilization?
If this keeps up, what direction will Europe turn?
Do people look for safety when terror and violence is all around them and it seem all hope of staying safe is lost?
What kind of government are the people willing to accept?
If you don’t have the answers here, don’t worry, the enemy does!
They know exactly where this might lead and that is exactly what they are counting on.
If the people don’t take the direction the enemy wants, the results will not change.
The passive, sheep who walk the streets day by day will continue to fall victim until the anger of the masses brings the current government to their knees.
Insurrection movements in the 21st century. How will governance come to terms with an ancient concept executed in a socially connected world?

“Houston….we have a problem”.


Sunday, March 20, 2016



THE US PRESIDENT’S “MESSAGE” TO THE IRANIAN PEOPLE ON NOWRUZ. What’s in that egg?


On the Persian New Years, the President of the US sends a message to the Iranian people? What a great guy right? Just a jester from his heart showing what a compassionate person he is!
Yep.  I’m sure that’s just how the understanding and logical, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei received this positive gesture.
There is absolutely no way Khamenei would object to such an outreach.
It’s impossible to think for a single minute the real desire behind this message was to continue to add pressure on the moderate youth of Iran, the youth that just elected so called “moderates” into office. 
I am confident the US President is in no way attempting to apply pressure on the Iranian fanatical leaders by sending a message to their servants, I mean citizens!  
So, just how mad did this deliberate attempt by the US to influence the Iranian public make the fading Khamenei? How fast did he pound out a Hotmail reply to the new friend in the White House?
Yep….. Don’t hold your breath!
Is this a weak attempt to replicate the Chinese Ping-Pong event Nixon set up with the Chinese?
Nope.
Was this a deliberate aggravation?
Yep.
Will it have consequences?
Yep!
With a televised speech from Khamenei on Nowruz, the response was absolutely predictable.
Yep… the US is reneging on the nuclear program deal and oh by the way, we are altering the world banking program to keep the Iranians from their well-deserved money.
To top it off, why has the West realized the multistage missiles that Khamenei is about to test are for defending Iran! 
Man….the US just can’t seem to see what a good bunch of fellas the Iranians are!!!  
The poor old man Khamenei reaches out to us and what does the US President do but stick his finger in the old man’s eye by trying to incite the youth of Iran.
So, as the Iranian children dance around what appears to be giant Easter Eggs, the ruthless US President continues to kick sand in the face of this poor old man who is only trying to take care of the progressive youth of Iran he so dearly loves.
P.S. I wish the US would have let me draft that message! Now, that would have been fun.
Oh ya………Here is what scared me about this story……I think the Progressive dreamer from DC actually meant what he said in the message.
If the intelligence community duped him into making this message, thus playing on his risk avoidance nature, then the person who really may be upset is the guy in the White House.