Sonia Sotomayor has said that her method of making a Judgment is different, better, and leaning towards her Latino roots, her lower income roots.
Michael Steel (longtime Republican activist) believes that “We must have a debate about the issues surrounding Judge Sotomayor” and closes with “God help you if you are a white male”.
I think that Judge Sotomayor was telling the truth when
“Court of appeals is where policy is made. I know this is on tape and I should never say that. We don’t make ‘Law’. I’m not promoting it, I’m not advocating it”
This comment does not show us how ‘bad’ the new supreme court judge is, rather, it shows us how good, how ‘In Tune’ and how honest she is. She is pointing-out a reality in the world of law, and while it is strategically unwise because Republicans have latched-on to this comment, it is still the truth.
How rare it is, and how fortunate we are to have a judge who will tell it like it is. Politicians have consistently promoted their own agenda and have systematically omitted the truth on various facets of our world. Yes, Appeals Court doesn’t make law, elected representatives do. But when you brush away the façade of intention you will see the reality that Appeals Courts do make law. The judgments made in those rooms change our application of current laws, and set precedents for future judgments.
The Law has many ‘parts’, and is observed in many ways to different people. To our elected officials the Law is a political battleground in the House of Commons and Senate (House of Commons is the same as Congress for Americans). To the police the Law is a set of instructions on how and when to do their job. It is a manual. To lawyers and judges the Law is an image through the bottom of a Coke bottle. In the middle the picture is fairly clear, magnified, and relatively easy to analyze. The real good stuff is on the fringe, where the image is distorted and hazy.
Appeals court judges operate on the edge, where the Law is not quite as clear. Sonia Sotomayor was articulating that reality. She has spent her career speaking her mind to articulate that reality. The reality she was describing when she said “…” was the simple fact that we are all a product of our environments.
A Latino woman is likely to vote in the way Latino women would. A white male will vote like a white male. Depending on that person’s character and upbringing will be the extent of the polarization of the judge’s opinion. Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers is an excellent perspective on how nature and nurture work in human society. Latinos are Latinos, women are women, short people are short people, left-handed people are left handed people, and poor people are poor people. These in combination will make one crazy Latino female, who is relatively short,
“In the District Court you’re looking you’re looking to do justice in the individual case, so you’re looking much more to the facts of the case than you are to the application of the Law, because the application of the Law is non-precedential. So the Facts control.
On the Court of Appeals you are looking to How the Law is developing, so then it will be applied to a broad class of cases. So you’re always thinking about the ramifications of This ruling in the next step in developmental Law.”
She does not speak Heresy, as some have suggested. She speaks the truth, and takes the political punches as they come. Her tendency, so far, is one of political faux pas, not über left ideals. It’s not as if Obama just appointed Khrushchev re-incarnate. She’s Rosie Perez in all her glory.
I think we just struck another blow for free speech, and proper truth, not platitudes and political rhetoric. Her voting may be more in-line with Democratic ideals, but they may also get a nasty surprise if she thinks for herself.
TP
And on a Side note, George HW Bush kissing the reported on the cheek was sweet, and good for him for skydiving at 85.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
The Next Step in the Iraq/Afghan War
Get out of Iraq and Afghanistan altogether. America will never control these countries and should stop wasting lives in the attempt. What gain is there beyond imperialism? Perhaps these are regions too costly to occupy and make profitable change.
Afghanistan is an act of vengeance that is politically unsavory, because we should realize that revenge might not work. It may do more harm than good but no politician but Ron Paul is willing to say “Give Up”. None has the moral fortitude to live and let live.
Bush’s act of vengeance in Iraq, his completing what his father could not do, has cost over a million lives. One million faces gone. One millions dreams every night. One million of our own, of our species, gone. These are our people.
Yes they lived under oppression, yes they suffered the cruel hand of a tyrant, yes they suffered the economic sanctions imposed upon them by the West, but they lived. Iraqis still managed to eek-out a living and remain moderately content in that they were fairly unlikely to die suddenly, no IEDs in the trash can, no snipers from the roof, no midnight raids by American troops searching for insurgents.
If Bill Clinton had removed the sanctions placed on Iraq Iraqis would have prospered. A prosperous people are a strong people, and a strong people will depose a dictator.
Americans have forgotten that their ability to defeat the British in the war of independence was partly due to their fury at their own government abusing them, partly due to their hard work and ingenuity to survive on their own with a strong economy to acquire weapons, develop infrastructure and innovate.
An overthrown Iraq would have been a fledgling country in an international community that had huge aspirations to progress with their economy, develop education systems, build infrastructure. If this had been done pre-nuclear technological development by Saddam Hussein the United States would have been relatively safe. Pre Weapons of Mass Destruction. The US was so convinced.
They thought the bomb had already gone off, and started picking up the pieces and solving the crime. Imagine a bunch of guys in white biohazard suits rushing into an outdoor café and start picking up people like they were dead bodies, over turning tables, full of food and dishes and culture, as if it had been the remnants of a bomb only the bomb not had gone off yet. They destroy a scene, strange to us because we cannot understand the culture but a scene nonetheless, and leave children crying, everything broken, and people dead.
I propose that the solution to much of these problems is to stop interfering. Don’t meddle with people, and they may not meddle with you. Be prepared, but for God’s sake don’t kick over the bees’ net to check for stingers. That is called Being Stupid.
What if Al-Quaeda attacks again? Well, we show some resilience, some class, and some dignity, and take a lesson from the British. Keep a stiff upper lip. Don’t let fanatical-few change the way you live. Then terrorism has accomplished its goal by creating terror. If there is a bombing in my city on an airplane, or on a bus, or in a Starbucks, or at a community centre, then I’ll be damned if I’m not stopping for a Grande Medium Roast in a Venti cup (because it’s cheaper) filled to the top with skim milk as I catch the 250 Vancouver after a morning workout on the spin bike, and hope to God I make the flight to Edmonton.
The solution to many of our problems is to not meddle, and to support, and to continue to live our lives as we would. No terrorist should influence our way of life if we don’t want him to.
But what of the Axis of Evil (Circa 2004)?
North Korea may already be too late, because if Kim Jon Il has nuclear weapons, which is likely, then economic prosperity may only strengthen him. I am terrified of North Korea. The people have been oppressed for so long, and have shown no sign of resistance to the rhetoric. What else can the West believe?
Iran is different. Iranians are not in the dark; they have communication to the outside world. There are many Iranians on our continent, in our country, and in my community. I know them as a wonderful people with a rich culture. Elements of extremism are strong in small pockets, but the majority of the people are sane, smart, productive members of our society, and only makes us richer and diverse. In an environment rife with species loss a little diversity and mixing has got to be a good thing.
Us North Americans have our own crazies, from skinheads to gun nuts, to gay bashers, to religious zealots. We have our own share of “special people” and we are still trying to channel them in a more constructive direction. Perhaps we should consider our own drawbacks prior to pointing-out the problems of others. Otherwise we look like hypocrites.
Iraq was a mistake. Admittedly I cared little in the goings on of the world at its inception, and did not speak out. Now that I’ve apologized let us all apologize and be done with it.
The United States cannot escape Iraq. There is something inherent in our nature that tells me that there we always be a US presence in Iraq. I’m not even sure if I’m willing to complain about that either. But why? There is the thought that the country has been tamed. It may be a foolish notion, and it my not be. I simply do not know at this stage.
President Obama must get a large portion of troops out of Iraq, and harm’s way, to satisfy the people of the United States, but 75,000 troops are likely to remain indefinitely. Germany still has about 50,000 troops stationed within. The US Department of Defense implies that this is a legacy deployment from the cold war that has been useful in Kosovo and Bosnia; troops stationed in Germany were deployed efficiently and effectively.
Iraq could become the Germany of the Middle East. The US can now support Israel, and threaten Iran, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, and even Saudi Arabia should it suddenly become “evil”. Iraq is a pivotal country for the US to hold and gives it many options to influence regional powers.
This is a big and costly chip for America to hand over to a group of broken citizens. They are just as likely to be courted and controlled by another emerging power like Iran. I simply don’t know what to do. The US fractured Iraq and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men won’t put it back together again.
Afghanistan is a nightmare and it only has a hope of ending once Osama Bin Laden is dead. I make a recommendation to both sides:
- Afghani people: Give the US Osama Bin Laden, his Generals and Lieutenants
- US: Pull out 50% of the troops that existed before Jan 25, 2009, followed by 100% of the troops once you have Bin Laden in you position. Make sure that you follow through with the commitment
Both of these are shows of faith. I propose that the US go first because it can fluctuate troop levels. It can also support and fund Afghani leaders sympathetic to their cause. Afghanistan has only ace in the hole. Don’t expect Afghanis to be foolish enough to play it first.
Once Osama Bin Laden is in US custody and has been extradited to the United States for trial and execution (because that is what it must be) the US pulls-out entirely. I mean no bases, or installations; leave the region. There is no gain and the US is powerful enough to get back in should the need arise. Faith must be given before trust can be earned.
Support the people and make them stronger. They live in some of the harshest regions of the planet and are resilient. You can try to fight them, but they will resist. You can support them, are they may surprise you.
The world is a different place. That is always true. Always. Nothing stays the same and it is always a little different. This is why we take comfort in rituals.
But we must accept that to thrive as one species we must work together and have strategies that allow this to happen. War is a function of the human world, and it has changed as well.
I know why I like Adam Smith. He is the Sun Tzu of our generation. Humanity has evolved and we have become less violent. War has evolved and become economics. Adam Smith’s book The Wealth of Nations is the guidebook to the current level that war has evolved to become.
The playing field of War is no longer large swaths of grassland or vast oceans of sand and sea; it is the numbers of economics, and the connections of cash, product, and technology. The world has changed
It is, and always has been, about competition. Know that, and you understand the basics of human nature, of nature itself. Efficiency rules. It always has, and always shall in nature.
In humanity things are different, more complicated. We are still evolving new sets of values, things that society put a premium upon. They are still governed by efficiency, but we change our direction. The value that Americans put on the death of Osama Bin Laden is significant, but others such as peace, economy, freedom of speech, equality, and the environment are also high. They shall have to make a choice. What is more precious?
Pull out of Afghanistan once vendetta has been satisfied. Pull out of Iraq, forget the oil, and focus on the only real source of energy we have besides geothermal, the sun. Reshape the world. Reshape our conception of its workings and its limitations. Stop killing for the extra inch. Unify the species. Stop War.
Afghanistan is an act of vengeance that is politically unsavory, because we should realize that revenge might not work. It may do more harm than good but no politician but Ron Paul is willing to say “Give Up”. None has the moral fortitude to live and let live.
Bush’s act of vengeance in Iraq, his completing what his father could not do, has cost over a million lives. One million faces gone. One millions dreams every night. One million of our own, of our species, gone. These are our people.
Yes they lived under oppression, yes they suffered the cruel hand of a tyrant, yes they suffered the economic sanctions imposed upon them by the West, but they lived. Iraqis still managed to eek-out a living and remain moderately content in that they were fairly unlikely to die suddenly, no IEDs in the trash can, no snipers from the roof, no midnight raids by American troops searching for insurgents.
If Bill Clinton had removed the sanctions placed on Iraq Iraqis would have prospered. A prosperous people are a strong people, and a strong people will depose a dictator.
Americans have forgotten that their ability to defeat the British in the war of independence was partly due to their fury at their own government abusing them, partly due to their hard work and ingenuity to survive on their own with a strong economy to acquire weapons, develop infrastructure and innovate.
An overthrown Iraq would have been a fledgling country in an international community that had huge aspirations to progress with their economy, develop education systems, build infrastructure. If this had been done pre-nuclear technological development by Saddam Hussein the United States would have been relatively safe. Pre Weapons of Mass Destruction. The US was so convinced.
They thought the bomb had already gone off, and started picking up the pieces and solving the crime. Imagine a bunch of guys in white biohazard suits rushing into an outdoor café and start picking up people like they were dead bodies, over turning tables, full of food and dishes and culture, as if it had been the remnants of a bomb only the bomb not had gone off yet. They destroy a scene, strange to us because we cannot understand the culture but a scene nonetheless, and leave children crying, everything broken, and people dead.
I propose that the solution to much of these problems is to stop interfering. Don’t meddle with people, and they may not meddle with you. Be prepared, but for God’s sake don’t kick over the bees’ net to check for stingers. That is called Being Stupid.
What if Al-Quaeda attacks again? Well, we show some resilience, some class, and some dignity, and take a lesson from the British. Keep a stiff upper lip. Don’t let fanatical-few change the way you live. Then terrorism has accomplished its goal by creating terror. If there is a bombing in my city on an airplane, or on a bus, or in a Starbucks, or at a community centre, then I’ll be damned if I’m not stopping for a Grande Medium Roast in a Venti cup (because it’s cheaper) filled to the top with skim milk as I catch the 250 Vancouver after a morning workout on the spin bike, and hope to God I make the flight to Edmonton.
The solution to many of our problems is to not meddle, and to support, and to continue to live our lives as we would. No terrorist should influence our way of life if we don’t want him to.
But what of the Axis of Evil (Circa 2004)?
North Korea may already be too late, because if Kim Jon Il has nuclear weapons, which is likely, then economic prosperity may only strengthen him. I am terrified of North Korea. The people have been oppressed for so long, and have shown no sign of resistance to the rhetoric. What else can the West believe?
Iran is different. Iranians are not in the dark; they have communication to the outside world. There are many Iranians on our continent, in our country, and in my community. I know them as a wonderful people with a rich culture. Elements of extremism are strong in small pockets, but the majority of the people are sane, smart, productive members of our society, and only makes us richer and diverse. In an environment rife with species loss a little diversity and mixing has got to be a good thing.
Us North Americans have our own crazies, from skinheads to gun nuts, to gay bashers, to religious zealots. We have our own share of “special people” and we are still trying to channel them in a more constructive direction. Perhaps we should consider our own drawbacks prior to pointing-out the problems of others. Otherwise we look like hypocrites.
Iraq was a mistake. Admittedly I cared little in the goings on of the world at its inception, and did not speak out. Now that I’ve apologized let us all apologize and be done with it.
The United States cannot escape Iraq. There is something inherent in our nature that tells me that there we always be a US presence in Iraq. I’m not even sure if I’m willing to complain about that either. But why? There is the thought that the country has been tamed. It may be a foolish notion, and it my not be. I simply do not know at this stage.
President Obama must get a large portion of troops out of Iraq, and harm’s way, to satisfy the people of the United States, but 75,000 troops are likely to remain indefinitely. Germany still has about 50,000 troops stationed within. The US Department of Defense implies that this is a legacy deployment from the cold war that has been useful in Kosovo and Bosnia; troops stationed in Germany were deployed efficiently and effectively.
Iraq could become the Germany of the Middle East. The US can now support Israel, and threaten Iran, Jordan, Syria, Turkey, and even Saudi Arabia should it suddenly become “evil”. Iraq is a pivotal country for the US to hold and gives it many options to influence regional powers.
This is a big and costly chip for America to hand over to a group of broken citizens. They are just as likely to be courted and controlled by another emerging power like Iran. I simply don’t know what to do. The US fractured Iraq and all the king’s horses and all the king’s men won’t put it back together again.
Afghanistan is a nightmare and it only has a hope of ending once Osama Bin Laden is dead. I make a recommendation to both sides:
- Afghani people: Give the US Osama Bin Laden, his Generals and Lieutenants
- US: Pull out 50% of the troops that existed before Jan 25, 2009, followed by 100% of the troops once you have Bin Laden in you position. Make sure that you follow through with the commitment
Both of these are shows of faith. I propose that the US go first because it can fluctuate troop levels. It can also support and fund Afghani leaders sympathetic to their cause. Afghanistan has only ace in the hole. Don’t expect Afghanis to be foolish enough to play it first.
Once Osama Bin Laden is in US custody and has been extradited to the United States for trial and execution (because that is what it must be) the US pulls-out entirely. I mean no bases, or installations; leave the region. There is no gain and the US is powerful enough to get back in should the need arise. Faith must be given before trust can be earned.
Support the people and make them stronger. They live in some of the harshest regions of the planet and are resilient. You can try to fight them, but they will resist. You can support them, are they may surprise you.
The world is a different place. That is always true. Always. Nothing stays the same and it is always a little different. This is why we take comfort in rituals.
But we must accept that to thrive as one species we must work together and have strategies that allow this to happen. War is a function of the human world, and it has changed as well.
I know why I like Adam Smith. He is the Sun Tzu of our generation. Humanity has evolved and we have become less violent. War has evolved and become economics. Adam Smith’s book The Wealth of Nations is the guidebook to the current level that war has evolved to become.
The playing field of War is no longer large swaths of grassland or vast oceans of sand and sea; it is the numbers of economics, and the connections of cash, product, and technology. The world has changed
It is, and always has been, about competition. Know that, and you understand the basics of human nature, of nature itself. Efficiency rules. It always has, and always shall in nature.
In humanity things are different, more complicated. We are still evolving new sets of values, things that society put a premium upon. They are still governed by efficiency, but we change our direction. The value that Americans put on the death of Osama Bin Laden is significant, but others such as peace, economy, freedom of speech, equality, and the environment are also high. They shall have to make a choice. What is more precious?
Pull out of Afghanistan once vendetta has been satisfied. Pull out of Iraq, forget the oil, and focus on the only real source of energy we have besides geothermal, the sun. Reshape the world. Reshape our conception of its workings and its limitations. Stop killing for the extra inch. Unify the species. Stop War.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Asbestos sold to India
Canadian Asbestos is being sold to India and causing people harm. Melissa Fung of the CBC just reported on Peter Mansbridge that our country, which has banned asbestos because it can not be utilized safely, has been supporting the asbestos industry by donating $20 million dollars.
Ms. Fung questions why Canada is actively removing asbestos from its own House of Commons has deemed it acceptable to sell the product to a developing country that does not have the means to use it safely. Many people are dying right now, slowly and painfully, some required to work to continue paying for medication to treat asbestosis.
This desease causes respiratory illnesses that will cripple someone. They live short, painful lives cause explicitly by working with asbestos. The dust is breathed in and damages the alveoli in the lungs, reducing lung capacity and function. Indians cough themselves to death.
Asbestos is mined in Québec, and thought it is a dwindling industry we keep it alive and even subsidize it. Both the Liberal and Conservative parties have provided funding while in power and I think that it is likely due to the political land mine that is the province of Québec.
The CBC reports that the asbestos being installed in Indian buildings, and may harm the public for a hundred years. It will break the Guiness Book of World Records mark for more people suffering from asbestosis. We are allowing a company from our country to profit from the deaths of these people. We are the only government out of the top 40 industrialized nations to do so. We are morally wrong.
I believe that it is our duty as citizens of this world to put an end to this practice. It is unethical in that it harms others, and hypocritical in that we won’t use it ourselves. This is not a political issue, and if somebody decides to make it one I believe that that person lets other motivations take priority, such as career or financial gain.
We as a nation must be firm. We are a good, decent people, who do what is right. Our place in the world depends on the decisions we take, the ideals that we uphold, and the respect we have for other countries. Canadians put a premium on morality. Let us do so now.
For more information go to http://archives.cbc.ca/ and type in asbestos in a few days to watch the report.
GOYA! Start Listening!
Ms. Fung questions why Canada is actively removing asbestos from its own House of Commons has deemed it acceptable to sell the product to a developing country that does not have the means to use it safely. Many people are dying right now, slowly and painfully, some required to work to continue paying for medication to treat asbestosis.
This desease causes respiratory illnesses that will cripple someone. They live short, painful lives cause explicitly by working with asbestos. The dust is breathed in and damages the alveoli in the lungs, reducing lung capacity and function. Indians cough themselves to death.
Asbestos is mined in Québec, and thought it is a dwindling industry we keep it alive and even subsidize it. Both the Liberal and Conservative parties have provided funding while in power and I think that it is likely due to the political land mine that is the province of Québec.
The CBC reports that the asbestos being installed in Indian buildings, and may harm the public for a hundred years. It will break the Guiness Book of World Records mark for more people suffering from asbestosis. We are allowing a company from our country to profit from the deaths of these people. We are the only government out of the top 40 industrialized nations to do so. We are morally wrong.
I believe that it is our duty as citizens of this world to put an end to this practice. It is unethical in that it harms others, and hypocritical in that we won’t use it ourselves. This is not a political issue, and if somebody decides to make it one I believe that that person lets other motivations take priority, such as career or financial gain.
We as a nation must be firm. We are a good, decent people, who do what is right. Our place in the world depends on the decisions we take, the ideals that we uphold, and the respect we have for other countries. Canadians put a premium on morality. Let us do so now.
For more information go to http://archives.cbc.ca/ and type in asbestos in a few days to watch the report.
GOYA! Start Listening!
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