Albright Can Crush You Like A Little Walnut!

There's a lot of buzz around Madelein Albright's revelation to the New York Times that at age 68, she can leg press 400 pounds.

Holy Cow! I thought that was impressive. Then I saw a recent photo of her; every time she gets out of a chair, her legs have to press about 300 lbs anyway. What's another 100 lbs?

Read about it here.

McClellan Out, as Bush tries to appear to be a leader

Bush has finally had enough of Scott McClellan, or is it the other way around?

McClellan hasn't done a very good job communicating for the President lately, but then again, who could have done a better job given the poor material?

Whatever, it's been painful to watch McClellan stand in front of reporters trying to deflect bullets with a paper shield. As a discredited symbol of a failed Presidential administration, McClellan had to go. Perhaps, as a parting service to the president, his departure will finally make Bush appear decisive.

We called for Bush to fire McClellan way back when he gaffed explaining the VP's shooting a senior citizen. McClellan thought that was a laughing matter. This time, however, its Bush who fired and McClellan who will be picking buckshot out of his ass. Finally, Bush gives us something to laugh about.

Nuke Iran, part II

If you're coming up to speed on the "Nuke Iran" discussion gripping America, here's an article that has a very good timeline of events.

http://www.politicalgateway.com/news/read.html?id=7166

Nuking Iran, or A Case for A Global Government

Today Iran announced that it has joined the nuclear club, and apparently there's nothing the U.S. and its allies can do about it, short of "discussing possible next steps with the UN Security Council."

How about Nuking Iran? GWB has refused to take that option off of the table, but its unlikely the UNSC would endorse that idea. So will the United States again throw itself into the self-appointed role of the world's policeman, and act unilaterally to make the world a safer place for democracy, liberty, and American Interests? It's likely.

But step way, way way back, and take a long hard look at your world. What's really going on here?

Beyond the oil and religeon, what we're seeing is the continued breakdown of the old world order. For thousands of years, people have organized into sovereign geopolitical units, inside of which whatever happened was their business. But in 2006, the world is much smaller than it was in 1006, or in 6 A.D. It's just not that simple anymore: what happens inside of one geopolitical unit can have profound implications for others, whether enviornmentally, socially, economically, or militarily.

As scary as it sounds, humanity needs a global government. Just harboring this thought flags one as an idiot (so I have nothing to lose), and you will never ever here anyone credible express this idea.

There's many powerful reasons as to why this will not come to pass soon:
- Nationalism: Right-winger's won't have it because it would mean subjugation of America's might.
- Christian's won't have it because they're waiting for Jesus to return and have fears of the anti-Christ.
- Lefties won't have it because it would mean continued "globalization."
- Muslim's won't have it unless its a global Islamic state
- We're all afraid of plummeting standards of living if borders were stripped away.

But the potential benefits of a United Federation of Earth (call it whatever you want) shouldn't be ignored. If "all options are the on the table", then the long term social evolution of our species toward a global security instituion should also be an option.

Is it really such a crazy idea? The European Union is blazing the way, showing how nationalism can be set aside for the greater good of the national. We can start with a currency, and by strengthening some of the UN's institutions and the World Court, eventually integrating the militaries under a global command.

Until the world has credible global court (free from any American 'veto') capable of enforcing its decisions, a place where geopolitical units and can go to mediate their disputes in a binding way, we will always have the spectre of invading rouge nations. As long as any nation fears for is survival and harbors nuclear ambitions in order to obtain respect and secure its self survival, we will never have a save world.

Which is perhaps another way of stating that even if we do project American power in the form nuking Iran, we will still not have a safer world.

Watching the Flood Come

This past week, our community has been dealing with the flood of the Red River of the North. The Red is predictably unpredicable. Every spring we know its going to flood, but we're not sure how much. The unpredictability comes from the flat flood plain. It's like trying to manage water on a cookie sheet.

Usually when I mention a flooding river, what comes to mind is a fast gushing river, with a roiling wave of water rushing through a city, sweeping way everyone in its path. Those California "flash floods" seem so exciting. One minute you're having a picnic, the next you're being swept out to sea clinging to a chicken leg.

The Red isn't nearly so exciting when it floods. The Red comes to your house like your blacksheep cousin: it doesn't arrive when its expected, it stays too long, and leaves too late.

Our house is on coulee that leads to the river, (except in April when it leads the river to us). During the past week, the kids and I have been using sticks in the ground to chart it's advance up the sloping hill of our back yard. I thought it might help with their anxiety, but truthly, it helped with my anxiety. The kids hardly cared that the river was coming at our home, and asked me many times if we could go fishing.

Sitting on the deck in our back yard, sipping a glass of pino, and looking out at a lake where there was none just days before, it's its hard not to be philosophical. Floods are great metaphores.

Don't we all have floods in our lives? Sometimes danger come like the Red River. We know its out there, we can see it coming. Even when its imminent, the temptation is to leave the sandbagging till the last second. Hopefully someone will come to help us when we call.

Experience living with this river has taught me that its best to be proactive when dealing with difficulties in my life. What kinds of Red River floods are there in your life? What should you be doing to prepare?

Wednesday brought good news for our family. The flood has crested and has started to recede. Here's hoping the floods in your life will do likewise.