Occupy Wall Street - Not a Big Deal

As a Champion of the First Amendment, U Elite Members know full well that I will never support silencing any voices raised up in the public square. On free speech rights, I'm squarely with former US Supreme Court Justice Black - an Absolutetist. That said, however, I do not believe every demand to be heard demands an answer from those opposed to the shouted message. Clearly, some trees falling in the forrest are not worthy of vibrating an inner ear drum, or eliciting lips moving in a sharp retort to such sounds of silence.

As the Bible tells us - "Jesus loves us all", ... every boy and girl, even. "And the Poor will always be with us, too". As will the disaffected, the disgruntled and those just plain clueless.

For several decades now, these anarchists have turned out by the thousands to seek to disrupt meeting of the G-18, World Bank or some such international, high finance concave, while shouting about the evils of capitalism. Recently, I recall that an inadequate police presence allowed these hoodlums to take control of the central business district of Seattle, Washington, and thereby burn cars, smash business front windows and generally trash all of downtown.

So what. After the meeting ended, their message of rebellion was forgotten before the many dignitaries airplanes returned them to their homes. This new tactic of hanging out for weeks, saying nothing of import, other than - the rich are evil, so give me their money - will have even less lasting influence on the American citizenry once the first frost hits lower Manhattan, and these non-local yokems will then be gone with the wind and cold. Correct - FreezePruf plant frost protectant can not be sprayed on protesters. Well, on reflection, it can, but to no good insulating effect of which I currently know.

Accordingly, the only lasting impact of these Occupy protests will be the further loss of credibility of the non-sensical Pols who clamor to the microphone to endorse them as some new grassroots uprising of hard working middle class Americans outraged by the unprosecuted crimes of the high rollers on Wall Street. Sorry Nancy, but most of these disaffected "voters" were bused in from your SF District where they have been sucking on the public teet ever since you first gained elective office and started giving away real working folks earnings.

Why Answar al-Awlaki still Matters, finally

Yes, he's now dead, and the world is a better place for his unnatural passing. Nonetheless, Mr. al-Awlaki was an American citizen, who the Executive Branch had declared to be an "Enemy Combatant" - an enemy of the state, if U will. Accordingly, Mr. al-Awlaki was targeted for termination with extreme prejudice. He was then killed in the wilds of ungoverned Yemen by the CIA operated drone hit team, working with the super secret Navy Seals to locate him and put the radar cross-hairs on his head, literally. This execution (thru war making powers) of a person making war on America is legally, ethically or morally justified in my judgment.

In a war, the Executive uses appropriately all the assets available to "kill the enemy and seize enemy held territory" as my drill instructor yelled at me at Ft. Bragg in 1970. It's the process of targeting Awlaki that gives me pause. The Justice Department has reportedly given the President a legal opinion that concludes that this homicide is legal under the law of war. Fine, but on what basis in our Constitutional Republic is such critical "life and death" document stamped "top secret" and hidden from the public. Secret law is anathema to a free society, so I want to know what are the limiting principles of a President's legal authority to kill without charges, trial or any due process protections those persons that the executive branch deems to be enemies of the state. We definitely got it right on this first American citizen's homicide by Presidential Fiat. I want to make sure that the next dozen or tens of dozen of such kills are legal, ethical and morally justified as well.

Remember, every federal government activity starts with all good intentions, decades later, however, many of these programs have no boundaries or limits on their reach or scope of application. When it comes to summary executions, that exercise of absolute power has got to be perfect every time - something government has never done well.

The First Sunday after Easter

Growing up Presbyterian, your Humble Blogger knew that God did not view missing Sunday services as a Sin, mortal or otherwise. We did attend, religiously you might conclude, because our Pastor, Dr. Lawrence, gave one Hell of a Sermon weekly. Additionally, the Youth Group had more pretty girls attending than good looking guys, so I liked those odds. I still remember returning home the last weekend of November 1963, and hearing late in the day that Lee Harvey Oswald's fatal shooting had been seen live on TV that very morning. My reaction then was that indeed God did protect the faithful, as I imagined that seeing someone murdered on TV would be an emotionally disturbing trauma.

Little did I anticipate the trauma of watching thousands of Americans murdered on live TV September 11, 2001, a psychological scar for which last weekend's observances did little to sooth, and in some senses, made fresh yet again. Now, don't mistake me, experiencing again those searing emotions of loss, anger and jeopardy for family and nation, while deeply painful, was necessary in my judgment. We as a nation in 2011 again have become too self centered, possibly too complacent, as well. George Bush can look back with some satisfaction that America proper did not get hit again during his tenure, but he was totally wrong in calling upon us to "start shopping again", as the most patriotic contribution to the war effort everyday Americans could take after 911.

My clarion call, then as now, is for all Americans to become actively involved in supporting the troops, their families and in opposing the efforts of the radical jihadists to subvert our western civilization's freedoms. On the forefront of this war this week will be the Palestinian's demand for statehood recognition by the United Nations. This assault on Israel's existence is just another murderous turn in the "Arab Spring" triumph of fundamentalism over co-existence with the west. As Dr. Lawrence showed me in the early 1960's, always leave your congregation wanting more, so I'll have to return to the existential threat posed by a Palestinian State to a future blog. Cheers.

Why Richard Rescorla Still Matters

Richard, "Rick", Rescorla; born 5/27/39; died 9/11/01 on the 77th floor WTC Tower One.

In the last week of August, 2001, I met my son, Neil, at his Wall Street office (he was then a Middlebury College undergrad, working for the summer in lower NYC). We walked the three blocks from his building to the World Trade Center pedestrian plaza for an outdoor lunch, admiring the stark beauty of the twin towers. That summer, Neil commuted to his NYC job from his home in Summit, New Jersey by train to the Path Station at WTC.

Richard Rescorla also commuted to his NYC job from his home in Summit, N.J. by train to that same Path Station at the WTC. It is possible, even probable, that on occasion, Neil and Rick rode together, possibly having nodded a fellow traveller sleepy morning greeting. I know that they didn't do any of that on the morning of September 11th, however, as Neil had returned already to safe, bucolic Vermont; a circumstance for which I thank God every time I remember that awful Tuesday morning.

Rick Rescorla also was due to be absent from his employment on September 11th, yet he was there, having volunteered to cover for a subordinate, thereby made free to vacation. Mr. Rescorla had an important job - Director of Security for Investment Brokerage, Morgan Stanley, charged with ensuring the safety of two thousand, seven hundred Company employees, then working at WTC Towers One and Five. Rick did his job very well that day - he got 2698 Morgan Stanley employees to safety right after the first plane hit Tower Two.

Then, Richard Rescorla volunteered one final time - he ran back into Tower One just before it collapsed, seeking to find the last two employees placed in his charge. Rick never made it back on September 11th to his family in Summit, New Jersey. Gratefully, Rick's 911 heroism will forever live on, in our collective memory. And, of course Rick's entire life was characterized by him volunteering for life threatening service to others - he was a highly decorated army veteran of the Vietnam war, volunteering to fight after having already served a number of years as a British Army paratrooper. This prior military service reflects Mr. Rescorla's then foreign citizenship, having been born in Hayle, Cornwall in 1939.

Despite his entire adult life having been spent in following the "chain of command", Colonel Rescorla knew when to follow his own conscience - after the first plane hit WTC Tower Two, he ignored the PA orders to all occupants of Tower One to stay put for their own safety. Defying that very bad judgment call saved 2697 lives. Indeed, Mr Richard Rescorla embodied American Exceptionalism - A Life well lived; So, Britian, the United States, New Jersey and Summit are all poorer for Rick's volunteering its premature end. He, Neil, Addison, Audrey, Lyn, elite members, Michele, Mark, Kate, Kim and Donelle are why I try daily to live up to his memory. God Bless America.

The Summer of Our Discontent - Dealing w/. High Anxiety

Confidence is an essential ingredient to successful endeavors, both for an individual and the body politic. Obviously, the converse is equally true - fear and doubt are lethal contagions, a virus sapping the strength of the Nation, poisoning our collective will to overcome small and big challenges. Accordingly, my responsibility, as your Humble Blogger, is to damp down the fever of national insecurity in order to restore informed optimism and the unshakable conviction that tomorrow will be better than today.

To myself, after all, it is Morning in America, even though I do know that the Gipper is still dead. Let me explain why I still very much believe in American Exceptionalism - Look closely at the rest of the world: Europe is financially, morally and politically bankrupt (more than five months of futile war against one insane despot in Libya, and the french are talking armistice, if not surrender); Russia is an organized crime syndicate, not a country. As the world's economic woes multiply, the silver lining is that the life blood of the mobsters in Moscow - oil exports -do not garner the levels of hard currency needed to adequately feed the Russian Bear. China needs, at a minimum, 7.5% annual growth in its economy to ward off potentially devastating civil unrest - it is reliably estimated that the migration of rural unemployed workers from the farms to the cities totals millions of downtrodden annually, most looking for construction jobs in the coastal urban centers. Should China stop building buildings no one will occupy for decades, its society will crumble like the house of cards it is.

Now look at America - our nation is a stable Republic, our institutions of government are stronger than ever, elections do have real consequences and the voice of the people demanding a return to fiscal sanity has been heard in the halls of power in Washington. Sure, we face grave challenges, particularly in growing the private sector economy in the face of massive over regulation imposed by Obamacare and Frank/Dodd financial controls. Nonetheless, we have always risen to such challenges. A Nation that survived millions killed in the Civil War, many more killed in two world wars and the great depression of the 1930s, can roll back excessive intrusions into business decision making by unelected federal bureaucrats. Thus, I say, let's roll up our sleeves my fellow Americans, kick some Euro/Asian butt, knowing full well that we are without doubt the last best hope of all mankind. "We can do anything" - more later on this boast.

Why Humam Khalil al-Balawi still Matters

Or, subtitle - "Is Leon Panetta the greatest Mass 'Murderer' in U.S. History?" Obviously, my question is hyperbole (hence the quotation marks w/n. a quotation). It is intended to spark thoughtful reflection on the lawfulness of America's tactics in winning the war against radical Islamic jihadists, and not intended to spark interest in this humble blogger by the Nation's eavesdroppers, watchers and Spy Agencies.

In researching this Blog topic, I confirmed that the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has the sole and exclusive authority within the federal government to authorize "a hit", termination w/. extreme prejudice, a targeted assassination even, of an identified enemy combatant by Agency drone missile attack. My research has not, of course, uncovered the total number of individuals put to death by the verbal order of Mr. Panetta, and even were it to be revealed to me, such classified national security information would never be published here. Let's just say that Director Panetta left Ted Bundy in his rear view mirror early on in his tenure as CIA Boss of Bosses. No wonder Mr. Panetta was given his wish to be transferred by President Obama to the more serene post of Secretary of Defense; some irony there.

By now, U may be asking - "So, why does Mr. al-Balawi still matter, and how does his mattering fit in with the nation's running of death squads from the sky?" (As an aside, any perceived to be pejorative language here should not be deemed opposition to targeted killings in wartime. Instead, it is intended as a Clarion Call for public debate on the lawful application of this absolute power to unilaterally impose and carry out a death sentence w/o. charges filed, w/o. a trial or other due process safeguards against the killing of innocent persons. ) (See previous Posts re Government's Power to Execute "Enemies of the State").

Now, its Dr. al-Balawi, he's not a mister. On December 30, 2009, this young, healthy Jordanian doctor of medicine, father of two bright daughters, and husband to a beautiful Turkish wife stepped out of the Agency car which had transported him to the very door steps of the CIA's Hq. for the Afghan/Pakistan border region and detonated the secreted bomb strapped to his chest, killing eight Agency operatives. In response (or not, depending on your sources), that same CIA Director who had just lost the most subordinates in a single day in Agency history, ramped up significantly the number of targeted drone attacks in Pakistan.

Objectivity clouded by a need to immediately avenge this wanton terrorist murder of Americans? I sincerely doubt it. Nonetheless, I would much prefer to have the war fighting authority placed exclusively in the DoD, and not in our Nation's intelligence gathering agencies. The Army, Navy and Marines have hundreds of years experience in killing the enemy, after the enemy has been identified by civilian authority. This is another example of the wisdom of separation of powers. Such a safeguard would preclude a single government employee in the CIA from being judge, jury and executioner by him or her self alone.

Now, that would be some real irony - were Congress to enact legislation empowering only the Secretary of Defense to authorize drone attacks, based upon targeting recommendations originating in other branches of the government. While Leon Panetta would definitely feel put upon, I would sleep better with a more bifurcated killing apparatus. Just saying ...

Hey Uncle Sam - Stop the Madness

Ok, ok, Loyal listeners, in response to the ground swell, a chorus of clamoring even from numerous Elite Members, here is my take on the Debt Ceiling Debacle. Nothing very good comes out of crisis negotiations when confronted with a deadline of potentially economy shattering proportions. Attempting to define four trillion dollars in specific federal spending cuts over ten years with but six or eight pols in the room is either a level of arrogance or smoke and mirrors that gives it almost no real chance of being understood and accepted, first by the public and then by their elected representatives in Congress.

So, how did we get to this crisis point? Let's review the bidding to see. In early Spring, President Obama told Congress that, in 18 months having taken the Country from less than 10 trillion in debt to more than 14 trillion dollars in debt, he wanted a "Clean" increase of 2.7 trillion in the Debt Limit, intended to facilitate his spending plans thru the 2012 election cycle. By "clean", the Administration meant, this additional borrowing authority would not be tainted or otherwise coupled with any constraints of this fiscal insanity. Think about the magnitude of federal expenditures in excess of governmental revenues he contemplated, as federal income currently runs about 1.7 trillion dollars per year. No one in human history had ever embarked on largess of this size, or anywhere close to the magnitude of spending exceeding income. Its like Obama thinks he can just print money in the basement. Oh wait, that's the Federal Reserve, and that's a different story for a different Blog.

Only after the Republican House said no to the Administration's demand for a clean increase, did Secretary Geithner come on the Sunday News Shows, as he did today, and say that ANY debt ceiling increase that did not include trillions of dollars in debt reduction would lead to economic ruin for the nation, because world markets know that America's fiscal irresponsibility - never ending larger annual federal deficits - will lead to the collapse of the dollar and spiraling higher interest charges for our borrowing. Truly amazing - Treasury Secretary demand no spending cuts in February and in July says that increase without major cuts is insanity. Wow, his cure from mental illness was almost as fast as Rep Weiner's recovery from his sexting addiction. Time for Change at the top, I sincerely Hope.