Third Saturday Seminar 2014-2015
Return of the Elders, Unleash your Wisdom
Session 02
Are things getting better Daddy?
Governance-Politics-Wars (Continued)
Curt Gibby
Saturday, 18 October 2014
9:30AM ’til Noon
Room B-102, Lone Star College – Montgomery
3200 College Park Drive – Conroe, TX – 77384 – 936.273.7000
Last session, we were introduced to the al-Baghdadi gang of murderers and rapists AKA ISIS, ISIL or if you please, IS and we listened to a debate on PBS Newshour which included Andrew Basevich and Tony Zinni, both of which essentially posed the question in the face of this apparently new adversary that must have risen from the sand like the warriors that sprouted from the dragon’s teeth tp challenge Jason, except now we find out that the al-Baghdadi gang has been established in Syria and the Sunni areas of Iraq for a long time.
All the assurances of our government notwithstanding, (Obama: We will not be intimidated by ISIS … and will build a coalition to “degrade and destroy” the group )The air campaign against ISIS doesn’t seem to be bringing about the orderly destruction of of ISIS nor have those boots on the ground that were supposed to be provided the local good guys (Iraqi, Kurds, Turks. The Kurds have been willing, but they find themselves outnumbered, and under-armed. The Iraqi Army and militias which is to say Shia are being overpowered. We’ll go into more detail in class.
The al-Baghdadis, and their friends, seem to have no reluctance is turning their troops into cannon-fodder, I have heard numbers on the order of 30,000 troops, and they have money and equipment stolen or extorted from Iraq and others.
The news from the fronts is not at the moment encouraging Although the air war seems to have the support of a majority of ordinary Americans, there are differing opinions if there are even enough sorties.
If you stop to think about the situation, it is chaos.
Never have there been such opportunities for the acquisition of money and power by opportunists at all levels of life as the power structures of the first world are being overwhelmed by the demands for good governance and supply of public services and infrastructure due to the credit crises and as their economies stagnate.
We as the superpower that decided we wanted to be nation-builders instead of crime stoppers, have demonstrated to all the world’s insurgents that although we have the most modern and powerful military in the world, we don’t have the will to use it effectively, and we willfully blind ourselves to the realities on the ground as we set off on our nation-building adventures. So, although they love our money, and the common-people are certainly receptive to some forms of democracy, those who lead them are not. We are simply foolish cash cows to them. The three main factions in Iraq, Sunni, Shia, Kurds are seriously alienated.
Turkey won’t support us against ISIS, because they want ISIS to weaken Assad. Turkey has even attaced Syrian Kurds trying to defend the Syrian border town of Kobani. After the U.S. Government announced that Turkey supposedly agreed to let us operated from Incirlik Air Base, they sais no. They want us to maintain a no-fly zone against Assad I would guess
The Arab Spring has taken the lid off the pressure cooker and now the Arab world is boiling over in general. The religious sects are becoming more puritanical and critical of each other and more oppressive of their people but without providing fair governance and public services or developing economies that would provide a good life for their citizens.
Add to this Ebola which is leaking out of Africa. Tom Frieden, the director of the CDC, who was giving us confident assurances that treating the ebola patient was totally under control has wisely come to his senses and is just beginning to come to grips with the logistics and challenges of preventing the spread of such highly contagious desease in a modern society.
World Population has almost doubled since 1976 when the first outbreak was detected and with it the mobility of people. It’s a serious problem.
“Israel Grapples With British Vote to Recognize Palestine,” Some fear a domino effect while others hope it will aid the push for peace.
Although there is a cease-fire in the Ukraine, Russia is sending troops back to the training areas near the Ukraine border.
Some good reading/listening:
DemocracyNow Interview with James Risen about his new book, “Pay Any Price: Greed, Power, and Endless War.
While reading or listening to the above think about these:
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, …
John F. Kennedy Inaugural Address, The American Heritage Book of English Usage. 1996,
Obama: We will not be intimidated by ISIS … after the beheading of a second American journalist and will build a coalition to “degrade and destroy” the group. Sep 3, 2014
A visual guide to the crisis in Iraq and Syria.
As usual we will start out with Current Events
Possible Current Events Topics include:
ISIS, ISIL, IS Not the Isis of health, marriage, and love
Syria, Iraq, Kurdistan
Iran
Palestine – Gaza – Rockets and retaliation
Russia-Ukraine-EU – Poland – Lithuania
Ebola
The election, Nov 4th . Early Voting is Monday, October 20 – Friday October 31. Your must be registered 30 days before Nov 4th
China – Japan – Philippines – Taiwan
Economic recovery
This is the first session of the 2014-2015 Third Saturday Seminars.
(We started in Jan 2000)
About A.L.L.
The Lone Star College ALL Program:
Academy for Lifelong Learning Program Description
A.L.L. Falk 2014 Course Schedule (PDF) (covers all campuses)
Map of campus and parking lots
Reminder for ALL members:
Please let A.L.L. know if you change your address, phone number, or email. Call 936.273.7446 or email: MCALL@LoneStar.edu.
“Some part of our being knows this (the universe) is where we came from. We long to return. And we can. Because the cosmos is also within us. We’re made of star-stuff. We are a way for the cosmos to know itself.” Carl Sagan
See you Saturday, 20 September 2014 at 9:30am, Room B-102
Curt Gibby
Director