Category Archives: History

Energy, History, Security

Tall Tales of Texans

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I have been stuck arguing with a friend from Texas about government. He is a big fan of less regulation, less government, less interference…the usual vapid tall tales of woe you can expect from stereotypical Texans.

I have just been trying to convince him, in my best Kansan conservative fashion, that his position is actually very anti-graft yet pro-regulation. In fact, as he complained about the manner in which legislators are able to spend money, I asked him “so, it seems you think they need more guidance, perhaps some regulation, on the allocation of funds?” Even more ironic is the fact that he is working with companies to help them navigate security regulations — he is making a living consulting with companies on how to abide by data protection regulations, and he is a hardliner at that.

My revelation of these contradictions to him seemed to have slowed things down a little, but then he countered with the argument that a legislator stealing money should not be considered corrupt if they do it in the open. Er, curve ball. I actually think he means that no one should be accused of breaking the law if they say they do not recognize the laws they are breaking, or there is “insufficient” evidence as determined by the accused. Hmmm, who does that remind me of…?

The logical twists and turns he has taken in order to find a way to argue against government makes me think his eventual position will be more like an overly salted pretzel rather than the well seasoned meal he thinks he is serving.

If I remember correctly, the last time I saw him he tried to convince me that the US was actually winning the Vietnam War but were defeated by liberals at home. More recently he has tried to suggest that there is no conclusive evidence that cigarettes cause cancer, based on the premise that a lack of absolute certainty means scientific proof is inherently insufficient. He said this means we must accept prejudice as a natural condition and stop trying to make it seem like a bad thing. I told him that empiricism is certainly no proof that prejudice is natural, but rather the opposite when coupled with a value system, and to try and spin the two into a meaningless blend was to take a painfully shallow position. What possible point could someone have in trying to claim the word “prejudice” as a positive and natural human condition?

Alas, the one thing we seem to agree on is that diesel is the future transportation energy source of choice.

And that says a lot to me, given the distance of opinion we have on everything else.

History, Security

Bush may intentionally violate data-retention laws

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It’s not just about explaining how/when the President does not have to honor seatbelt laws. Now it’s about data retention violations too:

“Given the heavy reliance by White House officials on RNC e-mail accounts, the high rank of the White House officials involved, and the large quantity of missing e-mails,” the report said, “the potential violation of the Presidential Records Act may be extensive.”

Republicans said there is no evidence that the law was violated or that the missing e-mails were of a government rather than political nature.

The records act requires presidents to assure that “the activities, deliberations, decisions, and policies that reflect the performance” of their duties are “adequately documented … and maintained,” the report said.

Of course there is no evidence. That was destroyed too, along with the definition of government.

History, Poetry, Security

China censors Guan Shan Yue from Disney movie

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I’ve been thinking about the news from Variety for a few days:

China Film initially said it had made no cuts, then declined to comment on a Beijing News report that it had cut scenes involving too much violence and horror.

[…]

It also cuts his reading of a poem by Tang dynasty poet Li Bai (701-762) called “Guan Shan Yue” (The Moon Shining Over the Mountain on the Border).

First of all, I am a bit unimpressed with that translation of the title. The poem is about separation and longing due to conflict — costs incurred by a point of control, from a security viewpoint. This makes me think of something like “The Moon Shines on the Mountain Border” or “The Moon Shines Over the Wall on the Mountain”, or maybe even “Moon on the Mountain Pass”.

Second, how does this have anything to do with the Beijing News mention of violence and horror? Variety mentions a censored poem and then stops. Perhaps they didn’t feel it necessary to research the rationale and the history of the poem’s importance, or just didn’t care to elaborate?

Here is a closer look at the issue. 300 Tang poems has a page called Tangshi II. 1. (38), where you can see the text of Li Bai’s poem as well as English and French interpretations. Note the title of the poem:
Guan Shan Yue

Here’s their version in English:

The bright moon lifts from the Mountain of Heaven
In an infinite haze of cloud and sea,
And the wind, that has come a thousand miles,
Beats at the Jade Pass battlements….
China marches its men down Baideng Road
While Tartar troops peer across blue waters of the bay….
And since not one battle famous in history
Sent all its fighters back again,
The soldiers turn round, looking toward the border,
And think of home, with wistful eyes,
And of those tonight in the upper chambers
Who toss and sigh and cannot rest.

And, since 300 Tang site conveniently explains all the characters, here’s mine:

Moonlight shines upon the mountain
bringing clarity through a deep blue sea of fog.
The constant winds from almost ten thousand miles
blow against the Jade pass garrisons.
China’s men climb upon an empty path,
as Tartar soldiers gaze across a blue-green sea.
Because great battles in history
never return all men to their beds,
many look back upon the garrison
with eyes of pain, and think of home.
Those who this night lay upstairs
toss and turn, they cannot rest.

History, Security

eBay bans IRA figurine

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The BBC link is titled “model behaviour”.

Valiant Enterprises were told their model soldier of an IRA volunteer from 1921 had been removed from the eBay site because the figure “violated its hateful or discriminatory policy”.

The eBay policy states: “Sellers may not list items that promote or glorify hatred, violence, racial or religious intolerance, or items that promote organisations with such views.”

The article makes the obvious comparison to other icons who fought the British empire, such as the American “revolutionaries”. And then it transitions to discussing the issue with modern Irish leaders.

Sinn Fein’s Alex Maskey said the decision to ban the item was unjustified.

He said: “To ban important historical facts like the Irish War of Independence is just bizarre. Especially when that time is history has been recognised and commemorated by the Irish government”.

Perhaps it would help if the figurine wasn’t holding a gun and ammo belts, but instead carrying a flag or in a striking pose that indicated national pride. It would be one thing if eBay tried to ban symbols of the IRA, such as the flags or name, but something about the militant garb makes it a more troubling and questionable icon. Likewise, I have no real issue with the Union Jack as it represents so much more than the militancy of the UK, but I don’t think I’d feel great about sales of a figurine of the British army with a Rapparee’s head dangling from his pike…then again, I bet there is no ban on British army figurines at all.