Muse – Randomness (5-26-2004)

Cicadas

The Ughly bugs are out in force. If you listen close, you can hear their hollow, toneless drone ringing out as they call on the lady ughly bugs for some luvin.

They make lunch and adventure here at work. When I walk out to cross over to the mall, I run the gauntlet of bugs flying every which way. Not a lot. Takes about five minutes to walk over there and by that time I could see a score of bugs along my path. They aren’t dangerous, but that doesn’t mean I want one to land on me. So when one gets close, I have to bob and weave a little to make sure it’s flight path is uninterrupted.

Though they aren’t so common in flight at home. But I live in a suburban sort of area, so perhaps the higher tree density provides them places to be, while the low tree density of the lightly urban area I work in provides less in the way of perches. Thus more of them are on the prowl for a prime feeding and mating spot? Who knows.

Iraqis and guns

I could be quite wrongt about Iraqis and guns, but I do get the feeling that they, on average, are better armed than your average American. But I think that still plays in with the point of my Second Amendment entry.

Alternatives to War

I did a few searches through my entries and couldn’t find where I’ve written about alternatives to this War on Terrorism. Though I do know I’ve written about it before(in many places).

The basics of what I believe when it comes to alternatives is first thing you have to find the root causes. There are lots of possibilities in this, ranging from poverty to wounded cultural pride. I’ve no doubt the last century of the Middle East being repeatedly dallied with by various European nations helped either.

But to focus on some specifics, look at Palestine. Hamas has become a deeply entrenched force by building hospitals and schools for the people. Whereas Israel is seen as doing nothing more than destroying. One can easily see where there might be a skew in point of view there. If Israel took a more constructive approach to matters, trumping Hamas’ place as champion of the people, the resentment and the terrorism would fade, I think. It might not go away entirely, but nothing will quell it entirely, short of genocide.

The US needs to take a similar step. We don’t do as poorly as Israel, but we still have a lot of negatives against us based on our prejudiced foreign policy and deeds overseas. We need to be seen by the people as an ally rather than the dubious force most see us as.

How that is done, in specific, depends on the area. Different portions of the Middle East need different touches. There is no one overriding solution. The key is to deeply explore each and apply the appropriate remedy.

Post Occupation Iraq

I’ve been musing this freedom we’re going to give Iraqis. I think about how they’re getting it and then look back toward how we got it and I have to wonder if this is going to work.

See, in America we started as a rebellious group. The people that came over here first came over because they were rebellious. And even when Britain kept poking in on our business, we were rebellious. Enough so that we eventually decided to get rowdy and threw off their influence. We were even internally rebellious after that and got into a whole civil war over it. We, as a country, have been a rebellious bunch of folk ever since this land was first settled.

On the other hand, Iraq has been under the influence of Saddam for thirty years. And now they’re getting freedom from it, but not by their own hand. By the hands of others. Thus the rebellious spark is still just an ember among the general populace. The one time they did get rebellious, after the first Iraq war, they had their asses handed to them because they went on unsupported.

So I wonder.. will this grand experiment work? Assuming the insurgency is quelled and, eventually, the country has it’s new government. Can a population that’s been under a dictator for so long and had little hand in it’s own emancipation make it in this world? I dunno.

Second Amendment

Yup, I know there are still wild animals and brigands in the world. And not everyone lives in the city where those two factors are not as serious(lack of wild animals and police protection(flawed that it is)).

That’s why I said it needs to be looked over for updating, rather than abolished. Guns have their place in defense of person and property. But just as developments in technology and society prompt the revision of other legislation, it’s worth taking a look at the Second Amendment.

What to change? I’m no scholar on the subject, don’t ask me. :p