091101
J.R.R. Tolkien fought in the trenches of “The War to end all Wars” at the Somme. And yet here we are, more than a century later and only the technology has changed. The nature of Men and war, remain stubbornly unchanged. Tolkien spoke of the long defeat; I suppose that is life in a nutshell. The fight against evil may be an overwhelmingly hopeless proposition. A necessary fight nonetheless.
I say a prayer on this 25th anniversary for the families of those we lost, the wounded and for those who continue to man the parapets.
091126
THIS MAN JUST SAID THE PART NO ONE ELSE DARE SAY OUT LOUD
And whether or not you agree with everything he said, his argument is brutal:
Civil rights offered Black Americans such staggering moral authority because the injustice was real, inescapable and chilling.
But his point is that moral credibility CAN BE SPENT.
You cannot survive on the actions of your grandparents for eternity and ask that nobody judge what goes on in your neighbourhood today.
Then he draws the comparison that really sticks: East Asian Americans.
Exclusion. Forced labor. Internment. Racism.
But they did build businesses, have families, create communities, assimilate and prosper without wrapping grievance permanently around their identity.
And that is why the this argument is going to enrage some people.
But, he is not asking who had the bigger loss.
He is asking a much less comfortable question.
What did you BUILD, after America eventually opened up the door?
That one question makes all the difference in the world.
From my diver son: Surface decompression. They ommitted his decompression obligation and rushed him into the chamber in order to decompress there. There's a 5 minute surface interval goal they have to meet so undress times are sped up. Taking decompression on the chamber gives the supervisor more control, keeps the diver warmer