Understanding Iraq
To better understand what's going on in Iraq, it is necessary to understand the schism in Islam. Just as Christianity is broken down into Catholics, Baptists, Mormons and more; Islam has two major denominations. The Sunnis and the Shiites. Considering that Islam, with 1.7 billion followers, is the second largest religion on Earth (and probably the one growing at the fastest rate), this isn't trivial stuff.
The Sunnis are by far the largest of the denominations, comprising somewhere between 70% and 90% of all Muslims. The Shias make up most of the rest of the faith. Like all schisms in religion, they differ over an interpretation of scripture. One of the points on which the two denominations disagree is who is the rightful successor of Muhammad as the faith's leader.
Iraq's current Prime Minister is Nouri al-Malaki. He is a Shia. He promised during both of his two election campaigns to share power with the Sunnis, but has failed to keep these promises. The insurgent group trying to take control of Iraq is known as ISIS, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. They were affiliated with al-Qaeda until this past February. They claim Iraq and Syria as theirs, and have their eyes on further conquests, as they see themselves as rulers of the entire Levant.
Is it fair to say that President Obama blew it by pulling all Americans from Iraq in 2011? No. Is it fair to say that President George W. Bush blew it by signing a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that called for U. S. troops to pull out by 2011? No. The original SOFA had to have an end date and the Obama administration worked tirelessly to negotiate a new SOFA that would have left 10,000 U. S. troops, or more in Iraq. Ultimately the effort failed because the Iraqi government would not grant those U. S. troops immunity from prosecution by the Iraqi government.
Assigning blame is a useless exercise in this instance anyway. Partisan politicking won't solve the real problem that this growing crisis presents. Crude oil prices and supplies. The price of a barrel of crude has ranged in price from $105 to $114 over the past six months, but it could skyrocket depending on what happens in Iraq.
Since President Obama has ruled out troops on the ground in Iraq, his options are limited. I hope he comes up with a winning plan to put an end to this situation.
* * *
Let's suppose that you've decided that the state of California needs a new law. You've got plenty of money, so you can go out and fund a drive to gather signatures to put your proposed new law on the ballot. Best part is, you can do so anonymously. That's the ruling of a Federal Appeals Court.
California law said otherwise. Considering how many times we've seen ballot propositions that claim to be one thing while doing exactly the opposite, and being sponsored by industries to promote, rather than restrict their own operations, I like the idea of knowing who is behind a ballot proposition.
The will of the majority is not absolute. We cannot legalize slavery again. Some ballot proposals are good, well thought out ideas. Others are disasters in the making. Knowing who is behind an idea makes it easier to consider that idea and if it is good or bad for us.
* * *
Michael Schumacher is out of the coma he had been in since last December, following a tragic skiing accident. Had he not been wearing a helmet at the time, he would almost certainly have died. The only information being given to the media is that he is taking the next step in what will be a long process of rehabilitation. He was moved to the hospital at the University Hospital of Lusanne in Switzerland.
The doctors described his injury from the skiing accident as a "traumatic brain injury." They induced the coma state in order to try to reduce the swelling of his brain. We don't know if he's actually conscious, or merely no longer in a medically-induced coma.
Nor is it any of our business, once the family has asked for privacy. Statistically he is the greatest driver in the history of Formula One racing, and is obviously a public figure. That doesn't mean he isn't entitled to his privacy during this time.
The body deconditions when you are in a coma. I speak from experience here, not just research. I spent eight weeks in a coma, not six months. Then again, I wasn't in the physical condition of a world-class athlete when I became ill. I have no way of knowing just how much deconditioning Mr. Schumacher has suffered. I do know that it was weeks before I could even stand, let alone walk, without physical or mechanical assistance.
We also don't know if he's really out of the coma. I think we should let him recover in privacy and peace. Good luck Mr. Schumacher.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
Part of the fix to the problem of student loans might be found in cutting into the profits of these highly profitable loans, and looking more closely at how loan servicers do what they do.
If an 83 year old woman wants a tattoo on her shoulder, more power to her.
The mother whose response to being told her daughter's chosen dress for graduation was too short was to wear the dress to the ceremony herself is awesome.
I'm trying to think of businesses that would hire O.J. to endorse their product or do commercials for their business. He can't run through airports anymore. Ford wouldn't use him as a spokesman for the Bronco. Maybe he could do commercials for Florida oranges, as long as there isn't a knife involved.
How hard is it to check and see if Ghana has giraffes before using a giraffe as an image to represent the nation?
If the reigning Miss USA was really representing Nevada at the pageant, one would think she would know the state capital of Nevada. Did she play fast and loose with the rules? Probably.
Zoey Tur returning to the news biz after she completes her transition just makes sense for whoever is smart enough to hire her. She's a damn good reporter and helicopter pilot.
The mayor dropping the "F-bomb" at the Kings parade on Monday was a calculated move, designed to raise his national profile.
Losing a set of golf clubs isn't good for United Airlines. Losing a set that belongs to Rory McIlroy is a lot worse. Good thing they turned up.
Someone at Simon and Schuster ought to be really nervous. They committed somewhere in the neighborhood of $14 million as an advance to Hillary Clinton for her newest book, and the sales are abysmal. One million copies were shipped and estimates are that only 150,000 will ultimately sell. Bad judgment on someone's part.
South Carolina's DMV should not be forcing a teen boy to remove his makeup in order to take the photo for his driver license.
* * *
June 17th in History:
1462 – Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II (The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat from Wallachia.
1497 – Battle of Deptford Bridge – forces under King Henry VII defeat troops led by Michael An Gof.
1565 – Matsunaga Hisahide assassinates the 13th Ashikaga shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiteru.
1579 – Sir Francis Drake claims a land he calls Nova Albion (modern California) for England.
1596 – The Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz discovers the Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen.
1631 – Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, will spend the next 17 years building her mausoleum, the Taj Mahal.
1673 – French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet reach the Mississippi River and become the first Europeans to make a detailed account of its course.
1773 – Cúcuta, Colombia, is discovered by Juana Rangel de Cuéllar.
1775 – American Revolutionary War: Colonists inflict heavy casualties on British forces while losing the Battle of Bunker Hill.
1789 – In France, the Third Estate declares itself the National Assembly.
1839 – In the Kingdom of Hawaii, Kamehameha III issues the edict of toleration which gives Roman Catholics the freedom to worship in the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaii Catholic Church and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace are established as a result.
1843 – The Wairau Affray, the first serious clash of arms between Māori and British settlers in the New Zealand Wars, takes place.
1861 – American Civil War: Battle of Vienna, Virginia.
1863 – American Civil War: Battle of Aldie in the Gettysburg Campaign.
1876 – American Indian Wars: Battle of the Rosebud – 1,500 Sioux and Cheyenne led by Crazy Horse beat back General George Crook's forces at Rosebud Creek in Montana Territory.
1877 – American Indian Wars: Battle of White Bird Canyon – the Nez Perce defeat the U.S. Cavalry at White Bird Canyon in the Idaho Territory.
1885 – The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor.
1898 – The United States Navy Hospital Corps is established.
1900 – Boxer Rebellion: Allied Western and Japanese forces capture the Taku Forts in Tianjin, China.
1901 – The College Board introduces its first standardized test, the forerunner to the SAT.
1910 – Aurel Vlaicu pilots an A. Vlaicu nr. 1 on its first flight.
1930 – U.S. President Herbert Hoover signs the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act into law.
1932 – Bonus Army: Around a thousand World War I veterans amass at the United States Capitol as the U.S. Senate considers a bill that would give them certain benefits.
1933 – Union Station Massacre: In Kansas City, Missouri, four FBI agents and captured fugitive Frank Nash are gunned down by gangsters attempting to free Nash.
1939 – Last public guillotining in France: Eugen Weidmann, a convicted murderer, is guillotined in Versailles outside the Saint-Pierre prison.
1940 – World War II: RMS Lancastria is attacked and sunk by the Luftwaffe near Saint-Nazaire, France. At least 3,000 are killed in Britain's worst maritime disaster.
1940 – World War II: The British Army's 11th Hussars assault and take Fort Capuzzo in Libya, Africa from Italian forces.
1940 – The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania fall under the occupation of the Soviet Union.
1944 – Iceland declares independence from Denmark and becomes a republic.
1953 – East Germany Workers Uprising: In East Germany, the Soviet Union orders a division of troops into East Berlin to quell a rebellion.
1958 – The Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, in the process of being built to connect Vancouver and North Vancouver (Canada), collapses into the Burrard Inlet killing many of the ironworkers and injuring others.
1960 – The Nez Perce tribe is awarded $4 million for 7 million acres (28,000 km2) of land undervalued at 4 cents/acre in the 1863 treaty.
1963 – The United States Supreme Court rules 8–1 in Abington School District v. Schempp against requiring the reciting of Bible verses and the Lord's Prayer in public schools.
1963 – A day after South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem announced the Joint Communique to end the Buddhist crisis, a riot involving around 2,000 people breaks out. One person is killed.
1967 – The People's Republic of China announces a successful test of its first thermonuclear weapon.
1971 – President Richard Nixon declares the U.S. War on Drugs.
1972 – Watergate scandal: Five White House operatives are arrested for burgling the offices of the Democratic National Committee, in an attempt by some members of the Republican party to illegally wiretap the opposition.
1985 – STS-51-G Space Shuttle Discovery launches carrying Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the first Arab and first Muslim in space, as a Payload Specialist.
1987 – With the death of the last individual of the species, the Dusky Seaside Sparrow becomes extinct.
1991 – Apartheid: The South African Parliament repeals the Population Registration Act which required racial classification of all South Africans at birth.
1992 – A "joint understanding" agreement on arms reduction is signed by U.S. President George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin (this would be later codified in START II).
1994 – Following a televised low-speed highway chase, O.J. Simpson is arrested for the murders of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.
Famous Folk Born on June 17th:
Edward I of England
Charles XII of Sweden
Henry Lawson
Igor Stravinsky
Martin Bormann
Ralph Bellamy
Elroy Hirsch
Tigran Petrosian
Peter Lupus
John Murtha
Newt Gingrich
Barry Manilow
Frank Ashmore (he was Victor)
Art Bell
Tommy Franks
Eddy Merckx
Linda Chavez
George S. Clinton
Paul Young
Lee Tamahori (did his arrest kill his career as a major motion picture director?)
Joe Piscopo
Mark Linn-Baker
Phyllida Lloyd
Jello Biafra
Bobby Farrelly
Thomas Haden Church
Greg Kinnear
Erin Murphy
Kami Cotler
Jason Patric
Paul Tergat
Will Forte
Paulina Rubio
Chloe Jones
Venus Williams
The Sunnis are by far the largest of the denominations, comprising somewhere between 70% and 90% of all Muslims. The Shias make up most of the rest of the faith. Like all schisms in religion, they differ over an interpretation of scripture. One of the points on which the two denominations disagree is who is the rightful successor of Muhammad as the faith's leader.
Iraq's current Prime Minister is Nouri al-Malaki. He is a Shia. He promised during both of his two election campaigns to share power with the Sunnis, but has failed to keep these promises. The insurgent group trying to take control of Iraq is known as ISIS, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. They were affiliated with al-Qaeda until this past February. They claim Iraq and Syria as theirs, and have their eyes on further conquests, as they see themselves as rulers of the entire Levant.
Is it fair to say that President Obama blew it by pulling all Americans from Iraq in 2011? No. Is it fair to say that President George W. Bush blew it by signing a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) that called for U. S. troops to pull out by 2011? No. The original SOFA had to have an end date and the Obama administration worked tirelessly to negotiate a new SOFA that would have left 10,000 U. S. troops, or more in Iraq. Ultimately the effort failed because the Iraqi government would not grant those U. S. troops immunity from prosecution by the Iraqi government.
Assigning blame is a useless exercise in this instance anyway. Partisan politicking won't solve the real problem that this growing crisis presents. Crude oil prices and supplies. The price of a barrel of crude has ranged in price from $105 to $114 over the past six months, but it could skyrocket depending on what happens in Iraq.
Since President Obama has ruled out troops on the ground in Iraq, his options are limited. I hope he comes up with a winning plan to put an end to this situation.
* * *
Let's suppose that you've decided that the state of California needs a new law. You've got plenty of money, so you can go out and fund a drive to gather signatures to put your proposed new law on the ballot. Best part is, you can do so anonymously. That's the ruling of a Federal Appeals Court.
California law said otherwise. Considering how many times we've seen ballot propositions that claim to be one thing while doing exactly the opposite, and being sponsored by industries to promote, rather than restrict their own operations, I like the idea of knowing who is behind a ballot proposition.
The will of the majority is not absolute. We cannot legalize slavery again. Some ballot proposals are good, well thought out ideas. Others are disasters in the making. Knowing who is behind an idea makes it easier to consider that idea and if it is good or bad for us.
* * *
Michael Schumacher is out of the coma he had been in since last December, following a tragic skiing accident. Had he not been wearing a helmet at the time, he would almost certainly have died. The only information being given to the media is that he is taking the next step in what will be a long process of rehabilitation. He was moved to the hospital at the University Hospital of Lusanne in Switzerland.
The doctors described his injury from the skiing accident as a "traumatic brain injury." They induced the coma state in order to try to reduce the swelling of his brain. We don't know if he's actually conscious, or merely no longer in a medically-induced coma.
Nor is it any of our business, once the family has asked for privacy. Statistically he is the greatest driver in the history of Formula One racing, and is obviously a public figure. That doesn't mean he isn't entitled to his privacy during this time.
The body deconditions when you are in a coma. I speak from experience here, not just research. I spent eight weeks in a coma, not six months. Then again, I wasn't in the physical condition of a world-class athlete when I became ill. I have no way of knowing just how much deconditioning Mr. Schumacher has suffered. I do know that it was weeks before I could even stand, let alone walk, without physical or mechanical assistance.
We also don't know if he's really out of the coma. I think we should let him recover in privacy and peace. Good luck Mr. Schumacher.
* * *
Random Ponderings:
Part of the fix to the problem of student loans might be found in cutting into the profits of these highly profitable loans, and looking more closely at how loan servicers do what they do.
If an 83 year old woman wants a tattoo on her shoulder, more power to her.
The mother whose response to being told her daughter's chosen dress for graduation was too short was to wear the dress to the ceremony herself is awesome.
I'm trying to think of businesses that would hire O.J. to endorse their product or do commercials for their business. He can't run through airports anymore. Ford wouldn't use him as a spokesman for the Bronco. Maybe he could do commercials for Florida oranges, as long as there isn't a knife involved.
How hard is it to check and see if Ghana has giraffes before using a giraffe as an image to represent the nation?
If the reigning Miss USA was really representing Nevada at the pageant, one would think she would know the state capital of Nevada. Did she play fast and loose with the rules? Probably.
Zoey Tur returning to the news biz after she completes her transition just makes sense for whoever is smart enough to hire her. She's a damn good reporter and helicopter pilot.
The mayor dropping the "F-bomb" at the Kings parade on Monday was a calculated move, designed to raise his national profile.
Losing a set of golf clubs isn't good for United Airlines. Losing a set that belongs to Rory McIlroy is a lot worse. Good thing they turned up.
Someone at Simon and Schuster ought to be really nervous. They committed somewhere in the neighborhood of $14 million as an advance to Hillary Clinton for her newest book, and the sales are abysmal. One million copies were shipped and estimates are that only 150,000 will ultimately sell. Bad judgment on someone's part.
South Carolina's DMV should not be forcing a teen boy to remove his makeup in order to take the photo for his driver license.
* * *
June 17th in History:
1462 – Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II (The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat from Wallachia.
1497 – Battle of Deptford Bridge – forces under King Henry VII defeat troops led by Michael An Gof.
1565 – Matsunaga Hisahide assassinates the 13th Ashikaga shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiteru.
1579 – Sir Francis Drake claims a land he calls Nova Albion (modern California) for England.
1596 – The Dutch explorer Willem Barentsz discovers the Arctic archipelago of Spitsbergen.
1631 – Mumtaz Mahal dies during childbirth. Her husband, Mughal emperor Shah Jahan I, will spend the next 17 years building her mausoleum, the Taj Mahal.
1673 – French explorers Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet reach the Mississippi River and become the first Europeans to make a detailed account of its course.
1773 – Cúcuta, Colombia, is discovered by Juana Rangel de Cuéllar.
1775 – American Revolutionary War: Colonists inflict heavy casualties on British forces while losing the Battle of Bunker Hill.
1789 – In France, the Third Estate declares itself the National Assembly.
1839 – In the Kingdom of Hawaii, Kamehameha III issues the edict of toleration which gives Roman Catholics the freedom to worship in the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaii Catholic Church and the Cathedral of Our Lady of Peace are established as a result.
1843 – The Wairau Affray, the first serious clash of arms between Māori and British settlers in the New Zealand Wars, takes place.
1861 – American Civil War: Battle of Vienna, Virginia.
1863 – American Civil War: Battle of Aldie in the Gettysburg Campaign.
1876 – American Indian Wars: Battle of the Rosebud – 1,500 Sioux and Cheyenne led by Crazy Horse beat back General George Crook's forces at Rosebud Creek in Montana Territory.
1877 – American Indian Wars: Battle of White Bird Canyon – the Nez Perce defeat the U.S. Cavalry at White Bird Canyon in the Idaho Territory.
1885 – The Statue of Liberty arrives in New York Harbor.
1898 – The United States Navy Hospital Corps is established.
1900 – Boxer Rebellion: Allied Western and Japanese forces capture the Taku Forts in Tianjin, China.
1901 – The College Board introduces its first standardized test, the forerunner to the SAT.
1910 – Aurel Vlaicu pilots an A. Vlaicu nr. 1 on its first flight.
1930 – U.S. President Herbert Hoover signs the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act into law.
1932 – Bonus Army: Around a thousand World War I veterans amass at the United States Capitol as the U.S. Senate considers a bill that would give them certain benefits.
1933 – Union Station Massacre: In Kansas City, Missouri, four FBI agents and captured fugitive Frank Nash are gunned down by gangsters attempting to free Nash.
1939 – Last public guillotining in France: Eugen Weidmann, a convicted murderer, is guillotined in Versailles outside the Saint-Pierre prison.
1940 – World War II: RMS Lancastria is attacked and sunk by the Luftwaffe near Saint-Nazaire, France. At least 3,000 are killed in Britain's worst maritime disaster.
1940 – World War II: The British Army's 11th Hussars assault and take Fort Capuzzo in Libya, Africa from Italian forces.
1940 – The three Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania fall under the occupation of the Soviet Union.
1944 – Iceland declares independence from Denmark and becomes a republic.
1953 – East Germany Workers Uprising: In East Germany, the Soviet Union orders a division of troops into East Berlin to quell a rebellion.
1958 – The Ironworkers Memorial Second Narrows Crossing, in the process of being built to connect Vancouver and North Vancouver (Canada), collapses into the Burrard Inlet killing many of the ironworkers and injuring others.
1960 – The Nez Perce tribe is awarded $4 million for 7 million acres (28,000 km2) of land undervalued at 4 cents/acre in the 1863 treaty.
1963 – The United States Supreme Court rules 8–1 in Abington School District v. Schempp against requiring the reciting of Bible verses and the Lord's Prayer in public schools.
1963 – A day after South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem announced the Joint Communique to end the Buddhist crisis, a riot involving around 2,000 people breaks out. One person is killed.
1967 – The People's Republic of China announces a successful test of its first thermonuclear weapon.
1971 – President Richard Nixon declares the U.S. War on Drugs.
1972 – Watergate scandal: Five White House operatives are arrested for burgling the offices of the Democratic National Committee, in an attempt by some members of the Republican party to illegally wiretap the opposition.
1985 – STS-51-G Space Shuttle Discovery launches carrying Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the first Arab and first Muslim in space, as a Payload Specialist.
1987 – With the death of the last individual of the species, the Dusky Seaside Sparrow becomes extinct.
1991 – Apartheid: The South African Parliament repeals the Population Registration Act which required racial classification of all South Africans at birth.
1992 – A "joint understanding" agreement on arms reduction is signed by U.S. President George Bush and Russian President Boris Yeltsin (this would be later codified in START II).
1994 – Following a televised low-speed highway chase, O.J. Simpson is arrested for the murders of his wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman.
Famous Folk Born on June 17th:
Edward I of England
Charles XII of Sweden
Henry Lawson
Igor Stravinsky
Martin Bormann
Ralph Bellamy
Elroy Hirsch
Tigran Petrosian
Peter Lupus
John Murtha
Newt Gingrich
Barry Manilow
Frank Ashmore (he was Victor)
Art Bell
Tommy Franks
Eddy Merckx
Linda Chavez
George S. Clinton
Paul Young
Lee Tamahori (did his arrest kill his career as a major motion picture director?)
Joe Piscopo
Mark Linn-Baker
Phyllida Lloyd
Jello Biafra
Bobby Farrelly
Thomas Haden Church
Greg Kinnear
Erin Murphy
Kami Cotler
Jason Patric
Paul Tergat
Will Forte
Paulina Rubio
Chloe Jones
Venus Williams
posted by me at 2:22 PM
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