News Junkie Takes a Time-Out

Wednesday, August 10, 2005 03:59 AM

-by Walt Liimatainen

Somebody set off a bomb in the London Underground and I had to go out and sit in my garden.

Every once in awhile, even a news junkie has to take a break.

For the last month I have pretty well avoided paying my usual avid attention to what's going on in the world. What's going on in the world became just too bizarre to contemplate.

Britain is being bombed by its own citizens. Not by crazy-eyed fanatics from some other part of the world, but by her own born-and-raised citizens! Boom. Not at a military base or government office but on public transit systems packed with the same average, everyday people the bomber's have grown up around.

How are we are breeding this kind of insanity within ourselves? I am an optimist and have always believed that we, as a species, are good, smart and worthy enough to survive. But there are times... in recent days I hear arguments about whether Great Britain's involvement with the war in Iraq had anything to do with Islamic fundamentalists blowing up bits of London. No official doubt that it had all of the trademarks on Al Qaeda. No coalition doubt that Iraq was somehow responsible for the twin towers on September 11th. But, arguments about the motivation for the London bombings. Bizarre.

And in the meantime another handful of British civil rights will be thrown into the Chipper of National Security. There will be a ripple effect of federal spending and attitude changing in Canada as well. Now we will spend a bunch of money in looking at and upgrading security on, not only airplanes and seaports, but also trains, buses, trams and all other sort of public transportation. Never mind searching or banning all those scary backpacks, the present "be very afraid" attitude will soon have us all traveling buck naked, carrying only our super plastic, data-encrypted, eyeball-scanning Pre-Authorized Government Sanctioned Travelers Card.

I won't bother to explain how the armed guards at the gate activate the card. But, you know what? That card, in the hands of a trained operative, could slit your throat as easily as swipe any other part of your anatomy. We cannot secure ourselves against individual madness. Accept it. As to how do we protect ourselves against the paralyzing polarization and paranoia that all of this is bringing down on us, I don't have the answers. But increasingly I wonder if we are even asking the right questions.

To survive as a species we must all, as individuals, assess what is real and what is important... And act accordingly. Leaving it to big business and big government just is not working. And sacrificing your individual freedoms for a false sense of security isn't going to help.

So, to my garden

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Posted on Wednesday, August 10, 2005 03:59 AM in Views by Ben Meisner

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Comments

Posted by: Chadermando on August 10 2005 5:02 AM

A question I have is why all these attacks coincide with terror response exercises carried out at the same time.

The London attacks happened as British intelligence was having a mock exercise for the exact same senario, at the exact same time, at the exact same station.... In my mind that creates questions of why the coincidence and how could a coincidence be used inappropriately to ensure a terrorist mission succeeds.

I guess I no longer trust our governments to tell the truth, investigate for the truth, tell the truth about investigations, and act independent of their puppet masters.

Posted by: gypsy on August 10 2005 8:54 AM

Nope-no identity card, Ben. The plan is an embedded "chip!!!" I was told years ago many enlisted in the forces already had the chip to be used for immediate identification. I believe it to be true, and feel it was only the beginning as a means to be utilized to identify all people eventually. Sure is a lot less trouble than the plastic card for Governments to identify people.
So many people are in a state of living in a daily unhappy mode. Can we really blame them? There is no real sense of security in any area of their lives. They are living from day to day, and many are now worried about simple mortgage renewals and the fear that a higher interest rate will impose a further hardship on them. They are suffering through increases in every area which demands a portion of that paycheque, and they do not even have job security to protect that. Now it is brought out the Assessment authorities are making their moves. The City of Prince George tells the B C Assessment authorities how much money they will require through property taxation, and the Assessment authorities do their assessments accordingly-allowing for the city to supposedly look good by increasing the mill rate minimally. It is a GAME played, full of deceit, but what can we expect?? That is only the beginning!!! Then all utilities rise, and costs increase in every area. Will it ever end????? NO!!!
The governments have realized that the public is becoming cynical and dis satisfied with their ever increasing demands for more money. How to take it off them whereby they will part with it willingly?? Very simple-introduce them to GAMBLING. Upset and depressed people will gamble away their last dollar. They can always borrow off family and friends to keep the wolf from the door- and lying, cheating, and stealing becomes the norm. Society is slipping further and further into the muck and mire. They actually do not even have the luxury of slipping into any false sense of security. Reality is staring them in the face, and where can they turn??? Paranoia is prevalent. The governments try to lull people into a false sense of security by optimistic announcements that are nothing but lies, giving them the feeling it is just the greatest time to spend, spend, and spend. The hell with tomorrow-and there is no sense saving as a "rainy" day requiring extra money is some kind of myth. Oh, but there is--and a solution must be found. Pay the piper, and suffer the consequences of dancing only to your own tunes. People have to, as Ben says, assess what is important in their everyday existence, and act accordingly. We cannot rely on big business and governments to be concerned about what our best interests would be. Eventually we have to "stand up to be counted," and say "NO MORE."
Our interests appear to be confined more so to this country we live in. At present, I have no desire to venture into other countries.
The Government has allowed too many undesirables to enter Canada, and they have no idea where thousands are located that were ordered deported. I do not for one minute believe Canada will be exempt from acts of terrorism. It surely is not a "kind" world we now live in. "Walk softly, and carry a big stick."