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Monday, August 19, 2013

On Bucks and Bangs, Smoke and Mirrors.


A loud bang woke folks from their slumbers in Japan yesterday. As ominous pictures showed, volcanic smoke billowed from one of Japan's most active volcanoes, Mount Sakurajima, as it erupted for the 500th time this year.  500 times !!

That is according to the news:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2396611/Mount-Sakurajima-eruption-Impressive-ash-cloud-reaches-sky-Japanese-volcano-erupts-500th-time-YEAR.html

One wonders if anyone has managed a night's sleep at all this year.



At 5000m, this is the highest plume of ash recorded from the mountain since 1955, and caused darkness and ash falls over the centre of nearby Kagoshima city. Situated on the southern Japanese main island of Kyushu, the 1,117 metre (3,686 ft) volcano began erupting on the night of August 18.

I looked out from the Tavern and could just about see it in the distance (by standing on a chair if you must know)  and I could see our own Mt Wellington which at a good 1000 feet higher has been idle since Lord Harry knows when and far less interesting in that regard. Mt Welly is often just as windy though.

The bang was like Nuclear bombs going off, some claimed. And lets face it, there are still some Japanese around who can remember.

Joyanna breezed in with some more observations about bangs and wind and Nuclear bombs. Go and see:
http://nobodysopinion.org/2013/08/18/obama-is-no-jfk/#comment-7609

Joy is the bestest friend. It's her drums up there on the sign. She is so busy chasing down Obama and his hordes that she only occasionally comes by to play them. This time she wanted to drum up a storm.

The big bang had reminded her of North Korea although when I asked if she thought Kimmy had done it as a sort of 'practice' for his promised annihilation of America, she didn't say yes.

But she did have a few things else to say:

While everyone is fretting about masks on clowns, and Oprah Winfrey’s delicate ego, Nobody Asks: HEY…What happened with North Korea? Did Kim Jong-un find another hobby? Where IS the little cheeky chipmunk? Wasn’t he going to nuke the United States not too long ago? 
I’m aging myself here, but I remember the Cuban Missile Crisis. I was only a kid, but I do remember asking my dad why he was digging a big hole in our back yard in Naples, Florida, one Sunday afternoon in broad daylight. 


As I remember, he didn’t sugarcoat it:

“We might get hit by a bomb in a few days, and we’ll be safe in this hole.” he said.
“Will that bomb kill us?”
“Yes. But, I think we’ll be safe in the hole. Go get some canned beans from mom.


This is not Joyanna with her Dad and Mum.

  

 
America is just as vulnerable now from nuclear attack as it has ever been..and with each new President many of us ask ourselves, “Will THIS one be the one who will refuse to let go of power?” 
After all, all any of them is a good crisis as an excuse–to hang on. 
Here’s a few facts from Dinesh D’Souza’s excellent book: Obama’s America, about Obama’s destructive disarmament of our country. 
Dinesh says:
In 2009 when Obama took office, the US had approximately 5,000 nuclear warheads in its arsenal. Obama resolutely set about slashing that number. In 2011, Obama negotiated an arms reduction treaty with Russia, the so called START treaty, in which both countries agreed to reduce their warhead count to 1,555. America and Russian also limited their launchers to 700. In convincing the US Senate to support the treaty, Obama promises to modernize America’s existing nuclear assets a promise he subsequently abandoned.  
According to Wiki, Current stockpile is 5,113.



Whatever the number (55,000 have been built just in America since the late '40's) it is still enough to cause devastation throughout the Planet.

In Joy's view.... 
Recently it was reported that our nuclear facilities were ‘dangerously” vulnerable to attack–due to failing recent mock security tests—- and leaving many places like the Bay Area and Denver vulnerable to a detonation that would “dwarf” the impacts of Chernobyl. If we are attacked–Obama will be playing cards with Reggie Love on Air Force One. 
And she was back to Dinesh for a flourish: 
Dinesh: Some of the provision of the treaty were downright odd: the limit on 700 launchers imposed not restrictions o Russia, since Russian already had fewer than 700 launchers. Once START was ratified and became law. He has asked the Pentagon to study reducing America’s nuclear deterrent by up to 80 percent, which would bring us down to around 300 strategic warheads. All of this is occurring at a time when other nuclear armed nations like China are expanding and modernizing their arsenals.  
Never before in history has a global superpower disarmed itself so rapidly and so thoroughly.  
While the defense department is being cut to the bone, other programs like health care and green technologies are bloated with money. Obama shows no evident interest in reducing overall spending only in reducing military spending. 
Obama’s hope, is that fear will keep America humble. Call it humility through vulnerability. And in this way Obama hopes that America will stop acting like the evil empires. 
Not that this old King turned Taverner believes a word that comes from a Politician's mouth nor his legions of Court Jesters.  And believe me, all those diplomats attending disarmament conferences multiply by the year.

Did you know that OXFAM has a Director of Disarmament?

Huge salaries too, these Charity Chappies.  More than the PM in many cases. But more on that another day.

One wonders just how many nuclear weapons America needs.

And if 'need' is the appropriate word for America one could argue that everyone else has the same 'need'.  And if American politicians think that 300 or 500 or 1000+ are 'appropriate' for America, how many should Botswana have? Or Tonga?



The Old Tasmanian Air Force.
Those chaps could Play the Game.


Should semi-independent States like Tasmania (we are as independent in our Federation as West Virginia is in America, and about the same size) have its own modest nuclear arsenal? If America has 1550 (or 5000) I reckon that means 100 or 31 per United State. Even with a nod to modest ambition and even more modest levels of paranoia, Tasmania should have around 20 at that rate.

Maybe we could start with the less costly infrastructure......How about just a book of codes and work up from there? The Tasmanian armed forces could at least play scrabble.

 The New Feminist Air Force of Tassie. All of them.
Air Marshal Evelyn Blott carries the nuclear codes.
They are SO SECRET that even she is not allowed to see them.


Reducing the amount spent on America's armed forces might go a little way to stimulating other parts of the American national overkill Departments of This and That to reduce theirs too and I reckon you and even I might just be a little better off all round.

The last great world empire used to get by in the 'domination' game with the 'Two Navy Dictum'. It was a rough and ready measure of Might (and of course, 'Right'). By that measure the British maintained dominion over one quarter of the world simply by having a Navy that was as powerful as the next two biggest navies combined.

America has Navy, Army, Marines, Air Force and even a 'space corps' that is three times  bigger and more powerful than  
 the rest of the WORLD combined.

A tad over-doing it I should think. And the cost is of course far more than three times the rest because, of course, America has to have this year's best and be able to buy the next incremental improvement next year.  
 
Smaller sized nuclear bombs for bigger bangs for almost totally devalued bucks.  I wonder if the Tavern accounts can run to just one personal nuke or do I have to be content with a North Korean one with my name written on it.

Just in case, I might look into some protection.




I have an idea already of just where to put the bar.

There won't be any room for Evelyn and her feminist shocking awe girls though.





11 comments:

  1. The Tassie feminists are more the Nagasaki effect.

    ReplyDelete
  2. A nuclear armed Tassie - hmmm! Perhaps you could subjugate Heard Island, or better still, Phillip Island. You may have to opt for a Public Private Partnership to make it politically attractive and ensure someone else reaps the benefit. North Korea might be interested in providing technical expertise. After all, they are happy to train the thugs that keep Mugabe in power in Zimbabwe. Rather catholic of them really. I ponder on that issue. Zimbabwe was once the worlds wealthiest country with huge food exports, an efficient public administration, no corruption, an excellent health system etc. Where are all those people who so stridently demonstrated to destroy that wealth and remain peculiarly quiet while the Zimbabweans are killed and denied proper representation. Well-done the numbskull activists who helped create this catastrophy. While I didn't supported the Smith regime, I support Mugabe even less - and stupidity not at all.

    But I digress. Because of the actions of the lunatic M Bryant, it is very difficult to legitimately own any personal weapon and you just try to defend your own home. The "crim" will very quickly have you up before the local "beak" for not being nicely co-operative while he/she wished to divest you of your hard won savings and it's not the "crims" fault you know - poor fellow/chapess. It's your fault, whether it's your fault or not. They just wanted to feed their habit - and that's your fault too.

    I always wonder at the efficacy of these weapon "buy-back" schemes. They are very expensive and very inefficient but it does allow the pollies to appear to be doing something and they garner the support of the simple thinkers. Following the last "buy-back" our streets seem to be awash with handguns, all under the control of "junkies", gang members and assorted immigrants who mock our system. Repeated but sporadic shootings around Melbourne are the norm, and nightly shootings in Sydney seem to be gaining in popularity. So lets have another gun "buy-back". It's clear to me that these people will happily co-operate.

    It would be far more efficient and cost very little to take away the ammunition.

    Acquiring your own personal nuke may raise some eyebrows in some very powerful places and Governments consider it to be distinctly unfair when their grubby secrets are revealed. No - it's not a good idea - stick to distributing the slops and top up my bucket immediately if you please.
    Peter H.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Peter. A splendid observation from the seat in the corner.

      For that, Sir, you get a reserved stool at the bar and an inscribed mug. Drink your fill.

      :)

      You might like to drop by Joyanna's place too and leave a comment and a smile for her.

      Delete
    2. Goddamnit - and it's about time too.

      I don't like your bouncer - he keeps messing my hair. I want female "bouncerettes" - I like the hissing, spitting, biting and scratching. But then a have this predilection for whips and chains and hobnail boots......
      Peter H.

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    3. Our Bouncer likes you Peter. He told me so. He is just being friendly.

      We do have a bouncerette. It is Mrs Bouncer who stands in for her husband so he can spend time at home with the little bouncers. She is a nice lady. She does not resort to spitting, biting or scratching but has a very mean left hook. (three hook bra).

      Delete
  3. Mmmmm...America spends much more on Welfare than military...

    Who knew the single women were so expensive?

    As for how many is too many? Personally, it seems to be all a psychological game. Reagan didn't have a "Star Wars" but Russia THOUGHT he did. But...the fact that America won't strike back against Russia and China should we be hit, makes us all wish for Eisenhower to come back.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In a different life I was once Commander Operations (for ten minutes) for all the Nuclear forces in the Far East. I had personal charge over several dozen nukes.

      I did not drop any of them.

      How many do we need? Well, do we need any at all? Some would argue that 'yes, we do', but that takes us back to the issue raised - if it is 'need' we are talking about, then one country's 'need' is no better than another country's. Let me hear an argument for just one or two nations having the bomb but not every other nation having it. Currently we have several Nations possessing such bombs that I would not trust with a packet of Smarties.

      Delete
  4. One of my strange online habits (no, not THAT one..) is googling around the subject of nuclear weapons/power systems..

    Now, I can see the POINT of nuclear BOMBS.. They make a big bang, kill lots of people and sort of, well finish wars off quite effectively..

    But only two have been used for their intended purpose.. The other few thousand have been "tests".. Purpose being perhaps to dump toxic stuff in to the environment..

    But, nuclear power..

    Few people seem to be aware of the fact that even when these plants have served well and safely.. The "spent" fuel is still dangerous, the plants still toxic.. For many centuries to come..

    And a little accident.. Like an earthquake.. Or a long term power cut..

    Means that the continual flow of cooling refrigerated water keeping the fuel from melting down can ease..

    Most energy on earth ultimately derives from a fusion source..

    That is the safest source of energy..

    As the power 90 million miles away has been raising water into the sky to fall back through great hydroelectric plants..

    Or just transforming elements into coal, oil and gas for the past few hundred million years..

    It can even be used directly as a heat source..

    Though us chaps in the UK might question that, even in the summer..

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This buried waste bizzo. We could always declare it's location a Sacred Site like the Aboriginals do. The Coronation Hill uranium deposit in Oz has been a Sacred Site for thousands of years. We non-Abos have to give the place the same legislated veneration as the more-than-just-sunburned Aussies.

      Delete
  5. Thank you for sharing your info. I truly appreciate your efforts and I will be
    waiting for your next write ups thanks once again.

    ReplyDelete

Ne meias in stragulo aut pueros circummittam.

Our Bouncer is a gentleman of muscle and guile. His patience has limits. He will check you at the door.

The Tavern gets rowdy visitors from time to time. Some are brain dead and some soul dead. They attack customers and the bar staff and piss on the carpets. Those people will not be allowed in anymore. So... Be Nice..