Wednesday, November 24, 2004

Geopolitical Intrigue: West vs. Russia redux

With significant geopolitical stake in the outcome of the disputed Ukrainian election, a bizarre episode lingers. The opposition leader fell ill and his physical appearance was changed dramatically. He claims he was poisoned by the incumbent government. The differences are quite dramatic....


For more bizarre details, check out this AP wire release:
Questions Linger About Yuschenko's Illness

Update: It's official. Doctors have tested for dioxin, and it came back 6000 times normal levels. Doctors are exploring ways to eliminate the dioxins in his body. Since Dioxin settles in body fat, they are talking about liposuction or even using Olestra. However, his film stars looks will not come back. link

Wednesday, November 10, 2004

Geopolitical Strategies: Countering Al Qaeda

Operational counters against aims of Al Qaeda posted on Daily Kos:

Most people, most of the time, just want to get along. They'll accept a little inconvenience, ignore a few insults, and smile at people they hate if it allows them to get on with their lives. Most people on both sides of your issue just wish the issue would go away. If you're not careful, those apathetic majorities will get together and craft a compromise. And where's your revolution then?

So your first goal as a violent extremist is not to kill your enemies, but to radicalize the apathetic majority on your side of the issue. If everyone becomes a violent extremist, then you (as one of the early violent extremists) are a leader of consequence. Conversely, if a reasonable compromise is worked out, you are a nuisance.
link

Nature and you

Although rational in many ways, the idea of considering human beings as something apart from nature is dangerous. Evolution has shaped all organisms, us included. Moreover, we are all shaped to live in particular environments. If animals are kept under unfavourable conditions their health tends to deteriorate, they typically behave oddly and appear discontent. People living in modern societies show similar ailments, as witnessed by the incidence of various maladies, including mental disorders. I believe it is possible to alleviate these problems by creating living conditions closer to those our genes are adapted to; but in order to do so, we need to accept our biological inheritance.
link