About Owen's Geopolitical Analysis Page on Facebook

One of the reasons I do Owen's Geopolitical Analysis Page is to develop my own thinking about the world and to consider what's the best way for me to channel my energies. Having almost reached age 65 and having a little bit of freedom because I'm still alive and I don't need to work for a living and be responsible for family members anymore (for the first time in my adult life), I have the luxury to reflect on life a little. Having a place to do that where I can insist upon people being civil is helpful to me. I also hope the conversations will be helpful to people who choose to participate.

If I come to any big conclusions about what to do about any of this, I'll let everyone know.

The Zambo Flirts' Krispy Kreme adventure (Facebook status post)

This post from Mashable brings to mind a "Don't Try This at Home" incident in Savannah, Georgia when the Zambo Flirts played down there on one of our first road gigs.

Since of course you're dying to hear the story, it involved me driving Conner Tribble's cool hunter green Monte Carlo with Conner and Dave Stammer out to get Krispy Kreme donuts around 1am after the Zambo Flirts played at a club c. 1972. I had consumed a significant amount of alcohol and had no business driving, although I used to pride myself on how well I concentrated while DUI (remember, this is 45 years ago). I will note we looked rather disreputable by contemporary standards as our band promo photo documents (below) and the car was probably full of smoke, to boot. Wouldn't you know it, a patrol car got behind us on this long avenue we had to take to get back to our cheap motel. Despite my BAL I recall feeling extremely nervous as I utilized those powers of concentration to hold the vehicle steady while monitoring the lawmen in my rearview mirror. This seemed to go on forever as my sense of impending doom became increasingly powerful. Finally, I couldn't stand it any longer and I took a right turn into what looked like an upscale neighborhood we happened to be passing. I fully expected the patrol car to follow and pull us over, leading to a very unpleasant series of repercussions. But to my great relief, the cops kept going straight and I could finally relax, turn around, and drive us to our destination. WHEW!!!

How I challenged a distorted news item on Twitter in a series of ReTweets

(1) Numerous civilians killed by an airstrike in Mosul aimed at ISIS fighters. (2) This story is getting extensive coverage on Twitter and in international news sources. (3) Many of the initial reports (such as @RT) emphasized that it was a "US airstrike" or "US-coalition airstrike." (4) Many tweets also described it as a "massacre," which, tragic though it is no matter how it happened, is not an accurate description. (5) Now, Rudaw reports that ISIS may have planted explosives in a building (6) where they A) set up positions visible to Iraqi army (7) and B) held the civilians hostage in order to create large loss of civilians lives during an airstrike (8) in order to make it look like Iraq and the US-led coalition were callously bombing civilians (9) just like the Syrians government and Russia have done in Aleppo and elsewhere in Syria. (10)  Clever.

Personally, I believe the US system of constitutional government is a pretty good system, one that is ultimately controlled by voters. We've achieved a great deal and overcome many terrible problems in our brief history. My wish is for the USA to be a country of healthy, educated citizens who have opportunities for success in business, science, professions, service and the arts where justice generally prevails. I can safely assume that is what all of us want. I see the major problems we in the USA have as a result of news propaganda systems manipulating the negative emotions of fear and hate to lead average citizens to vote against their own interests. The machinery of propaganda gave us the well-meaning but inept George W. Bush and unwittingly brought us Trump, a blight upon our history and a danger to world peace and justice. My bottom line belief is that the propaganda machinery serves the greatest priority of the GOP but many Dems, too- to protect the financial interests of extremely powerful and wealthy corporations and individuals. I believe that a moderate level of wealth redistribution could correct the wealth imbalance that has been created as sketched above. Money from taxing the superwealthy people and corporations could be devoted to infrastructure, health care and education that would ultimately benefit all Americans and the rest of the world, too. I would want this to be done in a way that appeals to our "better angels", supports human rights, and empowers capable and motivated people to succeed and make plenty of money. Any system that stifles individual initiative and creativity is a bad system. It could be done under our system of government. Presuming a progressive majority in Congress (which may never happen, of course), wise use of tax revenue would be the key to success. I'm fully aware of how iffy all of the above is but that's my view of how we could achieve a more prosperous, healthy, and creative US society. After tossing out this sketch of my thoughts, I'm not going to have time to discuss it until this evening. Every other Wednesday and Friday, I schedule appointments at my office and this is my busy Wednesday. Looking forward to your comments.

Scrambled recurrent dream themes

I set an alarm for 615am so Mary Lou could get up and go to her Tread class. I woke up around 5am, got up, checked the news and ate a bowl of cereal. The Iraqi ISF reportedly has capture the second of 5 bridges across the Tigris. Malaysia expelled the North Korean ambassador because of the controversy over the murder of Kim Jong Un's half-brother. Meanwhile, the North Koreans launched more missiles several falling into Japanese waters. Donald Trump has "gone ballistic" over the Russia scandal dominating US news media and one wonders if he'll go literally ballistic against North Korea to ventilate.  After getting back in bed around 545am and waiting for the alarm, I decided I'd best make an effort to go back to sleep after Mary Lou leaves using my meditation and eye focusing method. I did and had this dream just before awakening at 730am:

I'm standing in a parking garage. I left my briefcase at home and I need it for work. A person walks up from behind on my left. I think it's David Stammer with the long way hair he used to have in the 1970s. I speak but then realize it's a woman I don't know. "I'm sorry, I mistook you for someone," I tell her. Then, the actual David Stammer appears from the same direction. We're happy to see one another and I ask him how things are going.

David and I drive to my parents' old house to get my briefcase. My mother is sitting in a chair looking out the living room window. She's happy to see me. She looks somewhat disoriented and her mouth has the look of someone taking neuroleptics. "This is David," I tell her as we come in the door. "He used to play in a band with me an Conner." My Mom seems to have some recollection of this. "That would have been back around 2000," she says and I don't bother to correct her that it was actually 28 years or so prior to that.

The scene transitions to riding in a big pickup truck driven by my Dad who seems to be taking me back to my office. As we go through a long curve to the right, I'm concerned about him being able to hold the road. We're passing through the UGA campus near Stegeman Coliseum and Aderhold Hall where he had his office at the end of his career. "You're taking the long way around," I remark and he replies, "This is the way I usually go." I think this would be the way to the UGA golf course where he played prior to falling in the bathroom and suffering a subdural hematoma. Dad begins a sort of speech during which he is on the verge of tears. He has something he needs to tell me which I presume is that he is suffering from a terminal illness. He seems to be worried about how Mom will cope with his death. I reassure him that Mom will be taken care of and I go on to express gratitude for myself and my sisters for everything he did for us, enabling us to have good lives. The dream ends at this point.

My reactions to David, Mom and Dad are all authentic. They are the reactions I would have if those circumstances occurred. Obviously, the issues are all resolved- there is no problem with my work except I need to finish reviewing files for Don Cazayoux, which I intend to do today and tomorrow (finally). Both my parents are deceased. David Stammer and I are friends again and we stay in touch periodically. Somehow my mind needs to revisit scenarios of my parents being old and in failing health and my concerns that they are cared for well. There is underlying anxiety that I will fail to take care of important responsibilities. But that didn't happen and it won't happen because I care enough to do what needs to be done.

Tolerating uncertainty in the pursuit of wisdom

Confidential sources are not going to be revealed, so we do have to do as Gordon Rabelais suggests and make determinations as to what is credible. Human beings deal in probability but we want certainty; and, the only things that are certain are what's happening right now in front of our faces or behind them, in the case of thought. Creating and using uncertainty to manipulate is a prime tool of propaganda. But is everything so uncertain that we can't know anything? If that were true, there wouldn't be a Warren Buffet.