Comments on: Wise Words http://www.rockinginhakata.com/2007/03/06/93/ Deas Richardson is currently living as a JET and teaching English in the middle of the Seto Inland Sea, a gorgeous part of Japan. Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:30:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Megan http://www.rockinginhakata.com/2007/03/06/93/comment-page-1/#comment-140 Megan Thu, 15 Mar 2007 02:42:59 +0000 http://www.rockinginhakata.com/2007/03/06/93/#comment-140 It occurred to me the other day that we will soon reach a point in time (if we are not already there), where none of the candidates for president will have served in wars. This may not be the case if any of the people who choose to go into the armed services come back with a desire to be in politics, but most of the people who fit the "politician" profile wouldn't choose to go into the armed services. For some reason, the impression I have is that only people with no other options go into the armed services. People from poor locales like Detroit and Flint, MI, who would have no other options if they didn't join and have the army or the navy or the air force pay their school tuition or what have you. Maybe this is because I spend my time with people who are happy in their ivory tower. Maybe they're, percentage wise, more Liberal than the rest of the country, and so my view is skewed. It just struck me as odd that soon we might not be able to vote for a person to be the Commander in Chief who has actual military experience. Maybe, in a perfect world, that wouldn't matter, but if we insist on going to war to fight terrorism and the various other evils around the world, then I think it would be a good idea of the Commander in Chief had some idea of what he/she/it was sending his/her/its countrymen into. It occurred to me the other day that we will soon reach a point in time (if we are not already there), where none of the candidates for president will have served in wars. This may not be the case if any of the people who choose to go into the armed services come back with a desire to be in politics, but most of the people who fit the “politician” profile wouldn’t choose to go into the armed services.

For some reason, the impression I have is that only people with no other options go into the armed services. People from poor locales like Detroit and Flint, MI, who would have no other options if they didn’t join and have the army or the navy or the air force pay their school tuition or what have you.

Maybe this is because I spend my time with people who are happy in their ivory tower. Maybe they’re, percentage wise, more Liberal than the rest of the country, and so my view is skewed. It just struck me as odd that soon we might not be able to vote for a person to be the Commander in Chief who has actual military experience.

Maybe, in a perfect world, that wouldn’t matter, but if we insist on going to war to fight terrorism and the various other evils around the world, then I think it would be a good idea of the Commander in Chief had some idea of what he/she/it was sending his/her/its countrymen into.

]]> By: Deas http://www.rockinginhakata.com/2007/03/06/93/comment-page-1/#comment-111 Deas Tue, 06 Mar 2007 05:57:52 +0000 http://www.rockinginhakata.com/2007/03/06/93/#comment-111 Thanks for the tip. I will happily shield my graduates from the pervs via mosaic overlays. Just means more editing time before posting. Ha ha. The video isn't that great anyway, since I was trying to be non-intrusive. My intrusive material is always so much more entertaining. Alas. :-) (And Clay, I never said that carbon buildup was <em>not</em> a problem or important. I just seriously have doubts about its current portrayal in mainstream society. In short, I don't buy us as the sole culprits, and I don't buy the pseudo-science. But more on that at a later date.) In other fun news, this is the 102nd comment on my site! Yay! Everybody cheer! 8-) Thanks for the tip. I will happily shield my graduates from the pervs via mosaic overlays. Just means more editing time before posting. Ha ha. The video isn’t that great anyway, since I was trying to be non-intrusive. My intrusive material is always so much more entertaining. Alas. :-)

(And Clay, I never said that carbon buildup was not a problem or important. I just seriously have doubts about its current portrayal in mainstream society. In short, I don’t buy us as the sole culprits, and I don’t buy the pseudo-science. But more on that at a later date.)

In other fun news, this is the 102nd comment on my site! Yay! Everybody cheer! 8-)

]]> By: claytonian http://www.rockinginhakata.com/2007/03/06/93/comment-page-1/#comment-110 claytonian Tue, 06 Mar 2007 05:44:34 +0000 http://www.rockinginhakata.com/2007/03/06/93/#comment-110 you have to be pragmatic and utilitarian about some issues. Carbon buildup may fry us all, so in my book it is pretty important to all humans. btw, black bars for pics, mosaic for video, is the standard in Japan ;) you have to be pragmatic and utilitarian about some issues. Carbon buildup may fry us all, so in my book it is pretty important to all humans.

btw, black bars for pics, mosaic for video, is the standard in Japan ;)

]]> By: Deas http://www.rockinginhakata.com/2007/03/06/93/comment-page-1/#comment-109 Deas Tue, 06 Mar 2007 04:14:03 +0000 http://www.rockinginhakata.com/2007/03/06/93/#comment-109 I do enjoy some Mark Twain on occassion. So, heck, if you've got a copy, send it! I love that stuff. Please note, however, that I am not actually in despair about the future of mankind. Just really wary of the groups making enemies out of big things like war (as a whole, regardless of rhyme or reason) or carbon emissions. There are bigger, more important fish to fry, and I think it shows how developed our society has become - for better or worse - that we spend our time on matters like these. Poor societies just getting started don't have the resources to dedicate to such strange pursuits. They're too busy surviving. (Not to mention that our good intentions cause havoc in said developing countries. Ethanol production = freaking expensive tortillas in Mexico. Which is the greater evil? Americans releasing excess carbon dioxide, or the main staple of many a diet becoming too expensive to afford? Hmmm.) I feel another essay coming, as this comment has shifted towards the global warming stuff...so I'll can it for now and save up an entry's worth of unsolicited commentary. Anyhoo - I'll look up that essay. Sounds good. Thanks for the suggestion! Ha ha. I do enjoy some Mark Twain on occassion. So, heck, if you’ve got a copy, send it! I love that stuff. Please note, however, that I am not actually in despair about the future of mankind. Just really wary of the groups making enemies out of big things like war (as a whole, regardless of rhyme or reason) or carbon emissions. There are bigger, more important fish to fry, and I think it shows how developed our society has become – for better or worse – that we spend our time on matters like these. Poor societies just getting started don’t have the resources to dedicate to such strange pursuits. They’re too busy surviving. (Not to mention that our good intentions cause havoc in said developing countries. Ethanol production = freaking expensive tortillas in Mexico. Which is the greater evil? Americans releasing excess carbon dioxide, or the main staple of many a diet becoming too expensive to afford? Hmmm.) I feel another essay coming, as this comment has shifted towards the global warming stuff…so I’ll can it for now and save up an entry’s worth of unsolicited commentary. Anyhoo – I’ll look up that essay. Sounds good. Thanks for the suggestion! Ha ha.

]]> By: Bonnie http://www.rockinginhakata.com/2007/03/06/93/comment-page-1/#comment-108 Bonnie Tue, 06 Mar 2007 03:59:56 +0000 http://www.rockinginhakata.com/2007/03/06/93/#comment-108 You should read Mark Twain's "The Damned Human Race". Its a satirical essay on mankind. It is soooo funny. but it totally makes you think. You should read Mark Twain’s “The Damned Human Race”. Its a satirical essay on mankind. It is soooo funny. but it totally makes you think.

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