Thought and Thesis

It should be of no surprise to anyone that U.S. foreign policy would have a relationship to U.S. domestic policy. With that in mind, it doesn’t hurt to look at what they have in common. It seem, that U.S. foreign policy is split at least between two, if not more, principles. The first being one directed toward theories of democracy, freedom, and human rights. The other directed toward national security. Which is, more often then not, paraphrased by saying what is in our national economic interest. It is clear how these are a reflectance of U.S. domestic policy’s in that while we do believe in democracy, freedom, and human rights, we also believe in economic security. That said, one of these principles is founded on time honored traditions of rationality and morality. The other is founded off of traditions of personal desire focused toward economic ends. Because of this, in the process of foreign and domestic implementation, these policy’s are conflicting if not totally un...

I just finished watching this wonderful documentary about the build up to the Iraq war done by PBS's Frontline. It aired back in 2008 and gives clear a concise view of the decision making, and power struggles, that when in the Bush Administration leading up to and during the war. While it does not come right out and say it, it is clear that the two people that were at the lead of the push for the war in Iraq, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld, were both filled with hubris and war hawkishness, that it led them into an even deeper incompetence then they were already in. It may have ended up being Bush's war, but it was a war made by war hawks and fools. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/bushswar/

So back in November I made the big decision to start back up with my campaign. It was a big step in the right direction and it felt good to be able to get back on the horse. Sadly, as comes with living in the real world, I wasn't able to get it going again. My players were really happy and all ready to start up again with their shinny knew 4E versions of there characters. But, as I said, the real world decided that it had more interesting plans for me. Needless to say, my players were not to happy. And once again I had to explain how sorry I was and that as soon as things started to fall back into place we would play. For me this was a really big hit. I was really looking forward to getting my feet wet again and it was exciting. For me it had been way to long, as anyone that read that blog from November would know. Well the world, at least for now, is starting to make a little more sense. And I really do have very big hopes that I will be able to start up on the campaign yet again....

As the last semester of university comes to an end I have been wondering what I will do with my philosophical readings and writings. I realize that I don't want to give up on my writings. And while I have found some outlet for those writings, the kind of peer review that you get in an university setting will no longer be within arms reach. With this revelation in mind I have been trying to think of a way that I can keep that kind of interaction alive. I have no idea if there is a philosophy group in my area, and surely I will be going out to look for one, but I still feel like the is something more that I could be doing. So with that In mind I think that I may, or at least try, to form a philosophy group myself. The premise of this group will simply be to have a venue for people to talk, get there ideas out, and generally be able to have a community that they can be a part of that is focused around that philosophical part of themselves that is otherwise looked at strangely by other...

I could rage I could purge I could put an end to the world I could stoke I could burn with the pain that I feel For all that I have done But what good would come from such a thing Only to blind all the pain in a haze of hate And forget all that was good I could hide behind walls and say to them all that I am protecting myself I could lie I could run from the pain thats inside To an end that is without hope But I cannot do this as others seem able for I have not the strength any longer So I will cry I will hurt and I will feel the pain For all that I have done Until I make it right

Tonight: Don’t, give up just yet Don’t, let this slip away Don’t, let your heart turn to cold There, still is so much to live Wait! don’t run from me Wait! don’t leave this behind There, still is so much to love Try, Try, Tonight I know I have messed thing up I know I have failed But i know I can fix it all If you try Try, this with me Try, try this for us Try, Try, Tonight

Anyone who knows me well will know that I am no war hawk. That being said, the actions of North Korea cannot go unanswered. Now it may not be necessary to take military action against them, but something must be done. For to long we have glad handed North Korea and all we have gotten is more and more belligerent actions. I for one say no more. We need to cut off all aid to North Korea in anyway. We need to freeze all money coming in or out of North Korea. And we must bolster our military to show the North that we will not stand by as the continue to act in such belligerent ways. If there is any war that should be fighting, any war that should have entered into before the mess we are in now in Afghanistan and Iraq, it should be one with North Korea. If we are really worried about freedom of a people. If we are really worried about the welfare of people, we would not have started two endless wars an against religious ideology. We must stay our hand. But we must make it very clear to Nort...