Lying?

When people tell stories they sometimes get certain details wrong, especially if significant time has passed.  In fact the term "fish story" was invented since people talking about how big the fish was that they caught is proverbially wrong with the fish getting larger the more time passes.

The essence about catching a "big" fish is essentially correct, to some extent, but some of the details are iffy, at best.

Of course there are lies designed to deceive or deny something or outright falsehoods like how big the fish was when you never went fishing.

So recently Joe Biden has been called out about telling a story concerning a soldier in Afghanistan.

A lot of the details in the story were just wrong, the rank, the service, the time frame and even the type of medal.

Still the point of the story about how the serviceman didn't want the medal for bravery because despite his heroic act, the person he tried to save died.

Is this lying?

Well I guess it depends on how you interpret these things.

If he told the same story but left all the details generic, it would still make the same point, our brave servicemen are faced with horrible circumstances and terrible situations, yet maintain a strong sense of duty.

So its what it is, but, if you look at the lies told by the incumbent President, I think getting some details wrong in a story is very different.

Loyalty

Well I guess when you don't have any real issues you can always revert to stirring up some racism.

We see the Alabama GOP and one of its child abusers decide to attack a Muslim representative from a different state for her disloyalty to Israel.

Now Israel is an ally and you may or may not agree with all its policies, but as Americans we don't have any obligation to be loyal to it.

In fact the oath of office they took prohibits allegiance to foreign powers.

Now, like I said, you may disagree about someone's views on the situation in Israel and the disputed territories, but I know that even in Israel they have various viewpoints.

So disloyal?

Remember what country you are part of.

The Confederacy lost.

First, Do No Harm

This phrase is generally something that doctors adhere to, but it really should be something we all take into account as far as the environment goes.

Now, in our day to day lives, most of us already do some harm to the environment by driving, using electricity, eating meat, etc.

So it might be better to say, do no further harm.

In decisions we make about everyday things, we should consider the impact on the environment and greenhouse gases.

The climate changes endanger us all and the vast majority of us realize this.

As individuals we can switch to energy efficient items in our everyday lives without much effort, although there is at times some initial extra cost.  We also need to demand that the Government consider climate in its decisions.

The fires in the Amazon right now are a far greater threat to all of us than any immigrants crossing the border.

Wall Progress

Progress on building the useless border wall is going on slowly.  So far about 13% of the latest revised amount is built.  Since we are now down to 450 miles from the original 1000, we are closer to 5% of the original number.

The numbers don't really mean anything.  The parts of the border that are inhospitable, which is much of it, is already inaccessible without expert help.  That same expert help will go where the wall isn't or go where the wall is breached.

Not sure why we don't allow them to apply for admittance legally and do background checks.

It needs to be pointed out that of the Hispanics in this country, the great majority are here legally.  It should also be pointed out that we acquired quite a few as we annexed territory in the southwest in the 1800s.

The simple fact is that they want to come here because they can get work and be relatively free of the violence in their home countries.  I never understood why so many Americans seem to think they threaten them.

People who want to come here are not criminals, until we decide to call them that.

Its a self made problem.

Monday Thoughts

While the dontard will undoubtedly talk about the great success he is having at the G7 meetings, and it seems like he is getting some good French cooking, all reports indicate he is be treated as an unruly toddler while all his policies are opposed.

Trade is the first and the world doesn't like what he is doing.  Most Americans don't either and maybe he will come to his senses, but more likely he will double down.  He didn't have four bankruptcies by being prudent.

They also don't like his position on climate change, if he actually has one and would like the US to take some realistic actions.  Of course the Amazon burning is making it worse.  He was or wasn't considering trying to use nuclear weapons to fight hurricanes.  Since it is totally nonsensical, it does seem like one of his ideas.

Iran got invited to the meeting for a day which led to discussions about ways to buy Iranian oil if they would honor the Nuclear deal.  We didn't participate.  I suspect they don't invite us to anything they don't have to.

It seems like we were told during the last election how he would change our relationship with foreign countries.  He implied he would make it better and provide a leadership role.  Well maybe he really meant he would get us treated like a pariah.

It worked.

Guilty

A jury found a white man guilty of killing a black man.

It shouldn't be big news except many expected his defense that he felt his life was threatened by this black man who had simply parked illegally for a short while with his family.

When he accosted the wife and children waiting in the car while the man ran into the store, the man came out and shoved him.

The white man, feeling entitled and maybe thinking I finally get to use my gun. pulled out his gun.

The black man started to back off but the white man killed him in front of his family anyways.

Clearly we expected him to get acquitted.

The fact that he didn't is clearly a step forward and we need to make sure we keep going.

Defending yourself is fine and standing your ground is fine.

Killing unarmed people posing no believable threat to you isn't.

Even if they are big black men.

Amazon Forest

It seems like I've heard forever how we need to save the rain forest.  It absorbs greenhouse gases, releases oxygen and provides a factory of biodiversity which could naturally develop disease resistant plants.

The largest rainforest is in the Amazon basin and it has been under attack for years as local populations want to clear land to raise crops and livestock.

Its easy to understand how these people, many of them poor and hardworking, feel how their own self interests, clearing some land is irrelevant to global issues.

They only want to do what the developed world has already done, replacing the rainforest with "productive" land that provides income and security for their families.

This year with a new President who much like our own ignores the environment, they have started an unprecedented number of fires in the Brazilian rainforest.  It is a potential environmental disaster as land stops absorbing greenhouse gases and is replaced by farms which might even increase them.

Save the rainforest?  It might already be too late.

We certainly had plenty of warning.