Winter Glory
Greetings and salutations from the sand, sun and surf of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and the (broken record(s)), snowy, cold, raw island of Nantucket! Great to be with you on this 9th day of February, 2015, another beautiful, snowy, blustery day expected here on this little sand bar created 11,500 years ago by “The Last Great Ice Age”, with many in this region wondering if that ‘age’ had made it’s home right here in New England, the area pounded again with upwards of two more feet of the fluffy, fun white stuff, shattering the record books
in these here parts, as yet another snow day was called for the lucky kids in Boston, who care little about Algebra or history on a day like today, opting rather for snow Angels and those white mountains to conquer in the form of an old fashioned sleigh…
I turned on “Morning Joe” a few moments ago, six a.m., only on MSNBC–after a five mile run, a deep meditation, and a healthy breakfast of pine cones/other essential liberal, tree huggin’ hippy nutrients of course–and was struck by the honesty and humanity by those anchors, Joe especially, regarding NBC News’ anchor (a beleaguered), Brian Williams.
Art imitating life once again; with the highest rated U.S. news anchor Brain Williams of NBC becoming the news of late, for it has became widely known in this social media age, that he made a blunder regarding his helicopter experience in Iraq on February 2, 2003, days before ’shock and awe’ became reality in March of that same year…
All about a story he was covering in the moments that led up to that horrible Iraq war, a war that spawned ISIL; indeed, spawning much of the unrest in the Middle East today. Costing US much in blood (4400 plus American soldiers killed, many more wounded and living with invisible dis-“eases” today, i.e. PTSD; along with over 100,000 Iraqis killed, many of those innocent victims, civilian men, women and children, who never understood why the Americans were there in the first place, her mission not clear to even her…), and much treasure (conservative estimates being 4.1 trillion, if you factor in Afghanistan), making this all too ‘de ja vu’ for even this intrepid? reporter, as that was a fateful year, 2003, one that I will never forget!
Indeed, we ALL, every American, was either directly (military) or indirectly (U.S., Iraqi civilians), affected by the fateful decision to attack another sovereign country based on a LIE. Many lies really, and for what? What have WE, as a people and once revered Super Power, really gained from that naked aggression based on male ego, testosterone, revenge and greed? If one reflects on the mind set of that era, since that blue skied 2001 September morning on Manhattan Island in New York and beyond to 2003 and 2006 with ‘the surge’, not to mention the longest war in American history, Afghanistan, one can see how the inflated jingoism could get out of hand, especially when reporting in a war zone. The fib Brian Williams told David Letterman on “The Late Show”, CBS, during that ‘high (red) threat alert’ period in U.S. history, ‘01-’09, pales in comparison to the LIES told by the George W. Bush Administration, none so egregious as the whoppers told by then Vice President Dick Cheney, whose power blind ambition to take this country down a path that almost caused it’s destruction should be the lie to be damned, not a tall tale regarding ‘enemy’ fire from below vis-a-vis an up and coming anchor of a national news broadcast, being told who knows what by the corporate masters who often times do much of the editing, isn’t that right Rupert, “arrghh matey!”, Murdoch? You old scallywag of the sea, you…! “I gotta party with you cowboy! You and me together? Forget about it…” (credit once again, sorry, Bill Murray in the classic film about “Bushwood Country Club”– “Caddyshack”–circa 1980).
So hats off to the anchors at “Morning Joe”, Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, who have a good handle on humanity, honesty and humor. And even if we come from different ‘points of view’ when it comes to many issues critical to the future of this GREAT country, i.e. not allowing two plutocrats to BUY the WHITE HOUSE and pollute this nation for their own personal gain, one thing is perfectly clear. Good news talk shows spring from the people who provide them, who create them, who put their blood, sweat and tears into them. It is a great privilege to speak to the public regarding such weighty matters, war and peace, therefore, one should not deviate from the TRUTH. However, that truth can always be expanded, more will be revealed, in other words. Ever being on the side of what cannot be altered or changed is always “the best policy”, (that and being kind to all, especially the small and weak, the vulnerable and exploited); perhaps polices that someday will ‘trickle down’ to some of the so called ‘leaders’ in Washington D.C., President Barack Obama excluded, as well as some of that other ‘Christian’ TALK they spew like so much carbon going into OUR atmosphere everyday without penalty, making those RICH industrialist all that much richer, slowly destroying God’s Green EARTH for their PROFIT.
PROFIT over people!
“…And that’s the way it is, Monday, February 9, 2015.” (credit the late, great Walter Cronkite, CBS News anchor 1962-1981).
Have a great week folks!
PRESERVE THE WILDERNESS! Peace~M
