Syria

[Ed P]

I think it worth quoting something from the Arabic language link I gave earlier as it gives some insight to the religious context of the Syrian conflict:

“One’s language strongly participates in forming one’s culture and communication patterns. Arabic language itself led the Arab-Islamic culture  to be past-oriented, certainty-oriented, and collectivistic. Arabic language also led the Arab-Islamic communication patterns to be high-context and deductive.”

I take this to mean that anyone hoping for an Islamic ‘Reformation’ better not hold their breath, as it could take 1000 years. Early Christianity was just as ruthless as the Salafists in expunging anything that did not conform with their mind-set. Equally the US and Israel are being naive in assuming that they will be able to impose anything like a Western Democracy (whatever that means) on such peoples. Tradition (much of it tribal and or religious) and a dogmatic certainty in the correctness of their views will mean at best a short term acceptance of a situation before reverting back to their old ways and enmities.   As the old saying goes ‘Anyone who sups with the Devil better had use a long spoon’.

Steve expressed his annoyance at religion. I would express equal annoyance at Western politicians who are completely clueless about the peoples they would make friends or enemies, and really do not know with what or who they are dealing. Libya should have been a nasty wake-up call, but unlike the Arabs, I fear the memories of our politicians are far too short.

[Richard]

I am stepping aside from this stomping old ground. It has not been a great week. After the third appointment in just over two weeks and being told that my wife’s scans would be ‘within 2 weeks’ I had not even removed my shoes after returning from the hospital the phone rang, whole body scan is tomorrow. The phone rang again minutes later – the bone scan Tuesday, treatment plan appointment provisionally the following Monday. My trivial carcinoma issue from Tuesday may have to wait. All in all a bit of a second rate week all round, – oh and yesterday my blood pressure was confirmed by the nurse as back in the ‘see a GP ASAP’ class.

[Ed P]

I hope your wife’s issues get resolved pdq and give you time to think about your own health.  You may like to look at recent research on Vitamin K2 MK7 and bone treatment.(Google on research MK7 bone treatment) and you will get this and other interesting research on bone treatments.  link

MK7 is found in Japanese Natto and if you can stand the smell of cheesy socks can be prepared at home. (You can also purchase expensive MK7 extracts from health food stores). My cardiologist tells me that Vitamin K2 is now used for patients with very high cholesterol and an aversion to statins. It is pretty safe excepting those on warfarin or with thyroid issues.

[Ed P]

Mea Culpa the warfarin comment really applies to Natto as that also contains K1 (clotting agent)

[Ed P]

I should also have pointed you to the K2/Bonefos research as Bonefos is often used in the UK. link

It is sometimes worth chatting about augmentation (This depends on the Consultant, some are resistant to patients displaying any knowledge!).

[RSB]

Off we go – Link 

Americans: Over Sexed, Over Payed and Over here, Wat Wat!

[The Duke]

Wow, this could be the match that starts ww3

[Ed P]

Hot war starts if another shoe drops.

For the time being I would expect Russia to appear statesmanlike,but it will need something for its home consumption e.g. bring its front-line planes back to Syria and ramp up Syrian air defences, and possibly joint military exercises/assistance with Iran.

I think its more damaging responses  will be asymmetric and deniable. For example by sabotaging allied projects elsewhere in the world e.g. stir up Brexit problems by buying off a few people in the EU,  cut cooperation in Afghanistan or Korea, stir up problems in Chad and Libya. All of a sudden we could find our hands very full.

[Alan Wood]

So be it

If you don’t oppose the Russians now it will be worse later. All the things you mention would be easier and more likely if we just sit back and let it happen. I dislike Trump intensely but on this occasion he has got it right.

[Ed P]

Sorry to disagree. Syria is a sovereign state and as such protected by UN conventions and we have not made a formal declaration of war. We did not allow due process on what looks like a ‘Jenkins Ear’ excuse for military action. We should have allowed the OCPW to have ruled on whether illegal WMD weapons were actually used and how were they delivered before taking action. As it is we could well find the OCPW discovers nothing and we will once again be guilty of an illegal war crime (Iraq and Libya were both illegal, and as subsequent events show stupid).

[Ed P]

I should have said OPCW and probably given citations on legality.

I also said Libya was illegal, maybe it wasn’t even though it felt that way, but it was certainly stupid.

[tadka]

Just watched a couple videos on YT regarding the bombing of Syria. The US say they destroyed this and that and it was a success. The Russians say most of the missiles where shot down. The only place that did get hit was some disused laboratory. Zero civilian or military casualties and no Russian posts were attacked. The US provided no details just keep saying classified, the Russians gave a detailed account of every single location that was targeted, what aircraft and ships were involved, how many missiles were fired/destroyed and what was hit. I think I’ll just ignore both sides say.

[The Duke]

The comments on that story ed are good.

[D-Dan]

Let’s analyse for a minute. We have a Government accusing Russia of murder on UK soil, without evidence (and escalating tensions whilst they are at it), then we have a woman who has been elected as PM by not a single man, woman or child authorising military attacks against a Russian ally, without Parliamentary approval, and without any solid proof of wrongdoing (remember, this atrocity happened in a rebel held town, and so could just as easily be hostile action).

If we are still a species next week, it’ll be a miracle, and will be no thanks to the megalomaniac Trump and the “trying to curry favour somewhere” May partnership.

Whatever happens in either case at the moment, until there is evidence, it is NOT in my name.

Arch Linux, on a Ryzen 7 1800X, 32 GB, 5 (yes -5) HDs inc 5 SSDs, 4 RPi 3Bs + 1 RPi 4B - one as an NFS server with two more drives, PiHole (shut yours), Plex server, cloud server, and other random Pi stuff. Nice CoolerMaster case, 2 x NV GTX 1070 8GB, and a whopping 32" AOC 1440P monitor.

[Ed P]

You can add to that the apparent abduction and holding incommunicado of one of the victims. I’ll be much happier if she is allowed a live TV interview with a respected (Swiss) journo who promises not to stress her out too much.

Am I suspicious of HMG — too darn right I am. There are too many factual and evidential holes in what has so far been reported or released to the general public. Even the poisoned policeman is puzzling – if the poison was on the door handle why the hell did he abandon normal police crime scene procedures and take his gloves off? As to Syria – that should be left to the OPCW including inspection of the so-called nerve gas centres. (One clip showed people wandering around outside the buildings in shirt-sleeves. — no sign of ANYONE in protective clothing).

[The Duke]

Ive said it was off from day one. Both this poisoning and since the beginning of the Syria mess started. It’s all wrong, the narrative has so many holes in it.

My BiL is now a civilian helicopter engineer, currently in Bagram, and he said the mood is tense. He has been to both Iraq and Afghan many times while in service, and he said the mood has never been like this.

I suspect that’s cos before we was basically fighting men with rocks, now for the first time in a long long time, we could be entering into a fight with a foe that has just as much capability as we do. If not more. And the bases like he works on would be prime targets if it kicks off.

I was never worried for him before, his job was never one that pun him in much danger. The worst he ever had was mortar drops, and that isn’t too bad. The probability of ingery is next to zero in that situation. Now one strike is one too many to survive.

My wife and her mother haven’t figured this out yet, so at this point haven’t thought about it. I’m dreading them figuring this out. They are both big worriers. Thou atm the Mil brother has just died so their minds are elsewhere.

The FiL has figured it out, we was speaking about it, and decided we just won’t mention the issue to the girls.

[Ed P]

I case it was not clear the buildings in question were ruined and the same ones shown (without the passers-by) by the Beeb!

My comments do not mean that I believe the Russians more than HMG. Just that HMG is acting suspiciously like this was all a White-Hat/rogue CIA plant.

[tadka]

Russia debunking the chemical attack. I’m no expert but the video looks very convincing.

[The Duke]

I seen a similar news report earlier. The sumer was, “the whole world knows about the Douma gas attack, except those in Douma”.

Although we do have to be careful that this is Russian news, just as we should any EU US news.

[tadka]

The Duke wrote:

I seen a similar news report earlier. The sumer was, “the whole world knows about the Douma gas attack, except those in Douma”. Although we do have to be careful that this is Russian news, just as we should any EU US news.

It’s Russian news but the video they are examining is not Russian. If the attack had happened then we would be seeing videos of the actual attack, they would not be making a fake video. They would only make a fake video if the attack did not happened. And this video sure as hell looks fake. But then I haven’t seen any counter debunking. Maybe they can be proved wrong.

[Author]

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