President Bush has been spending time in the Middle East. Of course, he passes the time doing many silly things, like chiding U.S. allies who have withheld civil liberties. He tells them they will never build trust by harassing or imprisoning protestors. But his rebukes are gentle, and he does not single out any one in particular. To do so might force him to name the U.S. itself as one of the countries where people are jailed for peacefully petitioning their government.In Saudi Arabia, he was so moved by their deeply undemocratic government, that he pledged $20 billion worth of military armaments, obstensibly to allay their concerns about Iran's military might and spreading influence. He believes they are jittery after the January 6th confrontation between U.S. Naval Battleships and some Iranian speed boats in the Strait of Hormuz. He thinks the Persian Gulf states are nervous about Iran. I think they are more nervous about the U.S. because Bush has got such a bug up his ass about Iran, he's sending war machinery to Saudi Arabia specifically so they will be in place to use against Iran.
Among those $20 billion of military arms, I wonder if there are any tactical nukes? The neocons have been itching to try these out ever since they discovered there might be a problem with total thermonuclear war, i.e. that WE might not survive such a crisis and live to fight another day. This brings to mind the famous warmonger General Curtis LeMay's crazy summary of such a war: "In the end, if there are 2 Americans left standing and 1 Russian, WE WIN!!!" Recalling how Nixon used to talk to the dead presidents' portraits in the White House ... do you suppose Bush is talking to some LeMay monument he has constructed out of military hospital waste in that little secret alcove where he stores Saddam's gun and ears? Live nukes "accidentally loaded" in Minot AFB & flying down to Louisiana seem like something a conversation with LeMay's spectre might have inspired. But I digress ...
Ever wonder what a tactical nuke explosion looks like? Well, wonder no more! Your intrepid resident nukehead, having lived nearly on top of our nation's above-ground nuclear test site in the 1950's & 60's, has dug deep to find records of the only such test ever recorded, performed 55-years ago. Here's a still-shot (note the blast cloud fire peeking through in some horrorshow mimic of a smile):
This was Operation Grable, a nuclear weapon test conducted in 1953 at Frenchman Flat in Area 5 of the Nevada Test Site. The warhead was a gun-type fission weapon in the form of a shell. The shell was fired from the artillery gun cannon shown. It remains the only artillery-fired atomic projectile ever tested, and is considered the model for today's tactical nuclear weaponry.The Grable detonation occured 6.2 miles away from its artillery gun launch point. An anomalous feature of the blast was the formation of a precursor -- a second shock front ahead of the incident wave. The precursor formed when the shockwave reflected off the ground and surpassed the incident wave. The streaking lines coming down from the clouds may be related to the precursor wave. It remains an anomalous event to this day. The result was much more damage to ground objects, which is one reason the military is so interested in its possible application in tactical nuclear warfare.
1953 Operation Grable video (2.5 minutes):
Now, am I the only one who makes these jarring connections whenever Bush plays statesman to the Middle East? He's a known believer in end-times, with only a year left to help usher them in! aaaaah well, what the hell else is he gonna do during his final year as president .... Re-READ CAMUS and a few more Shakespeares?!?
If you're interested in reading a previous nuclear post, click here and follow links.
13 comments:
Do the POTUS lips move when he reads? Does he absorb anything he reads?
Why in hell is he allowed to roam the world stage at this stage of his pathetic presidency?
Does he realize how pathetic he looks to the rest of the world when he overseas?
Does he realize how pathetic... What's the point, roll on 2009
I can't figure out who to vote for in the primary. Can anyone help?
Clinton is too hawkish, Obama likes nuclear power and Ronald Reagan, and Edwards voting record in the Senate doesn't match his populist words.
Any advice? Anyone?
Cartledge:
most pathetic of all is the power that has been given him to continue in his destructive habits. keep saying the mantra only 1 more year. keep hoping that we all (the whole world) survive that year.
You make a good point wondering if he absorbs anything he reads. I never thought of it that way before. I just assumed he was lying about reading Camus, etc. Now you've pointed out he could "read", as in looking at the words, but not really read, as in understanding or absorbing knowledge.
Nona:
I wish I could say you've come to the right place & give you all the answers you seek. I've also got problems with the Big 3, but have to say I have the LEAST problems with Edwards. In fact, at this point, my biggest problem with him is his stagnation in 3rd place. And I admit, I'm only considering his current message because I think he is a changed man.
You asked advice, but you probably watch the same programs and read the same political sites as I do. Our primary is Feb 5, same as yours. I support Edwards until he drops out, then Obama, but that's my opinion about who is speaking to the issues I'm concerned about & who has published plan details on their websites that I agree with. I wish Kucinich had caught fire, but he didn't & now I have the feeling Edwards is about to be Kuciniched. What I really hate is the censorship of legitmate candidates and the annointing of one candidate over another in these early primaries.
Our local news anchor put it this way: If the primary elections are a train, Oregon is the caboose."
Oregon does not vote until May 20th- by then the whole thing will have already been decided.'
Well, at least we aviod all the hooplah & the perils of candidates flying around in helicopters trying to win our votes. Maybe we will adopt the state elections primary motto: *whatever*.
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As for that photo you posted, I want to add the suggestion of this caption:
"He's such an idiot, maybe he will trip & behead himself, ahahahahahaha"
(Meanwhile the interpretor says the Shiek says you look handsome with that sword, Mr. Decider".
***disclaimer to homeland security: Just kidding here, non violent people practicing first amendment rights, not to worry!***
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As for the US promise of $20 billion worth of military armaments, figures a bright guy like Georgie would think more weapons in the Middle East is a GOOD idea.
Ack!
Nice picture of Bush with King Abdullah (just after Bush whispered in his ear, "My sword's longer than your sword.")
Fortunately, it was taken well by King Abdullah who could have cut off Bush's oil.
Fran: ah but the caboose is a very important part of the train! when it finally appears, we can restart our enginges & prepare to zip across the tracks as the RR guard rises. thus oregon's late primary will help fortify our flagging spirits to see us into the convention. NV used to have a primary in Sept. Tell me the purpose of that since the convention is in Aug. Good caption & good point about interpreters!
Dada: I think Bush was just happy they let him play with a big toy. Also he loves bright shiny things. Personally, I thought he resembled a hobo bindlestiff (a word fallen out of fashion after the Great Depression, but which is about to become familiar again, I fear).
dk- OMG! A Sept primary w an Aug convention... what was their motto--
• Nuclear testing grounds ARE safe & we are not effected.
• Nevada~ another time & space, what happens here, happens later.
Maybe you are right about Bush liking bright shiny things... they gave him decorative shiny swords & crude oil, and he pledged $20 billion in weaponry.
Insanity prevails!
Fran, you have hit on a fact that was obvious as I grew up in Vegas; that is what should've been their motto back then: what happens elsewhere, happens here later! It was very much a smaller-town cultural backwater then (none of this "stays in vegas" license to do as you please, we won't tell your friends back home attitude). During the hippy-dippy drug craze, there was a large sign on the hwy crossing from CA to NV: Welcome to Nevada, the Gambling Capital of the World, Possession = 10 years, Selling = Life! Kind of a rude awakening to those lost souls traveling from SF across country.
btw, UT is part of the Western States Presidential Primary Feb 5th, BUT that ballot is ONLY presidential choices (I picked up a sample from the clerk last week, noting Biden, Dodd, Gravel, Richardson & someone named Frank Lynch are still on it). Our actual primary is still June, for local offices & propositions. Maybe OR will consider that route next time.
I agree with you, DK, on Edwards.
I've seen that nuclear pic before. In fact I've had it for some time and labeled it "Bush Diplomacy".
Tomcat: aackkk! I've heard of gunboat diplomacy, but nuke cannon diplomacy does seem more bush's style. Or is that diplophrenia? I tried to get the picture off a few different sites that kept telling me it was proprietary, so ended up with this one that embeds its logo.
On that Grable Video, did you notice that the "smile" quickly turned into a frown?:(
Oh, ever wonder about those trees that nearly become flattened by the blast? Of course ponderosa pine are not something you would find at Frenchman Flat. They were cut down and trucked in from Mt. Charleston. And then stuck in the gound. Just a little tidbit I remember hearing about. I can't imagine what data dead trees could provide other that "yep, looks like a blast'll knock'em over".
Krst: you mean those trees weren't even dug up & planted, they were just cut down like xmas trees & stuck in the ground rootless? Those Mt Charleston tree trunks must be pretty hardy, because I notice most of them swayed & lost all their needles, but somehow returned upright after the shockwave blasted through!
I worry about all those servicemen who loaded the cannon & then must've ran & hid in trenches (yeah, like a little trench will stop radiation). And of course the camera newshounds weren't deterred by some pissant nuke. But yeah, the smile on Grable's face was very sinister & quickly became dark & ugly (kind of reminds me of one of Cheney's sneers).
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