Do either of you fellows understand this business in Syria? As far as I know, the Russians are supporting the leader, the US is supporting some rebels, and this is devolving into a proxy war of sorts to see how far each side can push each other and who will blink first, with Syria in the middle. But are there other forces/factions involved, or is there more than one rebel group? I can't keep up with all the incoming information, or should I say propaganda?
Depending on which news source you read, that airfield that was hit by the Tomahawks was either (a) completely destroyed, or (b) suffered little damage. The loss of life was quite minimal considering the airfield was hit by more than fifty cruise missiles, some of which probably missed the target. I wonder if those missiles were going stale and were past their "best used by" date and were deployed as an excuse to refresh the current inventory; can't get new, upgraded weapons until the old ones are all used up. And it was awfully nice that the US gave the Russians a thirty minute advance notice of the incoming ordnance, wasn't it?
Another item that muddies the waters is the likelihood of false-flag operations. I've read about them, and they are most commonly described by the tin-foil hat brigade. I had to do a little research and it looks like many nations have used false-flag operations at one time or another, and the US is no exception. These global intrigues are like the layers of an onion, with everybody lying to each other and the truth is unlikely to be revealed. In the interests of National Security, of course. Being misinformed and misled is now part of our new reality.
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Nobody has mentioned anything here about the recently signed legislation that allows ISPs (internet service providers) to sell your personal information. Browsing history, GPS location, social media contacts, all kinds of metadata are available to the highest bidder. It used to be that the user could opt out of sharing this information, which is mainly used for advertising, but no more. Isn't that a little scary, given how insecure much of the internet is? It's not just advertisers I'm thinking about; how about law enforcement or other authorities? No warrants necessary, just pony up a few bucks; I'm sure they will be offered generous discounts.
It's an ongoing trend, this invasive snooping by the government. I believe international travelers are already required to unlock all devices for TSA inspection. And I've read anecdotal stories about police demanding the same thing, even for trivial matters like a traffic stop. Unlock your phone because you were going five mph over the limit? That's not right.
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Although I've seen it a couple of times over the years, I gave Goodfellas, a film some critics consider Scorcese's finest work, another viewing the other night. Good golly, it holds up well, even better than I remember. There are things I never noticed before, such as a production error where, in a scene that takes place in 1963, this guy is leaning on the trunk of a '65 Impala. Mr. Beagles has mentioned a dislike of movies with bloody scenes, so this is not a movie for him, even if those scenes are highly exaggerated and unrealistic. But it's a well told tale, very stylish, and well acted. Good soundtrack, too.
One thing I noticed is that most of the crimes committed happened with the collusion of police, security guards, and other insiders, who were all properly rewarded. I don't recall any out and out "stick 'em ups." But if you screw up and violate their code the penalty is severe; you will get whacked. Their system is rigged, too.
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