Sunday, June 26, 2011

Sunday musings

Can you believe that we have finally had four days without rain? All through the west of Canada water has been falling at a rate that has been described as once in every five hundred years. Hopefully this is the start of the return to a more normal weather pattern.
I had some good news this week.
An author in the States who I have met on the 'Net has published another book. I was involved in a small way in this production and if anyone is interested in possibly getting a copy of this book, they can contact me at my blog and I will forward their email address to the author. The book is of a science fiction bent and it is the third in the series. All three books are excellent reads.
Well, Canada Day (July 1) is fast approaching and throughout the country celebrations are being planned and hopefully the weather will cooperate. We intend to go to the local park and mingle with the people and enjoy a good day off.
 And a happy 4th of July to our American cousins as well.
The process of withdrawal of American troops from Afghanistan has been announced by President Obama. What a long and costly war that has been for the Americans.
What has been accomplished?
Money drained from the economy, too many lives lost, and for what?
This is a nation that is corrupt to the core. As soon as the Americans are gone from a village or town, the Taliban return with their terror tactics and Sharia law. Once the withdrawal is complete, opium production will resume and the export to the States will resume and the harsh impact on the people will be felt and seen.
This was truly a war of no hope.
I read an article the other day that said that there is a growing sense of unease in Germany these days as the crisis in Greece and other EU countries deepens. That this is fueling a desire to close borders and restrict people from moving into the country. Also a distrust of the Euro and a desire to return to the old currency- the Mark. If this is really happening in the economic powerhouse of Europe, then the possibility of another economic recession looms ahead I believe.
In many articles from the United States that I have read recently, there seems to be a growing rise of isolationism and tariff protectionism happening as the country is not recovering from the recession of '08 as well as had been hoped. Many politicians believe that this poorly thought out strategy will get votes and restore America to the powerhouse that it once was.
Sadly the solution is not so simple.
Once a trade and tariff war starts, every country will be the loser. If the NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) treaty between Canada and the States is revoked because of perceived pluses for the Canadians at the expense of the Americans, will the Americans be willing to have their country's largest supplier of crude oil (that is correct, it is not Saudi Arabia) literally turn off the taps and send the crude to countries like India and China?
For every action, there is always a reaction, whether in Nature or in politics.
In the near future I am going to see if I can change the look of this blog in order to accommodate photographs as pretty soon we are off to Vancouver and then in the future all the way to Argentina!
I am going to take a minute to thank all of you that have checked into my blog through the weeks. It never ceases to amaze me as to the fact that people actually read my thoughts and ramblings. From here in Canada to the United States to Germany, England, Philippians, Indonesia, Russia and Australia- thank you!
On that note I will sign off for this week,
take care out there,
flatlander52

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