Litchfield Experiment

While watching an old episode of the "X-files" I came across reference to a US cold war project called the "Litchfield Experiment".  The program claims that the government made an attempt to clone the super-soldier or the super-intellect by eugenics to bred babies that would grow into these super humans.  I am not sure myself how this all might work but it seems the embryos were produced in the lab by the process of in-vitro fertilization and then implanted in unsuspecting women.  The offspring were referred to as "Adam" or "Eve" and each was given a number.  The experiment was conducted by the Luther Stapes Center for . Reproductive Medicine and run by a Dr Sally Kendrick.  The date in the program was 1985.  I googled "Litchfield Experiment" and found that there was such a program run by the US government in the 1950's because we were afraid the Russians were doing the same thing and we didn't want them to get ahead of us in this field.  For some reason the program was abandoned.  The "X-file" program claims that the surviving Adam and Eves were kept locked up in some kind of prison.  How true is the premise of his program?  I don't know. 

The Domino Theory

Many of us-my age-remember the use of this term to justify our position in the war in Vietnam.  If the US allowed South Vietnam to "go communist" then it would cause of ripple effect causing other neighboring countries to also fall to the communist aggression.  They would fall like dominoes, we were told, and the world would be much more dangerous.  As we know that turned out to be wrong.

I understand that now, in our efforts to punish Syria for using chemical weapons on areas of it population, we must now respond because if we did not then other countries around the world would also use chemical weapons against its own citizens or others who they were at war with.  Another foreign policy of the US based on the "domino theory".  I  believe the theory holds no water.

(Source: "Syria not likely to retaliate against US" by Anne Gearan of The Washington Post.  In The Record (of Bergen County, NJ) on 8/31/13.

Lock and Load

In Houston, Texas-the state that might just be the gun capital of America-a birthday party for an 18 year old ended with a gun fight.  The OK corral is back.  One party goer took out his handgun and fired off a round in celebration, much like they do in middle east countries to note a victory against the great satan of North America.  Problem being is that another party goer pulled out his handgun and fired back in what he thought was self-defense.  This is  what one might expect if everyone was carrying a piece; a vision of the NRA's perfect society

Obama and Race

The election of Barack Obama has done nothing to resolve the racial problems of our country; on the contrary it may have made them worse.  Many whites can now say "enough"...that the black man has finally achieved equality in our society.  I am sure many whites felt that voting for him in 2008 was there way of showing that they were no longer racist.  His re-election in 2012 leaves me scratching my head; is my observation wrong or was Romney just the "right" opponent to insure another victory for racial justice?

It should also be noted that Obama is not our first "black" president; he is our first "brown" president. Remember his mother was white and he was raised in a white world by white grandparents.  To say other wise is discount the effect of our mothers on our upbringing and I don't know anyone who would claim that. I am also thinking about that Langston Hughes poem that in part said;  "if your white, you're alright.  If you are brown, hang around.  If you are black stay back".

In The Nation magazine from Sept 2/9, 2013 is the following statement.  "Black unemployment is almost double that of whites; the percentage of black children living in poverty is almost triple that of whites; black life expectancy in Washington DC is lower than in the Gaza Strip; one in three black boys born in 2001 stands a lifetime risk of going to prison; more black men  were disenfranchised in 2004 because they were felons than in 1870, the year the 15th Amendment ostensibly secured their right to vote".

The same source notes the following. "Yet the fact remains that African Americans are no better off materially as a result (of his election), even if they may have been worse off had he lost, and that the economic gap  between blacks and whites has grown under his presidency". 

NSA

The FISA court-a secret court, that we know about but are not privy to its deliberations-has given the NSA the authority "to keep collecting US phone records".  The NSA director-James Clapper (or is it Grapper?)-let it be known that the collection of records would continue under the Obama admin's order.  Clapper "at one time told Congress his officers do not collect such data".  The leaks by Edwin Snowden made Clapper's claim a lie.  Please tell me why Clapper is not being charged with lying under oath as Bill Clinton was?  If anyone believes anything the NSA or Clapper says in the future they should have their heads examined.

(Source:  The Virginian Pilot on 10/12/13 "Secret Court Allows NSA to Keep Collecting US Phone Records")

Update:  Snowden, in a video posted by Wikileaks from Moscow, claims that the surveillance program he uncovered is going to "...hurt our economy and country...limit our ability to speak and think and live and be creative, to have relationships and to associate freely".  If he is right it will be like America under the tyranny of Joe McCarthy when people were unwilling to speak their minds being afraid they would be accused of communist leanings.  Our foreign policy toward China in the late 1940;s and 1950's was most certainly effected by this self-censorship of policy makers and commentators and other with knowledge of the issues of the day.  Maybe that would give some reason to say that is the damage that Snowden has done. 

Aid to Egypt and others.

The Virginian Pilot reports today that besides the $ 1.5 billion (The figure has also been reported as $ 1 billion and $ 1.3 billion.  Every time I read a report of this nature the figure seems to increase.  I wonder how much we really give Egypt; I am not sure I can believe what my government tells me about the amount) we give Egypt, other middle east countries give more.  Qatar gives $ 8 billion. Saudi Arabia gives $ 5 billion. Kuwait gives $ 4 billion.  The United Arab Emirates gives $ 3 billion.  These figures come from the AP.  First thought; if Egypt's neighbors are ponying up $ 20 billion a year, why do we need to add another $ 1.5? Second thought; I wonder how much of the aid middle east neighbors are giving actually is coming from us thru our aid to them?

Any while all this money is flowing down a "rat-hole", citizens in major US cities are going without, roads and schools are being ignored and millions of Americans do not have health insurance.

Items of Interest for today.

The Washington Spectator, in a pro-mo ad notes the following items.

First, $ 806 billion in 2012 was spent on the military while the American Society of Civil Engineers reported that "repair backlog on our nation's public schools to be $ 322 billion...and $ 930 billion just to repair America's roads and bridges".  That $ 800 billion is almost half of "federal discretionary spending" (note: what items are not included in discretionary spending?).

Second, 29 % of Americans (and 44 % of Republicans) "believe armed revolution might be necessary in the next few years to preserve our liberty" (it would seem from the rest of the article that the liberty to own a gun is the heart of the matter with this group).  Have these people given any thought to what kind of government would replace the present one?  Do we want armed militia groups running the country?  Maybe these people have been inhaling too much gun powder.  If they tried pot and mellowed out we all might all be safer.

Third, a Harris Poll reports that 40 % of those who responded (and 67 % of republicans) believe Obama is a Socialist.  A third (and 57 % of republicans) believe Obama is a Muslim.  A majority of republicans believe Obama was not born in this country.  Didn't Thomas Jefferson say that in order to maintain our liberty and form of government, we must remain informed.