N513AU;
It’s easy for Chipmunn to be so cheery. He doesn’t have to live on the wages of ordinary workers. Next he will be telling us how hard it is to go from $200k to $150K a year. (Imagine the indignity of having to trade in a Hummer for an Excursion, these sure are rough times honey). My heart bleeds.
If we all could get away with making six figures @ 85hrs a month then maybe we would have his attitude also. We don’t see him volunteering to live on $50K or less but he will sure tell you why you should – in order to save his six figure income.
As far as terrorism and radical Islamic sects go the main source of Wahibi (SIC?) Islam is Saudi Arabia. Not Palestine, not Iraq and not Afghanistan. Al Qaida was a joint venture between the US and Saudi Arabia to fight the Russians in Afghanistan.
Most people on this planet do not hate Americans as much as the press would have you believe. Most of them feel the same way about us as we do about the Swiss, (Yea, they exist, good Chocolate, nice clocks, so?). Just because they show a few hundred demonstrators burning American Flags that doesn’t mean that the majority of the population feels that way. What the press doesn’t show is how many of those same protestors went to McDonald's or Starbucks afterwards or used their cell phones to brag about how they were going to be on TV. If they all feel such contempt for the west then why do so many of them learn to speak English? Wear western style clothing? Why do they consume western products?
Right now we (the United States) have to deal with an ultra-right wing monster that we helped to create. We've paid a heavy price for this, and its not the first time either. In the 1930's US industrialist (along with others) supported the Fascists, which resulted in at least 40million dead. 295,000 Americans died. In the 50s, 60s & 70s we supported various fascist-like dictators across the globe. At one time we even supported Saddam. Another was Noriega, when he got out of hand we removed him, killing a few thousand innocent Panamanians in the process. Most of the world has no intent on coming here to harm us, they just don’t want us to go there and harm them-like blowing up a pharmaceutical factory in Africa, and then saying oops, we made a mistake afterwards. Do you think that when US embassies were attacked in Africa and local peoples were killed their relations supported these acts? Eliminating Al-Qaida will be a lengthy, time-consuming and delicate process. We helped create this complex monster and now we have to get rid of it. We certainly don’t want to do things that would encourage support for these radicals. Israel used the Sept 11 attacks to their advantage further complicating things and making the objective of the American people even more difficult. Now Bush wants to further broaden the conflict into Iraq, even though this would mean that we would lose the co-operation of the many Islamic states that are also opposing Radical Islamic Movements. Even Kuwait and Saudi Arabia say that we cant use their territories or airspace to launch attacks against Iraq.
Worldwide trade is and has been a fact of life for a long, long time. We have to learn to trade with other peoples and cultures without trying to subordinate them. Organizations like the WTO are trying to subordinate all peoples, including Americans, to moneyed interests, not democratic interests. When George Bush Sr and now Jr speak of a New World Order they are using the same term used by none other than Adolph Hitler. Bush Jr is trying to use the fear generated as a result of Sept 11 to change our values away from Freedom and tolerance towards Security and intolerance. Similar to Krystallnacht. Just as Hitler was very cooperative towards industrialists and hostile towards Unions Bush has shown the same positions repeatedly. Just as Hitler sought excuses to go to war against vastly inferior adversaries, the Cheks and the Poles, to solidify domestic support and thwart political opposition we see GW doing the same, trying to panic the nation because Saddam may have the bomb in 6 years (50 year old technology). North Korea not only has the bomb, but also the means to deliver it, then again so does China, all the former countries of the USSR and Israel, one of the few nations that have attacked American Warships as an ally. Are we prepared to attack all these countries too? If Iraq is violating the terms of its agreement with the UN then its up to the UN to authorize action against Iraq.Didnt Bush claim that we would no longer be the policeman of the world during his campain? Yea, I know Sept 11, well that means AlQaida. If Kuwait and Saudi Arabia dont want any part in dealing with Iraq then why should we? Oil? Everyday we find more, and the technology to get it. We should be developing alternate sources anyway, for the sake of our children who have to live on this planet.
Will another terrorist attack happen? I don’t know. I do recall that several terrorist attacks were thwarted after the first attack on the WTC. Thwarted terrorist attacks don’t shake up the population or create headlines and hysteria like ones that are carried out. Who benefited the most from Sept11?- George Bush. Throughout the nineties I can remember being put on high alert as an airport worker. Being told to be especially vigilant, report anything unusual and to challenge anyone you don’t know to see his or her ID. I recall that in the 90s a government study cited the lack of airport security, its recommendations were ignored. Basically the security that we are putting in place now is what the British have had all along. I don’t recall being put on any such alert from the time Bush was elected till Sept 11, even though press reports say that the FBI and CIA were aware something was up. But then again it’s the press and who knows if there is a real story or they are just creating headlines to sell soup and cars.
Our challenge is to not allow those in control to exploit the current conditions. We cant allow our compensation to be set back once again. Once the concessions start, it’s hard to stop. USAIR will probably come back for more, the more you give over time, the more you are put into a position where you have to give more to hopefully recover what you have lost. One thing that should be a good indicator of exactly how those in control feel about the real possibility for success is how they tie their personal financial futures to those of the company. If they continue to draw high salaries, any thing over six figures, and require bonuses in cash to stay on then you know how they really feel. After all if you are asked to live on a salary that can barely keep you out of poverty then surely these brilliant people should also be able to manage on lower incomes also.
The biggest threat to our freedom and financial health does not come from abroad. It doesn’t come from people who wear sheets and towels; it comes from those who wear suits and live right here.
