This diary began as a comment in a dialogue with someone on a KOS diary about another topic.  As it turned out the writer I was responding too said he was a stationed on a destroyer and his wife was also in the Navy, active duty which gave me pause to reflect.  

I wondered how to respectfully point out that his present "profession"and the way it is defined and presented in public discourse is part of the problem?

I feel it is time we let go of the notion that warriors and wars are inevitable and even admirable part of a national policy.  The exigencies of life on a changing planet guarantee that doing business like a 19th century industrial bully in a 20th century world will end in failure!

I'm hoping that the costs associated with the recent earthquake will impede the plans for the so called "Hawaii Super Ferry." The ferry is clearly a money-making venture inevitably bound to impact the way of life of the local residents in a terrible and negative way. The truth of it is that we don't know the impacts because our Democratic legislators and our Republican Governor have neglected to provide an EIS.

Congessional candidate Gary Hooser is saying all the right things:This is a quote from Gary Hooser's great diary on Kos.  Check it out here: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2006/7/28/05053/2336

"I am running for this seat because our country and world is headed in a direction that must be reversed and it must happen soon. I would like to be an agent for change in Washington D.C. working for peace, justice and sustainability. I could say "fighting" for peace, justice and sustainability...but somehow...saying "fighting" for peace just doesn't seem to fit.

I consider myself a pragmatic idealist and my track record in Hawaii is clear and unambiguous. I co-sponsored a state resolution against the war in Iraq prior to the start of the war and remain committed to begin now withdrawing our troops. On issues of privacy and personal, civil and human rights my voting record at the state level is clear and strong in the protection of those rights. On issues of the environment, the Hawaii Sierra Club recently recognized me as having the best environmental voting record of the entire state senate. Additional information on my background and record can be found on the website.

Mr. Clinton, in support of the so-called war and Mr. Lieberman tried to make the point that the campaign should not be about the war, but "Democratic core values" instead.  Below is my take on it.  

The Akaka campaign has come out with a series of strong television advertisements for the incumbent that emphasize the fact that Mr. Akaka was one of the 23 United States Senators that stood up for their country and courageously voted against the "war" resolution.  In my opinion, this one act, this acknowledgement of core human values, DEMOCRATIC VALUES, this one vote, redeems any small errors he might have made along the way.

I find the emergence of the World Cup and soccer on the world's stage including the American national one an encouraging sign.  Americans until now, as far as the definition of "football" is concerned have been constricted and narrow in their world-vision, their weltenshaung, only recently begrudgingly granting soccer the name "football" that is used commonly elsewhere on the planet.  Going even further, I will assert that this worldwide media play, this enhanced and much ballyhooed World Soccer Cup television reality show, a profitable public countdown to arguably the best soccer team in the whole wide world for the year, this popular global event could be a significant precursor to a sea change in the American psyche.

My attention has been turning more toward what is happening in the Pacific Basin and the countries surrounding it.  I'll be starting a site soon that is directed to the Pacific.  This is practice chops.

There is just so much shit staining the Republican elephant and when I thnk about I realize it will provide grist for many investigations and much discussion and study for years.  That is, IF we get out of this without George and his cronies causing anymore global mayhem and destruction.  Yeah, he continues to endanger our lives.

Is any expletive bad enough for Mr. Bush?

When I first started writing my congressmen and and others to protest Mr. Bush's foreign adventures, I resolved to use no disrepectful language of a personal nature.  

When I started to read more about the outsourcing the port issues and the security breaches, the difficult shipping time deadlines (In America it takes a full 24 hours to inspect one, that's right ONE container.) and more recently the fact that the majority of the fresh food we consume comes from outside the United States through many of the ports in question. I had missed the transition from being the breadbasket of the world to being the stomach of the world. Our survival from oil, to cars, to food etc. all depends upon the goods being shipped to us on our very efficient networks of distribution.

The below article inpired me to do the cartoon you see below the fold.  The Bush Garden.  

A Tutorial on How to Find the Real Numbers:  Just How Big is the Defense Budget? By WINSLOW T. WHEELER in counter punch.  http://counterpunch.org/wheeler01192006.html