Arrrrrgh, It's Me Cabin Boy!!!!!!

The Law Of Unintended Consequences

I love traveling - always have. This most recent trip to San Diego & LA, however, was seriously trying for a variety of reasons. Most of them had to do with a certain airline that shall remain nameless (but rhymes with "shoebyted"). First, we find out at the airport that our flight to Chicago is canceled due to "mechanical problems." That's airline parlance for "this flight was not oversold and since we're loosing so much money, we'll just cancel this unprofitable flight and rebook you at our convenience all while telling you that it's a mechanical problem so you'll just be relieved we caught it." The line to rebook was miles long and wound into the bathrooms. After getting to meet many surly and unhelpful Shoebyted employees, we finally called to rebook and found a friendly skycap (they are awesome!) who jumped the red tape to get us tickets. Then it was a simple matter of negotiating a departure security checkpoint that in its frenetic disorganization and hysteria resembled the fall of Saigon (people wailing about missing flights, babies held aloft as mother cried "but he's half American!") and we were on our way. Switching planes in LA only brought more problems, the upshot of which got us free vouchers so they could do it to us again. Also. my father had to come get us and drive us to San Diego. On the way back, they canceled our reservation twice and the checking was another endless line, as was security. the flights were fine, however, and I only felt better after Nili reminded me that a journey like this would've taken weeks a hundred years ago, not days. However, is that really the motto an airline wants on their logo?

I noticed that we were traveling about 50 years and a day after the CIA and the British overthrew the inchoate and hostile to total Western control of their resources that was 1950's Iranian democracy. the despotic Shah was imposed upon the unfortunate people of that region, eventually leading to animosity towards the West and the rise of the Islamic Revolution. This fueled Islamic extremism that would eventually fight the West through terrorism, a proxy fight against Israel, and a war with Western-supported Iraq. Finding more adherents, Al Queda would eventually form and they would eventually strike the US. The US would respond with a casual attack against the Taliban in Afghanistan but then pull out (leaving the Taliban to wander the countryside and rise again under various incarnations) once it's economic interests were assured with the opium growing warlords and the weak government it left in charge (the UN can clean up that mess!). The US the took the opportunity to attack Iraq to gain control of its oil resources in order to pressure Saudi Arabia and intimidate Iran as well as the rest of the region. Meanwhile, domestic life in the US has seen a steady erosion of first amendment rights and privacy and a more police state atmosphere take hold. Freedom is being incrementally traded for a false sense of security on a daily basis and fear is pedaled to the populace to keep them from questioning the government's motives. The reality is that we are less safe from terrorists that would do us harm as well as from the Justice Department and the White House, that would use the cover of an illegal war they created to transfer to the richest of the rich as much of the wealth of the country they could steal. Part of the distraction, like I said, was a obsessive but illusionary focus on security, which I had the personal pleasure of experiencing in a 2 hour wait to even get to my departure gate.

So, to sum it all up: Because the CIA overthrew a fledgeling democracy in the Middle East 50 years ago, lots of people came to want to blow up our airplanes, making me have to wait forever to get to my flight. I guess it's my own fault since I didn't take a private jet like Dick Cheney.

Is Anyone Safe From These People?

Page 2 of the Boston Globe has an article about how the EPA was pressured to omit information about its concerns regarding the air quality around ground zero a week after the attacks. The pressure came from, of course, the White House. Consequently, millions were left uniformed on the hazards of breathing small debris and how to clean their living spaces. There have been recent published reports of the negative health effects the air has had on people, especially the negative effect on pregant women and their babies. Is there anyway that the White House isn't out to screw the victims of Sept 11th? The troops and veterans? The elderly? The public school system? Anyone that is irresponsible enough to make less than $300,000 a year? Assholes.