Four Star General, Peter van Uhm, the highest ranking member of the Royal Netherlands Army, shares why sometimes you need to have a gun at Ted Talks, Amsterdam. Van Uhm said, “Sometimes only the gun can stand between good and evil,” He goes on further, “And that is why I took up the gun. Not to shoot, not to kill, not to destroy. But to stop those who would do evil. To protect the vulnerable. To defend democratic values.”
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
The future of the Scimitar Horned Oryx, Dama Gazelle, and Addax
Over 30 years ago, the few remaining animals of each species were sent to ranches located in Texas and zoos even sent their remaining animals of each breed to the same ranches in the hopes of preventing them from becoming extinct. Today, there are now of total of over 50,000 Oryx, Dama Gazelle, and Addax frolicking around Texas. In fact, should someone want to see these animals, their only realistically going to find them in Texas and not so much of their native lands in Northern Africa. What helps keep these species alive are hunters who pay the ranches thousands of dollars for one of these animals. Sacrificing one can save over 10 others. The ranches then use the money to buy feed and help maintain a suitable habitat for them. It has turned into a $1 billion dollar industry.
Now the three animals are facing the greatest threat of extinction from an animal rights group called, Friends of Animals, and Priscilla Feral, who leads the organization. They recently won fighting in the courts and pressuring the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to where the Scimitar Horned Oryx, Dama Gazelle, and the Addax now need Federal Permits in order to hunt them. Essentially all the funding that helped save the animals, is now cut, and if the ranches cannot fund their survival, they will become extinct. Feral essentially claimed to 60 Minutes that these animals should not be in Texas and should be back in Africa. She fails to realize that Texas in the place that saved them. Friends of Animals don't realize that they will be the downfall of the animals they are "trying" to save. The 60 Minutes segment (which is fair to both sides) can be viewed here:
The United States Fish and Wildlife order can be read here:
More information about the topic can be also found here:
http://www.texashunting411.com/scimitar-horned-oryx-addax-dama-gazelle-esa-permits-needed-now/
I love these animals (I have scene all of them), and I want them to succeed and thrive. The only way that can happen for the next 100 years (and most likely more) is in Texas and the ranches need the money from hunting in order to save them. Friends of Animals and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife will be responsible for the extinction of these animals within my lifetime should this order remain in effect.
I love these animals (I have scene all of them), and I want them to succeed and thrive. The only way that can happen for the next 100 years (and most likely more) is in Texas and the ranches need the money from hunting in order to save them. Friends of Animals and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife will be responsible for the extinction of these animals within my lifetime should this order remain in effect.
-Christian
Update: Here is a Twitter conversation I had with Pricilla Feral:
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---She never states how many of the three animals remain in Africa. Also notice how she only mentions the Oryx and not the Addax or Dama Gazelle which are also affected? By Feral's logic, every American whether they are of European, African, Asian or any descent should be sent back to their "native" lands even though these species (like many Americans) have been here for generations.
Images:
Thursday, December 22, 2011
The Consequences of Pulling Out of Iraq in 2011
As we left, Iraq has no standing Air Force meaning anyone can cross over their skies such as Iran or even Israel. In fact, one of the top Iraqi military leaders, Lieutenant General Babaker Zebari, said Iraq would not be ready to defend its own borders and air space until 2020. Eight years is more than enough time for Iran to turn Iraq into another Lebanon or Syria, essentially another puppet state for the radical regime. I believe the main reason we entered Iraq was to contain Iran (Iraq to the west, Afghanistan to the east) just like Iran is doing to Israel with Syria, Lebanon, Gaza Strip, and now maybe even in Egypt.
To make matters worse, the day after the United States military presence was non existent, the Iraqi government started making moves to possibly reignite sectarian violence. Shiite Prime Minister, Nouri al-Maliki, issued an arrest warrant for Vice President, Tariq al-Hasemi, who is Sunni. The Vice President is now in hiding from Iraqi officials in the northern semiautonomous Kurdistan region of Iraq and al-Maliki is now ordering Kurdistan officials to turn over the Vice President. Surely the coalition government is bound to collapse over this incident and who knows whats in store for the government. All we can do is hope this does not turn into another dictatorship.
Lastly, as reported today, deadly bombings are now starting to happen as over 50 people have been killed in the most recent attack. No matter what day, month, or year we pulled out, this was bound to happen. While it is not a coincidence, all we can do is hope the Iraqis can find the strength to pull through these terrorist attacks and not revert to another civil war. If that happens, it will not stop until a dictator is once again in power or the nation is divided up into three regions which I don't see happening.
The United States did remove an extremely evil man from power, Saddam Hussein, and did an amazing job with the "troop surge" ordered in 2007. Pulling out of Iraq in 2011 was premature if we wanted the Iraq experiment to succeed so they could have liberty and be able to defend it. While the 2020 mark was way too long into the future, it was not ideal to pull out now, especially because their defense forces are not ready. If Iraq goes back to its historical ways, history could blame President Obama because of his failure to secure a proper deal for the United States military to remain in Iraq for a couple more years. President Bush was constantly in contact with the Iraqi government to secure deals, but, Obama did not show the same due diligence. All we can do now, is hope Iraq can get the proper resources to secure itself quickly and not have the coalition government based on religious factions, collapse.
-Christian N.
Sources:
- http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/18/world/la-fg-iraq-last-convoy-20111219
- http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iYV48140VGP9NW1ILBsXkgWVsE4g?docId=CNG.df3ecb21e974d96be42ce539d582b290.3c1
- http://www.theblaze.com/stories/iraq-issues-arrest-warrant-for-sunni-vp-on-terrorism-charges/
- http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/12/22/explosions-rock-baghdad-7-killed-3-injured/?test=latestnews
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Why isn't the Mainstream Media covering Egypt now?
Almost a year ago, I wrote an article about the dangers of the Arab Spring. Mubarak, the former leader of Egypt, was an evil dictator, but did bring relative stability to the region. What I feared, as well as others, plus some Egyptians I know now living in the United States was more radical people would take over in the region making it less stable and giving less freedom to their citizens. As the riots in the streets happened, the Mainstream Media praised them and talked about how the Muslim Brotherhood were "moderate" and a democratically elected Egypt would be great with them in charge.
Flash forward 11 months later and things are way worse now than one year ago and are way worse the geniuses in the Mainstream Media predicted for the "new" Mid East. As the Daily Mail in the United Kingdom reported, the Egyptian military (the same military which the Mainstream Media wanted to throw out Mubarak) is now beating people at will and destroying their property.
Warning, images and video after the break may be disturbing and not appropriate for some to view:
Flash forward 11 months later and things are way worse now than one year ago and are way worse the geniuses in the Mainstream Media predicted for the "new" Mid East. As the Daily Mail in the United Kingdom reported, the Egyptian military (the same military which the Mainstream Media wanted to throw out Mubarak) is now beating people at will and destroying their property.
Warning, images and video after the break may be disturbing and not appropriate for some to view:
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Now Taking Bets on the Next Dictator to go
Kim Jong-un, the son of the Team American star dictator, will probably not make the region more "stable" than it currently is. In fact, since he is under 30, military leaders may not accept him as the next leader of North Korea which could start a whole new controversy in a nation that has 4th largest military in the world and has nuclear weapons. No one, not even China, knows what will happen within the most isolationist nation on Earth. Certainly, the United States, Japan, and South Korea are on heightened alert status and will be monitoring the situation closely. As the world changes, Asia could be next. China is certainly rising as scene with its military buildup, scaring neighboring nations such as Vietnam and Taiwan. Kim Jong-Il's death may bring less stability in a world struggling for power, yet it is great news the dictator is gone.
Over 3 evil leaders have been killed this year, as well as other controversial leaders killed/removed from power. Who will be next before 2012? 1-5 odds I'll take Fidel Castro, 3-5 odds is Hugo Chavez both because of their health. Wouldn't it be nice for two more "pals" to leave earth? 5-1 odds says Raul Castro, the brother of Fidel. 9-1 is Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo of Equatorial Guinea. 20-1 odds has Bashar al-Assad of Syria, but his stock could rise quickly should NATO/US be allowed to intervene or if the opposition gains more ground. Finally at 100-1 is Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov of Turkmenistan.
There you have folks, another evil dictator gone in 2011, but now more uncertainty for the future of the world.
-Christian
Sources:
1) http://scrapetv.com/News/News%20Pages/Everyone%20Else/images-7/kim-jong-il-team-america.jpg
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