Miscellaneous And Off Topic Subjects

[Mike]

I would imagine there were reps from both camps present at the coin flips, right?

Hanni, spot on with the MSU analogy. I want thinking the same thing recently.

[hack]

Bernie apparently wonders about that too.

[Prime2]

Political new low.

http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/ontario-byelection-candidate-changes-name-to-none-of-the-above-1.2759391

[hack]

Some crackerjack reporting in there. Writer really got in people's faces, so you can see why they needed to go with the anonymous quote:

Reaction from area residents over the weekend was lukewarm. “It’s probably a gimmick,” said one man.

[Da Geezer]

Word is also that 90 Dem precincts totally lost their votes.

Rigged.

[WM Wolverine]

Happens all the time.

[entropy]

usually in Chicago.. not Iowa

[Ghengis Jon]

In Chicago you're limited to two votes.

[entropy]

Not if you are dead...


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[lineygoblue]

Word is also that 90 Dem precincts totally lost their votes.

Rigged.

The Clinton election machine is fully operational I see ....

[Mike]

The HillTron 4000 cannot be defeated!!

[Jeff Buchanan]

Where is Jimmy Carter and his corrupt third world elections poll monitoring when you need him?

Just back from Asia. Third world? Not even close. Sure there's poverty and pockets of discontent/political unrest (Jakarta and parts of Mindano in the Philippine archipelago) but in the major Metro Areas of Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Ho Chi Min City (formerly Saigon, Vietnam) and Singapore there is incredible prosperity. Moreover, it is safe .... for now.

You've certainly heard about the Asian economies booming. Well, that's for sure. The cities I mention, especially KL and Singapore, are beautiful, spotlessly clean, safe and full of well dressed, economically up-scale residents. Infrastructure there has any US city I've recently visited beat hands down in terms of transportation, ease of movement, cleanliness, public/green space, phone, data and wifi service. I lived in the Philippines for a year in the early 70s and Manila has changed dramatically for the better since then. I flew combat missions extensively over Vietnam in 72/73. I only knew it from the air and though a bomb site. I landed once at Danang airbase near Hue City for an emergency. Fixed the plane and off we went back to the Philippines, our main operating base. So, I never saw Vietnam on foot during the Vietnam War years and glad I didn't. You've seen the pictures of the last Americans being evacuated from roof tops in Saigon when the North Vietnamese Army captured the palace in April, 1975 and the Democratic Republic of South Vietnam collapsed giving way to the communists. Well, Saigon has prospered since Doi Moi implemented by the communists in 1986 after attempts to implement Soviet Style economic policies throughout Vietnam in the late 70s failed miserably. If you want to find a good example of why Soviet style, centrally controlled economies routinely fail, Vietnam is a good one. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doi_Moi

I was pretty amazed. Travel like this for typical Americo-centric US Citizens can be eye opening and world view expanding. I recommend it. America is a great country for a lot of reasons but, we are getting outpaced by Asian countries with governments not spending trillions on defense and choosing instead to use tax dollars to improve education and infrastructure while implementing the kind of economic policy and regulatory framework that free-market capitalists who permeate our economy abhor. As Americans, we should be taking note, not that I think anyone will. After all, "we're #1."

[hack]

Did you go to the former South Vietnamese HQ in Saigon? That might be my favorite tourist attraction outside the seven wonders.

Anyhow, I fully agree that things look pretty good over there. Caveats apply and the corruption has a different flavor, but those are nice places to be right now. I think 5 of the world's 8 key real estate markets, if I recall it right.

[Jeff Buchanan]

Did you go to the former South Vietnamese HQ in Saigon? That might be my favorite tourist attraction outside the seven wonders.

I did but we didn't go inside because the basement, where the HQ was, is closed and being rehabbed. We did go to the War Remnants Museum. Interesting. The first hall is full of anti-US and French Agressor's/Colonialist propaganda. The North Vietnamese, the loyal communists at least, are being taught the "right" view of history. But there is enough there to honestly depict the horrors of what Vietnam has gone through v. the French and then the US. It's sad. The highlight of that was a hall dedicated to all the war correspondents who died capturing images on film from the early 50s to the end of the US combat involvement in 1973. Unbelievably vivid war pictorials. I was moved. I don't tear up very often. I did here. There is also a hall depicting the damage done, environmentally and human, by the tons of Agent Orange dropped all over Vietnam to defoliate NVA and Viet Cong hiding places. I didn't even go in it. Too hard.

We hired a young guide who was openly and staunchly anticommunist. He was only reserved when in ear-shot of local law enforcement officials or others he pointed out that "watch us." The obvious down side of Communist rule. Most Saigoners are anticommunist. They come from families that lived in the South whose relatives were harshly "reeducated" by the North Vietnamese after the South was "liberated." 2.5 Million South Vietnamese fled after the Communist take-over so, there is a lot of pent up anger among the younger generation who are there now.

In Saigon (Ho CHi Min City), there's an interesting tension. It's brought to life by the placement of the flag of North Vietnam and the Hammer and Sickle along streets where there are obviously booming businesses and eateries. Not at all gray and Stalinesque. There are also plenty of billboards with happy workers singing the praise of the collective. Totally laughable and out of place if you know how vibrant and utterly successful Saigon entrepreneurialism is ..... don't get caught pointing and laughing though.

Saigon is still a beautiful place, bustling, featuring wide, tree lined and shaded boulevards, terrific history, architecture and fantastic food. It was fun.

Anyhow, I fully agree that things look pretty good over there. Caveats apply and the corruption has a different flavor, but those are nice places to be right now. I think 5 of the world's 8 key real estate markets, if I recall it right.

Our guide repeated the famous line, "in a communist society everyone is the same, they are equal, but some are more equal than others." So, yeah, corruption, different. Party officials, have much nicer homes than ordinary citizens as our guide pointed these out. They are impressively different.

[hack]

Saigon is fantastic, and the Vietnamese are so creative with their street commerce. Great place. A lot of French-era flair to it. I only went once and swore to go back. Shame it hasn't happened yet.