[Arktwo] Happy Thanksgiving

[Bruce Beach]

As a conclusion 
to my many newsletter alerts on the subject -
the 'liberal' Ayatollah Boroujerdi 
was arrested in Iran.

http://tinyurl.com/z9hqp 

Also as everyone must know
the NK Test is a done deal, 
and Israel is preparing for a Syrian attack.
 
The propellers are still turning, turning, turning, 
taking Ike and The Boxer to the Gulf.

I would say -
quite a bit for one Canadian Thanksgiving Day, 
but of course my children want to hear none of it.

The Iranian potential revolt thing 
didn't get any play in the American press. 
Some were hoping, I am sure, 
and probably thought any Western remarks 
would scotch it for sure.

On the other hand - 
to give any credence 
as to it being possible -
would play into the theme 
that outside assistance for regime change 
is necessary.

Either way - 
it was interesting while it lasted.

In the US press -
the NK Nuke thing 
is also getting a lot of strange massaging.

Lots of downplaying, 
that it wasn't a weapon -
but just a 'device'. 
That either it wasn't very big - 
or that it was defective.
Just 2Kt.

I always get into trouble 
when I try to explain these figures -
but here I go again. 

Think of it this way. 
We all hear about the terrible car bombs -
that are used in Iraq 
to blow up in a shopping district 
destroying numbers of shops 
and killing sometimes dozens of people.

They are called IEDs 
(Improvised Explosive Devices) 
and are often denigrated in the press 
as not being 'real' weapons 
like the US military has.

They are usually some explosives 
stuck in the trunk of a car - 
but in my opinion they do real damage.

Nevertheless -
imagine that you had instead - 
a whole quarter ton pickup truck 
loaded with dynamite. 

Then imagine that you had 
four of these trucks facing you 
lined up blocking all four lanes 
on a four lane highway. 
That would make up a ton of dynamite.

Now, since we are talking 
2KT or two thousand tons -
you would need 2 thousand trucks 
lined up behind each one of those trucks. 
I don't know just how long 
a traffic jam that would be - 
but I expect it would extend 
a couple of miles over the horizon anyway.

But Wait !
The last time that I did this 
a bunch of people jumped on me 
and pointed out that this is NOT 
a dynamite equivalent 
but a TNT equivalent -
which is TWICE as powerful. 

Okay, so the trucks 
are also lined up behind you 
going the other way for the same distance. 

Still - 
wait again. 
The Russians are of the opinion 
(and I have no reason to doubt 
that they may be right) 
that NK test could have been all the way 
up to 15KT. 

http://tinyurl.com/kmp3p

Now, you would be at the center of a wheel 
with the 2 mile long or longer spokes of trucks 
radiating out from you 
in 56 directions. 

Get the picture?
So, someone hand me 
my trusty cell phone detonator.

You would never know what hit you -
- literally.

I used to have to go down in our well -
when we started blasting it out - 
and dig out the 'deadheads' 
that didn't go off. 
The licensed explosives expert that I got later 
pointed out that I would never have known 
if one had gone off. 
The light from such an explosion 
does not travel along the optical cord 
and the neurons to the brain 
fast enough to detect it.

I remember one trip to pick up explosives. 
There was an accident on the four lane 
and we were stopped for an hour or two 
while they cleared it. 

At that time they had us put big 
EXPLOSIVE signs on all four sides of the car 
(something no longer done - 
because they are concerned about 
terrorists spotting such a vehicle 
and pulling it over to rob it).

Anyway, I went to the cars behind 
and said if there was a movement in the line 
to hold their place and I would move up 
with the traffic. 

Eventually, 
there I sat in peaceful isolation 
with traffic a couple of hundred yards 
ahead and behind. 
An interesting picture 
for a helicopter picture crew.

Okay, okay, okay - 
back to NK's test - 
I will admit - 
that the test wasn't anything like 
a MODERN nuke.
Still, it was enough to upset Japan. 

It wasn't significantly different - 
(a significance is called x10)
from those little ole firecrackers 
that hit Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

And okay -
I will admit that a device 
isn't a weapon - 
although we really don't know 
whether they tested a weapon or a device.

And it is true - 
that one needs to test the whole system - 
and that NK has only fired missiles 
that go out over the top of Japan 
and to the other side - 
and that doesn't mean that 
they can necessarily carry their device / weapon 
or that the two will work together. 

Lots of news commentary says 
that the Japanese will just have to learn 
to live with it. 

I don't think so. 
They do remember Hiroshima and Nagasaki - 
even better than American's would remember 
the WTC and 9/11 a half century later. 

The other thing 
is that Korean / Japanese antipathy thing. 
I can't explain that 
(okay, okay, please don't send me 
any historical lessons). 
But people just sometimes have those things. 
The Christian Nazis had it versus the Jews. 
It has been even between the same religions - 
such as the Catholics versus the Protestants. 
Even today we see the Shiites versus the Sunnis. 
If you just can't see two groups of Orientals 
getting that upset with each other - 
just believe me - 
it happens.

In fact -
the Korean / Japanese antipathy thing 
is about as strong as it gets.
Nope, 
if you think the world changed 
at 9/11 
let me tell you -
it changed more - 
on this Thanksgiving Day.

--------------

Many people cannot see 
how events in one part of the world 
can so drastically effect events 
in other parts. 

If you want to really comprehend 
what is going on in the Middle East -
study the following analysis  
which I find to be the most accurate and insightful 
regarding the Bush (US) / Putin (Russia) conflict. 

http://tinyurl.com/nxq95

Add to this an analysis 
of what is going on with the 
China / North Korea / Taiwan / Japan complex 

and the Islamist confrontation -
and maybe even throw in Venezuela and Mexico,  

and you can see all the elements 
that make nuclear WW3 inevitable.

---------
The question is not what - 
but when.

Much good analysis 
has appeared on the Internet 
in that quarter 
in the last two days. 

General consensus of those 
who can face the facts 
is that the advantage lies with 
whoever pre-empts.

The US has a bit of a problem. 
Ike and Boxer won't be on site 
until Oct. 21st. 
Well in-time before the end of Ramadan -
admittedly, 
and before the New Moon on the 22nd - 
BUT - 
Iran and Syria know this also - 
and if they believe - 
as much as I believe - 
regarding Bush's intentions - 
then consensus is 
that they will act before then. 

-----------
Anyway, 
it has been a Happy Canadian Thanksgiving. 
Son-in-law and Daughter had a 22 pound Turkey -
which is neither here nor there 
for this vegetarian.
Grandkids were marvellous - 
and the doggies (theirs and ours) 
and their cat - 
played together delightfully.

Friend came to work for a few hours 
on the shelter - 
and we all had dinner together. 
Bad traffic accident out on the 400 
and the traffic was just crawling  
on the by-pass road next to the house.
Always makes me think 
about what it will be like 
on the Day of Terror. 

But yesterday, 
(many people - our family included -
get together a day early)
was a Day of Delight. 
Bounteous friends, food and weather. 
Days of joy that we treasure.

It wasn't a day 
when people up here 
would want to think about 
nasty old nukes from North Korea. 

And I will have to admit - 
my comparison to truck loads of dynamite 
is not really fair - 
because while it would have taken that much dynamite
to do the damage to Hiroshima 
that the atomic bomb did - 
we are not taking into consideration 
that little old matter of radiation - 
that would spread the disaster far and wide.

But few people want to think about that subject now- 
or I wouldn't be having such trouble 
getting help on the shelter. 
Oh well, 
maybe in a couple of weeks 
when Bush's boats arrive - 
or sooner if Iran and Syrian 
decide to try to get the jump on the event.

Actually - 
today is the official 
Canadian Thanksgiving Day - 
so - 
Happy Thanksgiving. 

Peace and love,
Bruce 
DawnSayer@webpal.org