Interesting Times
2012
The ancient Chinese curse says, "May you live in interesting
times." Apparently we are all cursed, given the state of
the world; it isn't all bad or all good, but it sure is interesting.
Here are some items that make that clear, gleaned from various
news sources. They come with suggestions on how to use the information.
Phone Viruses
The term "phone viruses" would have been unintelligible
to anyone just twenty years ago, but pcworld.com recently reported
on the rising number of viruses and malware programs on phones
and tablets. The mobile operating system that is attacked most
often, according to a study done by anti-virus software provider
McAfee, is Android. In fact, at one point last year attacks increased
by 76% in just three months.
What can you do about this? Well, one reason for the big increase
in attacks on Android is that it has become a popular phone.
You could try using a less-popular system, as long as it does
everything you need it to do. Another option is to stick with
simple cell phones and do your online work and wanderings on
a laptop or other computer.
The Bilderberg Group
Are they a secret shadow government for the world? It seems
unlikely. Do they have a lot of secrets? Almost certainly. It
is known that Bill Clinton attended one of there secretive meetings
while he was governor of Arkansas, and then became president.
Others have also risen to power quickly after involvement with
the group.
This secretive group does not intend to make its goals or
activities public--that much is clear. But the chairman of the
Bilderberg Group, 73-year-old Viscount Etienne Davignon, a former
European Commissioner, did talk to a BBC reporter. From the resulting
BBC
article:
In his office, on a private floor above the Brussels office
of the Suez conglomerate lined with political cartoons of himself,
he told me what he thought of allegations that Bilderberg is
a global conspiracy secretly ruling the world.
"It is unavoidable and it doesn't matter," he
says. "There will always be people who believe in conspiracies
but things happen in a much more incoherent fashion."
Of course, incoherent history or unplanned events do not mean
nobody is conspiring to make things happen how they want them
to. Certainly there are conspiracies, but life in unpredictable,
and there are limits to what any group can do. What is the Bilderberg
Group up to? We don't know, and they won't say. Again, from the
article:
"I don't think (we are) a global ruling class because
I don't think a global ruling class exists. I simply think it's
people who have influence interested to speak to other people
who have influence," Viscount Davignon says.
The interview didn't answer many questions, and I am not a
believer in massive conspiracies that determine the fate of the
world, because such control is probably beyond even the most
powerful people. But on the other hand, if "people who have
influence" talk to other "people who have influence"
and they then use that influence without revealing their intentions
or even the nature of their discussions, that does sound a bit
like a conspiracy.
As for what you or I can do about these secret groups, well...
not much. Unless we are invited to join, we know too little about
them. We will do well to avoid using conspiracy theories and
their supposed economic or political effects as excuses for failures,
and just get on with making our lives better in any ways that
we can.
Paid to Hurt People
I found a post on sfgate.com about a recent football scandal.
According to the article:
"The commissioner's office revealed Friday that the New
Orleans Saints, under the direction of defensive coordinator
Gregg Williams, ran a bounty program that paid cash rewards for
injuring opponents. The league will have to hit both the Saints
and Williams hard, just to make a point."
Hit them hard with what... fines? It seems to me that if the
evidence is clear enough for that the people involved (those
who paid and those who did the dirty work) should simply go to
jail for assault. Yes, football is a rough sport, but purposely
injuring someone is against the law regardless.
Copyright Webhiker LLC - Terms
/ Privacy / Contact |
