Horatio Alger's stories make for good reading and are indicative of the positive "can do" attitude of the early 1900s in the US. Then came the gut-wrenching dustbowl, stock market collapse, Florida land speculation crash, all leading up to the inevitable "Great Depression." Peoples, civilizations, populations rise and fall. All for the betterment of "Mankind". I well remember what the Kennedys and Johnson did and the utter failure of their "War on Poverty". The bottom line is some people refuse to be helped and don't like other people telling them what they should or should not do but are very willing to take your money to do what they want with it. The Greeks, Romans and every other civilization have gone through it. Even in the populations of plants and animals as regular as the tides populations soar and crash. I hate to say it but it is inevitable and not a damn thing any individual can do about it. Call me a cynic if you wish but it was a lesson I learned the hard way over many years of trying to make a difference. As the adage goes "If you're not a liberal at 18 you don't have a heart but if you're not a conservative by 40 you don't have a brain."

 

Horatio Alger's stories make for good reading and are indicative of the positive "can do" attitude of the early 1900s in the US. Then came the gut-wrenching dustbowl, stock market collapse, Florida land speculation crash, all leading up to the inevitable "Great Depression." Peoples, civilizations, populations rise and fall. All for the betterment of "Mankind". I well remember what the Kennedys and Johnson did and the utter failure of their "War on Poverty". The bottom line is some people refuse to be helped and don't like other people telling them what they should or should not do but are very willing to take your money to do what they want with it. The Greeks, Romans and every other civilization have gone through it. Even in the populations of plants and animals as regular as the tides populations soar and crash. I hate to say it but it is inevitable and not a damn thing any individual can do about it. Call me a cynic if you wish but it was a lesson I learned the hard way over many years of trying to make a difference. As the adage goes "If you're not a liberal at 18 you don't have a heart but if you're not a conservative by 40 you don't have a brain."

I don't see you as a cynic, and in fact your observations make a lot of sense. People that do not want to be helped will never change. But let me ask you this, what has prompted positive changes in previous (and actual) civilizations? My point is that, change for the better can and does happen. The final question is, how does one aid and promote positive change?

 

2 words, access to Medicine and Education. And don't get me started on teachers or doctors.

 

2 words, access to Medicine and Education. And don't get me started on teachers or doctors.

Then we're on the same page...

 

Even in a 'Free' society, no one can do exactly as they please, they conform to the laws passed by the majority for the 'good' of the collective.
At present, although there or localized food shortages, it has not yet reached the world crisis that will eventually happen if nothing is done to somehow slow, or preferably reverse the exponential rise in human population.
At present, the vast majority of the world population does not see hunger or starvation as an immediate threat, so why bother?
Look at the looming even larger crisis of pollution, which in turn is, or will contribute to the reduction in food production.
Only when it Really hits home, will minds be changed, unfortunately may be too late!
Max.

 

I like to think I am frugal but I'm not. I look back at what my grandparents had and I have far far more and produce more waste than they did. Is it all my personal fault? Well, I have much more leisure time than they did and access to far more and better goods than they did and earned more than they ded. And my expectations are probably higher being raised in a far more affluent environment than they were. They were not dirt poor by any stretch of the imagination but they didn't have electricity, indoor plumbing, depended on horses for transportation or a train for long trips, no public schools (they had private tutors and college educations), no waste disposal (latrine pit and can/glass pile or threw it into the river or fed it to the hogs/dogs), no phone although there were mail and telegraph. Yet by the time my grandfather died man had landed on the moon, he could watch baseball on TV in air conditioning, eat ice cream from the refrigerator or call a friend/relatives on the phone and his grandson had one of those computers you heard about.

 

One item of use today that is contributing heavily to the pollution problem is bottled water, there is absolutely no need for this in the majority of developed countries where the usage is the highest and just about all have access to potable water.
But it seems the fad is unstoppable.
Go to any workplace in N.A. for instance, and it is everywhere!
Max.

 

I agree and my wife buys it by the case. She's a Birmingham Al girl and our local well water has a bit of a sulfur tang to it. Those of us who grew up with it don't know any different and the common grumble heard when someone complains about it is "then go back wherever you came from." And it's loaded with iron so all the whites in the washer turn orange along with the sinks and toilets. Water softener takes some out but... Try mixing a Scotch and water with it and you get this hellish looking brown concoction that just don't look right.

 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/front-...ridden-boy-weymouth-massachusetts-2019-08-23/

Today, you never know what might happen. One minute it could be a dog parade — the next, a team of Irish step dancers — everyone brought together by word of mouth and a will to help Quinn get better, which his parents say is happening.

 

With the thread title in mind...............

https://ca.yahoo.com/news/robert-mugabe-death-former-zimbabwe-051600235.html
Max.

 

With the thread title in mind...............

https://ca.yahoo.com/news/robert-mugabe-death-former-zimbabwe-051600235.html
Max.

A cold blooded killer on a massive scale who destroyed a rich country by stealing everything that wasn't nailed down.

 

Just finished Ian Smith's book "The Great Betrayal"!
Tells it all.
Max.

 

Just finished Ian Smith's book "The Great Betrayal"!
Tells it all.
Max.

One party gangster dictatorships in Africa unfortunately became the norm after decolonization. In the late 70's and early 80's the US military helped to stabilize several countries from the fate of Rhodesia. We (Marines and sailors in our battlegroup) did two short tours of Africa operations for local training near Kenya and down the coast near South Africa.

 

Unfortunately I remember the likes of Mugabe being feted by a few US presidents who all aided in his coming to power, all about the fear of Russia becoming involved in Africa.
Rhodesia under I. Smith was known as the pearl of Africa, before Mugabe destroyed it.
Max.

 

Unfortunately I remember the likes of Mugabe being feted by a few US presidents who all aided in his coming to power, all about the fear of Russia becoming involved in Africa.
Rhodesia under I. Smith was known as the pearl of Africa, before Mugabe destroyed it.
Max.

Change was coming to Rhodesia whether we liked it or not. Yes, Mugabe was the change we had to deal with unfortunately to confront the Soviet threat of mainly Cuban troops in Africa (Angolan Civil War, ). The US/Soviet Proxy Wars in Africa were messy.

https://www.atomicheritage.org/history/proxy-wars-during-cold-war-africa

 

It's a damn shame so much bad had to happen in such a nice place.

The streets of Mombasa Kenya the early 1980's.
I'd love to go back.

This was our usual hangout while on the Kenyan coast. The balcony view over the town was pretty cool.
https://www.google.com/travel/hotel...tcfs=EhoaGAoKMjAxOS0wOS0xNxIKMjAxOS0wOS0xOFIA


We paid them extra to have our beer on ice. I've always admired the Brits for being able to drink the local stuff warm.

 

One of my buddies who was into guns, which was Very strange seeing he grew up in England!, cut his Trade conscription-deferment early in order that he serve his term in the British Army where he could pursue his interest..
Unfortunately shortly after being posted to Kenya his patrol vehicle was ambushed by the Mau Mau, which slaughtered them all.
Maybe a moral to that sad story!
Max.

 

One of my buddies who was into guns, which was Very strange seeing he grew up in England!, cut his Trade conscription deferment early in order that he serve his term in the British Army where he could pursue his interest..
Unfortunately shortly after being posted to Kenya his patrol vehicle was ambushed by the Mau Mau, which slaughtered them all.
Maybe a moral to that sad story!
Max.

That unfortunately brings back memories. The Marines were part of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit or MEU. We were told never, ever, ever say MEU in Africa because it sounded like an association to the old Mau Mau war.

The 31st MEU at this time was established as the only permanently forward-deployed U.S. presence in the Western Pacific, Southern Pacific, and Indian Ocean with Special Operations capabilities to routinely include a port call at Mombasa Kenya. Other stops could include Diego Garcia, Perth, Olongapo, or Busan. In February 1980 the LPH-3 USS Okinawa task force, already with Marine Cobra and Harrier attack aircraft from California, made port at Pearl Harbor to take aboard the final elements of the MEU which consisted of 3rd Battalion/ 3rd Marines, Helicopter assets of MAG24, Force Recon, and MSSG-31 in support, all out of Kaneohe Bay's 1st Marine Brigade. On April 24 this group in support of 3/3 Marines rendezvoused with USS Nimitz off the coast of Iran as reserve in the ill-fated Operation Eagle Claw. Okinawa carried 4 each Cobras and Harriers, along with Sea Knights and Sea Stallions. All members of the 31st received respective expeditionary medals. USS FF Barbey and guided missile cruiser Gridley served as escorts.

 

There were many interesting personal accounts by individuals around that time.
One I used to follow avidly was the exploits of an ex British army officer 'Mad' Mike Hoare, that gathered a band of the worlds misfits and formed a mercenary army and worked for those aspiring to power at that time.
One instance where he could have saved lives was Congo, at Stanleyville, his group he called 5 Commando were advancing on Stanleyville when they heard a BBC report that the rebels had rounded all the white civilians and imprisoned them in the hotel and were about to slaughter them.
They decided to hang back, but in reality the round up had not yet taken place and had they gone in, they might have saved them all.
After this delay, nearly 300 white hostages were rounded up and imprisoned in the Victoria Hotel, When Mike Hoare and his unit went in later at dawn, many lay dead, brutally hacked to death or shot by their rebel captors.
Max.

 

There were many interesting personal accounts by individuals around that time.
One I used to follow avidly was the exploits of an ex British army officer 'Mad' Mike Hoare, that gathered a band of the worlds misfits and formed a mercenary army and worked for those aspiring to power at that time.
One instance where he could have saved lives was Congo, at Stanleyville, his group he called 5 Commando were advancing on Stanleyville when they heard a BBC report that the rebels had rounded all the white civilians and imprisoned them in the hotel and were about to slaughter them.
They decided to hang back, but in reality the round up had not yet taken place and had they gone in, they might have saved them all.
After this delay, nearly 300 white hostages were rounded up and imprisoned in the Victoria Hotel, When Mike Hoare and his unit went in later at dawn, many lay dead, brutally hacked to death or shot by their rebel captors.
Max.

That certainly makes American tactics in our little freedom fight with the British seem perfectly civilized.