News Insights

Here are a few insights into recent news.

SHUTTING OFF NIAGARA FALLS

Recently was the 50th anniversary of the beginning of the construction of the temporary dam at Niagara Falls that would shut off the flow of water to the American Falls. We saw in the compound posting "Investigations", on this blog, in "Niagara Falls And The Moon Landings" that there was an underlying reason for turning the falls off, and that the shutting off coordinated with the first landing of astronauts on the moon, and the turning back on of the falls coordinated with the second landing.

http://www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex/show.asp?id=98743&b=1

What actually happened is that Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau was incessantly critical of the conduct of America's Vietnam War. He even came to Niagara Falls to personally welcome American draft dodgers to refuge in Canada. The new U.S. administration of Richard Nixon didn't appreciate the criticism.

The announced purpose of turning off the falls was for examination of the underlying rock strata. But it had a devastating effect on the Canadian Niagara tourist season. Instead, it brought tourists to the American side to see the dry falls up close.

This was around the same time that the U.S. broke diplomatic relations with Sweden over it's criticism of the Vietnam War.

But Nixon and Trudeau soon patched things up. In 1972, Richard Nixon visited Pierre Trudeau in Ottawa and famously predicted that Trudeau's then-infant son would someday be Canadian Prime Minister.

SYMBOLISM AND FLAGS

Never forget how powerful symbolism can be. Considering it's flag, how much of a coincidence is that Canada pioneered the legalization of marijuana? Most of the world calls it cannabis.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_Canada#/media/File:Flag_of_Canada_(Pantone).svg


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis#/media/File:Cannabis_sativa_leaf_diagnostic_venation_2012_01_23_0829_c.jpg

Have you ever noticed that the nations which are considered as pioneers in space exploration all have prominent stars as part of their flags?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_United_States#/media/File:Flag_of_the_United_States.svg


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union#/media/File:Flag_of_the_Soviet_Union.svg


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flag_of_China#/media/File:Flag_of_the_People's_Republic_of_China.svg

The Soviet Union had the hammer and sickle as it's symbol, representing industry and agriculture, and it lasted for only as long as much of the population was working in either agriculture of heavy industry. What if it had chosen the computer mouse as it's symbol?

THREATENING IRAN

One thing that might provide some insight into Donald Trump's threatening the destruction of Iran, but then changing his mind, is Ronald Reagan's announcement, in 1984, that he had declared the Soviet Union as illegal and "We begin bombing in five minutes". Reagan apparently didn't realize that there was a microphone left on nearby. The Soviets, to put it mildly, didn't appreciate the comment.

I was alarmed at the time but later realized that it was done purposely. Reagan knew that the microphone was on and wanted the Soviets to think that he was a little bit crazy and might really push the nuclear button if he was pressured enough.

THE TONKIN GULF INCIDENT

As for the apparent recent attacks on oil tankers in the Persian Gulf, remember the "Tonkin Gulf Incident" of 1964. We saw in the posting on the World And Economics blog, www.markmeekeconomics.blogspot.com , the posting "America's War Icons" in July 2009. In that posting, it is described how Americans have to have some kind  of "icon" in order to get geared up for war.

These war icons have included the sunken warship the Maine, "Remember the Maine". Other icons have been "Remember the Alamo" and "Remember Pearl Harbor". The icons of America's Revolutionary War were the shootings at Lexington and Concord. All that needs to be said about the current battle against terrorism is "Remember 9 / 11".

The three wars that have fallen short of victory, The War of 1812, the Korean War and, the Vietnam War all have one thing in common. That is the lack of a significant war icon to rally around.

Many people believe that the alleged attack on the naval destroyer the U.S.S. Maddox, by North Vietnamese patrol boats in 1964, was either fabricated or manufactured in an attempt to provide a war icon for the Vietnam War. It has been theorized that the ship was purposely sent near North Vietnam' major port in order to provoke a defensive attack, in order to rally the American people for the war. A later investigation revealed that the Maddox was struck by a single bullet.