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I am happy for Obama. I really am. But one has to remember that a scary monster with a new brain is still a scary monster. George Bush is al all around nice guy. In person. Many leaders are. I would have no issues with having lunch with GWB or Mr. Obama. They arent the guys who creep me out. The guys who creep me out are the guys in the back rooms who actually run most of the stuff, and who will say to Obama - yes sir, this is ugly but it has to happen for national interests. And so Obama will do what has to be done, and horrible shit will still happen.
Mostly I am peeved because I learned that the Ilois finally lost their case against the British government for a right to return home to their islands. They had consitently won every court case in this regard - and the government had consistently overruled the rulings. Finally the case went to the house of law lords, who granted the government the right to screw the people in the interest of national security.
Why were the Ilois kicked off of their homes? To make way for a US base in the 60s, so that bombers and troop ships are always just a few hours away from the persian gulf.
To be fair, many of the Ilois were being represented by Resort hotel interests - the pristine Chagos archipelago would likely have become a big resort with all the evils that brings. If they had ultimately won.
In actual fact, this probably bodes better for me as a sailing cruiser - the lawsuit finally cleared - limitations on cruisers visiting the rest of the islands (aside from Diego Garcia) will likely lighten and return to the "good old days" from sailing perspectives - when the uninhabited islands are a crown jewel in the destinations of cruisers who want to escape the world. But it just dosent feel right having a cruising destination that is empty of people, because just to the South a fleet of bombers and warships perpetually enforces it that way.
Mostly I am peeved because I learned that the Ilois finally lost their case against the British government for a right to return home to their islands. They had consitently won every court case in this regard - and the government had consistently overruled the rulings. Finally the case went to the house of law lords, who granted the government the right to screw the people in the interest of national security.
Why were the Ilois kicked off of their homes? To make way for a US base in the 60s, so that bombers and troop ships are always just a few hours away from the persian gulf.
To be fair, many of the Ilois were being represented by Resort hotel interests - the pristine Chagos archipelago would likely have become a big resort with all the evils that brings. If they had ultimately won.
In actual fact, this probably bodes better for me as a sailing cruiser - the lawsuit finally cleared - limitations on cruisers visiting the rest of the islands (aside from Diego Garcia) will likely lighten and return to the "good old days" from sailing perspectives - when the uninhabited islands are a crown jewel in the destinations of cruisers who want to escape the world. But it just dosent feel right having a cruising destination that is empty of people, because just to the South a fleet of bombers and warships perpetually enforces it that way.