Category: government

Japanese war crimes in Manchukuo

On By Rick McIn ethics, governmentLeave a comment

I was in Nuremberg recently. The Nazi war crimes are well documented.

Human experimentation in concentration camps was performed by volunteer Nazi doctors against Romani, Sinti, ethnic Poles, Soviet POWs, disabled Germans, and Jews.

Typically, the experiments resulted in death, trauma, disfigurement or permanent disability, and as such are considered examples of medical torture.

But I’d never heard of Unit 731, a covert biological and chemical warfare research and development unit of the Imperial Japanese Army that undertook lethal human experimentation during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) of World War II.

Estimates of those killed by Unit 731 and its related programs range up to half a million people.

WHY don’t we know more? The researchers involved in Unit 731 were secretly given immunity by the U.S. in exchange for the data they gathered through human experimentation.

The Japanese government has never admitted it happened nor apologised.

There is a museum in Harbin which displays some of the horrible historical artefacts.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

 

 

I strongly agree with BORAT

On By Rick McIn ethics, Facebook, government, human rights, product complaintsLeave a comment

Sacha Baron Cohen:

Facebook spreads hate, conspiracy and lies.

Those who deny the Holocaust, for example, help enable the next one.

Facebook should be legislated by governments.

The New Girl by Daniel Silva

On By Rick McIn books, ethics, governmentLeave a comment

The 19th book in the Gabriel Allon series. It’s excellent. I listened to it twice, in fact.

Published July 16, 2019, it’s up-to-date with current world politics. A Jewish perspective. For example, a stable Saudi Arabia is better for Israel than a reckless Kingdom.

It starts with a kidnapping of the daughter of Khalid bin Mohammed, the much-maligned crown prince of Saudi Arabia.

He’s a fictionalized version of Mohammad bin Salman. In the book, responsible for the assassination of a journalist, similar to Jamal Khashoggi.

That murder  is compared with Henry II of England who had Thomas Becket killed.

Who will rid me of this meddlesome priest?

Bizarrely, the next King of Saudi Arabia turns to Gabriel Allon, legendary chief of Israeli intelligence to solve the abduction. An interesting plot device — but totally unbelievable.

Who’s behind the kidnapping? 

What’s their real motivation?

Daniel Silva returns most of our favourite characters from the past few books.

Amazon.

 

 

 

 

Nazi Party rally grounds, Nuremberg

On By Rick McIn government, human rights, travelLeave a comment

Recall the egomaniac psychopath who convinced normal people to elect him?

The ‘great and unmatched’ wannabe dictator.

Trump is not Hitler. Hitler was worse. Hitler was smarter. 

Trump is a pathetic comedy version — more like Charlie Chaplin.

Charlie Chaplin

Much of the NAZI rally footage we’ve seen comes from Nuremberg.

Trump dreams of rallies like this.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

An estimated 200,000 people each year visit the Nazi party rally grounds. It’s crumbling, in fact.

Germans documented everything and most of that documentation survived.

I visited the Nazi Party Rally Grounds Documentation Center, one of those storehouses. They have the name of every Jew, Gypsy, Homosexual, political opponent put on a train to a death camp, for example.

IF you’ve been somehow duped into believing the Holocaust didn’t happen, NEVER speak to me again. You are a moron.

related – Like it or not, Nuremberg’s Nazi past is a tourist attraction

OK Greta — you win

On By Rick McIn climate change, ethics, food, government, travel1 Comment

I’m swearing off single use plastic Diet Coke.

Drinking sparkling water from a machine instead.

Like Greta on Facebook.

Disclaimer – my boycott ends next international flight

too much SMOKING in Europe

On By Rick McIn anti-smoking, government, health & fitness, product complaints, travel1 Comment

One thing North America has done right is to reduce smoking.

I hate visiting Europe for this one reason.

Eduard Benko. Romania, 2009

According to the World Health Organization, 21.9 percent of Americans smoked tobacco in 2018. In comparison, the average smoking rate for Europe was 28.7 percent.

When you look at the approximate number of cigarettes smoked per person per year, the picture is even more striking. Out of the 20 countries that smoke the most cigarettes, 15 of them are entirely or partially in Europe. The United States is 68th on the list. …

From U.S. surgeon general warnings to campaigns by groups like the American Cancer Society, the messaging has been clear since the 1960s: smoking cigarettes is bad for you. And it’s worked. About 96 percent of Americans believe smoking cigarettes is at least somewhat harmful to your health. …

Why Do So Many People Smoke Cigarettes In Europe?

Obviously the EU has to educate, educate, educate … and legislate.

Here’s my nearest grocery store in Stuttgart. Nothing but nicotine products while waiting in line to check out.

It’s time for a #GunSafetyPresident

On By Rick McIn ethics, governmentLeave a comment

2020 Democratic Presidential candidates agree: it’s time for a #GunSafetyPresident who will fight to protect our students.

If the DEM candidates work together to defeat Trump and the GOP, they’ll win.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

on Justin Trudeau

On By Rick McIn ethics, governmentLeave a comment

I’ll be supporting Trudeau in the upcoming election, voting for the Liberal candidate in my riding. For me Trudeau’s by far the best of the candidates for that job.

I like most of what Trudeau has said and done. He’s the anti-Trump.

The CBC Front Burner podcast has the best overview I’ve heard of Trudeau as Prime Minister, so far. They interview Aaron Wherry, author of PROMISE AND PERIL: JUSTIN TRUDEAU IN POWER (Aug 2019).

Justin Trudeau’s record versus rhetoric

Some of his biggest problems were self-inflicted. For example:

For me Trudeau’s most damaging scandal was attempting to influence Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould concerning an ongoing prosecution of SNC-Lavalin.  Rather than trying to save jobs at a criminal company, he should have taken the high road.

That said, SNL-Lavalin is not a deal breaker for me. Bombardier is an even worse corrupt Quebec corporation. 

Worse for me, too, is Trudeau’s support of the Harper-negotiated arms deal with Saudi Arabia. He should have cancelled that deal.