<font color='black' size='2' face='arial'><b style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;">Hallowed
E'en</b><br>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:">We've covered this territory before but just one more time,
the word "Halloween" comes from the Scottish word for "hallowed
evening" of the English, and the Scots, considered the poor cousins, were
excused their street-smart version of the royal lingo for "humor and
ridicule to confront the power of death."
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:">Today's scare that Halloween easily triggers include the
much discussed and much denied climate change; the reason for clamping on Iran
and the DPRK on the specter of nuclear winter; and, of course, the quick demise
of the Islamic State lest it gobbles up the globe, as Aussie PM Tony Abbot likes
to scare Oz and US tots.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:">Let's take the posturing of Uncle Sam of the widely printed
poster. The funny old man white-hatted Uncle
Sam whose most offensive picture is pointing fingers to recruits to its
selective service system with words boldly printed, "I Want You", turns
out to have some scary scenarios in his subterranean subways.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:">In the Philippines of my youth, to serve in the US Army, Navy
and Air Force in Guam, Okinawa, and Hawaii, was universally desired, never mind
that salts could not rise above the rank of Corporal. They were taken into the service to replace
African-Americans formerly stereotyped into the mess hall. One returned from the Korean War with a halo adorning
a heroes' welcome after joining other countries under the UN banner and US
command "in defense of freedom", never mind that Koreans stewed over US'
preferential treatment of Japan's warmongers over their interests. At least, the military culture was a benign
uncle that took care of veterans and provided scholarships for offspring. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:">Uncle Sam is hardly a scary picture, though acts perpetuated
in his name do not measure up to the warmth of the appellation. First in my recollection was the Rescission
Act of 1946, a law the United States passed to retroactively annul benefits
that would have been payable to Filipino troops on account of their US military
service in WWII. The reason widely given was that the US gave $200 million to the
Philippines after the war. Of the 66 US
allies on WWII, only Filipino veterans were denied military benefits.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:">Not that it made any difference to my family. My father was a pastor whose mimeo machine and
his literary skills were used for propaganda purposes. Listed with the veterans after the war, he
never applied for benefits. American-led
guerillas publicly quartered his brother for being a public school teacher who translated
for the Japanese. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:">A Church-going "enemy" Lieutenant informed my Dad that
his name was in the list and he should leave town "yesterday". I was already on deposit but I waited to come
out full term instead of panicking out as an encumbrance while on the run!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:">England and Japan divided the Pacific after WWI with Japan
holding all real estate north of the equator, and England, the south, except
for US occupied Guam and American Samoa.
After WWII, the UK organized the Commonwealth of Nations and receded
from its empire. The United States took
over Japan's holdings and started America's empire.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:">US' Joseph Stillwell advised Chiang Kai-shek against
Japan. The Seventh Fleet guarded the Taiwan
Strait after Chiang carted the Imperial Palace's treasures. Taipei became a manufacturing center for
America and a captive consumer of US jets and armaments. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18px;">USFJ still substantially occupies Okinawa. Senkaku would be Diaoyu had it stayed with
Taiwan rather than be appendage to the Ryukyus where it d</span><font face="Times New Roman, Times, serif" size="4">oes not belong.</font><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 18px;"> The USFJ kept the likes of Shinzo Abe at bay
until Obama decided to officially arm Nippon warriors in defense of sovereign
territories and interests (<i>aka </i>China
Sea).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:">That did not make Seoul happy but being the unofficial 51st
State of the Union, totally dependent on the USF Korea, it demonizes godless
DPRK instead, especially now that almost a third of SoKor march to the tune of
Onward Christian Soldiers! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:">Former Oz PM Kevin Rudd recently revealed that he was asked
while still on his watch Down Under to join India, Japan and the US contain the
growing threat of China. The US sails or
flies close to the 10th mile security zone of its longtime enemy but China is now
among "frenemies" and Pentagon boys are at a loss on how to stir up
trouble without getting telltale fingerprints left at the border.</span></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:">ISIS costumes, particularly with the head hood wrap, and conceivably,
a throat-slashing cardboard knife, will definitely be a scare this
Halloween. Gross acts committed in that
attire definitely fit the evening. After
all, it is hard to simulate the "scare" in pushing a button to
unleash a drone on a village, or eject a bomb from a jet to wipe out a whole
building, never mind civilian consequences.
One does not have the specter of staring at one's shaking hands after
slashing someone's throat! In fact,
after a bombing run, a flyer goes home to dinner with the wife/husband/friend
and the children. <i>No hay problema.</i> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family:">Acute stress reaction (PCTD) ghoulishly kicks in later, a real
Halloween!</span></div>
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<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px; clear: both;"><i>j'aime la vie</i><br>
<a href="mailto:pinoypanda2031@aol.com">pinoypanda2031@aol.com</a><br>
<div><i>yesterday, appreciate; tomorrow, anticipate; today. participate. In all, celebrate!</i></div>
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