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	<title>Z-Car &#187; Politics</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.z-car.com/blog/category/politics/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.z-car.com/blog</link>
	<description>Gary's Ramblings about everything from Cars to the idea of US Energy Independence</description>
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		<title>Does Newt Gingrich look like Dwight Schrute?  Picture of both</title>
		<link>http://www.z-car.com/blog/2012/01/18/does-newt-gingrich-look-like-dwight-schrute-picture-of-both</link>
		<comments>http://www.z-car.com/blog/2012/01/18/does-newt-gingrich-look-like-dwight-schrute-picture-of-both#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:32:30 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>gsmith</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[beet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[college professor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Dwight Schrute]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gingrich]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Newt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[newt gingrich]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Office]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pennsylvania]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Professor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[resemblance]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.z-car.com/blog/?p=930</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Some folks are claiming that Dwight and Newt are one and the same person.  I find this hard to believe.  Certainly the age difference seems to be a factor, and, as everyone knows Dwight is a beet farmer from Pennsylvania while Newt was a College Professor from Georgia. Some folks will claim that it is [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.z-car.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Newt_gingrich_dwight_schrute.jpeg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-931" title="Newt and Dwight, same person?" src="http://www.z-car.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Newt_gingrich_dwight_schrute.jpeg" alt="Gingrih and Shrute separated at birth" width="318" height="159" /></a></p>
<p>Some folks are claiming that Dwight and Newt are one and the same person.  I find this hard to believe.  Certainly the age difference seems to be a factor, and, as everyone knows Dwight is a beet farmer from Pennsylvania while Newt was a College Professor from Georgia.</p>
<p>Some folks will claim that it is not really Dwight, but the actor Rainn Wilson who is the true Doppelgänger.</p>
<p>What do you think folks, do you see a resemblance?</p>
<p><a href="http://www.z-car.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/rainn_wilson_looks_like_newt-gingrich.png"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-937" title="Does rainn wilson looks like newt gingrich?" src="http://www.z-car.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/rainn_wilson_looks_like_newt-gingrich.png" alt="Rain Wilson and Newt Gingrich related in past" width="373" height="252" /></a></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>Picture of James Lee Outside Discovery Communications Building</title>
		<link>http://www.z-car.com/blog/2010/09/01/picture-of-james-lee-outside-discovery-communications-building</link>
		<comments>http://www.z-car.com/blog/2010/09/01/picture-of-james-lee-outside-discovery-communications-building#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:23:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>gsmith</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blog]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Discovery Communications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Discovery Communications Building]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[facebook]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[James Lee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[James Lee Rant - Copy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[savetheplanetprotest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SWAT]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TLC]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.z-car.com/blog/?p=675</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Copy of his Rant This picture was taken in 2008 outside Discovery Communications Building in 2008. Police officers shot the suspect at about 4:50 p.m., Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger told reporters. All three hostages are safe and out of the building.]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.z-car.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/James_lee_2008_discovery.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-677" title="James_lee_2008_discovery" src="http://www.z-car.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/James_lee_2008_discovery.jpg" alt="" width="416" height="234" /></a></p>
<p><a title="James Lee Rant - Copy" href="http://www.z-car.com/blog/2010/09/01/james-lee-savetheplanetprotest-com-rant-copy" target="_blank">Copy </a>of his Rant</p>
<p>This picture was taken in 2008 outside Discovery Communications Building in 2008.</p>
<p>Police officers shot the suspect at about 4:50 p.m., Montgomery County Police  Chief J. Thomas Manger told reporters. All three hostages are safe and out of  the building.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>James Lee &#8211; Savetheplanetprotest.com &#8211; Rant (Copy) &#8211; List of Demands</title>
		<link>http://www.z-car.com/blog/2010/09/01/james-lee-savetheplanetprotest-com-rant-copy</link>
		<comments>http://www.z-car.com/blog/2010/09/01/james-lee-savetheplanetprotest-com-rant-copy#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:21:58 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>gsmith</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[daniel quinn]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[discovery channel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Discovery Communications]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Immigration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[James Lee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[list of demands]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[planet]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[savetheplanetprotest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[savetheplanetprotest.com]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Squirrels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[TLC]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.z-car.com/blog/?p=671</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Discovery Channel MUST broadcast to the world their commitment to save the planet and to do the following IMMEDIATELY: 1. The Discovery Channel and it&#8217;s affiliate channels MUST have daily television programs at prime time slots based on Daniel Quinn&#8217;s &#8220;My Ishmael&#8221; pages 207-212 where solutions to save the planet would be done in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The Discovery Channel MUST broadcast to the world their commitment to save the planet and to do the following IMMEDIATELY:</p>
<p>1. The Discovery Channel and it&#8217;s affiliate channels MUST have daily television programs at prime time slots based on Daniel Quinn&#8217;s &#8220;My Ishmael&#8221; pages 207-212 where solutions to save the planet would be done in the same way as the Industrial Revolution was done, by people building on each other&#8217;s inventive ideas. Focus must be given on how people can live WITHOUT giving birth to more filthy human children since those new additions continue pollution and are pollution. A game show format contest would be in order. Perhaps also forums of leading scientists who understand and agree with the Malthus-Darwin science and the problem of human overpopulation. Do both. Do all until something WORKS and the natural world starts improving and human civilization building STOPS and is reversed! MAKE IT INTERESTING SO PEOPLE WATCH AND APPLY SOLUTIONS!!!!</p>
<p>2. All programs on Discovery Health-TLC must stop encouraging the birth of any more parasitic human infants and the false heroics behind those actions. In those programs&#8217; places, programs encouraging human sterilization and infertility must be pushed. All former pro-birth programs must now push in the direction of stopping human birth, not encouraging it.</p>
<p>3. All programs promoting War and the technology behind those must cease. There is no sense in advertising weapons of mass-destruction anymore. Instead, talk about ways to disassemble civilization and concentrate the message in finding SOLUTIONS to solving global military mechanized conflict. Again, solutions solutions instead of just repeating the same old wars with newer weapons. Also, keep out the fraudulent peace movements. They are liars and fakes and had no real intention of ending the wars. ALL OF THEM ARE FAKE! On one hand, they claim they want the wars to end, on the other, they are demanding the human population increase. World War II had 2 Billion humans and after that war, the people decided that tripling the population would assure peace. WTF??? STUPIDITY! MORE HUMANS EQUALS MORE WAR!</p>
<p>4. Civilization must be exposed for the filth it is. That, and all its disgusting religious-cultural roots and greed. Broadcast this message until the pollution in the planet is reversed and the human population goes down! This is your obligation. If you think it isn&#8217;t, then get hell off the planet! Breathe Oil! It is the moral obligation of everyone living otherwise what good are they??</p>
<p>5. Immigration: Programs must be developed to find solutions to stopping ALL immigration pollution and the anchor baby filth that follows that. Find solutions to stopping it. Call for people in the world to develop solutions to stop it completely and permanently. Find solutions FOR these countries so they stop sending their breeding populations to the US and the world to seek jobs and therefore breed more unwanted pollution babies. FIND SOLUTIONS FOR THEM TO STOP THEIR HUMAN GROWTH AND THE EXPORTATION OF THAT DISGUSTING FILTH! (The first world is feeding the population growth of the Third World and those human families are going to where the food is! They must stop procreating new humans looking for nonexistant jobs!)</p>
<p>6. Find solutions for Global Warming, Automotive pollution, International Trade, factory pollution, and the whole blasted human economy. Find ways so that people don&#8217;t build more housing pollution which destroys the environment to make way for more human filth! Find solutions so that people stop breeding as well as stopping using Oil in order to REVERSE Global warming and the destruction of the planet!</p>
<p>7. Develop shows that mention the Malthusian sciences about how food production leads to the overpopulation of the Human race. Talk about Evolution. Talk about Malthus and Darwin until it sinks into the stupid people&#8217;s brains until they get it!!</p>
<p>8. Saving the Planet means saving what&#8217;s left of the non-human Wildlife by decreasing the Human population. That means stopping the human race from breeding any more disgusting human babies! You&#8217;re the media, you can reach enough people. It&#8217;s your resposibility because you reach so many minds!!!</p>
<p>9. Develop shows that will correct and dismantle the dangerous US world economy. Find solutions for their disasterous Ponzi-Casino economy before they take the world to another nuclear war.</p>
<p>10. Stop all shows glorifying human birthing on all your channels and on TLC. Stop Future Weapons shows or replace the dialogue condemning the people behind these developments so that the shows become exposes rather than advertisements of Arms sales and development!</p>
<p>11. You&#8217;re also going to find solutions for unemployment and housing. All these unemployed people makes me think the US is headed toward more war.</p>
<p>Humans are the most destructive, filthy, pollutive creatures around and are wrecking what&#8217;s left of the planet with their false morals and breeding culture.</p>
<p>For every human born, ACRES of wildlife forests must be turned into farmland in order to feed that new addition over the course of 60 to 100 YEARS of that new human&#8217;s lifespan! THIS IS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE FOREST CREATURES!!!! All human procreation and farming must cease!</p>
<p>It is the responsiblity of everyone to preserve the planet they live on by not breeding any more children who will continue their filthy practices. Children represent FUTURE catastrophic pollution whereas their parents are current pollution. NO MORE BABIES! Population growth is a real crisis. Even one child born in the US will use 30 to a thousand times more resources than a Third World child. It&#8217;s like a couple are having 30 babies even though it&#8217;s just one! If the US goes in this direction maybe other countries will too!</p>
<p>Also, war must be halted. Not because it&#8217;s morally wrong, but because of the catastrophic environmental damage modern weapons cause to other creatures. FIND SOLUTIONS JUST LIKE THE BOOK SAYS! Humans are supposed to be inventive. INVENT, DAMN YOU!!</p>
<p>The world needs TV shows that DEVELOP solutions to the problems that humans are causing, not stupify the people into destroying the world. Not encouraging them to breed more environmentally harmful humans.</p>
<p>Saving the environment and the remaning species diversity of the planet is now your mindset. Nothing is more important than saving them. The Lions, Tigers, Giraffes, Elephants, Froggies, Turtles, Apes, Raccoons, Beetles, Ants, Sharks, Bears, and, of course, the Squirrels.</p>
<p>The humans? The planet does not need humans.</p>
<p>You MUST KNOW the human population is behind all the pollution and problems in the world, and YET you encourage the exact opposite instead of discouraging human growth and procreation. Surely you MUST ALREADY KNOW this!</p>
<p>I want Discovery Communications to broadcast on their channels to the world their new program lineup and I want proof they are doing so. I want the new shows started by asking the public for inventive solution ideas to save the planet and the remaining wildlife on it.</p>
<p>These are the demands and sayings of Lee.</p>
<p><a title="Picture of James Lee" href="http://www.z-car.com/blog/2010/09/01/picture-of-james-lee-outside-discovery-communications-building" target="_blank">Picture </a>of James Lee outside Discovery.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
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		<title>Pictures from The Tampa Bay Tea Party Protest</title>
		<link>http://www.z-car.com/blog/2009/04/20/pictures-from-the-tampa-bay-tea-party-protest</link>
		<comments>http://www.z-car.com/blog/2009/04/20/pictures-from-the-tampa-bay-tea-party-protest#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 20 Apr 2009 18:22:04 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>gsmith</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Barney Frank]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[congress]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[downtown tampa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gaslight Park]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[government]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[MSNBC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[nancy pelosi]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Obama]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[protestors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Tampa]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tampa bay]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tea party]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.z-car.com/blog/?p=563</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Tampa Tea Party was a huge success. Although most media outlets downplayed the number of folks that attended, you can clearly see that this was not a small protest.  My guess would be well over 2,000. This guy was one of my favorites, he walked through the crowd, creating quite a buzz. The protest [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-088.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-166 alignleft" title="dash-088" src="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-088-300x240.jpg" alt="dash-088" width="300" height="240" /></a> The Tampa Tea Party was a huge success.  Although most media outlets downplayed the number of folks that attended, you can clearly see that this was not a small protest.  My guess would be well over 2,000.  This guy was one of my favorites, he walked through the crowd, creating quite a buzz.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-090.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-167 alignleft" title="dash-090" src="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-090-300x240.jpg" alt="dash-090" width="300" height="240" /> </a></p>
<p>The protest was held in Lykes Gaslight Park in downtown Tampa Bay.  Protestors walked back and forth across the street while cars waited at red lights.  People driving by  leaned out hollaring support and honking their horns in approval.<br />
<a href="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-086.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-164 alignleft" title="dash-086" src="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-086-300x240.jpg" alt="dash-086" width="300" height="240" /></a></p>
<p>Look at this crowd!  Why was MSNBC minimizing the crowd sizes?  You can see hundreds in this one view, there was this number of people on all sides of me.  I would guess that there were close to a thousand people</p>
<p><a href="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-083.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-163 alignleft" title="dash-083" src="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-083-300x240.jpg" alt="dash-083" width="300" height="240" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-081.jpg"></a></p>
<p>Folks of all backgrounds in the crowd, not just your crazy right leaning whackos.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-081.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-162 alignleft" title="dash-081" src="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-081-300x240.jpg" alt="dash-081" width="300" height="240" /></a></p>
<p>The population of Tampa is 10% African-American.  I do not believe that they we represented at the same rate as other races, however there were quite a few.  This did not appear to be a race or class protest.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-079.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-161 alignleft" title="dash-079" src="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-079-300x240.jpg" alt="dash-079" width="300" height="240" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-078.jpg"></a></p>
<p>Most protestors were outraged by two issues.<br />
1) The excessive spending by Congress<br />
2)  Unfair tax policies</p>
<p><a href="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-078.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-160 alignleft" title="dash-078" src="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-078-300x240.jpg" alt="dash-078" width="300" height="240" /></a></p>
<p>While some protestors were direct in blaming Obama, I believe that they were in the minority.  Most seemed to blame government as a whole.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-087.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-159 alignleft" title="dash-077" src="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-087-300x240.jpg" alt="dash-087" width="300" height="240" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-077.jpg"></a></p>
<p>These folks were singling out Nancy Pelosi and Barney Frank.  &#8221;Congress is a Toxic Asset&#8221;</p>
<p><a href="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-077.jpg"><img class="size-medium wp-image-159 alignleft" title="dash-077" src="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-077-300x240.jpg" alt="dash-077" width="300" height="240" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-091.jpg"></a></p>
<p>Don&#8217;t Tread on Me</p>
<p><a href="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-091.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-168" title="dash-091" src="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-091-300x240.jpg" alt="dash-091" width="300" height="240" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-076.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-168" title="dash-076" src="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/dash-076-300x240.jpg" alt="dash-076" width="300" height="240" /></a></p>
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		<title>Quakers, still clinging to their guns and religion&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.z-car.com/blog/2008/11/01/quakers-still-clinging-to-their-guns-and-religion</link>
		<comments>http://www.z-car.com/blog/2008/11/01/quakers-still-clinging-to-their-guns-and-religion#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 01 Nov 2008 18:27:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>gsmith</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Democracy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[guns]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mahong River]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pennsylvania border]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quaker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quaker ancestors]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quakers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[religion]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.z-car.com/blog/?p=566</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On a recent trip across the country, while glancing out the window I was rewarded with a wonderful view as we passed over the Mahong River that spreads across the Ohio and Pennsylvania border.  I wistfully thought of my Quaker ancestors who settled in this fertile part of our great country.  They planted their fields, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/405151640_senpf-xl1.jpg"><img title="405151640_senpf-xl1" src="http://www.prodromus.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/405151640_senpf-xl1-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p>
<p>On a recent trip across the country, while glancing out the window I was rewarded with a wonderful view as we passed over the Mahong River that spreads across the Ohio and Pennsylvania border.  I wistfully thought of my Quaker ancestors who settled in this fertile part of our great country.  They planted their fields, raised their families, and became part of this great experiment in Democracy we call America.   This week our country will have a chance to change the course of its future.  Let&#8217;s hope we make the right choice.</p>
<p>As I looked closer, I could almost see them clinging to their guns and religion&#8230;</p>
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		<title>Taiwan Honors US and ROC Veterans &#8211; Part 2 of 2</title>
		<link>http://www.z-car.com/blog/2008/09/10/taiwan-honors-us-and-roc-veterans-part-2-of-2</link>
		<comments>http://www.z-car.com/blog/2008/09/10/taiwan-honors-us-and-roc-veterans-part-2-of-2#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Sep 2008 04:00:15 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>gsmith</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Past]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[War]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[50th anniversary]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Air Base]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[artillery]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Communist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[English]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[first lieutenant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Guard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[howard]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[howard smith]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kaohsiung]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kinmen Island]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Liberation]]></category>
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		<description><![CDATA[This article was written by my father, retired Lt. Colonel Howard O. Smith, who served in Taiwan during the mid-60&#8242;s, and who traveled back to Taiwan this past August to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Chinese&#8217;s bombardment. The People&#8217;s Liberation Army of Mao Zedong fired more than 450,000 shells on Kinmen Island and several [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This article was written by my father, retired Lt. Colonel Howard O. Smith, who served in Taiwan during the mid-60&#8242;s, and who traveled back to Taiwan this past August to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Chinese&#8217;s bombardment. The People&#8217;s Liberation Army of Mao Zedong fired more than 450,000 shells on Kinmen Island and several other smaller islets in a 44-day artillery bombardment beginning on August 23, 1958.</p>
<p>After many thanks to our hosts, we boarded the ROC AF C-130 and flew to Kinmen. You can imagine our surprise when we were met at the ramp by a very large group of greeters and media personnel. We were all given leis and ushered into their briefing room for refreshments and a very warm welcome. Then we were taken to a memorial for a US National Guard Lt Col killed in an artillery bombardment in 1954 which overlooked the mainland only 1200 meters away. Unfortunately the weather was still not the best and we could only just make out the mainland. We were taken to a factory that forges knives from old artillery shells left over from the communist bombardments. We watched as the owner forged a piece of shell into a knife. Many in our group bought items in the shop, including Wade. He purchased a steak knife set that was then engraved with his name and the 8/23 date. A fitting memento!The next day saw us ushered into an underground hall that had been set up for a speech by the President of Taiwan. Most of the speech was in Chinese but President Ma switched to English a number of times to thank us for coming and to thank the US for the assistance our country has provided to maintain the freedom of the ROC over the years. After 50 years of sometimes contentious times he felt recent changes have &#8220;&#8230;created the conditions of reconciliation&#8230;&#8221; between Taiwan and Mainland China. He noted, however, that he has &#8220;&#8230;maintained the security relationship with the US&#8230;&#8221; and will purchase weapons systems from the US for military preparedness.</p>
<p>After the speech we all went to a cemetery for Taiwanese military personnel killed during the bombardments in 1958, where we participated in a ceremony commemorating these men and their service. After the service the President took the time to come over to our group and shake hands with a number of us, including my wife and myself. Quickly, however, the mass of media personnel surrounded the group and we were blocked from seeing or talking with him at that time. The eleven members of our group who had been there in 1958 were invited to lunch with the President. The rest of us continued with a tour of the island.</p>
<p>Shortly we were taken back to our C-130 and flew back to Taipei, bidding farewell to our MND escorts who did an excellent job of hosting us. We will certainly have fond memories of the experience of those few days.</p>
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