Interesting news items.

Last week the world marked the 25th anniversary of the U.S. navy's shooting down a civilian airliner full of people, taking off from the civilian airport in Iran.  All 300 of the people on board were killed.  The U.S. initially claimed that the civilian airliner was attacking U.S.navy ships.  The U.S. said it was diving toward the navy ships.  But films showed that it was taking off, flying up into the air when it was shot down.  The U.S. government didn't even apologise.  I wonder:  did the 25th anniversary of that mass murder appear in the news in the U.S last week?

Today's news reports that thirty years after the supposed "end" of the U.S. War Against Vietnam--which of course was also fought in Cambodia and Laos--the U.S. has finally agreed to "help" get rid of more than a million--that's 1,000,000--unexploded U.S. bombs in Laos.  Those million-plus bombs are still maiming and killing people in Laos--after thirty years.  If we spread them out, there is one unexploded U.S. bomb in every little 5 foot by 5 food piece of ground in Laos:  every space the size of a small bed has its own U.S. bomb, in Laos.  For thirty years now..

And todays news reports that the U.S. has now released Osama bin Laden's "driver"--the man who drove his car--from the U.S. Concentration Camp at Guantanamo.  He was never charged with a crime.  We don't know how often he was tortured.  But now--AFTER TEN YEARS IN AN ILLEGAL PRISON RUN BY THE U.S. GOVERNMENT--he has been sent home.

All U.S. citizens should be proud of the U.S. government.  Right?  Now all we need to do is end the U.S. wars, occupations, and aggressions in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Syria, stop killing Mexicans in Mexico, close Guantanamo, agree to stop torturing people, and release Bradley Manning who has been in prison for two years--for one year tortured and in solitary confinement--because he allegedly made public documents proving U.S. war crimes in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

If the U.S. could do all of that, then it might look like a decent country. 

I am an optimist.  And I hope to see the U.S. again a decent, law-abiding, honorable nation.