As a conservative I get haircuts at a barbershop rather than getting my hair styled at a salon. My barbershop of choice has six chairs and an eclectic group of barbers. I went in early to get my haircut and there were only two of the lady barbers working. I sat in the chair and the two women were talking about children, college, spouses, and relationships. I wasn’t really paying attention as Fox News was on and I was focused on the television while altogether too much gray hair was falling around me.
The discussion ended and my barber focused instead on my head with part of her attention cocked towards the television. Most of the time that I have been in the shop the television has been tuned to shows other than the news. Several times it has been the History channel which is just fine with me.
Clip, clip, clip, and an audible sigh. Barber says “I know that I should be interested in politics but I just can’t make myself care.”
I couldn’t help myself. I admitted that I was a political junkie and then added, “With the exception of your personal relationships all of the problems in your life are caused by the government.” The topic on television had been the price of gas and off course it is all too easy to draw out why the Obama regime is at fault there.
Later I thought that one’s health might be separate from government fault. However were government not involved in health care, it wouldn’t be so expensive and the health care industry could focus on cures, new drugs, and preventative measures that work. As it is the health care industry spends most of its time defending itself from nuisance law suits and government interference.
I know it is Memorial Day, but one has to ask the question – what is wrong with our Navy? I come from a Navy town. My grandfather, father and uncle were in the Navy. Though I chose a career in the Marine Corps I spent a great deal of time on Navy ships including two years on sea duty. Today’s The Washington Times carries an article by Rowan Scarborough titled “Navy too politically correct for Old Salts” and they are right.
It is an interesting read and I recommend it. The Navy’s missteps go far beyond naming one of the Military Sealift Command Dry Cargo/Ammunition ships after a Marxist agitator.
The T-AKE class ships seem to be an interesting breed. The first three were named for heroes: Lewis and Clark, Sacagwea, and Alan Shepard (T-AKE 1, 2, and 3). Then they went terribly wrong naming the fourth in the class after Ku Klux Klansman and Democrat Senator Richard Byrd (T-AKE-4). Then they got back on track with Robert E. Peary (T-AKE-5). It appears that the theme of naming these ships was exploration as they named a ship after Amelia Earhart (a bit of a stretch), Carl Brashear (first black Navy master diver), then another astronaut Wally Schirra, and then another explorer Matthew Perry (T-AKEs-6, 7, 8. and 9). Then they departed from the pattern with a famous doctor Charles Drew (bringing us to T-AKE-10). Captain Washington Chambers, USN was a pioneer in naval aviation (T-AKE-11). William McLean was a physicist who was responsible for the invention of the Sidewinder missile (T-AKE 12).
Looks like Navy Secretary Mabus (a former Mississippi governor) took us way out of the pattern with T-AKE-13 which was named after assassinated civil rights activist Medgar Evers. Evers was a sergeant in the U.S. Army during World War II who served honorably and died later in Mississippi for his brave stand during the civil rights movement. No doubt Evers deserves any number of honors but it seems to me that it is the army’s responsibility or the State of Mississippi. Mabus didn’t need to bring his guilt with him to the Department of the Navy.
Now T-AKE-14 will be stained with the name of Marxist Cesar Chavez. Yet another reason to never again elevate a Marxist community organizer to mainstream political power.
If the election was held today this is where I stand on the declared Republican candidates for President of the United States:
1.Former Governor Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota.I like a governor for President.The jobs are similar enough that experience as a governor is really preparatory for life in the White House.By all accounts Pawlenty was a good governor.He’s the only one of the “declared” pack so far that makes sense to me.
2.Former CEO Herman Cain – I think that he is quaint.Leadership by sound bite isn’t going to fix this mess though.Could be a serious contender with the right team and running mate.Distant second.
3.Former Speaker Newt Gingrich – John Fund said the other day that “Newt started his life out as a college professor and he has never recovered.”I concur.More distant third.
Unfortunately that’s the end of the serious candidates.
4.Congressman Ron Paul – the Libertarian crap is really wearing thin on me.I agree with Paul about 50% of the time.He would make us the laughing stock of the Free World.I can’t believe that he is wasting our time . . . . . . . again.
5.Former Governor Gary Johnson New Mexico – fruitcake.I can’t imagine that he will survive the primary – but if he does – only the fact that anyone (even a fruitcake) would be better than Barack Obama would make me pull the lever for Johnson.
Depending on which website you go to there are other “declareds” – none worth mentioning.I’ll cross the bridge on the others if and when they declare their candidacy.
My dream ticket (neither of which have declared) – Texas Governor Rick Perry for President with Former UN Ambassador John Bolton as his running mate.(That would make some dictators sit up and take notice).
The Honorable James Webb, Mark Warner, and Rob Wittman,
I just learned that the U.S. Navy is planning to name a new Ammunition/Cargo ship after Marxist agitator Cesar Chavez. This is a travesty of justice. I grew up largely in California and I remember being accosted at the grocery by Chavez’s thugs. I remember the turmoil this Saul Alinsky acolyte created in those days. This is a slap in the face to all the men and women who served honorably in the Armed Forces and opposed Communism around the world. Cesar Chavez illustrates what is wrong about our country right now rather than what is right – honoring him in this way is despicable.
Please do what you can to name TAKE-14 after someone who loved America rather than someone who worked to bring her down.
I watched Benjamin Netanyahu speak to Congress yesterday. Why does Israel have him yet we are stuck with Obama? I hate to say it Bibi, but I think that there is only one alternative – you are going to have to fight. Every time Israelis fight with Arabs (1948, 1956, 1967, and 1973) they have kicked ass. Admittedly, the 1973 affair was a close call, but the Arabs ultimately had to sue for peace before the Israelis moved on Cairo and Damascus. The legacy of that war for Israel was an Egyptian ally for over three decades, a neutered Syria, an ally in Jordan and a chaotic though ineffectual Lebanon. Border secure, Nation safe.
Israelis armies have conquered vast swaths of Egypt, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon on the battlefield. At the negotiation table the United States and other well meaning though idiotic meddlers have made them give most of it back. Now history illiterates like our President seem to think that Israelis can swap land for security. This is how weak, ineffective, and cowardly governments work. Israel isn’t going to be able to negotiate their way to peace – better to fight.
As Clausewitz pointed out “War is a continuation of politics by other means.” War or the threat of war makes for good borders and resolves differences.
With a great amount of pride my wife and I attended another graduation exercise again this past Sunday. Our daughter-in-law received her Master’s Degree in a ceremony with more than 6200 members of the class of 2011.
We were on Thomas Jefferson’s old stomping grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia and the key note speaker was our popular and conservative Governor Bob McDonnell. Virginia as the cradle of American democracy is probably a good deal more patriotic than most States. As the color guard made up of ROTC cadets came through the ranks of families and friends all stood in respect. This graduation included the Pledge of Allegiance in addition to the National Anthem. In contrast to the last graduation I described the National Anthem was played by Fort Lee’s band and not sung though it was interesting that many in the crowd sang.
As some of the less interesting parts of the ceremony were taking place we amused ourselves by reading many of the Doctoral thesis titles. However as I scanned the ranks of the various degrees something jumped out at me. One hundred and thirty seven (137) medical doctors graduated that day against two hundred and ninety four (294) lawyers. What's wrong with that picture?
Medical costs are going up while our courts are choked with frivolous and useless lawsuits. Might we be better off in the long run with twice as many doctors as lawyers? I can’t imagine that we wouldn’t be. I have required a doctor many more times in my life than I have required a lawyer. Though I have been blessed with good health, most of the time that I needed a doctor I needed one urgently. I can’t say the same with lawyers. I generally needed a lawyer because we can’t buy a house, start a business, close an estate, or interpret many of our laws without one. That isn’t because people are stupid, but rather because legal documents are written in language that is indecipherable to the layman and no doubt that is intentional.
137 to 294 – Without a doubt that number is upside down.
For the last three plus years I have defended first Candidate and now President Barack Hussein Obama’s intellect. Admittedly, part of that might have been because I didn’t want to think that a moron beat us in 2008. However a part of me thinks that even though Mr. Obama continues to make exceptionally (one might even say historically) bad decisions – he isn’t a stupid man. That changed for me today.
Today the man who some would have us believe is the smartest man alive said this:
“So while the core issues of the conflict must be negotiated, the basis of those negotiations is clear: a viable Palestine, and a secure Israel. The United States believes that negotiations should result in two states, with permanent Palestinian borders with Israel, Jordan, and Egypt, and permanent Israeli borders with Palestine. The borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps, so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states. The Palestinian people must have the right to govern themselves, and reach their potential, in a sovereign and contiguous state.”
That might be the single most disloyal and ignorant thing that any President has said in my lifetime. That’s saying something since my lifetime includes Lyndon Baines Johnson, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. To turn over land purchased by Israelis blood to these troglodytes is insanity.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu I recommend the following course of action to you and Israel:
1. Tell President Obama that you will surrender the hard-won segments of your nation when he offers up Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California to the Mexican government.
2. You might point out to Jewish people everywhere that they have no real friends in the Democrat Party and they should remember that when they make campaign contributions and more importantly when they vote.
3. If I were you I would start building settlements like crazy on all of the land that you currently occupy. Possession as they say is 9/10th of the law – start possessing. If you tear down another settlement or pull back from another border – you are committing national suicide.
4. You have rarely had many friends in the US State Department – guess what – you have even fewer now. Call in the US Ambassador to Israel and waterboard him. Ask him some questions if you want – our foreign policy is so screwed up now that he probably doesn’t have any answers that would interest you.
5. Don’t worry about what America thinks or says for another two years. In January 2013 this international nightmare will start to draw to a close. Until then, zip up your flak jacket, put on your brain bucket, and lay in a large supply of ammo – you are probably going to need it.
Maybe there is a method to Obama’s seeming madness. Maybe he wants to build another HolocaustMuseum in Chicago. No one with any sense of history can come to any other conclusion.
Today's The Washington Times includes an editorial by Steve Milloy (JunkScience.com) who provides guidance for candidates in "2012 GOP guide to the climate debate." Milloy’s article reminded me that this is the third watermelon (green on the outside – red on the inside) or liberal inspired hoax in my lifetime.
The first environmental inspired huckster I became aware of was Paul Ehrlich who wrote the ridiculous book “The Population Bomb.” It warned of mass starvations that were imminent in which hundreds of millions would die. He is still out there hanging around Stanford where some still consider him to be a serious scientist. How is it that liberals get it so very, very wrong?
The “population bomb” is a case study in how liberals look at a problem. They see the potential of a shortage in anything – gasoline, money, food, tigers, polar bears, corn, or housing – and they freak out. Instead of getting out of the way so the market can produce more of these things they insist on controlling them. They can’t see the potential that a capitalist sees. To a liberal the glass is always half empty.
In our world as a desired product or resource becomes scarce, the price goes up and some happy capitalist will find or make more. Ironically that will also have the ultimate effect of driving those prices down. Ehrlich didn’t understand that and neither does the current temporary occupant of the White House.
Of course government can artificially make something scarce and drive up prices and drive down availability. We see that in the oil industry as government restricts exploration and drilling. Even the most well-meaning program can have entirely negative effects like “Cash for Clunkers” which clobbered the used car marketplace.
It was also governments who were causing the majority of symptoms that Ehrlich misidentified as an impending food shortage. If you look at where people are starving it isn’t free market capitalists or farmers that are to blame – it’s governments. North Korea, Cuba, Nigeria, Egypt, and Sudan come to mind. If you really want to starve people put a liberal in charge of production – the USSR, Cambodia, Turkmenistan, and China are splendid examples.
Paul Ehrlich is probably a smart guy just as President Obama is probably a smart guy. What is lacking is an understanding of what makes the world go around and a deep abiding confidence in government. The liberal filter that they run anecdotal evidence through confirms their prejudices and they make the wrong decision each and every time. What makes it worse is when they sensationalize the potential but unlikely problem (like Al Gore). Ehrlich wasn’t wrong because his facts were wrong (though there is some of that at work) but rather he inexpertly assembled them into a false narrative that fit his liberal ideology. This is of course true with modern climate alarmists.
Liberals know that in general you won’t act against your own best interest so they have to scare you. Thus it wasn’t a “Discussion on the availability of food in the Third World” – rather it was the “Population Bomb.” Much like Roman mothers whispering in their children’s ears about Hannibal, liberal women whisper about “Global Climate Change.” It’s the same principle at work. You have to be convinced that hundreds of millions are imminently about to die (as Ehrlich asserted) in order for women to surrender control of their wombs and everyone else to surrender their freedom to governments to counter the problem.
Similarly no one would pay more for bad gas produced by diverting food from the grocery into our gas tanks. The very thought is ludicrous and self defeating. People must be cowed into doing something so ridiculous when they live in a land with enough oil reserves to power our vehicles well into the next century.
As the underpinnings of “Global Warming” or “Global Climate Change” come unraveled, there are already people waiting in the wings to restart the “Population Bomb” hysteria. The second green hoax in my lifetime was “Global Cooling” that fueled hysteria as the population hysteria died down. I actually watched a special recently on the Discovery channel on “Global Warming” and it was immediately followed by a special on “Global Cooling.” All of the people were very earnest about their beliefs in the reality of man-made climate change – but they were of course also very wrong. There are faint rustlings of both population and cooling hucksters warming up in the wings now. Liberals never stop. Liberals never give up. Liberals are always wrong.
I opened The Washington Times this morning and the first thing that caught my eye was the headline “Energy: Electric Chargers for Capitol Hill?” I thought, “I’ll bet that is going to be stupid” and I wasn’t disappointed. Senator Carl Levin (Idiot – MI) and Representative Dale Kildee (Idiot – MI) have offered a plan to place electric recharging stations for lawmakers and their staffs at the Capitol. In fairness they called for this to be paid for with user fees – but then the only Federal program that has ever come in under budget in my lifetime has been President Bush’s Prescription Drug Program.
Electric cars are a loser in our lifetime. There is no way that electric cars will ever be competitive with gasoline and diesel powered vehicles without the benefit of punishing regulation and/or taxes by loony misguided government hacks. That’s just a simple fact.
When electric cars are commercially viable in the free market the Federal government won’t have to build recharge stations because the electric car industry will do it themselves. The government didn’t build gas stations and it doesn’t have to build electric recharging stations. The Federal government has an exceptionally poor record in picking winners and losers – they should sit this one out.
When I started blogging four or five years ago I saw it as an outlet for political issues of interest to me. I got a visit from time-to-time by people who did not share my opinions and that has been fine. As a conservative I am all about freedom and I decided not to moderate my blog for that reason. I recently ran across one of the most vicious and unreasonable people that I have encountered on-line. I don’t have that problem with liberals that I encounter in person – they tend to be infinitely more respectful. However on-line anonymity gives cowards and scoundrels a screen from justice that translates into offensiveness.
For liberals who don’t understand polite discourse or even the art of debate:
When someone provides you an opinion supported by facts you aren’t “debating” when you say “You’re stupid.”
When someone presents you with a factual argument you aren’t “debating” when you call them a racist. The proper response would be to counter – if you can – with facts of your own.
When someone tries to conclude an argument with supporting facts you aren’t “debating” when you change the subject. Sometimes you are going to be wrong and it’s cowardice to run away from that fact.
If you get angry, frustrated, or tied up in knots over dealing with conservatives – maybe it’s you. After all, polling has uniformly shown for decades now that there are generally twice as many self described conservatives as there are self described liberals. You would be foolish to not at least consider the possibility that you are wrong.
I apologize to my regular visitors that it took me this long to recognize the particular psychoses of the liberal alluded to. However you shouldn’t be burdened with his hate-filled screed anymore. If necessary, I will go to a moderated blog though I prefer to eject his vitriol in other ways.
Sunday afternoon we attended my son’s graduation. He and 39 others received Master’s Degrees and we couldn’t have been prouder of him. The entire affair included several hundred other students receiving various Bachelor of Arts and Science degrees. There was all the pomp and splendor of academics in flowing gowns in a dizzying array of colors with colored cords, medallions, and accoutrements. I skipped my college graduation ceremony and opted to just attend my Marine commissioning ceremony that afternoon instead. So my understanding of these events is shallow.
The speeches that day were standard liberal pabulum. People who live in academia confuse wisdom with education. They had no doubt provided these students with a great array of education, but the students weren’t going to gain wisdom until they tried to apply that education in the real world. The people on the dais bestowing the honors were educated – but wise? I don’t know. Many were about my age and I couldn’t help wondering what they were doing while I was training to serve my country – demonstrating their hate for our country no doubt.
Nothing that the academics said surprised me however the crowd’s response did pleasantly surprise me. As each graduate’s name was called there were cheers and calls from his or her supporters. Like me they were all there for a specific graduate or perhaps a group of graduates. The crowd was silent for the most part unless their graduate’s name was called. That is until the first the narrator added after his name “ . . . . he has also earned a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army.” The crowd and the assembled students erupted in applause. In addition to my distinctive Marine “OOH-Rah!” There were also a number of army “Hoo-Ah!” That happened for each of the seven men and women who had been commissioned second lieutenants. I thought it was wonderful. The only ovation that was louder was the one for Graduate Young who was the last name called that afternoon.
The President of the University got up to make his final remarks. More liberal pabulum for the most part. Academics must not encounter real people very often – I guess once a year at graduations. What I found interesting is that the President started listing “important” events that had occurred while the class of 2011 had been in school. Of the things mentioned was the election "of the first black President Barack Obama . . . . " silence from the crowd. He continued with other meaningless incidents that had occurred until mentioning that "Osama bin Laden was killed last week . . . " and the crowd erupted in applause (including much of the student body). The "OOH-Rah" they heard was me. It may be wishful thinking - but I think the President looked a little shocked.
All-in-all I think it was probably good for academia to have had the opportunity to meet America on Sunday.
President Obama was campaigning in Indiana today and according to the Los Angeles Times he said:
"Oil companies over the last five years, through a recession, through ups and downs, the top five oil companies, their profits have ranged between $75 billion and $125 billion," he said. "And yet they still have a tax loophole that is costing taxpayers $4 billion every year. Now, if you're already paying them at the pump, we don't need to pay them through the tax code."
It is wonderful news that five companies are making money. That is good news to the hundreds of thousands of people employed either directly or indirectly by these companies. It is particularly good news to the tens of millions of people who have money invested in those companies. Only a liberal could turn profits into a bad thing. I don't hear them complaining about the profits Apple and Steve Jobs are making.
The “tax loophole” is actually a tax credit for royalties that oil companies are required to pay foreign governments. This tax credit was put in place in the 1950s by the United States Department of State to level the international economic playing field. If US oil companies don’t get that $4 Billion tax credit they might absorb some of it, but the remainder of it will be passed on to the consumer at the pump. Some liberals like Representative Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (Idiot-FL) have referred to this tax credit as a “subsidy.” Liberal double-speak at its most perverse.
Why doesn’t the Federal Government cut the $4 Billion out of the sinfully wasteful budget of the Department of Energy? A useless bureaucracy put in place by Jimmy Carter (now elevated to the second worst president in American history).
This year according to Mr. Obama “the nation reached its highest level of oil production since 2003. But with only 2 percent to 3 percent of the world’s oil reserves, it’s not enough for a nation that consumes about 25 percent of the oil.”
Again, classic liberal doublespeak. Technically speaking all of the elements of this statement are correct, but put together it creates a false narrative. Mr. Obama is implying that his regime is responsible for increased oil production. However if the argument shifts to drilling he has said that nothing he could do would impact oil levels for a decade. In this sense he wants to have his cake and eat it to. When it serves his purpose the good news is a result of his leadership. When there is bad news, if it wasn’t George Bush’s fault then he can’t do anything about it for a decade. Classic liberalism.
The fact that we may command only 2-3% of the world’s oil reserves has nothing to do with the amount of oil that we consume. That’s like doing a transportation study by comparing the number of railroad miles with the number of two-car automobile garages. The two figures have no relationship. By any competent industry analysis we have vast quantities of oil within our borders and off our shores. Exploiting those resources would drive down prices and employ Americans instead of foreigners in recovering, refining, and delivering petroleum products. It is quite simply insanity to not step up oil production in the United States.
President Bill Clinton said 15 years ago that drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) wouldn't result in oil in the market place for . . . . . . . . .well now. We would be driving on that oil now. Mr. Obama is using this same tired excuse – we need to start drilling now.
A very good thing happened on Sunday night when Navy SEALs entered Osama bin Laden’s house and killed him. Personally I don’t give a hoot how that happened – I’m just deliriously happy that it did happen. Now however the press appears to be bent on flailing all the details hoping to spin this into a bad thing. Can the other news stories be that trivial? Let’s get on to important stuff. To set the record straight:
Was bin Laden armed or unarmed? No one should care but apparently he was. If the SEALs had captured him Attorney General Eric Holder would have bounced bin Laden around the Un-Justice system until we finally get rid of Eric Holder in January 2013. Holder isn’t interested in justice – frankly I don’t know what he is interested in. We’re better off with bin Laden dead.
Should we release photos of the bastard or not? I don’t think it serves any purpose. Besides al Qaeda barbarians will just point to the birth certificate released last week and say “If they can fake that, they can fake anything.” (For you humorless liberals out there – I’m kidding) I agree with the President we don’t need it, “spiking” the ball makes it look like you haven’t been to the end zone before, and al Qaeda is already referring to bin Laden as a “martyr.” That’s good enough for me.
We apparently gave bin Laden an honorable Muslim burial. That’s okay with me. As much as I wanted us to sew him up in a pig carcass I’m glad we didn’t. Americans don’t dishonor enemy dead – such a thing is punishable by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Just because bin Laden and his followers are unspeakable barbarians does not give us carte blanche to do the same to them. American soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines are your friends, neighbors, and relatives – when they come home we don’t want them haunted by such things. We are the good guys – we have always worn the white hats – don’t let these sorry excuses for human beings change that.
Was it murder? Only a lunatic could come to that conclusion. When a SEAL or any other member of the military comes up against the bad guys I want them to have simple rules of engagement that give them the widest latitude while protecting our guys. A mentor of mine years ago put it succinctly when he told us “Don’t kill nothing that don’t need killin’.” Clear enough. If you are hanging out with a bad guy though, we don’t have to check your stripes – you are fair game too. Osama bin Laden was an evil, vicious bastard who should have been under “shoot on sight” orders from day one.
Okay – there you go. The economy is still in the tank, unemployment is stuck, inflation is burning up our pay checks, our Federal government is completely out of control, and the border still leaks like a sieve. We have more important things to talk about and do.
